Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Sarah Miles on the set of 'Ryan's Daughter,' a top nostalgic 70s film. Corbis via Getty Images The 1970s marked an important time for cinema, as Hollywood’s greatest auteurs, such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick, were allowed to fully embrace their styles and produce some of the most subversive and groundbreaking movies in history. Even outside the United States, film’s most influential directors, from Dario Argento to Chantal Akerman to Jean Rollin, were revolutionizing the art. Together, they produced an amazing and eclectic decade that spanned every genre imaginable, and showed the world just how unfathomably beautiful a moving picture can be. Which makes ranking the best movies from the decade a near-impossible task. But I’ve decided to narrow down my 30 favorite films of the decade for this list, in hopes of inspiring someone new to cinema to watch some of the best flicks ever made, or perhaps introduce some hidden gems to active cinephiles. This list is purely subjective, dictated by nothing else but my own personal tastes, but I also believe it provides a well-rounded portrait of that particular decade in movies. Top Movies From The 1970s Before we count down the best movies of the 1970s, lets first take a look at the cinematic landscape of the decade. Without a doubt, the highest-grossing movie of the 1970s was Star Wars. It was the most lucrative film of the decade both in the United States (where it made $461 million) and internationally ($775.4 million). In fact, when you adjust for inflation, its domestic gross shoots up to $1.63 billion, which stands as the second-highest total ever (behind Gone with the Wind’s $1.85 billion). The 1970s was a diverse decade genre-wise for cinema, and this list reflects that variety. The selected films span multiple genres, including crime dramas, horror, romances, science fiction, surrealist and experimental cinema, comedies and action thrillers. Finally, a note on how this list was compiled. While I did take historical significance for many movies into account, the Top 30 is purely reflective of my personal tastes. These rankings might not line up with the general consensus on what many consider to be cinema’s greatest decade, but hopefully you find that refreshing. I love many classics from the era, as well as some lesser known films that appear on this list. So without further ado, let’s get on to it. MORE FOR YOU iPhone SE 4: Apple Confirms New Product Launch Date Is Almost Here Google’s Android Update Just Made Pixel More Like iPhone Gmail And Outlook 2FA Warning—Do Not Use This Sign-In 30. Paper Moon (1973) Films from the 1970s have crafted enduring legacies for various reasons, but none have matched Paper Moon when it comes to the strength of child acting. At just the age of 10, Tatum O’Neal made Hollywood history by becoming the youngest person to ever win an Oscar, earning hers for Best Supporting Actress. And when you see the film, you’ll understand why. The story centers on con artist Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neal), who reluctantly partners with a precocious orphan (who may be his daughter) named Addie Loggins (the role for which Tatum O'Neal won the award), as he travels through Depression-era Kansas. Together, they run small-time scams, and form an unlikely bond despite their frequent clashes, which range between hilarious and heartwarming. Tatum O’Neal’s naturalistic performance, guided by Peter Bogdanovich’s masterful direction, brings a mix of innocence and cunning that emotionally anchors the story. The restrained camera work in Paper Moon emphasizes the intimacy and authenticity of the journey at hand, making the audience feel like both an observer of real events and an intimate companion alongside the people struggling through those times. Here’s where you can stream Paper Moon. 29. Rocky (1976) Oftentimes, Hollywood can feel like its concerned with spectacle over character—especially these days. And it’s not just action and sci-fi movies, but dramas as well. Even the Creed series, while well done, is sprinkled with showy stylistic flourishes that make me remember just how effective the simple, based-in-realism approach used by director John G. Avildsen in Rocky truly is. The story follows one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), a down-on-his-luck boxer who gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fight reigning heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). As Rocky trains under the guidance of his coach Mickey (Burgess Meredith) and finds support from the shy Adrian (Talia Shire), he discovers the true meaning of determination and self-worth—regardless of the fight's outcome. By keeping the film both uplifting and grounded, Avildsen crafted the ultimate underdog story, ensuring Rocky wouldn’t be just remembered as a sports movie, but as a timeless, universal tale about self-belief and perseverance that would resonate with audiences for generations to come. Here’s where you can stream Rocky. 28. House (1977) You’ll find several horror movies on this list, but you won’t find any other ones like House—a truly bizarre, cartoonish approach to terror, with exaggerated violence and supernatural elements treated as whimsical rather than purely frightening. The story follows Gorgeous (Kimiko Ikegami) and her friends as they visit a countryside home that secretly houses a soon-to-be surreal, terrifying nightmare. There isn’t much of a storyline to follow here, and instead we relish in the absolute lunacy of these malevolent forces as they terrorize our characters, often leading to comical deaths. With its kaleidoscopic visuals and unconventional storytelling, House is a unique blend of horror, fantasy and absurdity that became a cult favorite for its audacious creativity. Lauded Japanese film director Nobuhiko Obayashi puts on an avant-garde tour de force, using jump cuts, freeze frames and superimposed images to distort time and space. Beneath all that absurdity, House contains deeper themes related to postwar Japanese trauma and generational conflict, with the haunted house and its vengeful ghost representing lingering grief and nostalgia for the past. Here’s where you can stream House. 27. