What are sad girl movies? I believe sad girl movies are categorized by being very dreamy and moody and introspective.
These niche movies often feature a suffering genius girl trope, a creative genius who often suffers with mental health or fitting into society.
I personally believe that Sophia Coppola popularized the sad lonely girl movie trope, with her mood over plot directing style.
Overall, if one is looking for some recommendations that fit into that category I have some great suggestions.
Up first is “Buffalo ‘66.” “Buffalo ‘66” is a 90s indie comedy mixed with dark romance movie about a kidnapping. The main female character is played by Christina Ricci. One common criticism of this movie regards Ricci’s problematic character, Layla, characterized for being a stereotypical, whimsical and ditsy female character whose main purpose in media is to develop the character of a male lead. I think this movie is still worth the watch for the stylistic elements. I personally love Ricci’s style in this movie.
The next recommendation is another 90s cult classic sad girl movie, “The Virgin Suicides.” “The Virgin Suicides” directed by Sophia Coppola is drama about the lives of five dreamy, but extremely sheltered sisters in the 1970s: Cecilia, Lux, Bonnie, Mary and Therese. The girls long for escape and freedom, which eventually leads to their ends.
Another good film is “Speak,” from 2004, based on a Laurie Anderson novel. This movie, featuring Kritsten Stewart, is about a freshman high school student who refuses to speak entirely after experiencing life altering trauma. This movie deals with mental health, isolation and subpar paternal figures, all iconic trade marks of sad girl films.
The last recommendation I have is one of my personal favorites that I closely resonate with: is “Lost in Translation.” “Lost in Translation” 2003 is directed by Sophia Coppola, this film is a romantic drama about an unlikely pair of two lonely Americans in Japan. This movie features Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray and together they put on a natural and amazing performance in this movie.
In this film, the two main characters played by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson bond over the struggle of finding purpose and joy in life. As a whole, this movie left me with a new perspective on friendship.
Overall, I love this genre of movies. So, enjoy watching.
