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"You've got to watch the classics" is a phrase I'll always hear from a parent or relative when I say I haven't seen movies that came out before I was born in the 1990s. While everyone has a different definition, I think classic movies are timeless, innovative, and significant. Some of these films impacted pop culture, reshaped a certain genre, or launched actors into stardom.
Now that we're in the dog days of summer, it's the ideal time to knock some classics off your watchlist. Not every classic movie has to come before 1970, but I did include two films that did: one from the 1940s that might be the most famous love story in cinematic history, and the other is a Best Picture-winning musical from the 1960s. The other four movies are scattered between 1970 and 1993. All six movies can be streamed in the U.S.
American Graffiti Nostalgia for the past through the eyes of teenagersI say the name "George Lucas," and 99% of people are either going to mention Star Wars or Indiana Jones. Before becoming the architect for those two franchises, Lucas co-wrote and directed American Graffiti, a coming-of-age drama that became a defining movie for Baby Boomers. It's the last day of summer vacation in 1962, and four friends—Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), Steve (Ron Howard), John (Paul Le Mat), and Terry (Charles Martin Smith)—plan to hang out one last time before their lives change the following morning.
Quiz
8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge
Name that classic movieFrom Casablanca to The Godfather — how well do you really know these iconic films?
DramaThrillerWar FilmsDirectorsClassics
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In Casablanca, what is the name of the café owned by Humphrey Bogart's character Rick Blaine?
ARick's RendezvousBThe Blue ParrotCRick's Café AméricainDThe Casablanca Club
Correct! Rick's Café Américain is the beating heart of the film, a glamorous nightspot filled with refugees, spies, and intrigue. The café set was built entirely on a Warner Bros. soundstage, as the production never filmed in Morocco.
Not quite. The answer is Rick's Café Américain. The Blue Parrot is actually a rival café in the film run by Signor Ferrari, played by Sydney Greenstreet. Rick's establishment is the iconic central location of the story.
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In Terms of Endearment, which actress won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Aurora Greenway?
AMeryl StreepBShirley MacLaineCDebra WingerDSally Field
Correct! Shirley MacLaine won the Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of the demanding and lovable Aurora Greenway. Debra Winger, who played her daughter Emma, was also nominated but lost to MacLaine in what became one of the night's most talked-about results.
Not quite. The answer is Shirley MacLaine. She played the fierce, complicated Aurora Greenway and beat out her own co-star Debra Winger for the award. MacLaine's acceptance speech, in which she thanked Winger for making her life 'hell,' became legendary Hollywood lore.
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In The Sound of Music, what are the first names of the seven Von Trapp children in order from oldest to youngest, starting with the eldest?
AFriedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, Liesl, GretlBLiesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, GretlCLiesl, Friedrich, Kurt, Louisa, Brigitta, Marta, GretlDFriedrich, Liesl, Brigitta, Kurt, Marta, Louisa, Gretl
Correct! Liesl is the eldest at 16, followed by Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and little Gretl. The children are famously introduced one by one in the film, each blowing a whistle to announce themselves to their new governess Maria.
Not quite. The correct order is Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl. Liesl, who sings 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen,' is the eldest. The actual Von Trapp family had seven children, though their real names differed slightly from those used in the musical.
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In The Godfather, what famous line is spoken by Don Vito Corleone involving a favor on the day of his daughter's wedding?
A"A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man."B"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."C"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."D"In Sicily, women are more dangerous than shotguns."
Correct! 'I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse' is one of the most quoted lines in cinema history. Marlon Brando delivered it with chilling calm, and the line was voted the second most memorable movie quote of all time by the American Film Institute.
Not quite. The answer is 'I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse,' spoken by Marlon Brando's Don Corleone. While 'Leave the gun. Take the cannoli' is also a famous line from the film, it was spoken by Peter Clemenza and refers to a very different scene entirely.
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In L.A. Confidential, which real-life scandal serves as the backdrop for the film's central murder investigation?
