What gave Black Swan its most enduring legacy (aside from the seemingly endless font of memes it inspired that year) was its unique twist on the psychological thriller.  A nod to the Michael Powell-Emeric Pressburger classic, The Red Shoes, Darren Aronofsky’s film tells the story of Nina Sayres, a corps dancer who dreams of becoming a prima ballerina.  As Nina, Natalie Portman skillfully displayed a range of emotions not before seen in previous roles: vacillating between fear and elation, anger and obsession — all in the time it takes to flutter one’s imaginary wings.  What results is a mesmerizing psychological breakdown that has Nina sacrificing the most important thing of all: herself.

Read my write-up for The Resident Artist here.

Watch now | See the full list on Letterboxd

---

Images courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

This post contains affiliate links, and as a result, I may receive a commission for purchases made through them.  Posts are not sponsored and any brand partnerships in future will always be disclosed.