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Steven Spielberg was most known in the 1970s for a particular seminal work that set a new precedent for the summer blockbuster (a movie we’ll discuss later in this list), but just two years after that masterpiece, he made what many consider to be his best film: Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The story centers on Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), an ordinary man whose life is turned upside down after a close encounter with a UFO. Obsessed with visions of a mysterious mountain, Roy abandons his job and family to uncover the truth about his experience. Meanwhile, Jillian Guiler (Melinda Dillon) searches for her missing son, who was abducted by extraterrestrials. Their paths converge at Devil's Tower, where an awe-inspiring event redefines our shared understanding of the universe. Unlike many alien invasion films of the era, Spielberg emphasizes a sense of awe and curiosity, portraying extraterrestrials as enigmatic rather than hostile. To this day, the film stands as a technical marvel, with everything from Douglas Trumbull’s groundbreaking effects work to the way light is used (particularly in the film’s final sequence) giving the film a distinctive, ethereal quality that no other movie from the 1970s could match. Here’s where you can stream Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 26. Halloween (1978) While slasher films like Psycho and Black Christmas predated Halloween, John Carpenter’s masterpiece refined those movies’ elements to create what we now think of as the modern slasher. The story starts on Halloween night in the small town of Haddonfield, where Michael Myers (played by both Nick Castle and Tony Moran) escapes from a mental institution. He begins a killing spree, targeting babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends, all while Michael's psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence), races to stop him. The film’s structure, where violence escalates methodically rather than chaotically, creates a sense of inevitability. The horror isn’t born from surprise scares but from the suspense of what’s coming and being powerless to stop it. Michael Myers is more than a killer—he’s a faceless, inhuman force of nature. His blank white mask erases any individuality, making him an embodiment of pure evil rather than a person with motives. The way Michael moves—slow and methodical, yet unrelenting—creates a different kind of horror. There’s no rush, no frenzy. Just the certainty he will find you, no matter how fast you run. Here’s where you can stream Halloween. 25. F for Fake (1973) Orson Welles’s heyday may have mostly occurred during the 1940s, with movies like Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons and The Lady from Shanghai solidified as classics. But Hollywood’s arguably most famous auteur directed a number of great films as the years wore on, from The Trial to Touch of Evil to what many consider to be the last truly great Welles experience, F for Fake. This part-documentary-part-drama (a.k.a. docudrama) delves into the world of art forgery and deception, focusing on Elmyr de Hory, a renowned art forger, and Clifford Irving, who famously faked a biography of Howard Hughes. Functioning as a meditation on art and its construction, the film challenges perceptions of validity and the nature of storytelling itself through its meta approach, critiquing the idea of "authenticity" while celebrating the artistry involved in both forgery and filmmaking. F for Fake exemplifies Welles’s innovative spirit, as he boldly challenges cinematic conventions late in his career. In my opinion, it’s the perfect ending to a career that always aimed to challenge its audience. Here’s where you can stream F for Fake. 24. Blood for Dracula (1974) Andy Warhol’s name might have been attached to Blood for Dracula (it was even promoted as Andy Warhol’s Dracula upon release), but the artist’s creative role during production was minimal. Really, the conception and incredible execution of this satirical vampire film falls on its director, Paul Morrissey, who adopted a restrained visual approach filled with minimalist compositions for his low-budget interpretation of Dracula’s legacy. The story feels familiar in concept: Count Dracula (Udo Kier), desperate for virgin blood, travels to Italy under the pretense of seeking a bride, and stays with a financially struggling aristocratic family, hoping their daughters will sustain him. However, his plans are complicated by a libertine handyman (Joe Dallesandro) and the family's dark secrets. Kier delivers a legendary performance of Count Dracula, one that is melodramatic and exaggerated, yet insightful and biting (excuse the pun) in its commentary: Dracula’s need for virgin blood as a metaphor for the dying aristocracy, contrasting the count’s fragile decadence with the vitality of the working-class characters. Few films from the 1970s used satire in such a confrontational manner. Here’s where you can stream Blood for Dracula. 23. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) After the recent passing of David Lynch, I was compelled to reflect upon the great surrealist filmmakers of our time. Where Lynch used surrealism to explore the fragility of human perception, to juxtapose the familiar with the bizarre in order to reflect how we process trauma and memory, Luis Buñuel used surrealism as a means of satire, to critique the absurdities of society, to subvert expectations we as an audience have about stories, about how life works. In the case of The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Buñuel does this through a group of affluent friends, led by Don Rafael Acosta (Fernando Rey), who gather for a dinner party and are repeatedly thwarted by bizarre and surreal interruptions. From military raids to inexplicable dream sequences, their attempts to dine unravel into absurd, hilarious chaos. The characters embody various bourgeois archetypes, exposing their moral emptiness and superficiality, with the film’s title itself pointing to the contradiction between the bourgeoisie’s polished appearance and their underlying vacuity. Here’s where you can stream The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. 