Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name is perhaps the quintessential modern example of the "Paradise" trope. The film is set in the summer of 1983 in Northern Italy, a setting saturated with lush orchards, swimming holes, and intellectual freedom.

For a darker take on "paradise," this French thriller is set at a scenic cruising spot tucked away by a secluded lake. It captures the tension between the idyllic, carefree nature of a summer getaway and the danger that can lurk beneath the surface. It’s a masterclass in suspense that uses its beautiful natural setting as a silent character. 3. Fire Island (2022)

While not set on a tropical island, Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight contains the quintessential "paradise" sequence: the beach scene in the third act. For Chiron, the beach at night is the only place where he can shed his armor and be tender with Kevin. It is a dark, moonlit paradise—a space of healing that exists just outside the violence of the real world. It redefines paradise not as a geographical location, but as a momentary, fragile connection.