The 12 Best Shots in Film

Feature image: "Mad Max: Fury Road" via Bright Wall/Dark Room

Film is its form of art. It can put us in the shoes of diverse characters, transport us to new worlds, and stick with us for lifetimes through striking visuals. We’ll showcase just a fraction of those striking visuals in this round-up of shots we feel are the “best” based on our criteria: the shot chosen must be integral to the story—symbolically or literally—aesthetically pleasing, historical or otherwise iconic.

The "reaction shot" at the end of "Rosemary’s Baby" (1968) is one of the most chilling in all of horror. Based on Ira Levin’s novel of the same name, "Rosemary’s Baby" explores bodily autonomy, motherhood, and religious themes.

In the shot, Mia Farrow, playing the titular Rosemary, clasps a hand over her mouth in shock and fear. Her wide eyes draw the viewer in, allowing their imagination to fill in the blanks of what Rosemary sees. Notably, "Rosemary’s Baby" never reveals the answer, demonstrating that the audience imagines Rosemary’s demonic offspring to look scarier than anything the film could have shown on screen.

Although directed by the controversial Roman Polanski, "Rosemary’s Baby" remains an integral psychological horror classic featuring genre-defining performances.

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" redefines art appreciation by featuring one of its most iconic scenes at the Art Institute of Chicago, a renowned cultural landmark.

The film follows Ferris Bueller, a high school student, as he skips school with his girlfriend, Sloane, and best friend, Cameron. In one memorable shot, the trio mimics the pose of Auguste Rodin’s "Portrait of Balzac." They stand in a line, arms crossed, legs apart, mirroring the bold stance of the statue modeled after French writer Honoré de Balzac. The shot uses the rule of thirds, a guideline in film that divides the frame into nine equal parts.

"Ferris Bueller’s Day Off" has left a lasting impact on film and Chicago culture. The Art Institute of Chicago embraced the spotlight, even offering a self-guided tour based on the artworks featured in the movie. Recreating the pose Ferris and his friends struck has become a popular activity for first-time visitors to the museum.

If one image captures the relaxed, carefree, and spontaneous spirit of "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off," this might be it.

This iconic shot from “The Blair Witch Project” is a hallmark of the found footage subgenre. The fear on protagonist Heather's face is unmistakable, captured in an up-close shot illuminated only by her video camera, with her eyes wide and tearful. While not the most visually striking, the shot’s significance lies in showcasing the revolutionary impact of “The Blair Witch Project.”

Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the 1999 horror mockumentary was released during the early days of the internet, which the filmmakers used to make the footage feel authentic. The movie follows college filmmakers investigating a local paranormal legend, with most of the dialogue improvised from a rough outline. The actors filmed themselves, enhancing the film's eerie, candid portrayal of a sinister presence in the woods.

The now-famous close-up shot, later used on the film’s poster, resulted from actress Heather Donahue accidentally zooming in too far. Instead of editing it out, the directors kept the shot, recognizing that the actor’s inexperience with the camera added authenticity and heightened the sense of panic. This realism was vital in convincing audiences that the mockumentary was real—a tactic that later found footage films would use to terrify viewers.

One of the most recent Japanese animated films to create a long-lasting legacy in the West, “Spirited Away,” is full of beautiful, fantastical images. It’s challenging to pick one shot from this masterpiece to represent the “best.” This one, however, might be one of the most recognizable.

As ten-year-old Chihiro gets pulled into the spirit world to save her parents from a spell that turns them into pigs, she embarks on a somewhat lonely, maturing journey to find herself, too. This of Chihiro and the film’s other recognizable character, No-Face, sitting on a train that slowly glides over tracks laid impossibly across the ocean emphasizes how disconnected Chihiro is from her reality.

Produced by the legendary Studio Ghibli—the “Walt Disney Animation of the East,” responsible for other well-known anime films such as “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Ponyo,” and—and written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the studio’s co-founder, “Spirited Away” has become a modern animated classic in the 23 years since its release. In 2002, the film won the Oscar Award for Best Animated Feature, proving the value and merit of animated media to Hollywood. Today, the film is still referenced for inspiration. Billie Eillish’s 2024 song “ Chihiro ” is loosely based on the events of “Spirited Away,” with the title referencing the movie’s protagonist.