22. Dawn of the Dead (1978) I think Night of the Living Dead is an absolute masterpiece, and easily the most important zombie film of all time. But I can’t deny that Dawn of the Dead is my favorite zombie film, and represents the moment where director George A. Romero perfected the formula. With this movie, he mixed riveting intimate character moments with grand-scale chaos that gave his social commentary even more impact as he blended gore with satire to critique American capitalism. As a zombie apocalypse ravages the United States, a small group of survivors, including Fran (Gaylen Ross), Stephen (David Emge), Peter (Ken Foree) and Roger (Scott H. Reiniger), takes refuge in an abandoned shopping mall. While they secure the space and attempt to rebuild a semblance of normal life, the relentless threat of zombies (and, not to mention, human greed) looms ever closer. By setting the film in a mall, Romero ingeniously transforms a place of leisure into a nightmarish prison, where the zombies’ instinct to return to their former shopping habits becomes a parody of consumer culture. The undead are portrayed not as mindless monsters but as programmed consumers, reinforcing the film’s underlying question: are we, the living, any different? Here’s where you can stream Dawn of the Dead. 21. Stalker (1979) In a decade filled with sci-fi films that opted for action and spectacle, Andrei Tarkovsky’s introspective, metaphysical approach with Stalker stands out. In a post-apocalyptic world, a guide known as the Stalker (Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy) leads two clients—a writer (Anatoliy Solonitsyn) seeking inspiration and a professor (Nikolay Grinko) conducting research—into the forbidden Zone, a mysterious and dangerous area rumored to grant wishes. As they navigate its surreal terrain, the journey becomes a profound meditation on humanity, faith and the nature of desire. Unlike traditional sci-fi films, Stalker has no futuristic technology or special effects, and instead constructs its speculative world through mood, sound and existential questions. Tarkovsky’s use of long takes and slow tracking shots creates a hypnotic rhythm, forcing the audience to engage with time in a way that mirrors the film’s themes of patience and contemplation. Stalker’s core conflict is not about survival but about belief, about what it means to seek something greater, and whether people are truly prepared for the answers they claim they desire. Here’s where you can stream Stalker. 20. Deep Red (1975) Many giallo films mix convoluted detective stories with extravagant, colorful kills, but nobody did it quite like Dario Argento, whose groundbreaking work Deep Red is considered by many to be the greatest ever of the genre. After witnessing the brutal murder of a psychic medium, musician Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) becomes embroiled in a dangerous investigation to uncover the identity of the killer. Teaming up with journalist Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi), Marcus delves into a web of secrets, and as he uncovers the truth, he realizes the answers lie closer to him than he anticipated. Cinematographer Luigi Kuveiller’s photography turns violence into an art form, with extreme close-ups and charismatic tracking shots constantly heightening the tension, and the iconic use of the color red creating a hypnotic, operatic sense of horror. This incredibly intelligent film, which choreographs its kills with almost balletic precision, ultimately explores how childhood trauma lingers into adulthood, with the killer’s identity tied to a long-repressed memory that resurfaces in violent, distorted ways. Here’s where you can stream Deep Red. 19. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) Most films are chiefly concerned with providing answers, neatly wrapping a bow on a story that’s clear in its progression and inevitable in its conclusion. But with Picnic at Hanging Rock, director Peter Weir chose to instead craft an experience that lingers in the subconscious, where the absence of answers becomes more unsettling than any clear solution could possibly be. On Valentine’s Day in 1900, a group of schoolgirls from Appleyard College, led by Miranda (Anne-Louise Lambert), embark on a picnic at Hanging Rock in the Australian wilderness. Several girls and a teacher mysteriously vanish, leaving the school and community in turmoil as they grapple with the unanswered questions surrounding the disappearances. The film’s hypnotic visual language is both enrapturing and crucial to the commentary, as Weir and cinematographer Russell Boyd used soft-focus lenses, natural lighting and hazy, ethereal cinematography to create a dreamlike quality that blurs the line between reality and fantasy. The contrast between the rigid, structured world of Appleyard College and the untamed, mystical landscape of Hanging Rock visually reinforces the film’s central conflict between order and chaos, civilization and nature. The rock itself is shot with an almost supernatural presence—vast, ancient, impenetrable—suggesting the landscape is a force unto itself. Here’s where you can stream Picnic at Hanging Rock. 18. Black Christmas (1974) Many view Halloween as the prototypical slasher film of the 1970s, but really Bob Clark defined much of those domestic slasher tropes with his undeniably terrifying film Black Christmas. The story takes place during the holiday season, when a group of sorority sisters, including Jess (Olivia Hussey), Barb (Margot Kidder) and Phyl (Andrea Martin), are terrorized by an unknown assailant making disturbing phone calls. As the women fall victim to his violence, the police attempt to track down the killer. The story might be that simple, but Clark’s stylistic approach and ultimate commentary is anything but. The director uses handheld camerawork and distorted angles to frame events from the killer’s point of view, forcing the audience to inhabit his perspective while keeping his identity ambiguous. This approach allows the horror to go beyond the mere kills, as Clark visualizes the omnipresent threat of male violence and the inability of institutions to protect women from it. The camera becomes an intruder, echoing the way these women are constantly watched, judged and violated by an unseen force that never reveals itself. The obscured identity of the killer is essential—he is faceless and unknowable, yet everywhere. The horror isn’t the killer, but the culture which enables him. Here’s where you can stream Black Christmas. 17. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) Many films on this list are remembered for redefining the horror genre, or introducing new existential questions into the sci-fi arena, or using drama to comment on American ideals. But...what about a movie that’s just flat-out funny? Like, one of the funniest movies ever made? That’s where Monty Python and the Holy Grail comes into play. In this film, we follow King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his knights—which includes Sir Lancelot (John Cleese) and Sir Galahad (Michael Palin)—as they embark on a whimsical quest to find the Holy Grail. Along the way, they face bizarre challenges such as a killer rabbit, the Knights Who Say "Ni!" and a bridgekeeper with impossible questions. Directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, Monty Python and the Holy Grail gleefully dismantles the traditional structure of the Arthurian legend, turning the mythic quest into an absurdist farce. Instead of noble warriors on an epic journey, the film presents King Arthur and his knights as clueless, bickering fools whose grand quest is constantly undercut by their own incompetence and the sheer absurdity of their world. As the film approaches its fiftieth birthday, Monty Python and the Holy Grail’s quotability (“It’s just a flesh wound!”) cements the film’s place as one of the most enduring and beloved comedies in cinema history. Here’s where you can stream Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 16. A Clockwork Orange (1971) Stanley Kubrick was known for constructing surreal worlds that felt dangerously familiar, and in 1971 he delivered the futuristic and eerily recognizable A Clockwork Orange, blending exaggerated stylization with hyper-realistic violence to create a chilling, morally ambiguous vision of society. In this dystopian future, Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) leads a gang of delinquents in acts of violence and debauchery. Captured by authorities, Alex volunteers for an experimental program designed to "cure" him of his criminal tendencies by conditioning him to abhor violence. The treatment has unintended consequences, raising questions about free will and the nature of punishment in our society. Rather than providing easy answers, the film forces the audience into a state of discomfort, presenting Alex as both a sadistic predator and an emblem of lost autonomy. Kubrick presents a world where violence is not just an individual pathology but a systemic problem, with the larger-powers-that-be engaging in its own brand of cruelty under the guise of rehabilitation. The violence in A Clockwork Orange is not meant to shock for its own sake, and forces the audience to confront their own reactions, to question whether they are repulsed or desensitized—or, god forbid, entertained. Here’s where you can stream A Clockwork Orange. 15. Taxi Driver (1976) With Taxi Driver, director Martin Scorsese created a psychological portrait of isolation that would go on to influence many modern films set in a gritty urban environment, from Fight Club to Drive to Joker. This iconic story centers on Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), a disillusioned Vietnam veteran who works as a cab driver in New York City. Struggling with insomnia and disgusted by the city’s corruption, he becomes fixated on rescuing Iris (Jodie Foster), a young prostitute controlled by a manipulative pimp named Sport (Harvey Keitel), with his frustration culminating in a violent confrontation as he aims to take justice into his own hands. With Travis, Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader craft an unreliable narrator, making it difficult to discern reality from his subjective experience. As Travis’s disconnection from reality deepens, the film shifts into an almost dreamlike state, culminating in the film’s blood-soaked climax. Rather than offering a clear hero or villain, Taxi Driver presents an ambiguous character study, causing us to question whether Travis is a product of his environment or something more inherently dangerous. Here’s where you can stream Taxi Driver. 14. Jaws (1975) It’s an understatement to say that Steven Spielberg’s Jaws redefined blockbuster filmmaking. To this day, the narrative conventions, the editing and pacing, the tone and tenor of any giant spectacle you see in theaters owes a debt to this film. When a great white shark begins to prey on the residents of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) teams up with marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and seasoned shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) to stop it. Their pursuit of the deadly predator leads them to the open sea, where a tense and dangerous battle ensues. The simplicity of such a story allows Spielberg to build the terror not through excessive gore or spectacle but through expertly controlled tension, as well as place an emphasis on the chemistry and conflict between those three characters as the second half of Jaws turns into a riveting, character-driven battle of wills. Jaws presents a story about the limits of human control in the face of nature’s indifference, with these three men’s shared personal vendetta against the shark representing a deeper struggle: man’s painstaking yet futile attempt to dominate forces beyond his understanding or control. Here’s where you can stream Jaws. 13. Star Wars (1977) At this point, the Star Wars universe has been stretched so thin that it’s hard to remember that it all started with a single director, George Lucas, who wanted to reinvent the hero’s journey for a new generation. Set in a galaxy oppressed by the tyrannical Galactic Empire, young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) discovers his destiny after meeting Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), who leads a rebellion against the Empire. Joining forces with smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford), his co-pilot Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and the droids R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), Luke trains under the mystical guidance