The 40 Most Rewatchable Movies Ever Made
In this age of digital entertainment, streaming services have given us easy access to thousands of films from the last century. I will never have to watch the movie again! And yet here I am, standing in the Back to the Future queue for the nth time.
Because sometimes you just need a certain amount, and some movies seem designed to be watched over and over again. Others just fall so nicely that you can’t help but find them comforting. Pop culture critic Sarah D. Bunting came up with a name for these endlessly rewatchable films: “poppy field films.” Like the enchanted flowers outside the palace in The Ward of Oz (see below), you can’t help but fall into them every time they’re shown on TV. (There’s also an entire podcast dedicated to them , called The Rewatchables , natch.)
The criteria for a movie to be rewatchable vary, but there are some common themes: memorable set pieces, quotable dialogue, particularly compelling characters you love spending time with, and most importantly, a truly satisfying ending. It’s also a matter of taste – I watch Citizen Kane as eagerly as I watch Charlie’s Angels – and nostalgia never hurts. Here are 40 movies worth watching more than once. Or twice. Or…
Back to the Future (1985)
What Makes It Rewatchable: Silly but heartfelt and with just enough rawness (incest with mom? OMG!) to give it a little edge, Back to the Future combines pitch-perfect writing with a light tone and memorable performances main roles of Michael. J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. It’s a comfortable watch, but the obsessive level of detail ( Twin Pines Mall becomes Lone Pine Mall ) rewards repeated viewings.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Groundhog Day (1993)
What makes it rewatchable: The time loop has become something of a trope, but never has it been done with such charm as in this, one of its earliest and most iconic incarnations. Andie MacDowell is great and Bill Murray is at his best as he gradually comes to realize that moving forward in his life (both figuratively and literally) may require changing everything about himself.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
What makes it rewatchable: Everything I said about the enjoyable time loop in Groundhog Day , but applied to an endlessly creative sci-fi action film. Watching Tom Cruise get killed repeatedly by aliens in increasingly hilarious ways never gets old. See also: Emily Blunt in power armor.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Shawshank Redemption (1994)
What makes it rewatchable: An enjoyable prison story that includes elements of murder, corruption and money laundering, Shawshank is bittersweet (the title’s promised redemption arrives more or less on time) but never cloying. Happy endings are simple, but this one offers something more complex and a little more satisfying, making this Stephen King adaptation more than just comfort food. The film also has a resume to back up its reputation: It’s been a cable TV mainstay for decades, creating a sense of familiarity fueled by its ubiquity.
Where to watch: AMC+, digital rental.
Food for the Soul (1997)
What makes it rewatchable: It’s a film about family and the power of community, generous without being cloying. This is also something that is played out at many holiday gatherings.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Black Panther (2018)
What makes it rewatchable: There are plenty of movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that are rewatchable (I’m not a snob), including the very first one, Iron Man . But Black Panther , even despite its connections to the broader superhero landscape, is one of the few that feels like its own film—complete and satisfying in its own right. Chadwick Boseman leads a stellar cast in a film that combines serious action and drama with deeper themes. And points for overall quality: It took 18 films before a Marvel Studios film had a black lead and director and became the only film to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
Where to watch: Disney+, digital rental.
A Christmas Story (1983)
What makes it rewatchable: After years of holiday marathons and merchandising, A Christmas Carol has become largely a victim of its own slow-burning success (it did decently at the box office, but not well enough to warrant an afterlife). ). So in a sense , A Christmas Carol can be rewatched because we had no other choice. This oversaturation, however, doesn’t completely dull the film’s charm or diminish its innovation: it’s cynical about the holiday season, serving as a kind of counterprogram that’s often genuinely funny, but it’s not so dark that the whole family can watch. It’s kind of like curling up with a good memoir.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Die Hard (1988)
What makes it rewatchable: A great action movie needs a great protagonist, and a great setting pays off immensely. It has both – Bruce Willis does everything we love about Bruce Willis, and the Nakatomi Plaza setting is used brilliantly – we understand the space and therefore always know where John McClane is in relation to the terrorists. Everything is very carefully constructed.
