Canadian writer, director, and actor Xavier Dolan has been described as a wunderkind and it's not difficult to see why. He directed his first feature film, I Killed My Mother (J'ai tué ma mère ) at just 19 years old. At Cannes 2015, his film Mommy tied for the Jury Prize with film legend Jean-Luc Godard's 3D film Goodbye to Language. With only nine years under his belt as a director, he has managed to complete seven films, garnering him international acclaim and prestige for his unique brand of cinema.

At only 28 years old, Dolan is already a master storyteller. And in this video from Fandor, we get to take a look at the stories he loves and admires.


Though Dolan has become a filmmaking icon on the international stage, working with stars like Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, and Vincent Cassel, those in the U.S. most likely know him primarily from his work on Adele's "Hello" music video. (Dolan's latest film, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, is his first in the English language.)

Know him or not (or like him or not), his favorite films are definitely ones worth watching and studying for their amazing storytelling. Here's the list:

  • Good Will Hunting (dir. Gus Van Sant, 1997)
  • It  (dir. Andrés Muschietti, 2017)
  • Beach Rats (dir. Eliza Hittman, 2017)
  • My Beautiful Laundrette (dir. Stephen Frears, 1985)
  • Spotlight (dir. Tom McCarthy, 2015)
  • Taste of Cherry (dir. Abbas Kiarostami, 1997)
  • The 400 Blows (dir. François Truffaut, 1959)

How many of Dolan's favorite films have you seen? Let us know down in the comments.

Source: Fandor