It’s Sunday night and you’re ready to settle on the couch with your favorite snacks and a classic film. So, what are the best classic movies on Netflix right now? We put together a list of some of the best old movies on Netflix to get you started.
Best Classic Movies on Netflix to Watch
Whether you consider a classic movie to be something made before a specific era or just a film that transcends trends and time, whether your preferred genre is Hollywood classic, thriller, musical, or ’80s cheese, there’s something for you on this list!
To make it easy for you to peruse, we’ve put this list of the best classic movies streaming on Netflix in chronological order, going from a 1947 fantasy rom-com all the way up to a dark comedy from 1988. Take your pick!
Note that these must-see classics on Netflix might not be available in all locations.
The Bishop’s Wife
Posted by The Bishop's Wife (1947) Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven on Sunday, October 18, 2009
Released: 1947
Genre: Romantic Comedy/Fantasy
Run Time: 109 min.
MPAA Film Rating: N/A
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 7.6/10 Stars
Metascore: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Director: Henry Koster
Cast: Cary Grant (as Dudley); Loretta Young (as Julia Brougham); David Niven (as Bishop Henry Brougham); James Gleason (as Sylvester)
Plot: When Bishop Henry Brougham is down on his luck trying to raise enough funds to build a new cathedral and his marriage begins to suffer, he turns to prayer. The answer to his prayer comes in the form of a heavenly figure named Dudley who quickly ingrains himself in Henry’s life, much to the bishop’s chagrin. Mayhem ensues.
The Third Man
Posted by The Third Man on Sunday, December 20, 2009
Released: 1949
Genre: Thriller/Film Noir
Run Time: 104 min.
MPAA Film Rating: Unrated
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 8.2/10 Stars
Metascore: 97
Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
Director: Carol Reed
Cast: Joseph Cotten (as Holly Martins); Alida Valli (as Anna Schmidt); Orson Welles (as Harry Lime); Trevor Howard (Major Calloway); Bernard Lee (as Sergeant Paine)
Plot: We have a true black-and-white, film noir classic to start off our list of the best classic movies on Netflix. After World War II, an unemployed pulp fiction writer, Holly Martins, makes his way to Vienna. Upon arriving, the American finds that his old school friend, Harry Lime, who’d promised him a job, has been killed in a suspicious accident. As he learns more about his friend, Holly gets pulled into a world of black-market dealings, corruption, and murder.
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Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Posted by Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on Saturday, August 10, 2013
Released: 1966
Genre: Drama
Run Time: 131 min.
MPAA Film Rating: Unrated
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 8.0/10 Stars
Metascore: 75
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Elizabeth Taylor (as Martha); Richard Burton (as George); George Segal (as Nick); Sandy Dennis (as Honey)
Plot: You can’t really go wrong with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. This Oscar winner, based on a play by Edward Albee, goes down the dark and treacherous path of marriage discord. A middle-aged couple, George and Martha, suck an unsuspecting young couple into their hurricane of heavy drinking, verbal abuse, and mind games when they invite them over for a nightcap. If you love a psychological plot, it’s definitely one of the best classic movies on American Netflix right now.
Bonnie and Clyde
Posted by Bonnie & Clyde on Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Released: 1967
Genre: Action/Biography
Run Time: 111 min.
MPAA Film Rating: R
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 7.8/10 Stars
Metascore: 86
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Director: Arthur Penn
Cast: Warren Beatty (as Clyde Barrow); Faye Dunaway (as Bonnie Parker); Michael J. Pollard (as C.W. Moss); Gene Hackman (as Buck Barrow)
Plot: Adapted from the true-life tale of American anti-heroes Bonnie and Clyde, this Oscar-winning film was groundbreaking for its time, earning it a place on our list of the best classic movies on Netflix. When Bonnie Parker, a restless waitress, meets a charming but sketchy man on the move named Clyde Barrow, her life changes drastically. Wanting to escape the poverty of Depression times, the young lovers embark on a far-reaching crime spree.
The Graduate
We've all had a Mrs. (or Mr.) Robinson in our lives. Who was yours?
Posted by The Graduate on Friday, November 22, 2013
Released: 1967
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Run Time: 106 min.
