14 Gifts to Cheer Up Your Favorite Cinephile

If you’re willing to really splurge on your favorite movie buff, then this projector is fantastic. It has a 4K cinema-quality picture that will make your giftee feel like they’re right back at the movies. For something more affordable (and portable), try the LG CineBeam PH30N for $350. You can find our other projector picks here.

This little dongle is our best pick for streaming devices. It plugs right into a TV’s HDMI port, connects to Wi-Fi, and voilà, your giftee will get a clear 4K picture and the thousands of apps available on Roku (including the big ones like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video). Read our Roku guide to see what other devices we recommend if you're unsure.

Criterion is a film powerhouse for a reason, and with this subscription ($100 a year, $11 per month), cinema enthusiasts will have on-demand access to more than 1,000 classics, as well as a rotating selection of modern movies and weirdo art flicks. If the person you’re buying for prefers physical media, the Criterion Collection also sells gift cards they can use to purchase that copy of Robinson Crusoe on Mars they’ve always wanted.

This delightfully bizarre satire came out in 2018, but if your giftee hasn’t seen it, they're in for a treat. WIRED’s Jason Parham called the movie “a deliciously untame thing,” and it's exactly that. It’s a hilarious and heartfelt look at class struggle, deception, and labor exploitation that feels pitch-perfect for the dark times we’re in. It’s best to go into the film without knowing as much as possible, both for you and your recipient. If you’ve seen it, you know what we mean.

If your pal loves to watch movies, they may have a desire to make them as well. For the budding filmmaker, or really just anyone looking to get a smooth, clean take, this lightweight gimbal will do the trick with a smartphone. It’s foldable, has a magnetic grip, and gets 15 hours of battery life. It may be pricier than its predecessor, but it’s still rather affordable for a gimbal. Read WIRED writer Scott Gilbertson’s review (8/10, WIRED Recommends) for more.

Characters in movies can never have a normal meal. They’re always either munching on a gourmet feast or getting grossed out by something foreign. If your movie buff is anything like us, they’ve watched a film or two on an empty stomach and been curious about what some of the onscreen grub tastes like. This cookbook is here to answer that question. Andrew Rea hosts the YouTube channel Binging with Babish, where he recreates dishes from movies and TV shows. He's compiled the greatest hits into this book.

For more modern takes with some TV shows thrown in, check out Rea’s latest book, Binging with Babish: 100 Recipes Recreated From Your Favorite Movies and TV Shows.

For fans of time/interdimensional travel, this Christopher Nolan flick is a must-see. Despite the pandemic, it did come out in theaters, garnering critical acclaim and dismal box office returns. But it’s out on Blu-ray now, available for (safe) home viewing. If your giftee (wisely) stayed put to avoid risking exposure to the coronavirus, this is a great way for them to catch up on a would-be summer blockbuster.

This beautifully illustrated book reimagines the most pivotal scenes of movies as elaborate maps. It’s more artistic than accurate (nothing is to scale, exactly), but it still helps give a sense of the geography of a film. The illustrators have also plotted the main characters’ paths on each map, so you can trace out the footpaths of the cliff-top sword fight in The Princess Bride or follow the Jurassic Park scramble around the dino-filled island.

Have they never seen Vertigo, Rear Window, or North by Northwest? If not, they’re missing three absolutely essential pieces of film history (and the chance to see Jimmy Stewart go nuts). This collection has 15 of the best Hitchcock films in HD along with storyboards and other fun production goodies. There are also two discs of highlights from the master of suspense's long-running TV show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Is your giftee a big fan of Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, Owen and/or Luke Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman? Well, they’re probably well aware of Wes Anderson films then, which often feature all of those actors. The title of this pick may make your recipient think you're giving them all of Anderson's movies, but they'll quickly discover this is in fact a book, complete with genuine, 100 percent turnable pages. Structured as a conversation between Anderson and author/critic Matt Zoller Seitz, the pages feature enlightening stories about Anderson’s life and filmmaking process. It’s filled with photos and illustrations that feel just as colorful and quirky as the director's films. (Once again, this is not a collection of movies. It is a book.)

If your discerning film aficionado is eager to watch High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special, then you're in luck. Give them the gift of the Disney+ streaming service. Inside this magical walled garden is a cornucopia of nearly every Disney film and show. And because Disney bought 21st Century Fox, there are a whole host of action and comedy movies like X-Men, Avatar, and Home Alone as well. Think of this as the gift of future-proofing: If your friend has the service, they’ll eventually have access to all the movies and shows ever made, once Disney finally devours every single other company.

Look, if they don’t like a Space Jam poster from Walmart, they’re not a real cinephile.