25 Great 70s Movies

25 great 70s movies stand above the others. But keep in mind, they’re not all the best, they’re simply some of the greatest.

Apocalypse Now-1979

Arguably one of Marlon Brando’s best movies, this war-themed film is still the basis for many college courses. Plus, as has happened with many 70s movies, it helped to cement one of the best lines in cinematic history, “The horror…the horror…”.

A Clockwork Orange-1971

Imagine a dystopian future in which this type of activity was seen as normal. It’s one of those movies that people remember, but whether that’s good or bad is hard to gauge.

Chinatown-1974

Seeing Jack Nicholson as a younger man is kind of creepy since he had an air about him that was kind of intimidating. But as 70s movies go, this is a classic.

The Exorcist-1973

This movie creeped the hell out of a lot of people when it came out, and with practical effects no less. But even to this day, it’s considered a great addition to cinema.

Rocky-1976

Plenty of people have criticized this movie in a big way, but more have helped to idolize the punch-drunk boxer and keep him firmly embedded in memory. Sure, a few of the movies that came after were meh, but this is still a classic.

Deliverance-1972

Believe it or not, there were plenty of people who were nervous to venture into the backwoods after this. It’s not fair to those who live in such areas and are defined as rednecks, but as cinema goes it was disturbing enough to be entertaining.

Jaws-1975

Another movie that gave the wrong impression of something, Jaws made a lot of people afraid to go near any body of water. Trust me, most sharks aren’t going to just show up in your bathtub.

Smokey and The Bandit-1977

It is a classic movie, but some people still struggle to figure out why. Plain and simple, Burt Reynolds in his younger days was a great actor who knew how to play to the audience.

Blazing Saddles-1974

The blatant racism in this movie still shocks people, at least until they realize that Mel Brooks was using it as satire to make fun of the racist individuals. Still, with all that said, it’s an insanely funny movie if you don’t take it too seriously.

Dirty Harry-1971

Clint Eastwood has been a mainstay for so long in the industry that trying to say anything bad about his movies is kind of brushed aside. Sure, there are issues with the movie, but it’s great enough that most people don’t care.

Superman-1978

There are still plenty of fans who would vehemently agree that this version of Superman is the greatest and the only one worth remembering. There is some validity to this, but hey, things do change.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory-1971

Barring a couple of scenes in the movie that were off-the-wall nuts, this story was a lot of fun. Gene Wilder is by far the best representation of Wonka that has ever emerged.

Taxi Driver-1976

While this isn’t the first time I’ve written about this movie, it’s always important to recognize how great De Niro made this role. Out of all the 70s movies on this list, this one feels as though it could happen.

Star Wars: A New Hope-1977

It’s kind of interesting to think that Star Wars was rarely made since the initial screening wasn’t that positive. Thankfully, George Lucas kept pushing forward and was rewarded for his tenacity.

The Godfather Part II-1974

Some would argue about this, but the second installment of this story is arguably the best. The first set the pace, but the second movie really drove it home, while the third kind of limped its way into the box office.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest-1975

Remember what I said about a younger Nicholson being kind of creepy? Well, it doesn’t go away with each movie since he has a look that suggests he could flip out without any warning.

Halloween-1978

Horror fans would argue that this is one of the best Halloween movies ever, if not the best. But others might state that the sequel was better.

American Graffiti-1973

It pays to be a fan of this movie to really defend it. But all in all, the film wasn’t that bad since many are still nostalgic about the story.

The Black Hole-1979

Disney has gone back and forth between showcasing mildly disturbing to outlandish material, but this entry wasn’t all that bad. The story was interesting at least since it was easy to fall into it.

The Outlaw Josey Wales-1976

This decade saw the greatness of a few actors, not the least of which was Clint Eastwood. His role as Josey Wales was hardened and grizzled, but people loved it since he was a dedicated anti-hero who just wanted his place in the world without the added trouble that had cost him so much.

Enter the Dragon-1973

Any arguments over whether Bruce Lee was the greatest or not are still ongoing. But this movie was great without any doubts since it made him look like the living legend many want to believe he was.

Game of Death-1978

Bruce Lee gets to show up twice on this list for a reason, much like Jack Nicholson. He simply exuded a level of charisma that couldn’t be denied.

Serpico-1973

Al Pacino in his younger days was still vibrant and magnetic, which allowed many people to be drawn to his movies. While he plays on the other side of the law in this movie, he’s still convincing in a lot of ways.

Kramer v. Kramer-1979

It’s not often that you get to see Dustin Hoffman this animated any longer as he’s grown older. But back in his day, he was the kind of actor you could depend on for a lively performance.

The Deer Hunter-1978

As disturbing as this movie got, and it did, it was still a testament to those who went to Vietnam. Even if it wasn’t entirely accurate the whole way through, it still managed to get a lot of people thinking.