MPAA Film Rating: PG
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 8.0/10 Stars
Metascore: 83
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Dustin Hoffman (as Ben Braddock); Anne Bancroft (as Mrs. Robinson); Katherine Ross (as Elaine Robinson)
Plot: Ben Braddock is back at his parents’ home after graduating from college, with the question of what he’s going to do with his life hanging over his head. But he’s distracted from life decisions by an affair with an older woman he’s known all his life. And when Mrs. Robinson’s daughter enters the picture, things go to a whole other level of complicated.
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Deliverance
Posted by Deliverance on Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Released: 1972
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Run Time: 109 min.
MPAA Film Rating: R
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 7.7/10 Stars
Metascore: 82
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Director: John Boorman
Cast: Jon Voight (as Ed); Burt Reynolds (as Lewis); Ned Beatty (as Bobby); Ronny Cox (as Drew)
Plot: Four city friends go on a canoe trip through the remote (and fictitious) Cahulawassee River area in Georgia. The trip ends up being much more than they bargained for, leading the men down dangerous paths they couldn’t have imagined. This critically acclaimed film was nominated for three Oscars and five Golden Globes, helping it earn its place on our list of the best classic movies on Netflix. If you can handle some disturbing content, it’s worth delving into this cult classic.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Posted by Monty Python & the Holy Grail on Monday, February 27, 2012
Released: 1975
Genre: Comedy/Fantasy
Run Time: 91 min.
MPAA Film Rating: PG
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 8.3/10 Stars
Metascore: 93
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
Cast: Graham Chapman (as King Arthur, Voice of God, and more); John Cleese (as The Black Knight, Sir Launcelot the Brave, and more); Eric Idle (as Dead Collector, Roger the Shrubber, and more); Terry Gilliam (as Patsy, Sir Bors, and more); Terry Jones (as Sir Bedevere, Prince Herbert, and more); Michael Palin (as Narrator, Sir Galahad the Pure, and more)
Plot: Out of the best classic movies currently on Netflix, this one just might make you laugh the hardest. This wacky comedy takes us back to 10th-century England, following the legendary King Arthur on a hilarious quest to find new recruits for his Knights of the Round Table, and ultimately to search out the Holy Grail. Watch out for the dreaded Rabbit of Caerbannog!
All the President’s Men
Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in All The President's Men which earned 8 Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and took home 4 statuettes.
Posted by The Academy on Friday, August 18, 2017
Released: 1976
Genre: Drama/Biography
Run Time: 138 min.
MPAA Film Rating: PG
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 8.0/10 Stars
Metascore: 80
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Cast: Dustin Hoffman (as Carl Bernstein); Robert Redford (as Bob Woodward); Jack Warden (as Harry Rosenfeld); Martin Balsam (as Howard Simons); Hal Holbrook (as Deep Throat)
Plot: Based on the non-fiction book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, this film shows how two journalists investigating a minor story for The Washington Post stumble onto a major, history-making conspiracy. All the President’s Men dramatizes how Bernstein and Woodward uncovered the infamous 1972 Watergate Scandal, which ultimately triggered the resignation of then-President Richard Nixon.
Taxi Driver
Posted by Taxi Driver on Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Released: 1976
Genre: Drama
Run Time: 114 min.
MPAA Film Rating: R
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 8.3/10 Stars
Metascore: 94
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Robert De Niro (as Travis Bickle); Jodie Foster (as Iris “Easy” Steensma); Cybill Shepherd (as Betsy); Harvey Keitel (as Charles “Sport” Rain); Albert Brooks (as Tom)
Plot: Ranked by many as one of the greatest films of all time, Taxi Driver definitely deserves its place on the list of best classic movies streaming on Netflix! This ’70s classic revolves around a struggling Vietnam War vet, Travis Bickle, working the streets of New York City as a taxi driver. Dealing regularly with the seedy underbelly of the city, Travis Bickle becomes increasingly unhinged and turns to violence in a misguided attempt to make the world a better place.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Posted by Indiana Jones on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Released: 1981
Genre: Action
Run Time: 115 min.
MPAA Film Rating: PG
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 8.5/10 Stars
Metascore: 85
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Harrison Ford (as Indiana Jones); Karen Allen (as Marion Ravenwood); Paul Freeman (as Dr. Rene Belloq); John Rhys-Davies (as Sallah); Ronald Lacey (as Major Arnold Toht)
Plot: For some people, a list of the best classic movies on Netflix would be made up of just Spielberg productions! We won’t go that far, but we’re definitely recommending more than one from the iconic filmmaker. And for many people, Raiders of the Lost Ark might just be their favorite film of all time. This first film in the franchise centers on Indiana Jones, an archaeologist on a mission to find the fabled Ark of the Covenant. With the year being 1936, of course Indy is pitted against the dreaded Nazis in this fun action-adventure.
