Lattes, Camera, Action: The Most Iconic Coffee Moments in Movies

Following the unveiling of this year's BAFTA nominees - and with the shortlist for the Oscars due next week - we've been thinking about the best coffee scenes in our favourite movies.

From European art house films to Hollywood blockbusters, coffee has always been one of the most popular ways of setting a scene or defining a character, so we had plenty to choose from. 

Read on to discover our top 5…

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Everybody with even a passing interest in movies knows about Breakfast in Tiffany's, from Audrey Hepburn's little black dress to 'Moon River' and all the other iconic moments in between.

One such moment takes place in the very first scene. In it, socialite Holly Golightly exits a yellow New York taxi and makes a beeline for the window of luxury retailer Tiffany & Co. to gaze at the jewellery inside while drinking from her takeaway coffee cup.

While we'll never know how many people were inspired to pick up a coffee to go as a result of the film, one thing's for sure - drinking coffee has never looked cooler.

Pulp Fiction

Coffee features throughout Quentin Tarantino's black comedy/crime drama masterpiece, with two scenes standing out in particular. In one, Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta's characters try to distract attention from one of their misdeeds by complimenting their unhappy friend on the quality of his coffee, to no avail - he's the one who buys it; he already knows how good it is.

Even more famous is the opening scene in which a couple of armed robbers discuss plans to hold up the same diner in which they're currently drinking bottomless coffees with their breakfasts. All together now: "Everybody be cool, this is a robbery!"

Don't be alarmed though - drinking coffee doesn't increase your chances of becoming a career criminal.

Coffee and Cigarettes

Let's face it, you'd be pretty annoyed if you bought a ticket for a film called Coffee and Cigarettes and it didn't have anything to do with the black stuff!

Filmed before smoking was outlawed in cafes, this low-key classic is a collection of short films about people meeting up for, you guessed it, coffee and cigarettes while discussing an enormous array of topics, such as Paris in the '20s, caffeine popsicles, the cult of celebrity, acoustic resonance and many more. 

With an incredible cast including Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Steve Buscemi, Steve Coogan and members of hip-hop collective the Wu-Tang Clan, this film is all the proof you need that catching up for a chat with a friend over a good cup of coffee is the cure to many of life's ills.

Thor

When Thor, the God of thunder, is cast out of his kingdom and forced to live among mere mortals on Earth, he soon realises he's going to have to get on board with some human traditions if he's going to fit in with his new surroundings.

Under the watchful eye of a caring scientist, Thor tries his first sip of coffee while visiting a local diner and is instantly hooked, loudly proclaiming his love for it before getting carried away, smashing his mug on the floor and demanding more. We know how you feel, big guy.

The Usual Suspects

If you've seen Bryan Singer's Oscar-winning thriller/crime/whodunnit classic, you'll already know exactly which scene we're talking about. And if you haven't seen it, go and watch it before somebody spoils the ending for you!

The film concerns a weary, coffee-fuelled U.S. Customs agent's attempts to uncover how a ship with nearly 30 people on board ended up on fire in a dock in LA by interrogating one of its only survivors. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that a mysterious criminal overlord is behind the whole thing but it's not until the final scenes that the agent figures out the kingpin's true identity.

As he finally puts two and two together, he freezes and drops his latest cup of coffee to the floor in disbelief, all in glorious slow motion. While it's a shame to see a good cup of joe go to waste, there's arguably never been a more iconic coffee scene in the history of cinema.

What are your favourite coffee scenes in films?

Like most people, we love a good movie but let's face it, our expertise is in coffee, not cinema! If we've overlooked one of your favourite coffee scenes, let us know on our social media channels and we'll be sure to give it a watch on our next movie night.