AThe Black Dahlia murderBThe Lana Turner stabbing incidentCThe Onyx Club massacre and police corruptionDThe Manson Family trial
Correct! The Nite Owl massacre — a fictional diner shooting — and the web of police corruption surrounding it drive the film's plot. Set in 1950s Los Angeles, the story exposes a deeply compromised LAPD, which mirrored real-world scandals of the era that inspired James Ellroy's novel.
Not quite. The central event is the fictional Nite Owl massacre, a diner shooting that unravels into a massive conspiracy involving police corruption. The Black Dahlia is a separate real case that Ellroy also wrote about, but L.A. Confidential focuses on its own invented criminal web.
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In The Silence of the Lambs, what is the name of the serial killer Clarice Starling is hunting with Dr. Hannibal Lecter's help?
AJohn DoeBBuffalo BillCJame GumbDBuffalo Bill, whose real name is Jame Gumb
Correct! The killer is known as Buffalo Bill, but his real name is Jame Gumb, played chillingly by Ted Levine. The FBI nickname refers to his habit of skinning his victims. The film won all five major Academy Awards — Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay — a feat achieved by only three films in history.
Not quite. The most complete answer is that the killer is Buffalo Bill, whose real name is Jame Gumb. Both names are used in the film. Calling him only by his nickname or only by his real name leaves out key information that Clarice works hard throughout the film to uncover.
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Oliver Stone's Platoon is partially based on whose real-life Vietnam War experiences?
AFrancis Ford Coppola's research for Apocalypse NowBTim O'Brien's memoir The Things They CarriedCOliver Stone's own service in VietnamDThe memoirs of General William Westmoreland
Correct! Oliver Stone served as an infantryman in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, and Platoon is drawn directly from his personal experiences. Stone has said the character of Chris Taylor, played by Charlie Sheen, is essentially himself, making the film one of the most autobiographical war movies ever made.
Not quite. Platoon is based on Oliver Stone's own firsthand service in Vietnam. He enlisted voluntarily and served two tours, earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. The film was Stone's way of processing that trauma, and its authenticity struck a nerve with veterans who said it finally told their true story.
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Lawrence of Arabia won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1963. Who directed the film?
AJohn HustonBWilliam WylerCDavid LeanDCarol Reed
Correct! David Lean directed Lawrence of Arabia, one of his towering achievements alongside The Bridge on the River Kwai and Doctor Zhivago. The film was shot across vast locations in Jordan, Morocco, and Spain, and its cinematography by Freddie Young — particularly the famous mirage scene — remains breathtaking even today.
Not quite. The answer is David Lean, one of cinema's great epic storytellers. John Huston, William Wyler, and Carol Reed were all acclaimed directors of the era, which makes them convincing decoys. But it was Lean who transformed T.E. Lawrence's story into a sweeping, nearly four-hour masterpiece that won seven Oscars.
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The guys cruise around all night chasing girls and getting into trouble. I wasn't alive in the 1960s, but I can relate to the anxiety many graduates face the night before shipping off to college. Lucas nails the idea of teens losing their innocence before entering adulthood. Without American Graffiti setting the template for a hangout movie, there is no Dazed and Confused, one of my all-time favorite movies.
American Graffiti
Release Date August 1, 1973
Runtime 110minutes
Director George Lucas
Terms of Endearment Prepare for waterworksTerms of Endearment should flash a warning sign on the screen before the opening credits, saying, "Warning: You will cry, so make sure to have a box of tissues handy." Seriously, James L. Brooks' tragicomedy will bring the most stoic of people to tears. At its core, the movie chronicles a 30-year relationship between a mother, Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine), and her daughter, Emma (Debra Winger).
Aurora is a widow who finds companionship with former astronaut Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson), while Emma runs into trouble in her marriage to Flap Horton (Jeff Daniels). Without giving too much away, one of these women receives devastating news, and the tears soon follow. Terms of Endearment is the rare movie that will make you laugh as much as you cry, creating a beautiful irony. The movie rode its positive reception all the way to the Oscars, where it won five awards, including Best Picture.