of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) and confronts Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones) to restore freedom to the galaxy. From the very first shot of a Star Destroyer endlessly looming over the frame, Lucas establishes a sense of scale and immersion unlike anything seen before in cinema. From John Williams’ timeless, sweeping orchestral score, to Industrial Light & Magic’s groundbreaking special effects, to the slew of incredible performances from Hamill, Fisher and Ford, Star Wars owned all the ingredients to become (and remain) one of the most beloved and influential films of all time. Here’s where you can stream Star Wars. 12. Lips of Blood (1975) This is more of an indulgent pick on my part, as director Jean Rollin films doesn’t appear on many “best of the 1970s” lists. But in the world of art films, nobody from the decade made movies like this French master did, with his magnum opus, Lips of Blood, standing as a poetic and melancholic vampire film that eschews traditional horror conventions in favor of a hypnotic, introspective journey. The story follows Frédéric (Jean-Loup Philippe), who is haunted by childhood memories of a mysterious woman (Annie Belle) and a secluded castle. As he navigates his suppressed memories in search of answers, he uncovers a secret involving vampires and forbidden desires that his mother hid from him for years. This unbelievable film is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, unfolding like a waking dream, where reality, hallucination and fragmented recollections blur together, immersing us in a haunting, surreal experience. Frédéric’s search for this lost vampire is less about finding a vampire than about reclaiming a lost part of himself, reinforcing Rollin’s theme that horror inherently stem from our own subconscious and suppressed emotions. Lips of Blood ultimately suggests that the past, particularly one shaped by desire and repression, is inescapable—Frédéric is drawn toward a fate that has been waiting for him all along. Here’s where you can stream Lips of Blood. 11. Alien (1979) It’s crazy to think about what the Alien franchise has become, with its various sequels and wide range of characters carrying the story into new ideas and places. For the original Alien is, dare I say it, quite small and simple by contrast. It’s truly a slow-burn horror film that prioritizes atmosphere, tension and psychological terror over action. The entire story occurs on the commercial spaceship Nostromo, which carries a small crew, led by warrant officer Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt), that answers a distress signal from an uncharted planet. They unwittingly bring aboard a deadly extraterrestrial organism, and as the alien stalks them, the crew’s numbers dwindle, leaving Ripley to confront the creature in a harrowing fight for survival aboard the shadowy ship. Director Ridley Scott and cinematographer Derek Vanlint create a world that feels unlike any other in cinema: claustrophobic and oppressive, with dim lighting, smoke-filled corridors and an overwhelming sense of decay dominating the frame at all times. The film’s most iconic contribution to sci-fi horror is H.R. Giger’s design for the Xenomorph, a creature that feels both organic and mechanical, beautiful and horrifying. Giger’s fusion of human and machine, flesh and metal, creates a nightmarish vision of evolution, sexuality and the unknown that lends to the film’s feminist themes of forced impregnation, parasitism and bodily violation, as well as the cold indifference of corporate greed that placed the Nostromo crew in such a life-and-death situation in the first place. Here’s where you can stream Alien. 10. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) In a world that’s obsessed with naming the greatest film ever made, Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles has destabilized the entire discussion. Met with a mixed reaction upon its release, this slow film from feminist filmmaker Chantal Akerman has slowly gained acclaim and, much to the surprise of many, was voted the greatest film of all time by the critics’ Sight & Sound poll in 2022, marking the first time a woman has ever even entered the top ten on that decades-old list. The story is very simple: a widowed mother named Jeanne Dielman (Delphine Seyrig) spends her days cooking, cleaning and caring for her teenage son Sylvain (Jan Decorte), and on the side she secretly engages in prostitution to make ends meet. Over the course of three days, Jeanne’s orderly routine begins to unravel as minor disruptions pile up, eventually leading to a single, final shocking act. This groundbreaking French film transforms the mundane into something deeply unsettling, offering one of the most radical depictions of a woman's life in cinema history. Through an almost hypnotic repetition of daily routines, Akerman builds an immersive portrait of domesticity, where time, labor and silence become the central forces of tension. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles does not present Jeanne as a conventional character in a plot-driven narrative but rather as a subject trapped within the rigid structures of societal expectation. Here’s where you can stream Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. 9. The Godfather - Part I & II (1972, 1974) I was torn about this top ten being dominated by Francis Ford Coppola (a director who still has more movies to come on this list), plus I’ve always felt the first two Godfather films worked perfectly as a unit, so I’ve decided to combine the duology for the No. 9 spot. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II need almost no introduction, as both of these Best Picture winners transformed the gangster genre into a meditation on the American Dream, showing how success is inseparable from violence and how family itself can be both a source of strength and a curse. The saga follows the Corleone family, led by patriarch Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando in Part I, and Robert De Niro in Part II), as they navigate the world of organized crime. Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), initially reluctant to join the family business, eventually transforms into a powerful and ruthless leader. Part I chronicles Vito's reign and Michael's rise, depicting their conflicts and alliances, while Part II explores Michael's consolidation of power and the early struggles of a young Vito immigrating to America and carving his path. The genius of The Godfather is its slow, deliberate unraveling of Michael’s morality, tracking his transformation from a man who rejects his family’s ways to one who fully embraces them. Part II carries Michael’s story even further, with his emotional detachment from his family and the rest of society providing a stark contrast to a young Vito, who built his power through respect and community. Together, these two films depict a cycle of power where success is always paid for in blood—what Vito built, Michael corrodes. Here’s where you can stream The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. 8. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) You might have noticed that several movies on this list “redefined horror.” And they all did in different ways. But the manner in which director Tobe Hooper redefined horror with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is perhaps the most disturbing, as he did it through unsettling realism. Stripping away narrative conventions, the movie immerses the audience in a relentless atmosphere of dread, chaos and brutality, making it one of the most visceral horror experiences put on film. The plot start with a road trip that quickly turns into a nightmare for Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) and her friends as they encounter a deranged family of cannibals in rural Texas, where the now-infamous Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), who manically wields a chainsaw, becomes their relentless pursuer along with the rest of the Sawyer family. Hooper and cinematographer Daniel Pearl shoot the film with a raw, grainy texture that feels almost like found footage, with the handheld camerawork, lack of traditional score and washed-out colors making the events feel eerily real, as if the audience is watching an unfiltered nightmare unfold. The infamous dinner scene, where Sally is tormented by the Sawyer family, is horrifying not because of explicit violence but because of its sheer sensory overload, with screams, laughter, grotesque close-ups and dizzying camerawork creating pure, unrelenting hysteria. The scene is indicative of the rest of the film’s aesthetic, which captures the collapse of traditional rural life, reflecting the anxieties of 1970s America regarding economic decay and cultural disillusionment. The film embodies an almost nihilistic view of survival: there is no heroism, no grand confrontation, only pure instinct and suffering. Here’s where you can stream The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 7. Ryan’s Daughter (1970) Nobody made an epic movie like David Lean, the man who gave us what I would consider to be the greatest movie of the 1960s, Lawrence of Arabia. But where that movie gained an immortal place in cinema history for its scope, another one of his masterpieces was practically lost to time thanks to a hostile response from critics at the time. But in my opinion, this particular movie has aged beautifully, and now goes toe-to-toe with many of Lean’s classics—I’m talking about the painstakingly beautiful melodrama known as Ryan’s Daughter. Set in a remote Irish village during World War I, Rosy Ryan (Sarah Miles), the daughter of a local pub owner, marries a schoolteacher named Charles Shaughnessy (Robert Mitchum). However, she soon embarks on a passionate affair with a British officer, Major Doryan (Christopher Jones), a relationship that stirs up scandal and division within the conservative community, leading to dramatic consequences for everyone involved. Unlike Lean’s grand historical adventures like Doctor Zhivago, Ryan’s Daughter focuses on personal struggles within a small Irish village, though it retains his signature epic scale. Few movies are this pretty, as cinematographer Freddie Young’s breathtaking landscapes transform the Irish coastline into an emotional canvas, where stormy seas and vast cliffs mirror the characters’ inner struggles. Rosy is a woman trapped between fantasy and reality, yearning for romance and excitement in a village that offers only routine and repression. But, in a symbolic parallel, her appetite for freedom causes turmoil. Set during the Irish War of Independence, Ryan’s Daughter weaves personal betrayals with national ones, as the village turns on Rosy just as they turn on suspected British sympathizers. Her struggles reflect a larger, societal one, as Lean suggests that individual fates are often shaped by forces beyond their control. Here’s where you can stream Ryan’s Daughter. 6. The Holy Mountain (1973) I love all of the films on this list, but none of them took my breath away upon first viewing quite like The Holy Mountain did. This experimental gem from Alejandro Jodorowsky is no conventional film but an allegorical, hallucinatory journey through spirituality, mysticism and, ultimately, the absurdity of human existence. The story start with an unnamed thief (Horacio Salinas) who awakens in a dystopian city and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Guided by an alchemist (played by Jodorowsky), the thief joins a group of nine wealthy and powerful individuals who represent the planets of the solar system. Together, they seek the mythical Holy Mountain, where they hope to achieve enlightenment and immortality. Blending surrealism, religious iconography and esoteric philosophy, Jodorowsky crafts a film that is both a psychedelic, hallucinatory experience and a deep, symbolic meditation on enlightenment. Rather than telling a traditional story, The Holy Mountain functions as a visual and philosophical odyssey, where every scene operates as a piece of a cryptic puzzle, as a reflection of the audience’s own consciousness, constantly shifting between hyper-stylized tableaux, grotesque imagery and moments of stark beauty as it mirrors a transcendental experience. Every frame of The Holy Mountain is loaded with meaning, and the film’s influence can be seen in the greatest experimental filmmakers of our time, like David Lynch, Gaspar Noé and Panos Cosmatos, who explore similarly abstract ideas through visually immersive storytelling. Over 50 years later, The Holy Mountain remains one of the most audacious, enigmatic, visually overwhelming films ever made. Here’s where you can stream The Holy Mountain. 