Skip to main content

The best classic movies on Netflix right now

Netflix boasts one of the largest lineups of films among any streamer, and yet if you want to find the best classic movies then you’re going to have a hard time. That’s because Netflix only carries a handful of titles from the ’80s, and even fewer from the ’70s. One of the reasons for that is that Netflix is entirely reliant on other studios for these legacy titles, and these movies are often already streaming on other platforms.

But there are a handful of genuine classic movies streaming on Netflix that play just as well now as they did when they were released between four and five decades ago. This month, we’re throwing the spotlight on two of these movies: an all-time great buddy action movie called Midnight Run, and one of the most famous baseball-related films ever made, Field of Dreams, as they join the best classic movies on Netflix.

Midnight Run (1988)

Charles Grodin and Robert De Niro in Midnight Run.
Universal Pictures

Midnight Run wasn’t the first buddy action flick, but few have done it better than Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon) and Charles Grodin did here. De Niro plays Jack Walsh, a former cop turned bounty hunter who takes an assignment to escort mob account Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas (Charles Grodin) to Los Angeles.

The problem is that Jonathan doesn’t want to go, and he sabotages Jack’s attempt to fly him back. That may turn out to be a mistake, because Jonathan’s former mob boss, Jimmy Serrano (Dennis Farina), wants him dead. Meanwhile, Jack’s rival, Marvin Dorfler (John Ashton), tries to steal his bounty, while FBI Special Agent Alonzo Mosely (Yaphet Kotto) has his own agenda for Jonathan. At this rate, it’s going to be a miracle if Jonathan and Jack make it to Los Angeles alive.

Watch Midnight Run on Netflix.

Field of Dreams (1989)

Ray Liotta and Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams.
Universal Pictures

In the late ’80s and into the ’90s, Kevin Costner could do no wrong at the box office. Field of Dreams unexpectedly became a box office hit and a cultural touchstone in 1989 that won acclaim from both critics and fans. Costner stars as Ray Kinsella, a struggling corn farmer who is haunted by a voice that tells him “if you build it, he will come.” Against all logic, Ray builds a baseball field in his cornfield. But even Ray is shocked when his creation attracts Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) and other deceased players from the 1920s Chicago Black Sox scandal.

The field itself represents second chances, both for Ray and for the players who once again get to embrace their love for the game from beyond the grave. Even players like Archibald “Moonlight” Graham (Burt Lancaster) who never got their chance can become young again while playing on the field. In short, this movie is a baseball fairytale that has endured for decades, and the actual Field of Dreams used in the film has gone on to become a popular tourist attraction.

Watch Field of Dreams on Netflix.

Jaws (1975)

The Shark in Jaws.
Universal Pictures

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, all four of the Jaws movies are on Netflix. But of course, the first film is clearly the best, and it’s also the movie that made Steven Spielberg a superstar among directors nearly five decades ago. Off the coast of Amity Island, a great white shark has decided to hunt and devour any people that it catches in the water. And it’s killing the local tourism industry.

When Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) refuses to close the beaches, Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) takes it upon himself to go kill the shark alongside a professional shark hunter named Quint (Robert Shaw). Unfortunately for both men, the shark has its own ideas about who the hunter is, and who are the prey.

Watch Jaws on Netflix.

The Jerk (1979)

Steve Martin in The Jerk.
Universal Pictures

Steve Martin made his start as a movie star in The Jerk, in which he plays a complete moron named Navin R. Johnson. Navin is so oblivious to reality that he doesn’t initially realize that his Black adoptive parents, Mother (Mabel King) and Father (Richard Ward), aren’t his biological parents. Or that he isn’t Black himself.

When Navin leaves home to find his destiny, he manages to fall backward into money and success only to lose it all. The lone redeeming aspect of Navin’s journey is his love for Marie Kimble (Bernadette Peters). But even that connection may not last thanks to Navin’s careless bumbling.

Watch The Jerk on Netflix.

Robert De Niro in The Deer Hunter

The Deer Hunter (1978)

The Deer Hunter was 1978’s Oscar winner for Best Picture, but it’s not always easy to sit through. It’s the story of three friends, Mike Vronsky (Robert De Niro), Nick Chevotarevich (Christopher Walken), and Steven Pushkov (John Savage), who go off to war in Vietnam and never really come home as the same men. All three are captured and tortured while in Vietnam, and their collective PTSD is so intense that Nick can’t even bring himself to return to his wife, Linda (Only Murders in the Building season 3 star Meryl Streep).

If you’re looking for some life-affirming message, you won’t find it here. The Deer Hunter is about as bleak as movies get, but it remains a powerful film 45 years after its release.

Watch The Deer Hunter on Netflix.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

King Arthur and his knights in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
EMI Films

Monty Python is a group of comedy legends, and their second film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, may be one of the funniest movies ever made. It’s the relentlessly silly story of King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his knights, Lancelot (John Cleese), Robin (Eric Idle), Bedevere (Terry Jones), and Galahad (Michael Palin) as they stumble across the countryside in search of the Holy Grail.

