Since the release of Badlands in 1973, Terrence Malick has been recognized as one of Hollywood's most lyrical and uniquely visual storytellers. And after a two-decade-long filmmaking sabbatical, Malick returned with The Thin Red Line in 1998, providing moviegoers with a World War II story unlike any they'd ever seen.
His influence remains strong. As evidenced in the video below by Jacob T. Swinney, Malick's aesthetic has had a profound influence on a generation of filmmakers, and Not Directed by Terrence Malick provides clips from 14 films that show off "Malick-esque shots," though they were, as the title says, not the product of the visionary director himself.
As Swinney notes, "Malick's influence on certain filmmakers is undeniable." Clips from, among others, Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Ex Machina, and even Man of Steel are used as examples illustrating the wide variety of films featuring "one of the most copied" styles in cinema (indie, as well as mainstream.)
Terrence Malick's 'The Tree of Life.'
The full list of the films from which the clips were pulled
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (2013), David Lowrey
All the Real Girls (2003), David Gordon Green
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), Andrew Dominik
Beasts of No Nation (2015), Cary Fukunaga
The Better Angels (2014), A.J. Edwards
Ex Machina (2015), Alex Garland
George Washington (2000), David Gordon Green
Joe (2013), David Gordon Green
Lost River (2014), Ryan Gosling
Man of Steel (2013), Zack Snyder
Shotgun Stories (2007), Jeff Nichols
Silent Light (2007), Carlos Reygadas
Up in the Air (2009), Jason Reitman
Upstream Color (2013), Shane Carruth