5. Eraserhead (1977) The passing of David Lynch was by far the toughest celebrity death I’ve ever had to deal with. He is easily my favorite director, whose artistic approach has had a profound upon my life, whose aesthetic was crystal clear upon the arrival of his very first film, Eraserhead. The story centers on Henry Spencer (Jack Nance), who lives a bleak, industrial existence punctuated by surreal and nightmarish visions. When his girlfriend Mary (Charlotte Stewart) gives birth to an inhuman child, Henry struggles to cope with his new responsibilities and the unsettling, nightmarish events that unfold around him with an eerie sense of inevitability. The film operates less like a traditional narrative and more like a prolonged fever dream, where time, space and logic dissolve under the weight of subconscious terror. Lynch immerses the audience in an oppressive, industrial landscape where every shadow and sound (and lack of sound, for that matter) feels designed to disrupt. The film’s setting, a decaying industrial wasteland, has a mechanical, almost inescapable feel, with the cinematography’s black-and-white palette utilizing deep shadows and harsh lighting to create a sense of suffocating bleakness. This environment enraptures Henry, a man who has been crushed by societal expectations, and is terrified by the unknowable forces that frustratingly shape his life. The most infamous aspect of Eraserhead is Henry’s monstrous child—an inhuman, sickly creature that constantly cries, wrapped in bandages, barely recognizable as anything living. The baby becomes the ultimate manifestation of Henry’s fears: responsibility, entrapment and the grotesque nature of life itself. To this day, Eraserhead stands as one of the greatest experimental horror movies ever made, a disturbing journey into the darkest recesses of the human subconscious; a nightmare that never fully ends. Here’s where you can stream Eraserhead. 4. Carrie (1976) Director Brian De Palma’s most well-known years came during the 1980s, with Scarface, The Untouchables and Blow Out cementing themselves as classics in the thriller and gangster arenas. But the 1970s had just as many gems for De Palma, in my opinion, including what I consider to be his greatest film, Carrie. The story centers on Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), a shy and sheltered teenager raised by her fanatically religious mother, Margaret (Piper Laurie). Constantly tormented by her classmates, Carrie begins to develop mysterious telekinetic abilities. When a cruel prank at prom humiliates her in front of the entire school, her powers erupt in a devastating act of vengeance. As the night spirals into chaos, Carrie struggles between her desire for acceptance and the overwhelming force within her. Unlike traditional horror films that focus on external threats, Carrie builds its horror from within, with its terror rooted in Carrie’s emotional turmoil and the cruelty of those around her. Spacek’s performance is hauntingly fragile, capturing a girl trapped between religious fanaticism at home and relentless bullying at school. Her wide-eyed innocence and soft-spoken nature make her eventual transformation all the more shocking—the horror is not in her powers, but in how the world forces her to use them. Carrie’s journey is one of painful self-discovery, with every moment of hope (getting asked to prom, feeling beautiful for the first time) laced with dread, as the audience knows disaster is inevitable. Nobody knew how to close out a film quite like De Palma, whose slow, methodical navigation of Carrie’s journey throughout the story transforms the infamous prom night climax into an explosion of cathartic terror that cements Carrie one of the most tragic and rattling horror films ever made. Here’s where you can stream Carrie. 3. Nashville (1975) The 1970s marked a decade where auteurs were suddenly able to operate within the studio system, completely unleashed to pursue their bold visions of a society in flux. But I’m not sure anybody successfully took that vision as far as Robert Altman, whose multi-character studies felt unlike any other. And no movie ever better exemplified this incredible ability to paint a sweeping picture than Nashville—a sprawling, multi-layered film that captures the intersection of politics and personal ambition through the lens of country music. Set against the backdrop of a political rally, this ensemble film weaves together the lives of 24 different characters—populated by aspiring musicians, industry insiders and political figures as they navigate personal and professional crises—in the country music capital of Nashville. Featuring standout performances by Ronee Blakley, Keith Carradine and Lily Tomlin, this web of intersecting stories immerses the viewer in a mosaic of interconnected lives, offering a kaleidoscopic view of American culture in the mid-1970s. It’s unnerving how realistic the film feels, starting first and foremost with Altman’s famously messy, often improvised dialogue, where characters talk over one another and conversations feel unstaged. Plus, the incredible songs performed in the film—which always serve as extensions of the characters, revealing personal truths and social contradictions—were written and performed by the actors themselves, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the proceedings. This sort of realism makes the film’s ultimate commentary regarding politics hit home in gut-punching fashion, as the backdrop of Hal Phillip Walker’s unseen presidential campaign highlights how politics and show business operate on the same stage, using spectacle to sell their ideas to the masses. Here’s where you can stream Nashville. 