On their journey, Arthur and his servant, Patsy (Terry Gilliam), encounter the Black Knight (Cleese) in a sequence that’s still hilarious and quotable nearly five decades later. The rest of the movie is also amazingly funny, and it’s one of the rare films that never seems to get old as long as you’re willing to embrace the Pythons’ brand of bizarre comedy.

Watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Netflix.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

Jennifer Jason Leigh and Phoebe Cates in Fast Times At Ridgemont High.
Universal Pictures

At the time that Fast Times At Ridgemont High was released, director Amy Heckerling couldn’t have known that several of the film’s primary actors would breakout into larger stardom. Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, and Phoebe Cates rode that wave, while even some of the supporting players like Nicolas Cage (Dream Scenario), Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz, and Forest Whitaker went on to bigger things.

The irony is that the most engaging storyline in the film doesn’t directly involve any of those performers except Leigh. Her character, Stacy Hamilton, is loved from afar by Mark “Rat” Ratner (Brian Backer). That doesn’t stop Rat’s best friend, Mike Damone (Robert Romanus), from making a move on Leigh himself and getting her pregnant. When Rat finds out, their friendship may not survive.

Watch Fast Times At Ridgemont High on Netflix.

Stand By Me (1985)

The four main kid characters from Stand by Me standing outside, one pointing at something.
Photofest / Columbia Pictures

There have been a lot of terrible Stephen King adaptations over the last four decades, but sometimes, the combination of King’s story with the right director (in this case, Rob Reiner) and the cast deliver an instant classic. That was the case with Stand by Me, a coming-of-age story set in 1959. After learning about the location of a missing boy’s body, 12-year-old Gordon “Gordie” Lachance (Wil Wheaton), and his friends Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman), and Vern Tessio (Jerry O’Connell) decide to find the body in the hope of being recognized as heroes.

However, the boys’ journey to the body is anything but smooth, as they run afoul of a local gang leader, John “Ace” Merrill (Kiefer Sutherland). There are no supernatural elements to be found in this story. But it is a beautifully affecting film that ranks among the all-time greats.

Watch Stand by Me on Netflix.

Scarface (1983)

Al Pacino in Scarface.
Universal Pictures

Among ’80s films, Scarface is in a class all by itself. Brian De Palma directed this remake from a script by Oliver Stone, which features an unforgettable turn by Al Pacino as the title character, Tony Montana. At the beginning of the ’80s, Tony and his friends arrive in the United States as refugees from Cuba. But Tony believes that he’s meant for greater things, and he chooses to pursue wealth in the world of illicit drugs.

Tony succeeds in becoming a rich drug lord, but he has no shortage of enemies that he makes along the way. Tony’s self-destructive streak is so powerful that his downfall begins almost as soon as he gets the power that he so desperately wants.

Watch Scarface on Netflix.

Editors' Recommendations

Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
The best new shows to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Max (HBO), and more
Gary Oldman in Slow Horses.

December may prove to be a quiet month when it comes to the best new shows to stream. But at least for the first weekend of December, you still have options. Apple TV+ has premiered the third season of its underrated show Slow Horses, while  Netflix has a new action comedy, Obliterated, that critics absolutely hate. But action fans seem to be enjoying the show so far. The only other noteworthy addition this week is the new comedy Bookie on Max.

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Max, Apple TV+, Disney+, Paramount+, and Peacock have their work cut out for them in terms of providing content in 2024, especially when the effects of the writers' and actors' strikes catch up with them. Right now, the high prices of these streaming services are being felt by their subscribers. If you need some relief from those prices, the you should consider signing up for the ad-supported tiers. In the meantime, here's our weekly roundup of the best new shows to stream.
When you're done here, check out the best new movies to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, best shows on Hulu, best shows on Amazon Prime Video, and best shows on Disney+.

Read more
The 52 best shows on Netflix in December 2023
The cast of Obliterated.

There's only one month left in 2023, and Netflix is not letting up in terms of its original programing plans in the first week of December. The new comedy action series Obliterated has arrived alongside the remaining two episodes of Virgin River season 5. This month will also bring the final episodes of The Crown, as well as additional installments of Squid Game: The Challenge.

How long will there be something new on Netflix before the effects of the writers' and actors' strikes catch up with the world's largest streamer? It's too soon to say, but we'll definitely notice a slowdown when it arrives. For now, keep checking back every Friday for our updated guide to the best shows on Netflix.

Read more
The 50 best movies on Netflix right now (December 2023)
The cast of Family Switch.

There are weeks where Netflix's selection of movies enters some strange territory. Case in point is the 2019 B-movie Primal, which is clawing its way up the list of the most popular movies on Netflix. And it's not the only obscure title on the rise this week. The Silencing and The Secret: Dare To Dream, two films with nuclear-level bad reviews, are among the top three movies on Netflix.

This week also has the premiere of a Netflix original family comedy Family Switch, which features veteran performers Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms alongside Wednesday's Emma Myers. This could be the new No. 1 film on Netflix by the end of the weekend.

Read more