The streamer has a large library of timeless treasures from decades past.

The 12 best classic movies on Netflix right now

The streamer has a large library of timeless treasures from decades past.

By Kevin Jacobsen

and Declan Gallagher

on November 11, 2025 11:22 a.m. ET

Tracy Camilla Johns as Nola Darling in 'She's Gotta Have It'; Meryl Streep as Madeline Ashton in 'Death Becomes Her'; Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper in 'Jaws'. Credit:

Island Pictures. Courtesy: Everett; Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett; Courtesy Everett

The best part about classic movies is that there are more and more of them with each passing year. That said, to ensure true timelessness, we only included selections made before 2005. Netflix has classic movies of all genres, for every taste group and age range. In addition to older features like *Jaws* (1975) and *Taxi Driver* (1976), there are also slightly more modern favorites like *Death Becomes Her* (1992) and *Groundhog Day* (1993).

Join EW as we highlight the 12 best classic movies on Netflix right now.

Death Becomes Her (1992)

Bruce Willis as Dr. Ernest Menville and Meryl Streep as Madeline Ashton in 'Death Becomes Her'.

Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn headline this macabre horror-comedy from director Robert Zemeckis. Hawn stars as Helen Sharp, an ugly duckling who has her doctor fiancé (Bruce Willis) stolen out from under her by the seductive Off Broadway star Madeline Ashton (Streep). Years later, Helen returns for a homicidal revenge that finds the two women battling from beyond the grave. Chock-full of brilliant gallows humor, the film caps with a wonderful mic-drop ending (of the sort that rarely gets made nowadays). —*Declan Gallagher*

Where to watch *Death Becomes Her*: Netflix

**Director:** Robert Zemeckis

**Cast:** Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Isabella Rossellini**

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Robert Romanus as Mike Damone and Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High'. Universal/Everett

In a decade largely remembered for John Hughes' contributions to coming-of-age teen comedies, Amy Heckerling's *Fast Times at Ridgemont High* has proven just as indelible in the years since. The film, written by first-time screenwriter Cameron Crowe, chronicles the lives of teenagers attending high school in a San Fernando Valley town, bursting with hormones and ready to enter the real world. It's plenty raunchy, but there's also a refreshing honesty to its depiction of growing up and figuring out who you want to be. EW's rated it one of the best teen movies of all time, claiming *Fast Times* "presents the 'glory days' with unvarnished awkwardness and a truth-first approach, setting the template for every great teen comedy that followed." —*Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *Fast Times at Ridgemont High*: Netflix

**Director:** Amy Heckerling

**Cast:** Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Brian Backer, Robert Romanus, Ray Walston

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Aunt (voice: Akemi Yamaguchi), Seita (voice: Tsutomu Tatsumi), and Setsuko (voice: Ayano Shiraishi) in 'Grave of the Fireflies'.

Studio Ghibli/Kobal/Shutterstock

Far from your traditionally kid-friendly animated adventure, this sobering hand-drawn drama explores the horrors of war with bracing imagery. The film centers on a pair of young siblings, Seita and Setsuko, as they try to survive the chaos of the Pacific War in Kobe, Japan. EW's critic ranks *Grave of the Fireflies* as one of the best Studio Ghibli films of all time, calling it a "legendary tear-jerker" that depicts a world in which "the fires of war are still burning hot enough to consume life, love, and family." It's a tough watch, but devastatingly effective as an antiwar statement. —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Grave of the Fireflies*: Netflix

**Director:** Isao Takahata

**Cast:** Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara, Akemi Yamaguchi

Groundhog Day (1993)

Bill Murray as Phil Connors in 'Groundhog Day'. Columbia Pictures/Getty Images

After cynical reporter Phil (Bill Murray) gets stuck in a time loop, constantly waking up on Feb. 2, he decides to exploit his powers and tries to seduce his producer, Rita (Andie MacDowell). While she rejects him time and time again, Phil comes to find he has genuine feelings for her, and his cold, bitter heart gradually warms. "*Groundhog Day* — with its really high concept — unfolds with a goofy elegance that feels like a tonic," wrote EW's critic in 1993. Decades later, the fantasy comedy remains a favorite, one worth revisiting again and again. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Groundhog Day*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A

**Director:** Harold Ramis

**Cast:** Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray**

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Jaws (1975)

Robert Shaw as Quint, Roy Scheider as Chief Martin Brody, and Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper in 'Jaws'. Everett Collection

The miracle of this granddaddy of all summer blockbusters is that it still holds up 50 years later. Steven Spielberg's iconic thriller about a great white shark terrorizing beachgoers and the trio of men who try to hunt it down is pure entertainment at its most biting. From the menacing Oscar-winning score by John Williams to the vividly drawn personalities of the three heroes to the near-constant state of dread, Spielberg's confidence in his vision is remarkable to witness, especially so early in his career. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Jaws*: Netflix through Nov. 14

**Director:** Steven Spielberg

**Cast:** Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton

The Karate Kid (1984)

Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso in 'The Karate Kid'.

Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett

We could — pardon the pun — wax on about the virtues of this enduring coming-of-age classic for days. Ralph Macchio stars as Daniel LaRusso, a teenager who learns to stand up for himself thanks to the teachings of his apartment building's handyman, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita, in an Oscar-nominated performance). Mr. Miyagi instructs his young student on the art of karate and finding inner peace, allowing Daniel to stand up to his bullies and channel his emotions. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Karate Kid*: Netflix

**Director:** John G. Avildsen

**Cast:** Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, William Zabka

Midnight Run (1988)

Robert De Niro as Jack Walsh and Yaphet Kotto as Special Agent Alonzo Mosely in 'Midnight Run'.

Universal/Everett

Before Martin Brest tanked his career with the atomic bomb *Gigli* (2003), he helmed this quintessential buddy comedy starring Charles Grodin and Robert De Niro as a mob accountant and a bounty hunter, respectively, who travel to L.A. for the former's court trial. Along the way, they must avoid thugs and cops alike, and darn it if they don't develop a grudging admiration for each other. —*D.G.*

Where to watch *Midnight Run*: Netflix through Nov. 30

**Director:** Martin Brest

**Cast:** Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano, John Ashton

Scarface (1983)

Al Pacino as Tony Montana in 'Scarface'. Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

"Say hello to my little friend" may be its most significant pop culture memory, but there's a lot more to *Scarface* than that coke-induced shootout. The Brian De Palma epic centers on the rise and fall of drug kingpin Tony Montana (Al Pacino), a Cuban refugee who gets in with a Miami drug lord and establishes his reputation before further breaking bad with his own criminal empire. Through its near-three-hour runtime, the film explores greed and corruption, the empty pursuit of materialism (an '80s specialty), and the tragic human cost of one man's selfish ambitions.

With those themes, though, the film also has style for days, with De Palma mounting a production so lavish that viewers have multiple interpretations of whether the director is satirizing or glamorizing the gangster lifestyle. And, of course, the film features one of Pacino's definitive performances, foretelling decades of full-throated, gonzo turns from the actor in subsequent films. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Scarface*: Netflix

**Director:** Brian De Palma

**Cast:** Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia**

She’s Gotta Have It (1986)

Tracy Camilla Johns as Nora Darling and Spike Lee as Mars Blackmon in 'She's Gotta Have It'. Everett Collection

Spike Lee established with this feature directorial debut that he was going to be one of his generation's signature voices. Shot in striking black and white, *She's Gotta Have It* centers on Nora Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns), a Brooklyn artist who has relationships with three men, each of whom wants her to commit exclusively to them. But Nora is a free spirit who enjoys her liberation; of course, problems arise when the three men meet and decide to be more proactive about the situation. The depiction of the messy complications of polyamorous love was refreshing at the time and remains so today. Lee also adapted the story into a TV series for Netflix in the late-2010s. —*K.J.***

Where to watch *She's Gotta Have It*: Netflix

**Director:** Spike Lee

**Cast:** Tracy Camilla Johns, Spike Lee, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell

Sister Act (1992)

Whoopi Goldberg as Deloris Van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarence in 'Sister Act'.

Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Whoopi Goldberg delivered two of the best performances in film history with *The Color Purple* (1985) and *Ghost* (1990), but there has arguably never been a better use of her screen persona than *Sister Act*. The EGOT winner plays a Reno lounge singer who witnesses a crime committed by her gangster boyfriend, who soon sets his sights on her. After entering the witness protection program, she hides at a San Francisco convent, where she uses her skills to improve the choir and help the convent better engage with the local community. Featuring winning performances and a plucky charm that never feels trite, *Sister Act* is a rousing delight from start to finish. —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Sister Act*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B–

**Director:** Emile Ardolino

**Cast:** Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, Harvey Keitel

Stand by Me (1986)

Wil Wheaton as Gordie Lachance, River Phoenix as Chris Chambers, Corey Feldman as Teddy Duchamp, and Jerry O'Connell as Vern Tessio in 'Stand by Me'.

Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection

Based on one of Stephen King's most beloved non-horror stories, *Stand by Me* is an essential watch in the coming-of-age genre. The film centers on a quartet of preteens who, intent on becoming local heroes, go out in search of a missing boy's body. But their journey is far from straightforward as they encounter bullies and grapple with the complications of growing up.**** Featuring auspicious performances by Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell, the friendship among the group is instantly believable, and the film has just the right nostalgic glow without being overly sentimental. "The line between sappy and sweet is a razor-thin one," notes EW's critic, but *Stand by Me* "gets your tear ducts working honestly." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Stand by Me*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B+

**Director:** Rob Reiner

**Cast:** Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland

Taxi Driver (1976)

Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle in 'Taxi Driver'.

Screen Archives/Getty

Martin Scorsese made us stare directly into the heart of darkness with this riveting, ultraviolent psychological drama. Robert De Niro delivers one of his most indelible performances as Travis Bickle, a disturbed Vietnam War vet who takes a job as a night-shift taxi driver in New York City. Disdainful of the city's "scum," Travis experiences increasingly violent thoughts that lead him to take drastic actions, from targeting a pimp who employs child sex workers to planning an assassination against a presidential candidate. It's a fascinating character study of '70s nihilism that has, unfortunately, retained its relevance amid today's turbulent times. —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Taxi Driver*: Netflix

**Director:** Martin Scorsese

**Cast:** Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, Leonard Harris, Peter Boyle, Cybill Shepherd

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Movies”