In the eyes of many, the 1970s stand as the greatest decade in movie history. This was the era of New Hollywood and the dawn of the modern blockbuster—a time when audiences took cinema seriously, and directors pushed the boundaries of what was possible. The result was an abundance of classics, many of which invite endless rewatching.
With this in mind, the following list ranks some of the most rewatchable movies from that era. They span a wide range of genres and tones, from sports dramas and gross-out comedies to nostalgia trips and sci-fi horror.
—
### 1970 – *M*A*S*H*
**”God, here’s to the surgeons. Cut well!”**
Before the long-running TV show, there was this firecracker of a movie directed by Robert Altman. *M*A*S*H* is an irreverent, chaotic, and deeply human anti-war comedy. Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould swagger and wisecrack their way through the Korean War with a tone so loose it borders on improvised.
Yet underneath the hijinks, there’s a lot of poignancy and even pain. Some scenes feel outright sadistic, even if they’re played for laughs. *M*A*S*H* understands that comedy is sometimes the only sane response to insanity. The humor is anarchic, the characters beautifully flawed, and the tone effortlessly swings from juvenile pranks to philosophical melancholy.
In a decade that gave us many films about systems breaking people, *M*A*S*H* stands out by laughing in the face of the machine, refusing to grant war the solemnity it demands. Rewatching reveals layers of satire that modern war comedies still chase but rarely catch.
—
### 1971 – *Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory*
**”We are the music-makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.”**
*Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory* feels truly larger than life—more like a shared dream than a typical film. Much of its magic comes courtesy of Gene Wilder, who delivers a brilliant, enchanting performance as the whimsical yet darkly edged chocolatier.
Wilder’s iconic entrance (a stumbling cane, then a somersault) remains one of cinema’s great character reveals, telling us everything without a word. The movie is jam-packed with striking visuals and memorable setpieces, including the Chocolate River, the psychedelic tunnel, and the catchy Oompa-Loompa choruses.
Beneath the gleaming, sugary exterior lies a sly moral fable, one that rewards adults as much as children.
—
### 1972 – *The Godfather*
**”I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”**
Rewatchability often comes from comfort, but sometimes, it comes from grandeur. *The Godfather* is a hypnotic epic that gets richer with every viewing, its layers unfolding like a tragic opera.
Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and Diane Keaton deliver phenomenal performances that rise to the challenge of Coppola’s killer script. The brilliance isn’t just in the iconic moments—the horse head, the baptism montage, the restaurant shooting—but in the quiet pauses, glances, and unspoken dread.
Watching Michael Corleone’s slow descent remains powerful. His story is archetypal yet fully human: a war hero stepping off the moral cliff in the name of love, never looking back.
Coppola’s ambitions were sky-high, and somehow the final result still probably exceeded even his expectations. It towers over its crime film contemporaries.
—
### 1973 – *American Graffiti*
**”Where were you in ’62?”**
Before taking audiences to a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas first took them to the recent past—a simpler time that felt far removed from early ’70s cynicism. *American Graffiti* unfolds on a single summer night in 1962, when the future was unknown, the radio was always on, and everything felt possible.
The film plays like memory in motion: all optimism, hot rods, and teenage longing. It’s a remarkable time capsule. The soundtrack alone is worth revisiting—a collection of ’60s bangers, a jukebox heartbeat for drifting adolescence.
Beneath the fun lies a bittersweet truth: innocence is temporary, and freedom only truly exists before life starts making choices for you. If you’ve ever driven nowhere with people you loved simply because you could, this film is a love letter to you.
—
### 1974 – *Blazing Saddles*
**”Excuse me while I whip this out.”**
*Blazing Saddles* rewrote the rulebook on comedy—then set it on fire and punched the ashes in the face. Mel Brooks delivers a Western send-up so fearless and absurd it still shocks modern audiences into laughter.
Every scene bursts with quotable chaos, visual gags, and satire sharper than a spur, all held together by the chemistry between Gene Wilder and Cleavon Little. The film is gleefully juvenile and razor-smart in the same breath, taking a wrecking ball to racist attitudes and the fourth wall alike.
