Classic 1970s Films You Can Stream Right Now
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As the quixotic, guileless free love movement of the 1960s came to a staggering halt following the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders of 1969, Hollywood and the United States together were shaken from the mawkish day dream that’d enveloped the populace in the decades following the conclusion of World War II. A new vanguard of auteur filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorcese supplanted the decaying, draconian studio system that’d singularly dominated Hollywood since the 1930s and ushered in a new era of cinema. This proverbial, long overdue passing of the torch imbued film with groundbreaking storytelling, captivating styles, and a nascent independent film economy that galvanized audiences exhausted by Hollywood’s formulaic cash grabs. Perhaps one of the most transformative decades in cinematic history, these decades-old crowning achievements continue to impel and shape contemporary filmmaking as we know it.
As the quixotic free love movement of the 1960s came to a halt following the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders of 1969, Hollywood and the United States together were shaken from a mawkish daydream that’d enveloped the populace in the decades following the conclusion of World War II. A new vanguard of auteur filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese supplanted the decaying, draconian studio system that’d singularly dominated Hollywood since the 1930s, ushering in a new era of cinema. This proverbial, long overdue passing of the torch imbued film with groundbreaking storytelling, captivating styles, and a nascent independent film economy that galvanized audiences exhausted by Hollywood’s formulaic cash grabs. The 1970s may have been one of the most transformative decades in cinematic history, and these decades-old crowning achievements continue to impel and shape contemporary filmmaking as we know it.
Watership Down (1978)
Based on the 1972 adventure novel by English writer Richard Adams, Watership Down is an animated feature following a group of rabbits embarking on a treacherous journey in search of a new home when their warren is threatened with destruction by encroaching human development. Juxtaposed against gorgeous hand-drawn animation, Watership Down explores dark and mature themes like survival, leadership, and ecological destruction at the hands of man.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
A brilliant satirization of Arthurian legend, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of several comedy films written and performed by the comedy troupe Monty Python. Following King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table on their famed quest for the Holy Grail, the film blends the group’s trademark surreal humor with historical satire, meta-humor references, and non-linear storytelling, to craft one of Britain’s most beloved comedies to date.
Carrie (1976)
Based on Stephen King’s debut novel of the same name, Carrie is a 1976 horror film directed by Brian De Palma and starring Sissy Spacek. The film follows Carrie White, a sheltered 16-year-old ostracized by her classmates and menaced by her abusive mother Margaret, a deluded religious zealot. Carrie discovers she possesses telekinetic powers and is crowned Prom Queen in a cruel joke orchestrated by her classmates—which ends in a bucket of pig's blood being dumped on her. This ignites her fury and sends her on a violent, superpowered rampage.
Jaws (1975)
From pioneering director Steven Spielberg, Jaws is a 1975 thriller chronicling a man-eating shark’s reign of terror over a quiet beach town. An adaptation of Peter Benchley’s novel of the same name, Jaws was a monumental achievement in filmmaking and was the highest-grossing film in history until being dethroned by George Lucas’s Star Wars in 1977. Both a critical and commercial success, Spielberg’s film spawned three sequels (though he was not involved), two theme park rides, a musical, three video games, and endless types of merchandise.
Rocky (1976)
The first installment in the seemingly ever-expanding Rocky franchise, the 1976 sports drama follows the small-time boxer Rocky Balboa in his quest to defeat the reigning heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed. Partly inspired by the real-life 1975 championship match between boxers Chuck Wepner and Muhammad Ali, Stallone completed the script for Rocky in just three days. Stallone's writing and lead performance proved to be career-defining and cemented Balboa as a pop culture fixture and simulacrum for the archetypal rags-to-riches sports saga popularized following the film’s release.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
In light of Timotheé Chalamet’s long-anticipated prequel film Wonka finally premiering, there couldn't be a better time to revisit the indelible classic that served as its inspiration. Based on Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the musical comedy stars Gene Wilder as the eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka who invites the young Charlie Bucket and four other children into his mysterious factory after they each found a Golden Ticket. Despite positive critic reviews, Willy Wonka initially failed to make a lasting impression on audiences and faded to relative obscurity before experiencing a renaissance when it began airing on television.
Annie Hall (1977)
Available for streaming now on Hulu, the 1977 romantic comedy from embattled director Woody Allen marked a turning point in Allen’s career and served to largely redefine the contemporary rom-com. The film follows the grating, nebbish, solipsistic comedian Alvy Singer (a transparent proxy of the real-life Woody Allen) through his examination of the dissolution of his relationship with the titular Annie Hall (played by Diane Keaton), a sublimated iteration of the modern “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” character archetype. Following its release in 1977, Annie Hall garnered widespread critical acclaim, with particular praise focused on Allen’s screenwriting and Keaton’s performance. Despite Allen’s widely publicized abuse allegations and relationship with Soon-Yi Previn, Annie Hall remains regarded as one of the greatest films in American cinema and was inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1992, the same year actress Mia Farrow publicly accused Allen of misconduct.
