10 Movies From the 1970s That Are Just as Good 50 Years Later

By Jim Dail

In an entertainment world that often looks to the past for ideas—or simply new versions of old ones—the movie scene from the 1970s stands out. Many of the greatest movies were produced during the decade, across just about every genre.

There was a terrifying shark, a horrific demon, killer monsters, disco dancing, toga parties, and mental institutions. There were Academy Award winners, surprise low-budget classics, and innovative special effects. Many of our favorite actors and actresses also made names for themselves during the decade. Here are 10 movies from the 1970s that, more than 50 years later, still show why the decade was such a remarkable time for film.

10. Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

It is the story of love between a man and a woman, father and son, and a trucker and his dog. It is also about bootlegging—transporting Coors beer east of the Mississippi—outrunning the local law and staying away from one of the most iconic sheriffs in film history, Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by the legendary Jackie Gleason.

With Burt Reynolds as the Bandit, Sally Field as Frog and Jerry Reed—already a guitar and Nashville legend—as the Snowman, the group attempts to get a truckload of Coors from Texarkana to Atlanta. We are treated to car chases, jumping bridges, tangling with a biker gang, and a chance encounter between our hero and the sheriff. It is a testament to the '70s car-chase genre. At first, it is about money and having a good time, but then it shifts to relationships, reality, and deeper concerns before returning to the daredevil focus on good timing as our heroes set out on another dare.

Especially nostalgic is watching Gleason ad-lib so many of his classic lines (“Gimme a Diablo sandwich and a Dr. Pepper”) and the single scene between Gleason and Reynolds in a “choke and puke.”

Could this movie be made the same way today? Probably not. That makes it even more of a treat to watch and celebrate the '70s spirit that runs throughout the picture.

9. Star Wars (1977)

Disney made a mountain of money with fairy tales, but what about a space fairy tale? That's exactly what George Lucas was doing when he created the enormously successful Star Wars, which wasn't merely a movie but a phenomenon that sparked a frenzy of sequels, prequels, merchandise, and a culture all its own.

It is a kind of coming-of-age movie for Luke Skywalker and the maturing of Han Solo, who previously cared mostly about money and smuggling. We are introduced to the idea of a special, mystical power known as the Force, which has a good side and a dark side, symbolizing life itself.

Do the special effects look like those of 2026? No, but they don't have to for the movie to remain relatable. Was the storyline all that different from the past? No, but when it was all put together through robots, spacecraft, monsters, rebels, and an evil empire, it was an almost flawless construction.

Darth Vader, voiced by James Earl Jones, is simply in control, scary, and unafraid to do whatever it takes to get what he wants.

Nearly 50 years later, the effects may have changed, but the space fairy tale at the heart of Star Wars remains as recognizable as ever.

8. Saturday Night Fever (1977)

He may have been a “Sweathog” from Welcome Back, Kotter to most people, but when John Travolta hit the dance floor in Saturday Night Fever, it was sheer magic. It was an explosive collection of new and soon-to-be iconic disco songs, coming-of-age struggles for young men and women, and serious themes surrounding sex, death, and life.

In this film, we see the struggles facing urban young men, especially Travolta's Tony Manero, as they focus their lives on having a good time at night and surviving during the day while facing parental pressures. Nearly fifty years later, young people could watch this movie and instantly relate to it, even if the visuals and music might seem a bit weird to them.

Tony Manero escapes his boring life by becoming a disco king on the dance floor, impressing his buddies, attracting girls, and finding a place where he can be free. By the end, we see a grown man who realizes the seriousness of life goes well beyond just having a good time, and that what he thought made him special was nothing compared to maturing as a person.

And for even more nostalgia, get into your white disco suit and put on the soundtrack, still one of the best-selling movie soundtracks of all time. It includes such hits as “Stayin' Alive,” “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Disco Inferno” and “If I Can't Have You.”

But beneath the music, dancing, and white suit lies a coming-of-age story that remains just as recognizable today.

7. Young Frankenstein (1974)

When one considers that Frankenstein is one of the most-examined novels in literature, along with the sheer number of movies made about the iconic monster and its creator (who is the actual Frankenstein, not the creature), just about everyone should know the story.

However, when Mel Brooks made Young Frankenstein, he was certainly seeing something else. He transformed the familiar story with his own hilarious vision, creating one of his classic films.

Complete with a talented cast including Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle and Madeline Kahn, it is a funny take on the familiar story in which the creature becomes everything from a romantic figure to a theater performer. Hearing Frankenstein's monster join Wilder's Frederick Frankenstein in “Puttin' on the Ritz” is an iconic moment not easily forgotten.

The movie even resembles the old horror classics. Filmed in black and white, it already looked old when it was brand new. They even used some of the actual electrical equipment Kenneth Strickfaden had created for the 1931 Frankenstein.

When one considers the sheer number of movie satires that followed—whether the Scary Movie series, Student Bodies, or Spaceballs, another Brooks film, Young Frankenstein stands as one of the great examples of taking serious source material and turning it into comedy. More than 50 years later, the movie may intentionally look old, but the comedy doesn't feel that way.

6. American Graffiti (1973)

When one thinks of George Lucas, the Star Wars series and Indiana Jones films come to mind. However, without American Graffiti, Lucas might never have been able to make those films.

The film is a who's who of up-and-coming actors and actresses who may not have been well known at the time but certainly would be in the near future: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard (“Opie”), Suzanne Somers, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams and a fellow by the name of Harrison Ford.

The movie was a nostalgic look back at the days of cars, cruising the avenues, hanging out at the burger joint, and being with friends and significant others. Filled with serious moments, comedy, and action, along with experiences that just about everyone remembers from their teenage years, it helped pave the way for many other films in the '80s and '90s that similarly looked back on youth.