Stripes
Bill Murray in "Stripes" (1981) 🎥 pic.twitter.com/OURApiHtWU
— Groovy History (@GroovyHistory) March 4, 2019
Released: 1981
Genre: Classic/Comedy/War
Run Time: 122 min.
MPAA Film Rating: 18A
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 6.9/10 Stars
Metascore: 68%
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Director: Ivan Reitman
Cast: Bill Murray (as John Winger); Harold Ramis (as Russell Ziskey); Warren Oates (as Sgt. Hulka); P.J. Soles (as Stella); John Candy (as Ox), Judge Reinhold (as Elmo); John Larroquette (as Capt. Stillman); Sean Young (as Louise)
Plot: Stripes is considered one of the top five films of 1981. Disillusioned after being dumped by his girlfriend and losing his job as a cabbie, John (Murray) decides to enlist in the Army alongside his best friend, Russell (Ramis). Despite his underperformance during basic training and devil-may-care attitude, John winds up becoming the unlikely leader of a diverse band of Army misfits—and their unruly shenanigans almost end up causing an international incident.
Gremlins
Rule #3: Don't EVER feed them after midnight
Posted by Gremlins on Friday, May 4, 2012
Released: 1984
Genre: Fantasy/Horror/Comedy
Run Time: 106 min.
MPAA Film Rating: PG
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 7.3/10 Stars
Metascore: 70
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Hoyt Axton (as Randall Peltzer); Zach Galligan (as Billy Peltzer); Phoebe Cates (as Kate Beringer)
Plot: Gremlins is a rollicking combination of comedy and darker fantasy. A boy gets a weird but adorable new pet…that comes with some very specific rules. Guess what? He breaks those rules…and when he does, some small, mischievous, and dangerous monsters called gremlins are unleashed on his small town.
Platoon
Posted by Platoon on Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Released: 1986
Genre: Drama/War
Run Time: 120 min.
MPAA Film Rating: R
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 8.1/10 Stars
Metascore: 92
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Charlie Sheen (as Chris Taylor); Tom Berenger (as Sgt. Bob Barnes); Willem Dafoe (as Sgt. Elias Gordon)
Plot: If classic war movies are more your speed, then Platoon is a must-see. A naïve young American gets a rude awakening when he joins the armed forces and is shipped out to Vietnam. He finds conflict not only with the enemy, but also within his own platoon, and experiences the true horrors of war.
She’s Gotta Have It
Posted by She's Gotta Have It on Sunday, June 25, 2017
Released: 1986
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Run Time: 84 min.
MPAA Film Rating: R
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 6.7/10 Stars
Metascore: 79
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Director: Spike Lee
Cast: Tracy Camilla Johns (as Nola Darling); Tommy Redmond Hicks (as Jamie Overstreet); John Canada Terrell (as Greer Childs); Spike Lee (as Mars Blackmon)
Plot: With a tiny budget of $175,000, groundbreaking director Spike Lee made a big impact with his first feature-length film, She’s Gotta Have It. Mainly done in black and white, this movie follows Nola Darling, a woman who is sexually involved with three men at the same time. Each of her partners wants her to be monogamous with just him, but fiercely independent Nola has other ideas.
Heathers
Winona Ryder in Heathers (1988) dir. Michael Lehmann
Posted by Cinema, My Nostalgia on Sunday, March 10, 2019
Released: 1988
Genre: Comedy (Dark)
Run Time: 103 min.
MPAA Film Rating: R
Movie Ratings:
IMDb: 7.3/10 Stars
Metascore: 72
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Director: Michael Lehmann
Cast: Winona Ryder (as Veronica Sawyer); Christian Slater (as J.D.); Shannen Doherty (as Heather Duke); Lisanne Falk (as Heather McNamara); Kim Walker (as Heather Chandler)
Plot: This is a darker look at the common ’80s theme of popularity in high school. When a smart teen girl meets a sociopathic outsider, they combine forces to teach the popular kids, the Heathers, a dangerous lesson. If you’ve ever suffered at the hands of bullies or the cool kids at school, then you’ll want to move this one to the top of your list of best classic movies on Netflix to watch.
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