Where to watch: Hulu, digital rental.
The Thin Man (1934)
What makes it rewatchable: The heady chemistry between all-time greats Myrna Loy and William Powell gives The Thin Man that freewheeling energy that’s not only easy to rewatch, but enjoyable regardless of whether you’re paying any attention to it. either attention or not. main murder mystery. The other Thin Man films are good, but none are as good (or as endlessly rewatchable) as the original.
Where to watch: digital rental.
The Princess Bride (1987)
What makes it rewatchable: The endlessly quotable The Princess Bride is a tonal masterpiece that mixes disparate elements in just the right measures. It’s a parody and a farce, a fairy tale, a fantasy and a truly fascinating love story, with pirates thrown in as well. It’s weird, but not so much that it’s off-putting, and always comes back to the core relationships between the characters when things get too silly. He effortlessly delivers memorable scene after memorable scene, ensuring that the film is almost as enjoyable in parts as it is from start to finish.
Where to watch: Disney+, digital rental.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
What makes it rewatchable: Unlike many beloved classic films, The Wizard of Oz was not a slow build, as its reputation sometimes suggests: the film was actually initially a very good success in theaters and only gained its popularity through theatrical releases. re-releases, and then endless showings on television. . It has lost little momentum over the past eight decades. And why would that be? It’s a fun all-ages fantasy and sing-along musical with a career-making lead actor, with themes related to childhood angst that are still more or less relevant.
Where to stream: Max, digital rental
Mean Girls (2004)
What makes it rewatchable: The script, written by Tina Fey (just before she became a household name), combines super-edgy comedy with a keen understanding of school politics and a worthwhile message about the futility of striving to be the best and the prettiest.
Where to watch: Paramount+, digital rental.
Come on, come on (2000)
What makes it rewatchable: Another teen comedy that’s endlessly replayable… but Bring It On is also a secret sports movie and a stealth musical (if you view the elaborate dance sequences set to music in the same light as the characters bursting into song), two genres. with soothing formulas that stand up to repeated viewings. As fun as it is to watch real gymnastics, it’s also fun to watch a very young Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union take shots at each other.
Where to watch: Starz, digital rental.
Friday (1995)
What makes it rewatchable: It doesn’t entirely hold up to criticism (the women here are mostly the butt of the jokes), but there’s still a reason Friday has become a cult classic. At a time when white America was especially concerned with rap and skinny culture, she dared to have a little fun. And when it’s funny, it’s really funny.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
What makes it rewatchable: A triumph of imagination in a sea of… well, a lot of the same type of superhero movies (many of them spider-related). The animation is incredibly energetic and innovative, serving a twisting, multi-layered story that is exciting, inspiring and truly poignant, in the best Spidey tradition.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
What Makes It Rewatchable: In many ways, this rom-com feels like a throwback in the best sense: Economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) has no idea that her New York boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) is a real estate heir. empire as part of an extremely wealthy Singaporean family. The fish-out-of-water comedic elements never get so silly that we don’t really focus on the core relationships, and Michelle Yeoh as Nick’s mother provides a brilliantly flawed yet very human foil. All this plus exploration of a place and culture we don’t often visit in Westerns.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Aliens (1986)
What makes it rewatchable: Ridley Scott’s original is a brilliantly tense haunted spaceship movie, but the James Cameron-led sequel is simply one of the most effective combinations of action and horror in the history of any genre. The ’80s produced plenty of action stars, but it’s hard to argue that Sigourney Weaver doesn’t best them all in her fight to escape the alien queen.
Where to watch: Max, Digital rental
Titanic (1997)
What makes it rewatchable: There’s a reason why James Cameron is one of our most financially successful directors: he knows how to create a satisfying film, even when offering tragic melodrama. This is epic storytelling on a truly grand scale – films like this don’t get made anymore, and weren’t made in 1997. It was seen many times before it left theaters on its first run, and people returned several times to gawk at the spectacle and cry into their popcorn (I’m the people in this scenario).