From classic cars and classic interactions to a soundtrack that helped define the “oldies” era, the film is an homage to youth. Its success also helped demonstrate the enormous appetite for 1950s and early-'60s nostalgia that would soon be seen throughout popular culture, including the hit TV series Happy Days, which shared many of the film's nostalgic themes.

Ultimately, it is relatable because every kid has wondered what happens next in life and whether they are making the right choice. That is precisely what is going on in these characters' lives.

5. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Sometimes movies are so powerful that their imagery becomes part of the norm. How do we picture mental institutions in movies? Well, thanks in part to one of the greatest films of all time, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, we think of constant medication, electric shock treatment … and Nurse Ratched.

The film stars the legendary Jack Nicholson as well as a collection of soon-to-be stars like Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito and Brad Dourif. It captures the perceived horrors of a mental institution through R.P. McMurphy, a conman who tries to dupe the system, so he does not have to go to jail. It evolves into a look at the range of people and personalities who make up the institution, and ultimately at their humanity.

The film features one of the greatest movie villains of all time, Nurse Ratched, played by Louise Fletcher. She is not a physical beast or a supernatural or demonic threat. She is cold and calculating, and she believes she is perfect at her job. To this day, she is scary and the last person you’d want to see in any hospital.

But it is Nicholson's McMurphy, a wisecracking criminal who alters the world precisely constructed and controlled by Ratched, who endears us to the story.

As dark and dreary as the movie can be, it is not just fans who love it. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest became only the second film in history to sweep the five major Academy Awards: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay.

4. The Exorcist (1973)

It was the movie event of 1973. A horror film so scary that some theaters reportedly provided vomit bags to moviegoers. It made people curious—and terrified—about Ouija boards. Of course, it has also been ranked by many critics and publications as one of the greatest horror films of all time. It was the story of a little girl possessed by a vicious demon who had to be saved by … The Exorcist.

To this day, people are either terrified of watching this movie or curious about what the big deal was. A little girl is controlled by a devilish presence, and after modern medical science cannot help her, her mother turns to the Catholic Church in desperation. The priests who come to her aid ultimately sacrifice themselves, but Regan (Linda Blair) survives and returns to her childhood.

It was such a powerful movie that stories about unusual incidents during filming became part of the movie's legend. Even more remarkably, The Exorcist—a horror film, mind you—became the first horror film ever nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

To this day, people who haven't even seen the movie know all about it—and they are scared.

3. Alien (1979)

In science fiction, there is sometimes an attempt to scare rather than simply showcase special effects. The original Godzilla was considered both horror and science fiction, but nothing captured the science fiction/horror connection quite like Alien.

The alien monster is simply terrifying, vicious, sneaky, and nearly impossible to kill. Who can forget the iconic scene where the previously parasitized Kane is killed by the small creature that rips out of his chest? Or the slow, terrifying image of the monster opening its two sets of jaws before attacking one of the crew members?

Sigourney Weaver's Ripley ultimately becomes the person capable of dealing with the creature, but the movie doesn't initially announce her as the obvious hero. Female characters in movies like this were often the ones who needed saving rather than the ones who saved the day. But Ripley uses her wits and steadfastness, much like the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe's “The Pit and the Pendulum.” For a film like this to have a female hero was unusual in 1979, and it remains effective now.

Nearly five decades later, the famous tagline still fits: “In space no one can hear you scream.”

2. Rocky (1976)

It would be easy to typecast Sylvester Stallone when it comes to Rocky because the performance is so powerful and iconic. Apollo Creed thought he was going to fight a cream puff in the ring, but Rocky Balboa's determination and grit completely altered his world.

No, Rocky did not win, as the underdog so often does in movies. That's what makes it powerful.

At the same time, Rocky isn't just a boxing movie. The relationship between Rocky and Adrian is a major reason the movie has an emotional impact beyond the fight. The ending itself reinforces that—Rocky has just gone 15 rounds with the heavyweight champion, but he's calling for Adrian rather than asking whether he won.

In the film, we see that classic underdog, a man who is not perfect in any way, overcome the odds and find himself and a feeling of inner peace. Rocky doesn't have to win the fight to win at life—or to win over moviegoers.

1. Jaws (1975)

Peter Benchley had an enormous hit with the novel Jaws, but that was nothing compared to Steven Spielberg's movie version, which terrified not only moviegoers but actual beachgoers in 1975.

The movie captures the terror of an enormous great white shark attacking the Amity coastline but does it without relying on extreme gore. At the same time, it spotlights the politics, science, and the desperation involved in deciding what to do about the threat. Few can forget the opening attack, which unfolds almost entirely in the dark and introduces the iconic theme music. Then there is Brody, desperately trying to protect the community, and a mayor so politically and economically obsessed with keeping the beaches open that he doesn't fully recognize the horror until it could directly affect his own family.

It is a movie that crosses genres, from drama to horror to adventure, and remains one of the greatest movies of all time. It is also perhaps the movie that permanently cemented Spielberg's status as a filmmaking legend. While the shark is no longer the special effects marvel it once was, the film's suspense remains incredibly powerful.

The 1970s were a time of enormous social and political change, reflected in both society and everyday life. Yet these ten films created escapes that still work today: exhilarating space battles, car chases and acrobatics, dancing and music, serious drama, demonic possessions and young people trying to find their place in the world.

As subsequent decades came and went, countless movies borrowed from what these films showed us in the '70s. More than 50 years later, they remain valuable additions to anyone's movie collection—or, these days, someone's streaming watch list.