Klute (1971)
Starring Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland, Klute is a 1971 neo-noir thriller following John Klute (Sutherland) through his investigation into a missing persons case with the help of a bourgeois sex worker played by Jane Fonda. A compelling blend of classic noir and more contemporary psycho-thriller filmmaking, Klute was a widespread critical success. Retroactively recognized as the first installment in director Alan J. Pakula’s “paranoia trilogy” (a series of thrillers including Klute (1971), The Parallax View (1974), and All the President’s Men (1976)), Klute was the catalyst for what would become the American filmmaker’s defining epoch.
Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
The first installment in George Lucas’s landmark sci-fi epic franchise, A New Hope not only spawned one of the most culturally influential film series in cinematic history but also generated a multi-billion franchise. The pop culture phenomenon spread to novels, theme park rides, video games, clothing, toys, and comics, permeating nearly every corner of the cultural zeitgeist for almost half a century. Despite innumerable production issues, Lucas’s film was a box office dark horse, pulling in $775 million at the box office against a meager $11 million budget.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Starring Jack Nicholson as Randle McMurphy, a convict feigning insanity to escape a hard labor sentence at a state psychiatric hospital, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a stirring drama based upon author Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel of the same name. The film also stars Louise Fletcher as the cold and domineering nurse Mildred Ratched, who oversees the care of McMurphy and his fellow patients with detached cruelty. Often regarded as one of the greatest films in American cinema, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest won five Academy Awards (Nicholson for Best Actor, Fletcher for Best Actress, Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay) becoming the second film ever to win in all five “major” Academy Award categories.
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Also streaming on Netflix, Blazing Saddles is a 1974 Western satire directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder and Cleavon Little. A meta parody and subversion of Western film cliches, the comedy classic nearly didn’t make it to theaters following numerous clashes with studio executives, leading some to even suggest scrapping the film entirely and taking the financial loss. Despite the executive's reticence, Blazing Saddles became a sensation, pulling in more than $119 million against a $2.6 million budget.
Alien (1979)
From legendary director Ridley Scott, Alien is a sci-fi horror film following the crew of the spaceship Nostromo, a commercial spacecraft that comes into contact with extraterrestrial life after investigating a dilapidated alien ship discovered on an uncharted planet. Despite enormous commercial success, Alien was met with mixed reactions from critics upon its release and was not initially considered the bonafide classic we see it as now. Starring Sigourney Weaver in her breakout role as the scrappy, no-nonsense warrant officer Ripley, Alien catapulted Weaver’s career from that of an obscure stage actress to a blockbuster sensation.
Grey Gardens (1975)
From the pioneering American documentarians David and Albert Maysles, Grey Gardens is a documentary following Edith “Big Edie” Beale and her daughter Edith “Little Edie” Beale, and their lives as reclusive former aristocrats living in their decaying East Hampton estate— the eponymous Grey Gardens. Members of the bourgeois Bouvier family (which counts Jackie Kennedy and Lee Radziwill among its kin), the Beales lived together in Grey Gardens for more than half a century following Big Edie’s husband, Phelan Beale, abandonment of the family. The Maysles brothers first came into contact with the Beales when the duo briefly worked with their cousin/niece, Princess Lee Radziwill on a project that eventually fizzled out. Fascinated by their eccentric personalities and unconventional way of living, the Maysles brothers returned to Grey Gardens in 1974 to begin production on what would become one of the most influential documentary films in history.
Enter the Dragon (1973)
Starring legendary martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, Enter the Dragon is a 1973 action film following a Shaolin monk (Lee) who is recruited by a British intelligence agent to infiltrate and dismantle a powerful crime syndicate. Lee’s final film before he died in 1973, Enter the Dragon was hugely commercially successful, bringing in roughly $400 million globally against a budget under $1 million. Largely credited with globally popularizing the martial arts film, Enter the Dragon revolutionized action filmmaking and would later inspire countless other media franchises like the Street Fighter video games and director Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films.
Grease (1978)
From filmmaker Randal Kleiser in his directorial debut, Grease is a romantic comedy musical following Danny Zuko, a greaser who falls in love with Sandy Olsson, an Australian tourist Danny meets over the summer. Olsson’s parents eventually opt to remain in the United States and enroll Sandy in the same high school as Zuko, forcing Danny to choose between his nascent love for Sandy with his tough guy greaser image. After becoming the highest-grossing musical film up to that point, Grease was followed by a largely panned sequel starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield, but Grease 2 still has a loyal cult following.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Based on the 1955 novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney, the sci-fi horror starring Donald Sutherland, Veronica Cartwright, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nemoy follows an invasion of shapeshifting extraterrestrials abducting and replacing humans with alien duplicates to overtake Earth. Invasion of the Body Snatchers has not only earned its spot on many lists of the greatest horror films of all time but also has come to be regarded as one of the most successful film remakes ever produced despite critical response at the film’s release being more varied.