Where to watch: Paramount+, Prime Video.
All About Eve (1950)
What Makes It Rewatchable: Pound for bitchy pound, I’m not sure you’ll find a better script than writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s for All About Eve , bolstered by the most memorable performance of Bette Davis’s hugely memorable career. . A smart and irreverent treat from start to finish.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Charlie’s Angels (2000)
What Makes It Rewatchable: The deeply silly, all-around action-comedy based on the venerable franchise impresses with its campy sense of style while still offering some truly impressive, grandiose action scenes. Starring Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore look like they’re having a lot of fun and the atmosphere is infectious.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Steel Magnolias (1989)
What makes it rewatchable: Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be gay to watch Steel Magnolias dozens of times… although it can’t hurt. Throw in Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts in a film that quite flawlessly combines melodrama with quotable bitchy comebacks, and we’re in for some good laughs along with a few good tears.
Where to watch: digital rental.
RRR (2022)
What makes it rewatchable: The jury is still out on whether Indian RRR will remain popular over time, but I’m here to prove that it should. Sure, the film is long, but as we watch it we get musical numbers, romantic dramas, buddy comedies (by buddy I mean they have to kiss) and action scenes that put modern Hollywood blockbusters to shame. The widely acclaimed sequence in which a truck full of wild animals breaks into the compound of white colonial administrators during the era of the British Raj is itself a master class in re-watching film moments.
Where to watch: Netflix
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
What makes it rewatchable: We love heists, and this one is smartly constructed in a way that goes right and wrong, and the production and execution are slippery enough that you kind of forget how it all happens between viewings. The star-studded cast adds panache.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Rogue One (2016)
What makes it rewatchable: It’s Ocean’s Eleven set in a galaxy far, far away, but with much higher stakes and lots of laser battles. I encourage everyone to turn it off as soon as the Battle of Scariff begins.
Where to watch: Disney+, digital rental.
Fugitive (1993)
What Makes It Rewatchable: Aside from Harrison Ford’s endless early ’90s charm and Tommy Lee Jones’ stunning performance, this cat-and-mouse thriller excels at the “process moments,” showing you every step of the dueling investigations. : Wrongfully accused murderer Richard Kimble’s (Ford) attempts to find out who killed his wife and framed him for the crime, and the efforts of a U.S. Marshal (Jones) to track him down and put him back in prison. And who could forget that waterfall scene?
Where to watch : Digital rental.
The Color Purple (1985)
What makes it rewatchable: While it’s a black story told by a predominantly white team behind the camera, it’s Steven Spielberg at his most human. This multi-generational story features some of the best actors of their generations playing some of the most memorable characters. While not everyone gets a happy ending, the conclusion is about as satisfying as it gets.
Where to watch: Tubi, digital rental.
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
What makes it rewatchable: It’s just great fun, with jokes that remain funny and gravity-defying dance numbers that look effortless even when it’s clear that the incredibly talented cast must have worked their butts off to everything looked so easy.
Where to stream: Max, digital rental
North by Northwest (1959)
What makes it rewatchable: Another movie that works whether you’re paying attention or not. Hitchcock knew that the sheer charm of his heroes and villains was more than enough to make a picture, provided the scenery offered the right thrills. I’m not even sure what the villains are trying to achieve here, but I never turned it off.
Where to watch: Tubi, digital rental.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
What makes it rewatchable: Raiders of the Lost Ark remains the best entry in the series, but a strong case can be made that The Last Crusade is more rewatchable (I’m sure I’m not alone in that , that I have seen both of them many times). once). Crusade is a little lighter than its predecessor, a little freer and more fun, with great chemistry between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery.
Where to watch: Disney+, Paramount+, digital rental.