Terms of Endearment
Release Date November 20, 1983
Runtime 132 minutes
Director James L. Brooks
Witness Harrison Ford hangs with the Amish
Fun fact: Harrison Ford has been nominated for one Oscar in his illustrious career. Ford received a Best Actor nomination for playing Philadelphia police detective John Book in Witness, Peter Weir's superb crime thriller from 1985. While traveling to Philadelphia with his Amish mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis), eight-year-old Samuel (Lukas Haas) witnesses a murder while hiding in the train station's bathroom. Book is assigned to protect Rachel and Samuel during the investigation.
With the murderers after them, Book hides with Rachel and Samuel in their Amish community. It's a fish-out-of-water story with a big heart, as Book eventually comes to appreciate the Amish way of living. Every fan of Han Solo or Indiana Jones should be required to watch Witness because it's the best acting of Ford's career. If you want to know what true yearning looks like, watch Ford and McGillis stare at each other.
Witness
Release Date February 8, 1985
Runtime 112 Minutes
Director Peter Weir
The Last of the Mohicans I will find you!
This is easily the most polarizing movie on the list. Directed by Michael Mann, The Last of the Mohicans stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Nathaniel "Hawkeye" Poe, a white man adopted by the Mohicans who refuses to fight for the British during the French and Indian War. However, Hawkeye and his family eventually agree to escort a British soldier and two women, including Cora Munro (Madeleine Stowe), to a fort in upstate New York.
Hawkeye eventually falls in love with Cora, but the war threatens to tear them apart. Show me another classic with a romantic scene that's more intense than the warfare it depicts. Mann is known for his relentless nature and attention to detail. Similarly, Day-Lewis immerses himself in his work, living like a true woodsman for weeks before filming. It's the perfect marriage of an obsessive director and a deeply committed actor. Together, they bring out the best in each other. If I were working on the crew, I might have a different opinion.
Casablanca We'll always have Paris
I might enjoy the romance in The Last of the Mohicans, but it pales in comparison to the love story at the center of Casablanca. When someone older than you says Casablanca is the definitive classic romance, they're telling the truth. Set in the early 1940s, Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine, a cynical nightclub owner in Casablanca, Morocco. One night, Rick's former lover, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), strolls into his club with her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a Czechoslovak Resistance leader.
Ilsa and Victor are looking to obtain letters of transit to escape the city and continue their fight against the Nazis. Rick has the letters the couple needs, forcing him to choose between reigniting his relationship with Ilsa or helping her escape with Victor. In most movies, love triangles are typically melodramatic and silly, but not in Casablanca, which features a gripping depiction of sacrifice and romance. Next time someone suggests watching Casablanca, listen to their advice.
Casablanca
Release Date January 15, 1943
Runtime 102 minutes
Director Michael Curtiz
The Sound of Music The hills are most definitely alive
In 2026, musicals have mostly been relegated to Broadway. In the 1960s, musicals were prominent in Hollywood. For example, The Sound of Music won five awards at the 1966 Oscars, including Best Picture. Set on the eve of World War II, The Sound of Music stars Julie Andrews as Maria, an enthusiastic woman studying to become a nun in Austria. Maria is sent to be a governess for retired naval officer Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), a widower with seven children.
Maria's free spirit contrasts with the Captain's disciplinary measures. Through song and dance, Maria wins the children over before the Captain eventually comes around. However, the war forces the family to seek drastic measures to escape the country. With recognizable music and an infectious performance from Andrews, The Sound of Music is simply delightful and an integral piece of movie history.
More movies to stream in your free timeOnce you're done with the classics, head to Netflix for some award-winning movies, including 1917 and Lawrence of Arabia. If you want something new, one of the most talked-about movies of 2026, Obsession, is now on Peacock.