The Muppet Movie (1979)
Produced by the Muppets creator Jim Henson and directed by actor and director James Frawley, The Muppet Movie is a musical comedy following Kermit the Frog on a fateful cross country road trip to Hollywood where he hopes to launch a career in show business. Pursued by a sinister restaurateur hoping to convince Kermit to help promote his fried frog legs chain of restaurants, Kermit picks up several other like-minded Muppets along the way to take on Hollywood. The exceedingly meta and absurdist comedy is jam packed with cameos from A-list stars like Steve Martin, Bob Hope, Richard Pryor, Mel Brooks, and even Orson Welles. The first of a plethora of films in the Muppets franchise, The Muppet Movie grossed more than $65 million at the box office and remained the highest earning puppet film in history until being usurped by the 2011 film The Muppets starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams. You can find the unforgettable 1979 musical streaming on Disney+.
Eraserhead (1977)
The first feature-length film from legendary director David Lynch, Eraserhead is a surrealist horror film following Henry Spencer, an antisocial loner, after discovering he sired a disfigured, monstrous child he’s now made to care for. Shot in black-and-white and set in a barren, desolate urban sprawl, Eraserhead is renowned for its nuanced sound design and use of dark, chimeric dream sequences to craft an uncanny, quintessentially “Lynchian” atmosphere. Despite its initial release garnering very little attention, critical buzz, or commercial success, Eraserhead later achieved cult classic status and has been described as a simulacrum of Lynch’s trademark eerie stylings in his filmmaking.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Starring Roger Moore as 007, The Spy Who Loved Me is a classic James Bond spy thriller following the secret agent on his mission to take down Karl Stromberg, a wealthy, tyrannical misanthrope obsessed with the ocean who is plotting to submerge the entire "surface world," as he calls it, in water. To thwart Stromberg’s plan, Bond teams up with Anya Amasova, a femme fatale KGB agent played by Barbara Bach who inevitably develops romantic feelings for Bond. Along with being a great watch, this film is said to be star Roger Moore’s favorite Bond film he partook in.
Where the Red Fern Grows (1974)
A heartbreaking, gut-wrenching adaptation of Wilson Rawls’ beloved 1961 children’s novel of the same name, Where the Red Fern Grows follows Billy Coleman, an adolescent boy raising two pups—Old Dan and Little Ann—to become to best coon hunting dogs in the Ozarks. Helmed by Leave it to Beaver director Norman Tokar, the 1974 classic grossed nearly $6 million at the box office and was later remade into a 2003 film starring Joseph Ashton and musician Dave Matthews.
Suspiria (1977)
Directed by Italian horror legend Dario Argento, Suspiria is a supernatural horror film following an American ballet dancer studying at a renowned German dance school that is hiding a sinister, preternatural conspiracy. Loosely based on English literary critic Thomas De Quincey’s essay collection Suspiria de Profundis (an eclectic work touching on themes like memory, dreams, and hallucinogenic drugs), the 1977 thriller later ascended to cult classic status and came to be hugely influential in surrealist and horror filmmaking.
The Exorcist (1973)
Often regarded as one of the most terrifying films ever produced, The Exorcist is a hair-raising supernatural horror film based on American writer William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name. Starring Ellyn Burstyn and Linda Blair as mother and daughter Chris and Regan MacNeil, the film chronicles 12-year-old Regan’s demonic possession and subsequent exorcism performed by a pair of Catholic priests. The first ever horror film to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, The Exorcist became a pop culture phenomenon, drawing in massive audiences and helping legitimize horror filmmaking henceforth. The film’s production was even allegedly plagued by a mysterious curse.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Widely credited as the progenitor of innumerable tropes inextricable from the slasher subgenre of horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre follows a group of five friends on a road trip that is derailed after they decide to offer a hitchhiker with untoward motives a ride. Despite the film’s shoestring budget and employment of relatively unknown actors, the film was a commercial success, raking in about $30 million at the box office in large part due to its clever marketing of the film as a “true story” despite being fictional (although some aspect of the plot were loosely based on murders committed by Ed Gein, the Butcher of Plainfield).
The Amityville Horror (1979)
A cinematic adaptation of author Jay Anson’s highly controversial 1977 book of the same name, The Amityville Horror follows a young couple and their children plagued by paranormal activity after moving into a home in Amityville, New York where Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his entire family in November 1974. Allegedly a true story, the veracity of Anson’s book has been the subject of immense scrutiny and numerous lawsuits. Much like The Exorcist, production on The Amityville Horror was supposedly beset by unusual, inexplicable events, though this claim was later disputed by the film’s stars, James Brolin and Margot Kidder, who admitted producers of the film had encouraged the fabrication of these occurrences.
Harold and Maude (1971)
The 1971 dramedy from director Hal Ashby follows Harold Chasen, a young man harboring a macabre fascination with death, who develops a relationship with Maude Chardin, an elderly woman he meets while attending a stranger’s funeral. Charmed by Maude’s joie de vivre, Harold befriends her and the pair’s relationship eventually becomes romantic, to the disdain of Harold’s domineering mother and wealthy conservative family. Originally written as screenwriter Colin Higgin’s master’s thesis while attending UCLA’s film school, Harold and Maude was initially a commercial and critical flop but would later develop a cult following and come to typify existentialism in filmmaking.
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