Recommendations you can check.
American actress and filmmaker; played Ryan Shaver in Netflix's 13 Reasons Why (2017) and directed the film I Wish You All the Best (2024).
9 things
An Unmarried WomanOther Paul Mazursky
An Unmarried Woman was the first Criterion film I ever purchased. Lena Dunham suggested I watch it before making my first film, and it has stuck with me intensely ever since and become my comfort movie.
Criterion Collection Top 10 list by Tommy Dorfman, the entry for An Unmarried Woman.
2025-12-17·criterion.com ↗
Grey GardensOther David Maysles
I first watched Grey Gardens in high school because of my mom and grandmother—which really tells you all you need to know about me. It was a movie they’d put on in the living room, and I fell in love with these women and their style and freedom of expression.
Criterion Collection Top 10 list by Tommy Dorfman, the entry for Grey Gardens.
2025-12-17·criterion.com ↗
WeekendOther Andrew Haigh
There’s a huge library of great queer cinema, but Weekend sits in its own pocket for me.
Criterion Collection Top 10 list by Tommy Dorfman, the entry for Weekend.
2025-12-17·criterion.com ↗
PinaOther Wim Wenders
I saw Pina around the same time I saw Weekend, and it also felt like something I’d never seen on-screen before. Usually, you think of 3D movies in relation to Avatar or Marvel, so to have this technique optimized for dance and theater was breathtaking.
Criterion Collection Top 10 list by Tommy Dorfman, the entry for Pina.
2025-12-17·criterion.com ↗
The Breakfast ClubOther John Hughes
The Breakfast Club stands out for its simplicity and really shows how much you can accomplish when setting a movie in just one location. It’s Hughes at his finest, with an amazing ensemble cast and real, grounded performances.
Criterion Collection Top 10 list by Tommy Dorfman, the entry for The Breakfast Club.
2025-12-17·criterion.com ↗
Working GirlsOther Lizzie Borden
Working Girls is so much more honest than any of the media I saw about sex work growing up, and I think that stems from the emotional expansiveness that Lizzie Borden has as a director.
Criterion Collection Top 10 list by Tommy Dorfman, the entry for Working Girls.
2025-12-17·criterion.com ↗
PolyesterOther John Waters
Polyester takes a jackhammer to the fallacy of the American dream and the dysfunction of the nuclear family, eviscerating these tropes in a way that is so brave and funny and dark.
Criterion Collection Top 10 list by Tommy Dorfman, the entry for Polyester.
2025-12-17·criterion.com ↗
ElectionOther Alexander Payne
Election has aged impeccably, and it’s one of my favorite movies of all time.
Criterion Collection Top 10 list by Tommy Dorfman, the entry for Election.
2025-12-17·criterion.com ↗
RushmoreOther Wes Anderson
I hadn’t seen Rushmore until last year, and it was exciting to see a Wes Anderson film so rooted in a teen setting.
Criterion Collection Top 10 list by Tommy Dorfman, the entry for Rushmore.
2025-12-17·criterion.com ↗
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