The Best Movies About Hollywood

As the home of American cinema, Hollywood populates the public's imagination with epic dramas, larger-than-life action flicks, gut-busting comedies, and more. But Hollywood isn't just a place where dreams are made — it's a dream unto itself. A gorgeous part of Los Angeles, filled with creatives of all stripes looking to connect with others and bring their vision to life? That's juicy stuff. No wonder there are so many movies about the town where movies are born.

Some of the most impactful, important, and acclaimed films of all time, in fact, have been about the movie-making business. Moreover, the genre is a lot wider than you'd expect: David Lynch fever dreams and revisionist history, courtesy of Quentin Tarantino, both fall under the umbrella of "movies about Hollywood." To help narrow it down, we're here to introduce you to the best movies about Hollywood ever made. Prepare to get stars in your eyes.

At this point, 2016's La La Land may be remembered most for the infamous mix-up at the 2017 Academy Awards, in which presenter Faye Dunaway mistakenly announced that the film was that year's Best Picture winner, even though Barry Jenkins' Moonlight actually won. However, the film did take home a number of other awards, including Best Director for Damien Chazelle and Best Actress for its leading lady, Emma Stone, proving that it's much more than just the subject of an embarrassing Oscar night gaffe.

La La Land tells the story of Mia (Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), an aspiring actress and struggling jazz musician respectively, who meet in Los Angeles and fall hard for each other. However, after a lengthy relationship, they start to realize that their dreams may ultimately keep them apart. With original songs composed by celebrated composer Justin Hurwitz and winning performances from both Gosling and Stone — marking their third collaboration after Crazy, Stupid, Love and Gangster Squad – La La Land is a dreamy ode to Hollywood's classic musicals. It's a nostalgic project, full of nods to beloved films and eras, yet it still manages to break new ground. From its gripping love story to its mesmerizing song and dance numbers, La La Land simply has it all.

If you're a fan of Joel and Ethan Coen's goofier fare, you'll definitely love Hail, Caesar!, a bright-eyed tribute to Hollywood's seamy underbelly. This 2016 film tells the story of real-life figure Eddie Manix, a 1950s Hollywood "fixer" played by Josh Brolin. He is tasked with finding out what caused Baird Whitlock, a vapid, A-list actor played by George Clooney, to disappear during the filming of a biblical epic. As he investigates further, Eddie realizes that Baird has somehow ended up in the clutches of a nefarious Communist group, and must navigate his way through Hollywood's dark side to get him back on set.

In typical Coen brothers fashion, the cast is incredibly stacked: Besides Clooney and Brolin, the movie features huge names like Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and Jonah Hill, among others. If you're in the mood for a clever caper about Hollywood's seedy doings, Hail, Caesar! is a perfect choice for your next movie night.

If you're a fan of Schitt's Creek and haven't seen any of Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara's other collaborations with director Christopher Guest, you'll definitely want to check out 2006's For Your Consideration. One of Guest's classic mockumentaries, For Your Consideration centers three actors — Marilyn Hack (O'Hara), Victor Allan Miller (Harry Shearer), and Callie Webb (Parker Posey) — on the precipice of winning major awards for their still-unfinished film, Home for Purim. However, upon further inspection, the film definitely doesn't seem award-worthy, thanks to its weirdly experimental director (played by Guest) and its hapless producer, Whitney Taylor Brown (Jennifer Coolidge), an heiress to a diaper fortune who knows nothing about the movie industry. Meanwhile, Victor's agent Morley Orkin (Levy) spends his time trying to get a higher salary for his star.

A sharp, witty look at the awards circuit, For Your Consideration is acerbic in all the right ways. Sure it's nice to see glittering odes to the Hollywood movie machine — but sometimes, you need something that rips into the industry's foibles. If you're in the mood for that sort of experience, this is the movie for you.

Director David Lynch is known for his fascinating, surreal work, including groundbreaking television shows like Twin Peaks and bizarre movies like Blue Velvet. Naturally, 2001's Mulholland Drive is no exception. Betty Elms (played by a sterling Naomi Watts), a struggling actress, is shocked to discover a mysterious woman named Rita in her aunt's apartment. Rita, who has just survived a terrible car accident on the titular road, remembers nothing of her past. Betty resolves to help her, but as she tries to uncover the mysteries of Rita's life, she finds herself embroiled in a series of events as  hallucinatory as they are horrifying.

Regarded as one of Lynch's very best works — which is a pretty high bar to clear — Mulholland Drive weaves a terrifying, twisted story fans are still puzzling over. For a wholly original take on Hollywood, look no further than Mulholland Drive – just expect to be left with more questions than answers.

Based on the novel of the same name, L.A. Confidential tells the story of a group of LAPD officers in 1953 who find themselves occupying the tense grey area between Hollywood power and police corruption. With a cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, Danny DeVito, and James Cromwell, L.A. Confidential focuses on the career of Sergeant Ed Exley (Pearce), who, in a desperate attempt to live up to his late father's legacy within the LAPD, explores the darker side of Hollywood. In the meantime, his cohorts work with sleazy Hollywood bigwigs to further their own goals. As you might guess, things come to an explosive end.

Ultimately, the film served as an introduction for Pearce and Crowe, who were still relatively unknown in North America. Though it lost most of the Academy Awards for which it was nominated to Titanic, it still took home a statue for Best Adapted Screenplay and one for Basinger for Best Supporting Actress. A perfect example of neo-noir, L.A. Confidential is a gripping, intense story with plenty of twists to keep you guessing throughout the entire film.

It may seem counterintuitive that a director could strike gold by making a movie about one of the worst movies of all time, but somehow, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp won over audiences and critics alike with Ed Wood. Released in 1994, Ed Wood features Depp as the titular filmmaker, and focuses on some of his most infamous creations, as well as his relationships with real Hollywood stars like Bela Lugosi and Loretta King. In the end, Wood finally gets to make one of his best-known films, Plan 9 From Outer Space, even though the entire filming experience is an utter disaster.

Though the film flopped at the box office, it ultimately became a cult classic, even winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Landau, who plays the legendary Lugosi. There's no question that Burton and Depp make cinematic magic together, and if you want to watch one of their earliest collaborations — which just so happens to also feature Sarah Jessica Parker and Patricia Arquette — you'll definitely want to check out Ed Wood.