Sure, not every gag has aged well, and there are some blind spots, but *Blazing Saddles* remains remarkably fresh and entertaining over five decades later. Possibly Brooks’s funniest project, it ranks among the very best comedy Westerns ever made.
—
### 1975 – *Jaws*
**”You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”**
There is summer before *Jaws*, and summer after it. Spielberg’s ocean-terror masterpiece created the modern blockbuster as we know it. Remarkably, the movie still works every single time—maybe even better when you know the shark barely appears.
Anticipation becomes the monster, and suspense becomes the hook.
What makes *Jaws* endlessly rewatchable isn’t just the tension but the trio aboard the Orca. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw feel like real people, not just plot devices to be moved about. They bicker, laugh, and reveal emotional and literal scars, forming one of cinema’s most satisfying character dynamics.
We care about them—something often lacking from contemporary thrillers and horror movies. John Williams’ iconic two-note theme tune is now practically synonymous with cinematic suspense.
—
### 1976 – *Rocky*
**”Yo, Adrian!”**
The countless sequels might offer diminishing returns, but the first *Rocky* hits hard. It stands apart from most sports movies because Sylvester Stallone infuses the underdog story with vulnerability instead of swagger.
Rocky Balboa doesn’t want glory. He wants dignity—a chance to prove to himself that he isn’t nobody. That purity, that humble hunger, makes him compelling and makes you root for him.
With a compelling protagonist at its core, *Rocky* features bravura storytelling and kinetic direction. The training montages remain epic (despite the cheese), the love story feel-good, and the final fight lands punch after emotional punch—even knowing Rocky doesn’t win in the traditional sense.
Not for nothing, *Rocky* was the most successful movie of 1976, dominating the box office and winning the Oscar for Best Picture.
—
### 1977 – *Star Wars*
**”May the Force be with you.”**
*Star Wars* arrived like a lightning bolt in 1977, forever changing sci-fi movies. George Lucas blended samurai cinema, *Flash Gordon* serials, Westerns, and Joseph Campbell mythos to create a world that feels ancient and futuristic simultaneously.
Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher spark with youthful energy, while John Williams’ score is colorful and operatic. *A New Hope* was radically unlike anything audiences had seen before, bursting with creativity, colorful characters, and sheer storytelling brilliance.
Sure, *Annie Hall* took Best Picture that year, but *Star Wars* has since shaped pop culture for more than half a century—spawning sequels, spinoffs, animated shows, toy lines, merchandise, video games, and cosplay.
It all begins here: with a farm boy staring at twin suns, dreaming bigger than his horizon allowed.
—
### 1978 – *Animal House*
**”Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!”**
With *Animal House*, John Landis and company delivered the king of college comedies. The movie’s sloppy brilliance lies in its commitment to mischief without apology.
It doesn’t moralize, polish itself, or fit into any existing comedy lineage. Instead, it’s chaotic, rowdy, and blissfully unserious—blazing its own riotous trail.
John Belushi charges through scenes like a comedic hurricane, hitting us with ridiculous one-liners and gross-out gags aplenty. The timing is impeccable across the board.
There’s something timeless about this kind of joyful chaos. *Animal House* lives dorm traditions, party rituals, and generations of quotes shouted across college quads.
Beyond the laughs, the film also reflects some realities of its moment in time. It’s an intriguing snapshot of the generation that came of age in the late ’60s.
—
### 1979 – *Alien*
**”Get away from her, you bitch!”**
The success of *Star Wars* kicked off a sci-fi boom in the late ’70s, flooding theaters with space-age tales. The best of them, by far, is *Alien*.
Ridley Scott’s haunted-spaceship chiller unfolds with agonizing tension. At its core is Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), who remains one of cinema’s greatest protagonists: tough, resourceful, and unwilling to break as the universe turns predatory around her.
The movie looks fantastic, relying heavily on practical effects like makeup and suits rather than CGI—adding to its timeless, tactile horror.
—
The 1970s were a golden era of bold cinematic storytelling. These films not only defined a decade but continue to invite us back, film after film, with stories and performances as fresh and riveting today as they were decades ago.
https://collider.com/1970s-movies-most-rewatchable-every-year/
