Lady Gaga’s distinctive style and passion for pushing boundaries through her music and artistry have made her one of the most influential pop stars of the 21st century.

As an avant-garde artist, Gaga has cited many films as inspirations throughout her career. While she has never explicitly stated her top 5 favorite movies, we can analyze her influences and comments over the years to speculate on what films may have had the biggest impact on her and likely rank highly on her personal favorites list. Here are 5 movies that are strong contenders to be Lady Gaga’s favorite films based on her artistic persona and influences.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

It’s hard to argue that The Rocky Horror Picture Show hasn’t had a major influence on Lady Gaga both stylistically and thematically. The cult classic musical horror film is a celebration of nonconformity, sexuality, and pushing social norms – all central themes that Gaga embraces in her own work. She has directly cited the film as a childhood inspiration, saying, “I grew up watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show every weekend. I loved the idea of people in bizarre costumes singing and dancing.”

The film’s over-the-top costumes, characters, and unabashed queerness clearly left a mark on the young Gaga. Throughout her career, she has paid homage to Rocky Horror through her visuals, music videos, and performances. Her music video for “Paparazzi” directly recreates and references the iconic swimming pool scene from the film. Gaga has also cited Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the flamboyant alien mad scientist played by Tim Curry, as a formative character that inspired her to express herself without limits. The film’s message of accepting your freak flag without apology clearly resonated with Gaga on a deep level. It’s safe to say The Rocky Horror Picture Show was hugely inspirational for Gaga and likely ranks very high as one of her personal favorite films of all time.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Stanley Kubrick’s dystopian masterpiece A Clockwork Orange had a profound effect on Lady Gaga in both visual style and storytelling. She has directly cited the film as a key inspiration, saying, “I love A Clockwork Orange. I love how bizarre and creepy yet beautiful it is.” Kubrick’s vivid, unsettling world clearly sparked Gaga’s imagination.

Many have noted the influence of A Clockwork Orange on Gaga’s music video for “Paparazzi.” Like the film, it depicts a nightmarish world of violence intercut with lavish sets and costumes. But the real connection goes deeper than surface imagery. Both the film and Gaga’s art explore the dark side of human nature and free will through an avant-garde lens. As with Rocky Horror, A Clockwork Orange encouraged Gaga to push creative boundaries and challenge audiences with provocative concepts. The film left an indelible mark on her artistic DNA with its unique blend of the disturbing and the beautiful. It’s not hard to imagine this dark Kubrick masterpiece ranking very high on Gaga’s personal list as one of the most thought-provoking and visually stunning films that shaped her perspective.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

While The Wizard of Oz may seem like an unlikely influence for an artist like Lady Gaga, the 1939 MGM musical clearly left an impression. In multiple interviews, Gaga has cited the film’s themes of finding your place and embracing your true self as personally inspiring. She has said, “The Wizard of Oz story is so iconic because it’s really about finding yourself. It represents overcoming adversity to find your calling.” For Gaga, the story clearly resonated on a deep level with her own journey of self-discovery.

Beyond the themes, Gaga also draws visual inspiration from the film. Her music video for “Born This Way” directly references and pays homage to The Wizard of Oz, from the black-and-white to Technicolor transition to costuming evoking Dorothy and her companions. Gaga has also cited Judy Garland’s iconic role as Dorothy as formative, telling her, “You don’t need to be afraid to let your freak flag fly.” The film’s message of finding courage and embracing your authentic nature clearly left a mark and aligns with Gaga’s own philosophy. With its universal story of self-acceptance and likely personal significance, The Wizard of Oz is a strong contender for one of Gaga’s favorite movies.

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Baz Luhrmann’s musical extravaganza Moulin Rouge! was a landmark film that fused lavish production design with pop music in a wholly original way. Not surprisingly, this one had a big influence on Lady Gaga, who cites the film frequently as a formative work. She has said, “Moulin Rouge! was so inspiring to me because of its creativity. The way Baz Luhrmann shot that film and how over the top it was, really inspired me creatively.”

Gaga clearly connected to Moulin Rouge!’s unabashed embrace of spectacle and boundary-pushing sensibilities. She strives for similar levels of lavish visuals and creativity in her own productions. Moulin Rouge!’s seamless blending of pop songs also clearly inspired Gaga’s own pop-operatic style. The film shows how music can be used to tell a story in a truly cinematic way. It’s not hard to imagine Gaga watching the film on repeat for inspiration as she developed her unique brand of pop artistry. With its massive influence on her creative DNA, Moulin Rouge! is undoubtedly in Gaga’s personal top 5.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Darren Aronofsky’s harrowing drama Requiem for a Dream is in many ways the antithesis of a feel-good favorite. But Lady Gaga has cited this gritty, unflinching film as personally inspiring on multiple occasions. For Gaga, Requiem clearly left an impression through its raw portrayal of addiction and the dark side of the human experience. She has said, “Requiem for a Dream really inspired me. I love how real and gritty it is…It showed me you can tell important stories through film.”

More than just its subject matter, Gaga connects to Requiem’s bold creative risk-taking. Like Aronofsky, she strives to push boundaries and broach difficult topics through her art. Requiem also likely sparked Gaga’s penchant for concept albums and music videos with deeper narrative arcs. Through its complex characters and editing techniques, the film shows how to use visual storytelling to explore complex themes – something Gaga strives for in her own videos. While a dark and disturbing watch, Requiem for a Dream left Gaga with a newfound appreciation for cinema’s power to start important conversations. Its influence on her willingness to confront difficult issues earns it a likely spot on her personal favorites list.

In conclusion, while Lady Gaga has never publicly stated her top 5 favorite films, we can analyze the movies she frequently cites as inspirations to speculate on the films that may have had the biggest impact on her artistic DNA and worldview. Films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, A Clockwork Orange, The Wizard of Oz, Moulin Rouge!, and Requiem for a Dream clearly left their mark based on Gaga’s comments over the years. These five movies, with their celebration of nonconformity, boundary-pushing visuals and concepts, and exploration of