Christopher Nolan’s space epic "Interstellar," known for its memorable score and immense scale on a theater screen, spans generations and leaves a lasting impact. One shot that epitomizes the strengths of this sci-fi drama is this one from the "emergency docking" sequence. In it, Cooper, played by Matthew McConaughey, desperately tries to align the spacecraft Endurance as it rapidly falls out of orbit.

The ship's scale is striking against the backdrop of an alien planet, with debris floating into the vast emptiness of space. While "Interstellar" ultimately suggests that love is the most powerful force in the universe, this intense moment is a stark reminder of humanity’s smallness in the grand scheme, lightyears away from a habitable Earth. The film’s visual effects, particularly those depicting the vastness of space, are crucial to its impact. The spacecraft was created using large-scale miniatures rather than CGI, giving them a tangible presence against the depthless void of space. Despite being called miniatures, the Endurance model was over 25 feet long, 3D printed, and hand-painted.

"Interstellar" won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects in 2015 and has earned near-universal acclaim for its effects over the past decade.

This entry contains spoilers for “Portrait of A Lady on Fire.”

The French film "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" captures the universal language of emotion through intimate close-ups of an affair. Set against the stunning backdrop of Brittany's seaside, this historical romance offers no shortage of breathtaking landscape shots. The shot we've selected to represent the film might seem unassuming, but it is central to the story and gains deeper meaning on a rewatch.

Directed by Céline Sciamma, "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" follows the love story between Héloïse, a young aristocrat destined for marriage, and Marianne, the artist commissioned to paint her portrait. As their time together draws close, Marianne sketches a nude portrait of Héloïse on page 28 of a book as a keepsake.

Later, long after their initial meeting, Marianne attends an art exhibit and sees a portrait of Héloïse holding a book, her finger marking page 28. This detail signifies that, despite building a life with her husband and child, Héloïse never forgot the deep bond she shared with Marianne. In context, the scene serves as a poignant reminder of the "wrong place, wrong time" theme at the heart of the film. Out of context? It's a moment that resonates deeply for those in the know.

Steven Spielberg’s film "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" is heartwarming, magical, and a pure example of movie magic and how it pulls at our heartstrings. This science-fiction film has no shortage of iconic scenes that have become pop-culture staples. What makes the shots in this film particularly stand out is Spielberg’s fascinating use of lighting. We believe this concept is best illustrated in our selected shot.

In this specific scene, we see the young protagonist, Elliot, begin learning more about the extraterrestrial he is helping to get back home. This scene also marks the actual moment we begin to see Elliot bond with the creature. While looking for ways to hide E.T., Elliot cuts his finger and exclaims, “Ouch!” E.T. can then heal Elliot’s cut with a glowing light emitted from his finger.

As E.T. and Elliot’s fingers touch the soft, glowing light from E.T., it illuminates their faces, highlighting the childlike wonder expressed across Elliot’s face. This scene is tender, elating, and oddly comforting. In simpler terms, it captures the whole feeling of the film.

There is a reason the American Film Institute listed "Citizen Kane" as number one on its top 100 films list. This stunning political drama strikes the perfect balance of social commentary, beautiful shots, and memorable performances, particularly from Orson Welles, who directed and played the titular role. The campaign promise scene's sheer magnitude and striking imagery earned this film’s spot on our list.

As Charles Foster Kane takes to the stage at the height of his media-driven frenzy for power and recognition, with a campaign intended to serve the “common man,” he is a sure-fire candidate to win Governor. Even though we, the audience, have seen how Kane’s morals have begun to falter and how his promises and grandeur have become more hollow throughout the film, we still can’t help but feel moved by his words. This is in part thanks to Welles's acting, but equally in part to the looming images of Kane’s face hanging overhead of the stage and the wide-pan shot showing just how commandeering of the stage Kane is physically.

The timeless art deco inspiration behind the film's sets and dressings is also clearly illustrated here, with the elongated lines drawing viewers’ eyes up and making Kane appear even larger than life. If you were to see this shot out of context, it could almost look like a temple worshiping a deity, a clever comparison the film uses to highlight the sheer power politics has within our own day-to-day lives.

This charming French romantic comedy centers around a young woman named Amelie who has decided to pass her days finding ways to bring joy to the people around her without them learning it is her behind these seemingly miraculous occurrences. Directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet, this film is a whimsical exploration of what makes us happy and how happiness finds us. The shot we have selected from this film highlights this theme and shows the moment Amelie begins to consider the value of her own happiness.

