Dark Academia Movies: 10 Moody and Beautiful Films Worth Checking Out

Daniel Radcliffe in "Kill Your Darlings." | The main cast of "The Riot Club." | Source: Sony Pictures Classics | Universal Pictures International

Something about the dark academia aesthetic awakens a nagging desire to live in long-gone periods often plagued with unrest or rigid governing systems. For many people nowadays, films are the next best thing.

Dark academia films tend to carry an air of nostalgia, depicting many places in older times, particularly decades-old learning institutions and lamplit libraries. These were the places where genius works of art were discussed in hushed tones under dimmed lights.

Where interests, burning passions, and dark secrets were exchanged and where the trajectory of a love story was determined. Sometimes, it's not a learning institution but a lived-in home belonging to one obsessed with art, literature, or both.

A black and white photo of a mid-adult man sitting on desk in low key lighting and reading newspaper. | Source: Getty Images

The aesthetic of dark academia became a social media trend that fans have applied to varying forms of expression, particularly fashion and architecture. Old European art movements and cultures inspired it, including Renaissance, Romanticism, and Baroque.

Many have recreated these movements in their styles of wear and even the appearance of their homes. However, others have connected with dark academia because of their love and undying thirst for knowledge, a defining characteristic of the aesthetic, now lifestyle.

The Maharani of Jhalawar sitting reading in the old library at her home. | Source: Getty Images

One way that films make dark academia incredibly immersive is through color-grading. When the themes explored are grave, the film's mood is often punctuated with dark shades of blue, green, and grey, making the warmer, more light-hearted scenes stand out.

Furthermore, they are often set during historical times of political or social unrest (overt or covert), where the protagonist makes a revolutionary or life-changing decision remembered for generations to come.

The thrill of the consequences that ensue when such decisions are made tends to have viewers on the edge of their seats. The endings are not always happy, but they are cathartic. And that is precisely why these films are worth watching.

'Dead Poets Society' (1989)

John Keating is a passionate teacher at Welton Academy, eager to share his love for the liberal arts with his students. Keating is scrutinized for his creative teaching methods, but they inspire the boys to embrace their desire for artistic expression.

One of them eventually joins the theater against his parents' wishes, while another builds a solidified sense of self. The 1989 film starred the late and beloved Robin Williams as Mr. Keating, alongside a young Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Josh Charles.

'The Goldfinch' (2019)

A modern addition to the dark academic genre that doesn't occur in an educational environment, "The Goldfinch" follows Theo Decker, whose mother dies tragically in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

'Kill Your Darlings' (2013)

A biographical film loosely based on the lives of famous poets Lucien Carr and Allen Ginsberg, "Kill Your Darlings" sees these two characters form a bond that gradually goes beyond friendship.

Ginsberg is the first to express his affection for Carr, who has a complicated romantic tie to someone else, David Kammerer. Things become further awry when all three are involved in a murder plot. "Kill Your Darlings" starred Daniel Radcliffe as Ginsberg and Dane DeHaan as Carr.

'Tolkien' (2019)

Another biographical drama following the life of J.R.R. Tolkien, "Tolkien" takes audiences through the events and people that inspired the late author's works, which include the cult classic books series "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit."

The film begins with his early life, as he struggles to fit in with fellow orphans. He later finds companionship and brotherhood with a group of misfits, and many other sources of inspiration emerge throughout his life. Tolkien is portrayed by Nicholas Hoult opposite Lily Collins.

'The Imitation Game' (2014)

"The Imitation Game" also looked at Turing's early life and delved into his struggle with his sexual identity. The brilliant film collected numerous awards, including an Oscar, with Cumberbatch sharing the screen with Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode.

'Maurice' (1987)

Set in Cambridge, England, during the Edwardian era, "Maurice" follows the eponymous character as he falls in love with his best friend, Clive. Eventually, Clive also realizes his feelings for Maurice, and the two share many stolen, often interrupted romantic moments.

Sadly, Clive buries his affection for Maurice in the name of his reputation and marries a woman, but it's not the end just yet. "Maurice," adapted from E.M. Forster's titular novel, stars Hugh Grant and James Wilby as the couple that never was.

'The Dreamers' (2003)

It's 1968, during the Paris student riots. Young American student Matthew befriends French twin brother and sister Isabelle and Theo, and the three develop an intriguing relationship. Many who've watched "The Dreamers" found the film unpredictable but insightful.

One wrote of the "strange but meaningful depiction of how peculiar teens lived their lives during [the] war and hard times," while others raved about its social commentary. The drama starred Eva Green as Isabelle, Louis Garrel as Theo, and Michael Pitt as Matthew.

'The Riot Club' (2014)

A drama thriller set in England's Oxford University, "The Riot Club" follows two freshmen who decide to join the secret drinking society, the titular Riot Club, where it is said a reputation can made or ruined in one evening.

The Riot Club comprises young men from wealthy backgrounds who pride themselves on engaging in hedonistic acts; however, things soon spiral out of control. A "depressingly real" look at the attitudes of the British social elite and class divisions, the movie stars Sam Claflin, Max Irons, and Douglas Booth.

'Dorian Gray' (2009)

"I've done dreadful things, monstrous things. And there will be a price," Dorian Gray says, acknowledging the gravity of his sinister choices. The Oscar Wilde character from the author's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" trades his soul for immortal youth with the devil.

His beauty is depicted and maintained by a unique painting created by his friend, Basil Hallward; however, things turn dark when it's no longer enough to protect him from his crimes.

'Mary Shelley' (2017)

Following the life of author Mary Shelley, the eponymous film takes viewers through Shelley's early life in the 1800s. At 16, she meets the man who becomes her husband, 21-year-old Percy Shelley.

A pivotal moment in the film is when Mary, Percy, and a few of their friends are stranded in a house near Lake Geneva. One of them, Lord Byron, proposes a writing competition: each person has to conjure up a horror story.

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