Ghostbusters (1984)
What Makes It Rewatchable: Making wacky comedies that doubled as an art form was a particular skill set that ’80s filmmakers seemed to possess, and there’s a meticulousness to the film’s construction that belies the cynical yet laid back atmosphere. personified by Bill Murray. It’s stupid, but everything holds up. (The 2016 remake lacks the solid structure that made it a classic, but it’s also highly rewatchable thanks to an equally talented cast; The Hill I’ll Die On).
Where to stream: Peacock, digital rental.
Sister Act 2: Out of Habit Again (1993)
What makes it rewatchable: Sister Act One is the best movie, a shining moment of an era in which we were moving away from R-rated sex comedies and toward more family-friendly fare (for both better and worse). But the second Sister Act is both more real as its characters move downtown, but also campier and weirder in its attempts to mix Lean on Me- style high school drama with singing nuns and mistaken identity farce. Nineties kids will instantly recognize jams, mom jeans and spontaneous breakdancing as symbols of the era. It also leads to a truly joyful ending, even if you feel a little bad about the white boy rapping in overalls.
Where to watch: Disney+, Tubi, digital rental.
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
What makes it rewatchable: In these days of manufactured camp, something that is simply the product of strange oddballs thrown together is appreciated more than ever. More often than not, the event is treated as a communal event and requires very little beyond a willingness to sing along and perhaps pull on the fishing nets. This is the type of film that I suspect very few people have ever seen.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Coming to America (1988)
What makes it rewatchable: There’s a great supporting cast, but this is Eddie Murphy at his ’80s best – wildly funny and suitably profane. It’s just scene after memorable scene.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
What makes it rewatchable: This is by far the most self-contained of the many Star Trek films, working on its own as a sci-fi cat-and-mouse movie with an extremely memorable protagonist . [Editor’s note: Star Trek VI ?]
Where to stream: Max, digital rental
New Jack City (1991)
What makes it rewatchable: It’s several things at once, and they all do them well. New Jack City is a serious, thoughtful crime drama; it’s an impressively exciting action movie; and it’s a time capsule of the cool ’90s, brought to life by Wesley Snipes.
Where to watch: Tubi, digital rental.
Casablanca (1942)
What makes it rewatchable: A cult film from Hollywood’s golden age. You know the lines (and the ending) even if you’ve never seen it. If you ‘ve seen it, it’s unlikely you’ve only seen it once.
Where to stream: Max, digital rental
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1980)
What makes it rewatchable: Slasher fans are loyal (raise my hand), so the list of rewatchable films could easily be filled with Freddys, Jasons, Michaels and Ghostfaces. So, while this choice is a bit arbitrary, Dream Warriors is Freddy at the peak of his career, still terrifying in the era before his wisecracking huckster phase. Every scene/kill here is memorable in its own right, and there’s something almost Avengers -esque about the anti-Freddy team that assembles to take him down.
Where to watch: Netflix, digital rental.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
What makes it rewatchable: Ferris is the coolest kid in school, somehow managing it without being insufferable (mostly). There are elements to his laid-back attitude and concern for his friends that most of us can learn from. This is another scene that goes from memorable scene to memorable scene.
Where to watch: Paramount+, Hulu, digital rental.
Attack the Block (2011)
What makes it rewatchable: A group of outsiders band together to stop an alien invasion on a council estate. This is an energetic and action-packed film with memorable characters and even more memorable aliens. The film also teamed up future Star Wars hero (John Boyega) with future Doctor Who (Jodie Whitaker).
Where to watch: digital rental.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
What Makes It Re-Watchable: Ripped from the pages of Brian Lee O’Malley’s heavily manga-inspired graphic novel series, this flop 2010 Edgar Wright film seemed designed to perform better on a second (out of fifth) viewing. The humor is incredibly dense, every frame is peppered with background gags and on-screen graphics, and the episodic plot—in which goofy loser “hero” Scott takes on his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriends in cartoonish one-on-one showdowns—recreates the experience of moving house. It’s simply impossible to tear yourself away from level to level in a video game.
Where to watch: Max, Digital rental