In the motorbike scene, we see Amelie begin to fall deeper into her love interest. The image of the pair on the bike is softer than other shots of the film, with the motion of the shot giving us a blurred effect, which adds to the hazy, romantic vibe of the image. The way the lovers are posed provides a deep sense of intimacy, still riddled with uncertainty of “will they or won’t they.”

It also slightly departs from the relative stillness of other moments in the film, making this scene stand out for its movement and action. In a way, it is what sets Amelie’s inner journey in motion as well. With the signature muted color palette still in use, this particular shot almost reads like a painting.

“Mad Max: Fury Road,” directed by George Miller, is one of those unique pictures that prove the cinematic value of action films and elevate the audience’s perception of this genre. “Mad Max: Fury Road” tells the story of a post-apocalyptic desert world where war, ecocide, and famine have left society in ruins. The franchise star character (and anti-hero) Max returns to our screens, working alongside Lieutenant Furiosa to help the wives of villainous tyrant Immortan Joe. What comes next is a surprisingly sentimental and beautifully shot film that centers on the power of women, companionship, and hope.

We have selected a shot called “Furiosa’s Scream.” In this shot, Furiosa, portrayed by Charlize Theron, is told that the eco-green land sanctuary she was seeking refuge in for herself and the others has become a toxic wasteland. While the various voices of other characters begin to overlap, discussing this revelation and chaos taking over the party, Furiosa silently walks across the desert, falls to her knees, and lets out a scream that lets the audience know she’s finally lost all hope.

This famous moment was captured in one shot and is a raw and vulnerable moment for the typically stoic Furiosa. By contrasting the darker colors of Furiosa with the light sand and sun setting behind her, the film shows the isolation she’s experiencing at this moment. It is a haunting shot that has become an icon in its own right.

There have been few films to masterfully capture the high fantasy genre, such as “The Lord of the Rings” franchise. Director Peter Jackson, the first film in this franchise, had big pants to fill; it’s no easy feat trying to bring one of the most famous fantasy series to the screen. And yet, Peter Jackson masterfully immerses audiences in this world. The heart of this first film lies in the party that has stepped up to accompany the young hobbit Frodo as he journeys to rid the land of the rings of power and bring peace to all.

The shot of the party beginning this journey is a crucial moment for this story as it sets off the main storyline of the first film. It signals to the audience that they are about to go on a journey alongside these characters, fully immersing them in the film. The wide, sweeping landscape feels like a callback to a romantic painting.

This comparison is fascinating, considering the themes of romanticism tend to center themselves on the ideas of dreams and fantasy. You get the sense of something great to come as you take in the awe-inspiring landscape and just how small this party is in the grand scheme of the world.

“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is a film that asks audiences the poignant question: “If you could delete your memories, both the good and the bad, would you? And what happens if you choose to live those memories all over again?” In this sci-fi drama, we follow Joel, who has elected to have his memories of his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Clementine erased after learning she has already done the same. Yet when faced with the reality of this procedure, Joel panics and desperately fights within his mind to keep the memories alive.

It is a film that is equal parts tragic, hopeful, and eerie as we watch Joel and Clementine rediscover each other and begin to fall in love all over again. We have selected the ice scene from this film. At this moment, we truly start to see Joel show remorse for his choice and decide to fight against what is happening.

This shot shows the two lovers side by side on the ice. Clementine’s hair is bright red, which illustrates the love and passion they still hold for each other at this time. It is a shot that helps the audience understand that these two did share a real love, even with the fighting and bitterness that grew between them. While meant to be romantic, the calm tone of the ice and creeping shadows convey a sense of melancholy as we, the audience, know that despite sharing this moment, they still chose to erase each other.

We encourage you to pause the film the next time you watch it and look closer at your screen. Much like we admire paintings in a museum, this is your chance to admire the structure and beauty that goes into composing these moments in film. One of the purposes of art is to communicate with audiences in a visual narrative transcending spoken language; the shots we selected each have a micro-story within them that illustrates the power of art and storytelling. There is no shortage of beautiful movies out there to experience, so next time you have a free night, try choosing a film from this list or find one of your own and watch it through the eyes of an artist.