2. Apocalypse Now (1979) In the same decade Francis Ford Coppola made the first two Godfather films, as well as the classic The Conversation, he put together what is, in my opinion, the single greatest war movie ever made: Apocalypse Now, a meditation on the nature of violence, on the thin line between civilization and savagery. The film is seen through the eyes of Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), who is assigned a clandestine mission during the Vietnam War to assassinate Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a once-respected officer who has gone rogue and established a cult deep in the Cambodian jungle. Alongside his crew of young soldiers experiencing war for the first time, Willard, whose fragmented narration reflects his own psychological deterioration, journeys upriver, confronting the psychological horrors of war along the way. The film’s slow, hypnotic pacing mirrors Willard’s mental descent, making the audience feel as if they, too, are being consumed by the jungle and the madness within it. Apocalypse Now presents the Vietnam War not as a battle between nations but as an existential crisis, where soldiers become consumed by the chaos they are meant to control. Largely unseen for most of the film, Kurtz exists more as an idea than a fully present character, with his legend growing as Willard moves deeper into the jungle. When finally revealed, Kurtz is not a conventional villain but a broken man who has embraced the darkness he once sought to fight. By the time Willard reaches the compound, he has become as unrecognizable as Kurtz. In the end, war has become indistinguishable from ritual, and the violence no longer has any meaning beyond itself as the film’s final images—silent, dark and unresolved—leave the audience in a state of contemplation, of moral questioning. Here’s where you can stream Apocalypse Now. 1. Suspiria (1977) When I set out to compile this list, several of the films we’ve discussed thus far crossed my mind for the No. 1 spot. But all along, deep down inside, I knew that my absolute favorite film from the decade—the one whose influence can be seen in everything from Hereditary to Mandy to Black Swan, the one that immerses the viewer in a full-bodied sensory experience, the one that defies genre conventions and embraces an audiovisual form of horror that bypasses logic and speaks directly to the subconscious—was Dario Argento’s greatest film; the one and only Suspiria. The story revolves around Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper), a talented ballet student who transfers to a prestigious German academy where she is greeted with hostility and ghostly warnings. As she delves deeper into the mystery shrouded within the school, she discovers a history of witchcraft connected to the academy’s sinister headmistress, Madame Blanc (Joan Bennett), and her colleague Miss Tanner (Alida Valli). Amid horrific deaths and supernatural occurrences, Suzy must uncover the academy’s dark secrets before becoming its next victim. There’s simply no film like Suspiria, which feels like a haunted house come to life. It’s so much more than a horror film—it's a feeling, an assault on the senses that bypasses rational storytelling, with Argento using deep reds, neon blues and sickly greens to place the audience in a perpetual state of unease. Plus, Goblin’s soundtrack haunts the frame as an active force within the film, as their whispers, screams and pulsating rhythms feel like they’re attacking the viewer. To top it all off, Suzy’s character is a blank slate, allowing the audience to project themselves onto her. Rather than merely watching Suspiria, we inhabit it. Over 45 years later, Suspiria remains an unparalleled cinematic hallucination—a film not to be understood, but to be felt, to be remembered for its unwavering vision and dedication to creating the ultimate cinematic experience. Here’s where you can stream Suspiria. Bonus: Honorable Mentions Because it was so hard to narrow this list down to 30 films, I decided to include 20 other movies that didn’t make the cut, bringing the total to 50 films: All That Jazz (1979) Autumn Sonata (1978) Barry Lyndon (1975) Le Cercle Rouge (1970) Chinatown (1974) Days of Heaven (1978) The Deer Hunter (1978) Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Don’t Look Now (1973) The Exorcist (1973) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) The Last Waltz (1978) The Long Goodbye (1973) Network (1976) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) Pink Flamingos (1972) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) A Woman Under the Influence (1974) Young Frankenstein (1974) Bottom Line The 1970s were an incredible time for cinema. This list puts together the best movies from that decade and all of the filmmakers and actors who defined it. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What Are Great 1970s Horror Movies? Suspiria (1977) – A young American ballet student arrives at a prestigious dance academy in Germany, only to discover it is a front for a sinister supernatural force. Directed by Dario Argento. Carrie (1976) – A shy, telekinetic high school girl, tormented by her classmates and controlled by her religious mother, unleashes a devastating power on prom night. Directed by Brian De Palma. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) – A group of friends traveling through rural Texas falls prey to a family of deranged cannibals. Directed by Tobe Hooper. What Are Great 1970s Black Movies? Shaft (1971) – A cool and fearless private detective navigates the streets of Harlem and takes on the mafia to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a crime boss. Directed by Gordon Parks. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971) – A male sex worker goes on the run after killing two racist cops, sparking a radical odyssey through America’s underworld. Directed by Melvin Van Peebles. Killer of Sheep (1978) – A poetic, neorealist portrayal of a slaughterhouse worker in Los Angeles struggling with economic hardship and emotional alienation. Directed by Charles Burnett. What Are Great 1970s Comedy Movies? Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) – The legendary King Arthur and his bumbling knights embark on a surreal quest for the Holy Grail. Directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones. Annie Hall (1977) – A neurotic comedian reflects on his failed relationship with an eccentric and free-spirited woman. Directed by Woody Allen. Young Frankenstein (1974) – The grandson of the infamous Dr. Frankenstein inherits his family’s castle and reluctantly continues his ancestor's experiments. Directed by Mel Brooks. Check out my website. Travis Bean Editorial Standards Forbes Accolades