To Die For (1995) ****

Gus Van Sant's To Die For (1995) is a exquisitely devious and prescient media satire that features Nicole Kidman's best, tour de force, performance (it's wild that she had such a throwaway role in the blockbuster Batman Forever (review), released less than a month later). The wonderful supporting cast includes Joaquin Phoenix (billed that way for the first time here; previously having gone by Leaf), Kurtwood Smith, Dan Hedaya, Wayne Knight, and my personal fave, the always underutilized Illeana Douglas. Inspired by the Pamela Smart case (which took place in Derry, NH, where I once resided) and based on the book by Joyce Maynard (adapted for the screen by Buck Henry), TDF holds up really well nearly 30 years on. 

Gus Van Sant Feature Films Ranked