The AMV movie list (to binge-watch when it’s snowing outside)

Now that the festive holidays are over, you can spend your evenings warming up by the fire – or at least snuggling up on the sofa. To help you get through winter, the American Vintage team put together a list of five perfect films for the season.

Cover photo: Zachary Kyra Derksen

My Night at Maud’s (Ma nuit chez Maud) by Éric Rohmer (1969)

My Night at Maud’s is the third of the French filmmaker’s six “moral tales”. Over the course of one night, it follows Jean-Louis, an engineer, who falls head over heels for a young woman he sees at mass, just a few days before Christmas. Shot in Clermont-Ferrand, this black-and-white feature film is a great way to dive into the French New Wave movement.

French Fried Vacation 2 (Les Bronzés font du ski) by Patrice Leconte (1979)

No winter film selection could be complete without this French classic. For an hour and a half, we follow a group of Parisian friends at a ski resort as they let loose and get into trouble. A cult movie that we are happy to rewatch, year after year.

8 Women (Huit femmes) by François Ozon (2002)

On the brink of Christmas, eight women find themselves trapped together inside an isolated house as a violent snowstorm rages outside. After the mysterious suicide of the only man in the family, their own dark secrets gradually come to light … A family drama in the form of a musical mystery film.

 

The Shining by Stanley Kubrick (1980)

Another classic, but in another genre! Because what could be more fun than shivering in fear as you sit by the fire? In this movie, Jack Torrance moves with his wife and son into an empty resort hotel over winter. And that’s about all we can say without spoiling the rest … For anyone who’s already seen (and loved) the film, we recommend the book Il était une fois … Shining by Delphine Valloire (published by Rockyrama in France).

The Holdovers by Alexander Payne (2023)

An Oscar nominee for Best Motion Picture of the Year, this feature film by American director Alexander Payne has a great pitch: “A cranky teacher at a New England boarding school stays on campus over the Christmas holidays to watch over a handful of students who have nowhere to go.” Heart-warming.

AMV Journal is a space dedicated to encounters, discovery and travel. Every week, explore the musts, portraits and inspirations of American Vintage and its creation studio.