Best Los Angeles Movies

Nominated for eleven Oscars, but only winning one for screenplay, Chinatown is one of the last great film-noirs, a genre that has become synonymous with the city of Angels. It touches on a topic that is arguably one of the most important in the development of Southern California: Water. Hollis Mulray was inspired by William Mulholland, the man that built the aqueducts and "made the desert bloom."

A movie about porn in the 1970s couldn't take place anywhere other than LA's San Fernando Valley. Boogie Nights is the first of Anderson's Valley Trilogy, followed by Magnolia, and Punch Drunk Love, all of which are some of the only movies take place in the Valley. Nominated for three Oscars.

Nominated for eleven Oscars, winning three, Sunset Blvd. is a cautionary tale about the perils of Hollywood, and a psychological study of a waning star. The opening shot of a dead body floating in a swimming pool is a truly LA image.

Such a captivating look at the city in the 50s, particularly the LAPD, and their scandalous ways. Nominated for nine Oscars, winning two for Kim Basinger and the screenwriters.

Nominated for six Oscars, wining three, including Best Picture, Crash closely examines the diversity of Los Angeles, and race relations across many levels of LA society, including police, politics, and even the movie industry itself. Los Angeles is the most diverse city in the world and that still leads to some issues.

Quentin Tarantino is an LA kid tried and true. The city is his comfort zone being the setting for his first three films, and he hasn't been as good since. Pulp Fiction, nominated for seven Oscars, winning one for screenplay, is Q at his most comfortable, and at the height of his talent, at home in El Lay.

A movie that honestly and accurately portrays LA cholas. Set in (pre-gentrified) Echo Park, it delves into the rarely discussed topic of the women of the gang. While showing their ignorance it also reveals their innocence.

A great satirical look at Los Angeles. It pokes fun at the excess and arrogance of Angelenos, but ultimately reveals our hearts.

Noteworthy for it's portrayal and appreciation of Los Angeles architecture. The final scene was especially nice having been filmed in the historic Bradbury building, which was also used in Blade Runner. It's also a very good portrayal of youth and love in LA.

Snicker if you must, but Volcano is a funny, campy look at Los Angeles, seen through the veil of an unlikely disaster. It bristles with inside jokes (case in point: Dennis Woodruff's car floating in lava), and shows our perseverence. In the end it kind of sums up the LA attitude: Fuck you, we'll live around a volcano if it means we get 300 sunny days a year.