9 Must-See Films on The Criterion Channel This March 2026

In the idyllic American suburb of the 1970s, five enchanting teenage sisters took their own lives. Their haunting, almost mythical essence lingers in the memories of the young boys who once knew them, as explored in The Virgin Suicides. Now adult men, they nostalgically reflect on Lux (Kirsten Dunst), Mary (A.J. Cook), Cecilia (Hannah R. Hall), Therese (Leslie Hayman), and Bonnie Lisbon (Chelsea Swain) in Sofia Coppola’s poignant and nostalgic portrayal of girlhood and American adolescence.

The Virgin Suicides continues to captivate film enthusiasts today and is often seen as Coppola’s finest work (notably, it marked her directorial debut). With its lyrical interpretation of teenage turmoil, compassionate examination of female coming-of-age, and an enduring, captivating melancholy, The Virgin Suicides remains as enigmatic as the experience of first love.