JJ Abrams Praises Crime Thriller That Changed Movies Forever

When recommending some movies for Turner Classic Movies January 2024 TCM Picks, Abrams said Bonnie and Clyde “portrayed violence in a way that had not typically been seen in American cinema and really ushered in a new age of bold graphic storytelling in a way that you really hadn’t seen before.”

Abrams also recommended Hal Ashby’s film Shampoo, the romcom You Can’t Take It With You, and the classic Jimmy Stewart film It’s a Wonderful Life. 

JJ Abrams also recommends the all-time great mockumentary This is Spinal Tap, the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera, and the Steven Spielberg sci-fi classic Close Encounters of the Third King.

The Spielberg callout makes sense, as Spielberg seems like the biggest influence on Abrams’ own work.

Abrams made his name with shows like Felicity, Alias, and Lost before pivoting to big-time blockbusters like 2009’s Star Trek, Cloverfield, Super 8, and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.

All of JJ Abrams’ picks here are solid and well worth checking out. But if you want to check out the crime thriller that Abrams said changed cinema, then Bonnie and Clyde is definitely a good place to start.

The Arthur Penn-directed film co-stars the always-great Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the titular criminal pair, and Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman, and Estelle Parsons round out the rest of the cast. 

JJ Abrams isn’t alone in his observation that Bonnie and Clyde ushered in a new era of cinema.

The film is widely considered one of the first films of New Hollywood, and its success made it easier for other films to start portraying more sex and violence on screen.

While the film will not be shocking to modern viewers at all, the action is still kinetic, and Beatty and Dunaway’s portrayal of the famous criminals remains fresh and iconic to this day.

Bonnie and Clyde was also recognized at the Academy with wins for Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actress for Estelle Parsons.

In 1992, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, ensuring it would be preserved for years to come.

In other words, JJ Abrams definitely knows what he’s talking about when recommending this film as an all-time great.

Another interesting tidbit about Bonnie and Clyde is that it was actually the film debut of Gene Wilder, who had a small role as one of Bonnie and Clyde’s hostages.

While the film was very controversial when it was released, it was widely praised by film critics and modern cinema may have been different if it wasn’t for this movie.

JJ Abrams has a lot of great picks on his TCM list, but this one definitely has to be the most influential out of his picks, so make sure to check it out if you want something to watch this weekend.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter