College is often the most fun four years in a young person's life. Sometimes it's even more than four years. It's that time in life that is between high school and living under your parents' rules, and adulthood, when you have to live under society's rules. It's a brief interregnum when the rules are loosened and the party is on.

There are a lot of great college movies out there reflecting this. Classics like Animal House, The Waterboy, Back To School, and many others. This list is dedicated to all those wonderful movies that make us laugh and reminisce about our own time in college.

National Lampoon's Animal House

National Lampoon's Animal House is the peak of the genre. Set in the '50s, but with a very 1970s sensibility, everything about the movie is pretty much perfect. The performances, especially from John Belushi, are uniformly brilliant. The writing is hilarious, and the story is actually pretty coherent, which isn't always the case in movies like this. It also happens to be one of the most quotable movies ever.

Back To School

If you want to talk about quotable movies, few are as great as Back to School. Rodney Dangerfield was always at his best when he was just allowed to be himself and crack his one-liners like he did in his stand-up act. Thornton Melon is a perfect character for that, and a senior citizen returning to college is both a dream and a nightmare for almost everyone who loved college. We can't all be great divers, though.

Real Genius

How much fun would it blow up a house using lasers and a huge vat of popcorn? That's one of the things Real Genius set out to show, and wow, does it look fun! Val Kilmer is amazing in this nerdy, hilarious movie from the '80s that hits all the high notes of being a partying nerd in college.

PCU

PCU is most remembered for being the movie that helped really launch the careers of Jeremy Piven and Jon Favreau. It's a pretty funny mockery of college life in the '90s, that while it's pretty sophomoric and ridiculous, so is college in many ways. Frisbees, protests, obnoxious rich kids in loafers, and angry jocks all appear here, making it a nice, well-rounded satire

Everybody Wants Some!!

The "spiritual sequel" to the classic high school movie Dazed And Confused, Everybody Wants Some!! doesn't quite reach the heights of Richard Linklater's classic '90s movies about the 1970s, but it's still a really funny movie. It's one of many that highlight athletes in college and nails that life perfectly.

School Daze

It's not surprising that a young Spike Lee looked to college for inspiration, having graduated from NYU not too many years before making School Daze. It's only his second movie, and while it's clear he hasn't quite found his true voice yet (that would come a year later in Do The Right Thing), Lee is really gaining confidence as a director and the movie is wild. It's far from perfect, but it's really funny.

Old School

Old School answers the question, "What if you could go back to college just for the parties?" Everyone dreams, at least a little bit, about reliving those old glories at the frat house, chugging beer and streaking the quad. It's one of Will Ferrell's best comedic performances, amongst many. It's hard not to have some sympathy for Snoop Dogg though.

Van Wilder

Ryan Reynolds become a star after Van Wilder and he's so good in it, it took him years to shake the typecasting. It's Animal House for a new generations and while some people (usually from an older generation) simply can't get into it, Van Wilder - and Reynolds - are both brilliant.

Revenge Of The Nerds

We can talk about how Revenge of the Nerds needs to be canceled for a number of reasons, like the racism and the assaults, but at the time, it was a stone-cold classic. You can't excuse just how genuinely offensive it is by today's more enlightened standards, you also can't ignore how funny it was in its day.

Legally Blonde

Ok, so technically Legally Blonde is mostly about law school, not undergrad, but the movie starts with Reese Witherspoon as a vapid undergrad sorority girl who is spurred to action by a dopey boyfriend who dumps her. So it is a little about college. Besides, there aren't a lot of movies about law school, either.

The Waterboy

College sports, especially football, and especially in the South, are a huge deal. There aren't actually that many comedies about it, unless you count the unintentional comedy of The Program. The Waterboy isn't Adam Sandler's best movie, but everyone can admit that it has its moments, and any movie with Henry Winkler as a hapless football coach has to be good on some level.

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

Road trips are an important rite of passage in college and so it's no surprise that there are a bunch of movies about them. Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle may have the most ridiculous reason for the road trip, as two guys get a little too high a decide they must have White Castle. It's not about the destination, though; it's the friends they meet along the way (like Neil Patrick Harris) that make the trip so memorable.

The Sure Thing

The Sure Thing is another road trip movie, this one with a pretty standard purpose: to meet a girl on spring break. John Cusack is as charming and as cool as ever in this one, and while almost none of it happens on a campus, neither are a lot of anyone's best memories of their college years.

Pitch Perfect

In the 2000s, glee clubs and singing groups became all the rage in high school and college. So it makes sense that a movie like Pitch Perfect would become one of the most beloved comedies of the decade. It features a stacked cast including Elizabeth Banks, Rebel Wilson, Anna Kendrick, and more, and it's just as funny as any of the classics from previous decades.

Road Trip

Tom Green is amazing in Road Trip as one of the "kids" who has been in college for waaaaaay too long. He basically plays the unreliable narrator, telling prospective students just how crazy college can get when he tells them about a road trip some older students experienced. It's raunchy and ridiculous, and gut-bustlingly funny.

Dear White People

Dear White People is as serious as it is funny, making it both a proper critique of "white" colleges and a biting satire of them. There aren't a lot of comedies telling the stories of African-Americans in college, and this critically acclaimed movie should have inspired more, because it's so good.

The Freshman

1990's The Freshman is not really remembered for being a college movie, but it is. Remember, Matthew Broderick's character is trying to survive in a very expensive city (New York) at a very expensive university (NYU). Of course, it's best remembered for Marlon Brando satirizing his Godfather character, but at it's heart, it's still a college movie.

Oxford Blues

There is nothing more "'80s" than a movie about a guy who scams his way into one of the most prestigious universities in the world just to meet a girl. Rob Lowe stars as a guy who does just that in Oxford Blues. He meets the girl, chugs some beer, and becomes an elite rower in this classic from 1984.

The Rules of Attraction

Any movie based on a Bret Easton Ellis novel is going to be pretty funny and very dark. The Rules of Attraction is both to the nth degree. It's not as popular as some of the other movies based on Ellis novels, like Less Than Zero and American Psycho, but it has all the satire that the author is known for is and it's a much funnier movie than most remember it being.

Drumline

2002's coming-of-age comedy Drumline was only a minor hit at the time, but it's easy to see why so many members of the cast, including star Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, and Orlando Jones, became stars later. It's a rare movie in the genre that takes place on an HBCU, and if you've never seen it, you need to see it soon!

22 Jump Street

While it's not as good as 21 Jump Street, the sequel, of course called 22 Jump Street, does have some occasional laughs thanks to Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill.

Happy Death Day

Comedic horror movies rarely work for me, but Happy Death Day defies that. It's genuinely funny, and pretty darn scary too! Sure, it's dark, but that a feature and while it didn't have to be in college, it does benefit from the setting.

Necessary Roughness

Necessary Roughness is a completely ridiculous movie, and it's far from the best on this list, but it is a movie that is very much of its time. It's funny, though not as funny as some of the classics. It does feature a great cast, and it definitely has its moments, but any movie about big-time college football could have been so much funnier.

Life Of The Party

Comedies about adults going back to college aren't unique. What makes Life of the Party unique is one person: Melissa McCarthy. She is a one-woman tour de force in this one and brings all of what makes her so funny to the role. It's over the top and insane, just how you want a movie from this genre to be.

Neighbors

Neighbors is unique on this list because it's not from the perspective of the college kids, but from the hapless neighbors who have to deal with a bunch of idiots. It sounds like a nightmare for any adult, because it is, but it's also a riot.

Horse Feathers

Movies making light of college life go back way further than you may realize. All the way back to the Marx Brothers and their classic, Horsefeathers in 1932. It's kind of amazing how similar the themes are surrounding that most American piece of campus life, the college football game.

Accepted

Admittedly, Accepted is about going to a fake college, but there are plenty of people who would call their school a fake one on some level, too, right? The 2006 movie highlights the pressures so many feel to get into college, and for that alone, it belongs on this list.

American Pie 2

There isn't a ton to write about here. American Pie 2 is a fairly straightforward sequel to the high school classic. It's not as funny as the original, but it has its moments, for sure. The characters are all pretty one-dimensional, but so are most college kids, if we're being honest.

Adventureland

Ok, Ok, this one is a bit of a stretch, but first jobs out of college are as much a rite of passage as college itself. That's especially true of a job whose only purpose is to save money for the trip of a lifetime. Your first "adult" love falls into those rites as well, as this movie highlights.

Wonder Boys

There are, of course, movies that really focus on the "other side" of college life, that of the professors. Wonder Boys is one of the best, in that regard. Michael Douglas stars in this film, based on the Michael Chabon book of the same name. It may not have been a hit, but as the 81% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes proves, it's worth checking out.

Admission

Another movie on the list from the professor's point of view - or at least the administration's point of view - is the Tina Fey-led Admission. It's about exactly what you expect. Fey stars as an admissions officer at Princeton who falls in love with a high school college counselor played by Paul Rudd. It's a pretty textbook rom-com that is cute and funny, and the charming cast makes it worthwhile.

Monsters University

Even Pixar can get in on the fun here with their hit animated comedy about college life...er... at least the college life of monsters in Monsters University!

Some movies just get lucky when it comes to young, up-and-coming casts. Movies like Dazed and Confused and Fast Times at Ridgemont High are legendary for this, but there are so many more. This is a list dedicated to those movies that somehow pulled together major stars before they were stars.

Platoon (1986)

Oliver Stone collected an impressive stable of talent for his Oscar-winning film Platoon. Charlie Sheen was a star on the rise, but most of his roles had been in supporting roles. Tom Berringer and Willem Dafoe, who play dueling sergeants, were also very early in their careers. Add that young actors like Johnny Depp, Kevin Dillon, Forest Whitaker, and John C. McGinley and it adds up to one amazing cast.

School Ties (1992)

1992's School Ties is everything this list is about. Not only was it Brendan Fraser's first lead role (other than Encino Man), but it had young stars in the making named Chris O'Donnell, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Cole Hauser, and Anthony Rapp.

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Director John Singleton rocked the world with his debut feature Boyz n the Hood, and the cast he assembled was impressive. Cuba Gooding, Jr., Morris Chestnut, Angela Bassett, Nia Long, and Regina King were all very early in their careers, and Ice Cube proved he could jump from hip hop icon to actor with acclaim.

The Faculty (1998)

The Faculty was Robert Rodriguez's follow-up to From Dusk Til Dawn, and while it doesn't have the same rep that his first few movies have, it's still an underrated gem of a teen horror movie. It boasts a cast that included a young Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, and Shawn Hatosy, not to mention Jon Stewart in one of the earliest, and biggest, movie roles of his career.

Empire Records (1995)

Like a lot of coming-of-age teen dramadies, Empire Records has an impressive cast of young actors destined for stardom. Actors like Liv Tyler, Renée Zellweger, Robin Tunney, Rory Cochrane, Ethan Embry, and Debi Mazar.

National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)

The biggest star in Animal House is, without a doubt, John Belushi. He was already one of the most famous comedic actors in the country due to his success on Saturday Night Live. However, Animal House was his very first starring role, and he was joined by other young actors who were on their way up, like Karen Allen, Stephen Furst, Tim Matheson, Tom Hulce, Bruce McGill, and, of course, Kevin Bacon, in his first-ever movie role.

The Outsiders (1983)

Francis Ford Coppola's iconic The Outsiders has to be on this list. The cast, almost all of whom were in one of the earliest roles of their careers, would go on to become some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Stars like Tom Cruise, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Diane Lane, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, and C. Thomas Howell. Nothing more really needs to be said.

The Goonies (1985)

Any movie with a list of young actors like Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, and Ke Huy Quan belongs on this list. The Goonies is an iconic Gen X movie, and the cast grew up with the same generation and became icons in and of themselves.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

The biggest stars in Saving Private Ryan, like Tom Hanks and Tom Sizemore, were already well established in their careers, of course. The supporting cast, however, was filled with young up-and-comers like Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Barry Pepper, Nathan Fillion, Jeremy Davies, Adam Goldberg, and, of course, Matt Damon as the titular Private Ryan.

Diner (1982)

Barry Levinson has become one of the most revered directors in Hollywood, and his first movie included a lot of young actors who were headed for big careers. Ellen Barkin, Mickey Rourke, Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, and Tim Daly all joined Paul Riser, who was making his film debut in Diner.

Dazed And Confused (1993)

Director Richard Linklater's 1993 classic Dazed and Confused is the prototype for a list like this. The teen comedy set in the '70s but helped define '90s cinema includes one of the most stacked casts of young actors ever. There are huge stars like Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey (in his first major role), Parker Posey, Yellowstone star Cole Hauser, Anthony Rapp, Adam Goldberg, Milla Jovovich, and even Renée Zellweger as an extra.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

There are few teen comedies more beloved than Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Not only is the movie hilarious, but it also features some major stars in the making. Stars like Judge Reinhold, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, and Forrest Whitaker. Then there are the stoners in the movie, led by Sean Penn. His buddies in the movie were played by Anthony Edwards and Eric Stoltz. And don't forget Nicolas Cage (billed as Nicolas Coppola) in his first appearance on the big screen as an extra.

The Big Chill (1983)

There is no more iconic Baby Boomer nostalgia flick than The Big Chill. While most of the actors in the ensemble cast have established careers, none could really be called stars until after the success of the movie. Actors like William Hurt, Meg Tilly, Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, Kevin Kline, and maybe the most famous "cast member," Kevin Costner. Costner played the corpse of their dead friend, and while his face isn't even seen on screen, he counts, right?

Do The Right Thing (1989)

Spike Lee burst onto the Hollywood scene in the late '80s, and his 1989 joint Do The Right Thing changed the rules of filmmaking forever. It helps that he assembled a cast that included young actors like Giancarlo Stanton, John Turturro, Samuel L. Jackson, and Rosie Perez.

Basquiat (1996)

Jeffery Wright had his breakout role as the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in Basquiat. He was joined by a lot of established stars like David Bowie, Dennis Hopper, and Gary Oldman, but there were quite a few young stars on the move, too. Actors like Benicio del Toro, Claire Forlani, Parker Posey, and even Sam Rockwell in a small role as a street hood,

Stand By Me (1986)

Stand By Me doesn't have a big cast, but almost everyone in the movie became a big star after its release. There's the older group of guys led by Keifer Sutherland and Casey Siemaszko, but it's the group of kids that really got famous from the movie. Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, and the late River Phoenix all have breakout roles. Plus, there's a bonus with John Cusack as Wheaton's character's dead brother in flashbacks.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)

The cast of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is a who's who of 2010's stars. Sure, Michael Cera had already begun making a name for himself, but there are a slew of others on the rise. Actresses like Aubrey Plaza, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, and Brie Larson make up the bulk of the cast. Kieran Culkin and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans also show up.

Young Guns (1988)

Just like the title says, Young Guns isn't only about a bunch of young gunfighters in the late 19th Century like Billy The Kid, but the cast was also a bunch of young guns in Hollywood. Emilio Estevez leads a cast that also includes his brother Charlie Sheen alongside Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dermot Mulroney, and Casey Siemaszko. In the sequel, they were joined by Christian Slater, Balthazar Getty, and Bradley Whitford, among others.

Love Actually (2003)

Guys like Colin Firth and Hugh Grant were already big names when they starred in Love Actually, but much of the rest of the cast were in the very early days of their careers, most notably Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andrew Lincoln, Kiera Knightly, January Jones, Shannon Elizabeth, Denise Richards, and Martin Freeman.

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

From the minds of The State came the now-iconic teen summer camp romp Wet Hot American Summer. It's like a little bit of the 1980s in the early 21st Century. It also features a cast who have gone on the big things in Hollywood, including Bradley Cooper in his first role, where he was joined by Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, and Elizabeth Banks, alongside vets like David Hyde Pierce and Janeane Garofalo.

St. Elmo's Fire (1985)

This list would be incomplete without mentioning the famous 1980s "Brat Pack," and St. Elmo's Fire is where almost the whole crew was in the same movie. Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy lead the cast list. Andie McDowell also appears in one of her earliest roles.

American Pie (1999)

Like so many other teen romps before and after it, American Pie is loaded with future stars. Jason Biggs leads the cast as Jim, and he's joined by Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, and Natasha Lyonne. Not to mention the well-established stars like Eugene Levy and Jennifer Coolidge.

Black Hawk Down (2001)

2001's Black Hawk Down from director Ridley Scott has a mix of established stars like Ewan McGregor, Jason Isaacs, Tom Sizemore, and Sam Shepard, and young soon-to-be stars like Eric Bana, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Orlando Bloom, Tom Hardy, Hugh Dancy, and Ty Burrell.

Catch-22 (1970)

In 1970, the book Catch-22 was adapted on the screen for the first time and had some of the biggest stars of all-time in it, like Orson Welles, but if also had some future stars like Alan Arkin, Charles Grodin, Bob Balaban, and a young Martin Sheen in one of his first major roles.

Private Parts (1997)

In the mid-1990s, Howard Stern was the "King of all Media," and he proved it with his hit movie Private Parts, based on his first memoir. The movie starred most of the Stern crew from his radio show, but they were augmented by young actors like Paul Giamatti in his breakout role, Mary McCormack, Allison Janey, Edie Falco, and Leslie Bibb.

Superbad (2007)

It's fair to say that Superbad helped launch a bunch of careers into the stratosphere. Michael Cera got his breakthrough role, and so did Jonah Hill. They were joined by Seth Rogen, who was already on the rise; Bill Hader, who was in one of his earliest movie roles; and Emma Stone, who was in her very first movie role. It's a stacked cast, to say the least.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Matthew Modine was the biggest "star" in Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam War classic Full Metal Jacket, but he was hardly a big star at the time. The rest of the cast includes Vincent D'Onofrio, in his first major role, Adam Baldwin, and R. Lee Ermey, who was originally brought in as a consultant and ended up launching an acting career.

American Graffiti (1973)

George Lucas burst onto the Hollywood scene with his first major production, American Graffiti, in 1973, and he helped bring attention to a lot of future stars in some of their earliest roles, most notably Harrison Ford, of course. Ron Howard was already famous from Andy Griffith, but this movie would help him transition to older roles. The film also helped make stars of Richard Dreyfuss, Mackenzie Phillips, Cindy Williams, and Suzanne Somers.

Midnight Madness (1980)

Midnight Madness is one of the most forgotten Disney movies, but in the early '80s, it was a staple of cable TV. The cast included, most notably, Michael J. Fox and David Naughton in their first movie roles. It also included up-and-comers like Simpson's cast member Maggie Roswell and Animal House cast member Stephen Furst. Paul Rubens also has a small role in one of his first movies as well.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is still remembered as director Guy Ritchie's first film, and it also includes some young actors whose careers blew up after the movie. Most notably, Jason Statham, but also Nick Moran, Jason Flemyng, former soccer player Vinnie Jones, and Steven Mackintosh.

Not Another Teen Movie (2001)

Yet another teen movie - or in this case, Not Another Teen Movie - helped launch a bunch of career,s like Chris Evans in his first starring role and Josh Radnor in his first role ever. Jaime Pressly, Mia Kirshner, Chyler Leigh, Lacey Chabert, and Eric Christian Olsen join them.

Can't Hardly Wait (1998)

1998's Can't Hardly Wait falls in that sweet spot where it's beloved by young Gen Xers and elder Millennials. It's easy to see why, with a cast that includes up-and-coming stars like Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Seth Green, Jason Segel, Clea Duvall, Seann Patrick Thomason, Donald Faison, and Selma Blair, among others.

When you look back on the best movies of the 1970s, what kinds of characters come to mind first? We are willing to bet it is not the good guys, but the bad buys you remember the most fondly. Let's take a menacing walk down memory lane with some of the most iconic '70s movie villains.

Michael Myers (Halloween)

The masked killer from John Carpenter's horror movie classic, Halloween, is, arguably,  the scariest slasher of all time, and not just because he is one of the first of his kind. In the 1978 original, Michael Myers has no apparent motive to stalk Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and other Haddonfield babysitters, save an unsatiable, natural-born bloodlust that makes him the embodiment of evil.

Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Smokey And The Bandit)

The only thing in the way of The Bandit (Burt Reynolds) getting his black T-top Trans Am — one of the coolest cars in cinematic history — across state lines is Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Comedy legend Jackie Gleason steals the show in 1977's Smokey and the Bandit as the relentless lawman who becomes The Bandit's pursuer after Carrie (Sally Field) leaves his son at the altar.

Xenomorph (Alien)

Has there ever been a scarier cinematic creature than H.R. Giger's design of the Xenomorph in Alien? The bloodthirsty extraterrestrial proves to be a little more than a thorn in the side of the crew of the Nostromo in the masterfully suspenseful, 1979 sci-fi movie classic from director Ridley Scott.

Lex Luthor (Superman: The Movie)

The Man of Steel has the ability to do things no human being can, and yet his archenemy is a mere mortal of immense power and intelligence named Lex Luthor. Academy Award winner Gene Hackman's performance in one of the best superhero movies, 1978's Superman: The Movie (also starring Christopher Reeve in the title role), has since become the definitive live-action portrayal of the DC villain.

Dr. Christian Szell (Marathon Man)

If going to the dentist was not already nerve-racking enough for some people, director John Schlesinger's 1976 thriller Marathon Man made the idea seem anything but safe. Sir Laurence Olivier gives a brilliant, chilling, Oscar-nominated performance as Dr. Christian Szell — a Nazi war criminal and diamond smuggler who tortures his victims with painful oral surgeries.

Nurse Mildred Ratched (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest)

While One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is praised as one of the most honest movies about mental illness, one thing about the 1975 classic that we would hope is exaggerated is how Mildred Ratched treats patients. Louise Fletcher earned a well-deserved Oscar for portraying the abusive, self-righteous mental nurse with a severe lack of humanity. 

Pazuzu (The Exorcist)

Regan MacNeill (legendary horror movie Scream Queen Linda Blair) often shows up on many all-time best horror movie villain lists, but she is the victim here. The true antagonist of 1973's The Exorcist is the demonic force possessing the 12-year-old girl known as Pazuzu.

Scorpio (Dirty Harry)

Only a cop as tough and rebellious as Det. Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) could take down a psychopathic murderer as cunning and unpredictable as the mysterious "Scorpio." Andrew Robinson is unplugged as the out-of-control antagonist of 1971's Dirty Harry, whose penchant for toying with the authorities through ransom notes was loosely inspired by the real-life Zodiac Killer.

Alex DeLarge (A Clockwork Orange)

Sometimes the protagonist of a story counts as its villain and such is certainly the case for Stanley Kubrick's classic film adaptation of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange. Malcolm McDowell stars in the controversial 1971 thriller as sadistic criminal Alex DeLarge, who undergoes an experimental program that intends to correct violent people.

Darth Vader (Star Wars)

Easily the most recognizable character from the entire Star Wars franchise is Darth Vader and it is easy to see why. Voiced by James Earl Jones and originally portrayed in person by David Prowse in the 1977 original, the Sith Lord's ominous baritone, striking helmet design, and ruthless devotion to the Dark Side make him an intimidating force in any galaxy.

Col. Walter E. Kurtz (Apocalypse Now)

Capt. Benjamin L. Willard certainly experiences great "horror" in Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 war movie masterpiece, Apocalypse Now, at the hands of Col. Walter E. Kurtz. Inspired by a 19th-century ivory trader from Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella Heart of Darkness, Oscar-winning Marlon Brando's role is an unhinged sadist who will go to unimaginable lengths to win the Vietnam War his own way, no matter who has to kill or torture.

Margaret White (Carrie)

Her telepathic powers may have sealed the doom of many people, but the titular teen from Brian De Palma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie (played by Sissy Spacek) is anything but an antagonist. She is a victim of intense emotional and physical abuse by her own religious fanatic mother (and one of the all-time best female horror movie villains) Margaret White (Academy Award nominee Piper Laurie).

Alain Charnier (The French Connection)

Gene Hackman leads William Friedkin's 1971 Best Picture Oscar winner The French Connection as Popeye Doyle, who is the unique kind of cop who knows how to think like a criminal. However, even he struggles to stay one step ahead of Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey), who is the elusive, Marsaille-based leader of a crime operation in New York.

Leatherface (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)

There really is no slasher in horror movie history quite like the flagship antagonist of Tobe Hooper's relentless nightmare transferred to celluloid, 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Being a cannibal who wears his victim's faces as a mask makes Leatherface (Gunner Hansen) bad enough but chasing people around with a bladed power tool is pure insanity.

Apollo Creed (Rocky)

In the original sports movie classic, 1976's Rocky, all we want is to see Sylvester Stallone's titular rookie take down the arrogant boxing champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), which he finally manages to do in the 1979 sequel. Of course, all of that would change in 1982's Rocky III when the rivals formed a friendship that ended with Apollo's tragic death in the ring in the fourth film.

Kurt Barlow (Salem’s Lot)

One of the most terrifying vampires to ever grace the small screen was Kurt Barlow (Reggie Nalder). Director Tobe Hooper's two-part, made-for-TV 1979 adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot offers a wildly different interpretation from the novel's bloodsucking nobleman, his more creature-esque appearance, arguably, made for a more memorably creepy portrayal.

Dean Vernon Wormer (National Lampoon's Animal House)

If there is anything more important to the college experience than education, it must be a student's success in maintaining a social life, sometimes if that means indulging in debaucherous acts with fellow Greek life members. However, John Vernon's Dean Womer from the 1978 comedy classic National Lampoon's Animal House does not share this philosophy and, as a result, wishes to extract the rowdy Delta Tau Chi from Faber College.

Evelyn Draper (Play Misty for Me)

Clint Eastwood made his directorial debut with the 1971 thriller Play Misty for Me, in which he also stars as a radio DJ who crosses paths with Evelyn (Jessica Walter), a frequent caller who particularly favors an Erroll Garner classic. What starts off as a casual romantic encounter proves to have deadly consequences for Eastwood's Dave Garver as Evelyn forcibly inserts herself into his life.

Grand Moff Tarkin (Star Wars)

Of course, the most memorable villain from the original Star Wars is Darth Vader, but many fans might claim that the film's more formidable threat is the Sith Lord's right-hand man. Horror legend Peter Cushing stars as Tarkin, whose devotion to the Empire leads him to commit horrific acts, such as destroying Princess Leia's home planet, Alderaan.

Emilio Barzini (The Godfather)

There are not many "good guys" in Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 adaptation of Mario Puzo's The Godfather, but one of the absolute worst is Emilio Barzini. Richard Conte's crime boss proves to be the greatest foil to the Corleone Family.

Kananga/Mr. Big (Live And Let Die)

Yaphet Kotto gives a wonderfully charming, but also menacing, performance as one of the best James Bond villains of the 1970s, Dr. Kananga, in Live and Let Die. The most fascinating aspect of the politician, whom Roger Moore's 007 takes on, is his double life as a peddler called Mr. Big.

Han (Enter the Dragon)

Even a martial arts master like Bruce Lee had his fair share of challenging onscreen foes, especially in the 1973 kung fu movie masterpiece, Enter the Dragon. Lee (also the actor's character) is enlisted to investigate Han (Kien Shih), who is a shady former monk with a bladed left hand that makes him a horrifying opponent in combat.

Luther (The Warriors)

Actor David Patrick Kelly performs one of the most iconic improvised movie moments in Walter Hill's 1979 thriller, The Warriors, as Luther. The menacing gang leader tries to entice his titular rivals by clinking three glass bottles together and serenading them to "come out to play."

Mayor Larry Vaughn (Jaws)

We would call the shark from Jaws a type of horror movie villain with understandable motivations (considering the animal has no real violent ambitions and just wants to eat), but we believe does not really deserve that label. As far as we are concerned, the true antagonist of director Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster is Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who greedily ignores any warnings of the aquatic apex predator and decides to keep Amity Island's beach open, leading to more bloodshed.

Toecutter (Mad Max)

Years before George Miller brought him back to play Immortan Joe in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, the Australian actor starred in the 1979 original Mad Max movie as its main antagonist, Toecutter. The sadistic criminal is not only a pivotal force in the fall of society, but you could also say he is the creator of the Wasteland's savior as it is his gang that killed Max Rockantansky's (Mel Gibson) wife and child, transforming the once devoted cop into a hardened road warrior.

Damien Thorn (The Omen)

What better representative of villainy could there be than the literal embodiment of evil? Harvey Stephens gives a chilling performance in 1976's The Omen as young Damien Thorn, whose parents Robert (Gregory Peck) and Katherine (Lee Remick), make the terrifying discovery that he is the Antichrist.

The Tall Man (Phantasm)

Jebediah Morningside (better known as The Tall Man) is the best-known role of actor Angus Schrimm, who was hired for the part in Phantasm based on his naturally unsettling appearance. Don Coscarelli's cult favorite 1979 supernatural thriller follows two young brothers who suspect the strange man is robbing from graves and sets out to figure out the shocking truth behind it.

Billy (Black Christmas)

There is very little known about the killer from one of the greatest holiday horror movies, Black Christmas, such as his true name, his actual appearance, and his reason for stalking and killing members of Pi Kappa Sigma. That is precisely what makes the villain of director Bob Clark's influential slasher such a hauntingly unsettling presence.

The Mutants (The Hills Have Eyes)

One of the earliest Wes Craven movies sees a vacationing family fall prey to another family of vicious, savage mutants when an accident leaves them stranded in a deserted area where nuclear testing once took place. The most iconic villainous cavedweller from the 1977 original The Hills Have Eyes is, easily, Michael Berryman as Pluto.

Lord Summerisle (The Wicker Man)

The character that made Christopher Lee a horror movie icon would have to be Hammer's iteration of Dracula, but the British actor brought an even more unique level of deceptive charm to his performance in 1973's The Wicker Man. He plays Lord Summerisle, who is the leader of an island community whose customs clash wildly so with Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward) as he searches the land for a missing little girl.

General Woundwort (Watership Down)

In the 1978 adaptation of Richard Adams's novel, Watership Down — an animated film primarily for adults — the rabbits' main obstacle is human land developers destroying their home. However, they also come at odds with one of their own kind named Gen. Woundwort (Harry Andrews), who became a violent and erratic creature due to a brutal upbringing.

Dr. Phibes (The Abominable Dr. Phibes)

One of the most underrated roles on Vincent Price's prolific resume is the widowed Anton Phibes. The 1971 release of The Abominable Dr. Phibes sees him seeking to punish the physicians who were accidentally responsible for his wife's tragic death.

On Thursday, June 20, 2024, the world lost Donald Sutherland, who passed away following a long, unspecified illness at the age of 88. The award-winning veteran actor, and father of Kiefer Sutherland, lent his talents to a wide, eclectic variety of titles — including some acclaimed dramas, some uproarious comedies, and even some of the best horror movies of all time. For this list, however, we wanted to pay tribute to the actor’s legacy by focusing primarily on his most revered and memorable contributions to cinema with our picks for the best Donald Sutherland movies, below.

The Dirty Dozen (1967)

A unruly Army major (played by Lee Marvin) is tasked with turning a group of violent convicts into soldiers for an operation involving the assassination of multiple Nazi officers during World War II.

Why it is one of the best Donald Sutherland movies: One of Sutherland’s first major roles in a motion picture was Vernon L. Pinkley in one of the all-time best war movies, The Dirty Dozen — a highly influential, action-packed blast that also stars legends like Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, and Telly Savalas, to name a few.  

Rent or buy The Dirty Dozen on Amazon.
Buy The Dirty Dozen on Blu-ray on Amazon.

M*A*S*H (1970)

The staff members from a military field hospital turn to humor and immature behaviors in their downtime to keep their spirits up during the Korean War. 

Why it is one of the best Donald Sutherland movies: Just a few years after The Dirty Dozen, Sutherland led a film that depicted wartime from a considerably lighter perspective — director Robert Altman’s Oscar-winning satire, M*A*S*H — as Hawkeye Pierce, before Alan Alda succeeded the role in the hit TV series adaptation.

Rent or buy M*A*S*H on Amazon.
Buy M*A*S*H on DVD on Amazon.

Kelly's Heroes (1970)

A U.S. Army lieutenant (played by Clint Eastwood) puts together a ragtag team of soldiers to steal millions of dollars of gold bullion from the Nazis.

Why it is one of the best Donald Sutherland movies: In the same year as M*A*S*H, Sutherland starred in another funny wartime flick (that also starred The Dirty Dozen’s Telly Savalas) called Kelly’s Heroes, in which he lets his silly comedic sensibilities run wild as an absent-minded tank commander aptly nicknamed “Oddball.”

Rent or buy Kelly's Heroes on Amazon.
Buy Kelly's Heroes on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Don't Look Now (1973)

Hoping to heal from their young daughter’s fatal drowning, a married couple (played by Sutherland and Julie Christie) spends a holiday in Venice, only to see their painful memories continue to haunt them in the form of strange, unexplainable occurrences.

Why it is one of the best Donald Sutherland movies: The first film to solidify Sutherland as a horror movie icon for his time was director Nicolas Roeg’s adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s novel, Don’t Look Now, which is remembered as one of the best horror movies of the 1970s for its captivating, suspenseful build-up to its wicked twist ending.

Stream Don't Look Now on Pluto TV.
Rent or buy Don't Look Now on Amazon.
Buy Don't Look Now on Blu-ray on Amazon.

National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)

The members of the rowdy, underachieving Delta Tau Chi retaliate against the authority figures and rival fraternities from Faber College who look down on them in the early 1960s.

Why it is one of the best Donald Sutherland movies: While Sutherland does not play a member of Delta House, he does have a memorable supporting role as a rule-breaking English professor named Dave Jennings in National Lampoon’s Animal House, which is not only considered to be the Citizen Kane of college movies, but one of the best movies of the 1970s, period.

Stream National Lampoon's Animal House on Netflix.
Rent or buy National Lampoon's Animal House on Amazon.
Buy National Lampoon's Animal House on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

A San Francisco health inspector (played by Sutherland) and others begin to suspect that humans are being replaced with emotionless duplicates.

Why it is one of the best Donald Sutherland movies: Sutherland’s Scream King status was even further cemented by his brilliant lead performance in director Philip Kaufman’s thoroughly eerie and expertly paced alien invasion movie classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which some believe is the absolute best adaptation of Jack Finney’s novel out of the many to choose from.

Stream Invasion of the Body Snatchers on Amazon Prime.
Buy Invasion of the Body Snatchers on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Ordinary People (1980)

A married couple (played by Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore) struggle to keep their family from falling apart in the wake of their older son’s death and their younger son’s (played by Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton) attempt to take his own life.

Why it is one of the best Donald Sutherland movies: Sutherland gives a riveting, devastating performance amongst a cast of performers at the top of their game in the Best Picture Oscar winner, Ordinary People — director Robert Redford’s adaptation of Judith Guest’s heartbreaking novel.

Stream Ordinary People on Max.
Rent or buy Ordinary People on Amazon.
Buy Ordinary People on Blu-ray on Amazon.

JFK (1991)

A New Orleans district attorney (played by Kevin Costner) investigates evidence that potentially links the U.S. Government to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Why it is one of the best Donald Sutherland movies: In director Oliver Stone’s controversial political drama, JFK — Jim Garrison’s search for the truth leads him to have an eye-opening conversation with a high-ranking Washington D.C. insider (played by Sutherland) referring to himself only as “X,” who was inspired by Kennedy’s Chief of Special Operations, L. Fletcher Prouty, according to Publisher’s Weekly.

Rent or buy JFK on Amazon.
Buy JFK on Blu-ray on Amazon.

A Time To Kill (1996)

A Mississippi attorney (played by Matthew McConaughey) and his legal team’s definition of justice is challenged when they agree to defend a Black man (played by Samuel L. Jackson) on trial for killing two white men who violently assaulted his young daughter.

Why it is one of the best Donald Sutherland movies: As renowned civil rights lawyer Lucien Wilbanks, Donald starred alongside his son, Kiefer, for the first time in A Time to Kill — an intense, classic courtroom drama from director Joel Schumacher and based on the book by John Grisham.

Rent or buy A Time to Kill on Amazon.
Buy A Time to Kill on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Cold Mountain (2003)

An injured, North Carolina-based soldier (played by Jude Law) stops at nothing to return home to his lover (played by Nicole Kidman) during the Civil War.

Why it is one of the best Donald Sutherland movies: Sutherland stars in Anthony Minghella’s Oscar-winning adaptation of Charles Frazier’s romantic period novel, Cold Mountain, as Reverend Monroe — the father of Kidman’s character and the local preacher. 

Stream Cold Mountain on Amazon Prime.
Stream Cold Mountain on Paramount+.
Buy Cold Mountain on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Hunger Games Movies (2012-2015)

After participating in annual, deadly competitions, a young woman (played by Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence) reluctantly becomes a leading figure in a rebellion against her oppressive, dystopian society.

Why it is one of the best Donald Sutherland movies: Sutherland’s cold and stoic portrayal of Panem president Coriolanus Snow made him a perfect choice to play the main antagonist of the Hunger Games movies — a thrilling, four-part blockbuster franchise based on Suzanne Collins’ popular YA novel series.

Rent or buy the Hunger Games Movies on Amazon.
Buy the Hunger Games Movies on Blu-ray on Amazon.

This the merely the tip of the iceberg of what a profound legacy of cinematic favorites Donald Sutherland leaves behind. He will be greatly missed. 

What makes an R-rated movie? Is it crass and foul language? What about nudity? Violence, too? Or it could be a combination of these different elements, which is often the case for some of the best comedies of all time. 

Below is a list of 25 R-rated comedies that really earned their R-ratings, either because of language, nudity, violence, or simply because the subject matter was too harsh for audiences under a certain age. With classics like Blazing Saddles and modern gems like The Hangover, and just about everything in between, here are some of the raunchiest comedies and why the MPA felt they should be “restricted” at the box office, but not enough to earn the dreaded NC-17 rating.

The Hangover (2009)

Todd Phillips’ The Hangover pushed the limits of the R-rating in 2009 with its pervasive language, all kinds of references to drugs, violence, sex talk, and even some full-frontal nudity involving Ken Jeong. Those elements, along with a fun story about a group of guys who lose their friend in Las Vegas right before he’s set to get married, created one of the most popular comedies of the century as well as the most successful R-rated comedy of all time, per BoxOfficeMojo.

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Most likely the first Mel Brooks movie that comes to mind, Blazing Saddles is often considered one of those movies that could never be made today. And there’s a good reason for that: Brooks already made the classic Western comedy in 1974. But seriously, this legendary R-rated comedy is full of racist, sexist, and straight-up dirty language, has all kinds of references to sex, violence, and so much more. But, what more would you expect from a script co-written by the late, great Richard Pryor?

American Pie (1999)

Undoubtedly the biggest teen sex comedy of the 1990s, American Pie took the world by storm in 1999, especially for those who had to sneak into the living room while their older brother and his friends were watching it. From the scrambled porn opening scene to the infamous apple pie moment, there are plenty of reasons the movie about a group of high school seniors trying to lose their virginity earned an R-rating.

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Though David Wain’s teen comedy parody, Wet Hot American Summer, doesn’t push the boundaries like other movies on this list, the 2001 movie about the counselors and campers of Camp Firewood does have one sequence that earns its R-rating: the “Going into town” scene. In the span of three minutes, we go from a library to an alley where the counselors buy cocaine, rob an elderly woman, and shoot up heroin in a drug den that looks like something out of Trainspotting. As quickly as it starts, the scene ends and the teens go back to camp as if nothing happened. Classic. 

Bridesmaids (2011)

Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids is another movie on this list that is on the softer side of the R-rating, but this raunchy 2011 comedy starring Kristen Wiig (who also co-wrote the script) and Maya Rudolph more than earns its restricted classification. The food poisoning scene, especially when Rudoph’s character is pooping in the street, might not be too extreme, but the sexual references and crass language throughout the two-hour comedy were what made this modern classic too much for younger audiences.

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

One of the best Eddie Murphy comedies, the Martin Brest-directed Beverly Hills Cop also happens to be one of greatest buddy cop movies, and comedies in general, of all time. Murphy’s turn as Axel Foley, a reckless Detroit police detective who goes to Los Angeles to solve the murder of his best friend, is definitely what gives this movie its R-rating, considering his constant barrage of profanity would be enough to lose a PG-13 classification in his first scene alone.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Nicholas Stoller’s comedy about a composer who goes on a Hawaiian vacation following his high-profile breakup with a famous actress, only to discover she’s at the same resort with her new boyfriend, was one of the biggest surprises of 2008. The language and situations found in Jason Segel’s script were enough to make this romp R-rated, but the two scenes where the actor is seen fully naked is what pushes it over the edge.

Friday (1995)

One of the best ‘90s comedies, F. Gary Gray’s Friday follows Craig Jones (Ice Cube) and his best friend Smokey (Chris Tucker) over the course of a single day, a day in which they get incredibly stoned, survive a drive-by, and take on neighborhood bully, Deebo (Tiny “Zeus” Lister Jr.). With language totally not suitable for younger audiences (unless they’re watching the USA Network edit), constant drug references, and one of the most brutal fights, there are plenty of reasons this 1995 comedy earned an R-rating.

Booksmart (2019)

Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart took the teen coming-of-age/sex comedy premise and flipped it on its head in 2019 with a hilarious and crude yet incredibly heartfelt story about two girls who finally decide to come out of their shells on the last day of school. Drug use, cursing, sexual situations, and other things often associated with male leads are instead tied to Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein’s characters as they attempt to let loose after years of following the straight and narrow.

Clerks (1994)

Kevin Smith has had an incredibly long and fruitful career in Hollywood, and it all started with the 1994 black-and-white comedy, Clerks. If you are familiar with Smith’s movies, then you know this landmark film is full of unsavory language, drug use, some violence, and an extended bit of dialogue about a certain girlfriend and the number 37. 

Ted (2012)

Seth McFarlane’s 2012 comedy, Ted, follows life-long slacker John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), as he spends his days wasting away with his best friend, a stuffed bear named Ted (McFarlane). This incredibly hilarious and crude movie checks all the boxes when it comes to an R-rating: drug use, sexual content, obscene language, and situations that may be too much even for some adults. 

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Judd Apatow’s 2005 comedy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, follows Steve Carell’s Andy Stiltzer as the introverted Smart Tech employee attempts to have sex for the first time. But, the craziest thing about this movie is that Andy isn’t what really earns the R-rating, but instead the cast of characters surrounding him. Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, and Seth Rogen’s characters are foul-mouthed, sex-crazed lunatics who really turn up the volume throughout the movie, especially a certain scene shared by Malco and a then up-and-coming Kevin Hart.

Superbad (2007)

We had Booksmart on the list, so you knew Superbad wasn’t going to be too far behind. This seminal teen comedy from Greg Mottola has all the hallmarks of a teen buddy comedy: two nerdy friends (played by Jonah Hill and Michael Cera), an end-of-the-year party, and language that would make a sailor blush. If the language and drug/alcohol use by teens wasn’t crazy enough, there’s that notebook scene at the end of the movie.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

Amy Heckerling’s 1982 coming-of-age comedy, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, is just as popular 40 years later thanks to its incredible cast, multiple storylines, and some of the genre’s most iconic scenes. Some of these scenes, like the fantasy sequence involving Judge Reinhold and Phoebe Cates, help you figure out why the movie was given an R-rating upon its initial release. But, the cussing and drug use by Sean Penn’s Jeff Spicoli also probably helped in that department.

There's Something About Mary (1998)

The Farrelly Brothers’ 1998 romantic comedy, There’s Something About Mary, is one of those movies that could have earned an NC-17 rating; it’s that wild. The movie centers on Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) as he seeks out Mary Jensen (Cameron Diaz), his high school crush who’s also the obsession of pretty much every man she encounters. If you’ve seen this movie, you know it doesn’t hold back when it comes to language, sexual situations, and gross body humor like the zipper scene and that hair gel moment.

Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004)

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle introduced the world to two of the greatest movie potheads in 2004 with its story about a pair of underachievers who go on an epic quest to find a greasy, square-shaped burger. It’s the journey that makes these road trip movies so much fun, right? Well, along the way, Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) get into all kinds of ridiculous situations, including a sequence with Neil Patrick Harris, that more than earn it a spot on this list.

Me, Myself & Irene (2000)

After There’s Something About Mary, the Farrelly Brothers gave the world another great R-rated comedy, and one that pushes the limits of the rating once again, with the 2000 Jim Carrey comedy, Me, Myself & Irene. The movie follows Carrey’s Charlie Baileygate, a meek and overly nice Rhode Island state trooper who finally snaps after years of taking abuse from everyone around him. This split personality, known as Hank Evans, creates some of the most hilarious, and depraved, moments from Carrey’s career.

National Lampoon's Animal House

The legendary National Lampoon’s Animal House is an absurdly funny and raucous affair, which is to be expected considering the movie is about a college fraternity on probation for poor academic standing and countless conduct violations. Even then, John Landis’ 1978 comedy surprises you with its vulgarity, sexual situations, and straight-up ridiculousness from characters played by the likes of John Belushi, Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, and Kevin Bacon.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

One of the best Coen Brothers movies, The Big Lebowski is one of those films that transcends genre, but since it’s funny as all hell, we can’t not include it here. Released in 1998, the movie follows Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) as he gets caught up in a scheme involving the other Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston), which leads to a long and winding road of kidnappings, pornography, and an epic fantasy sequence. The sexual situations, violence, and language from Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) sent this over the edge.

Porky's (1982)

Two years before he gave the world the classic holiday movie, A Christmas Story, Bob Clark presented a less wholesome and raunchier movie that made the whole leg lamp situation look like nothing. Of course, we’re talking about the successful 1982 sex comedy, Porky’s. So, why the R-rating? Well, there’s the main plot that involves a group of Florida high schoolers going to a strip club in an attempt to get their friend laid. Combine that with the “pepping” and “Lassie” subplots, and you can figure it out.

Borat (2006)

Released in 2006, Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, or Borat for short, was a mockumentary following Sacha Baron Cohen’s titular character as he explored America and got into all kinds of hijinks. With a combination of scripted sequences and some of the most absurd hidden-camera pranks, there was no way Larry Charles’ movie was going to be anything but R-rated. Nudity, sexual situations, cussing, violence, and racism/xenophobia are all at play in this utterly ridiculous movie.

Zombieland (2009)

Though movies like My Boyfriend’s Back, Warm Bodies, and World War Z proved a good zombie movie could have a PG-13 rating, that wasn’t the case for Ruben Fleischer’s 2009 horror comedy, Zombieland. Taking the best elements of buddy action comedies and combining them with the hallmarks of the zombie genre, the movie was a fun ride. Crude language, violence, and so much gore are the main reasons the movie earned an R-rating.

Freddy Got Fingered (2001)

How Tom Green’s surrealist comedy, Freddy Got Fingered, was given an R-rating instead of the NC-17 classification is something that remains a mystery 22 years after its initial release. While the main plot about Green’s Gordon “Gord” Bordy trying to become a professional cartoonist doesn’t sound all that crazy, the movie is anything but tame. The horse and elephant scenes, the subplot where Gord accuses his father of sexually abusing his brother, and pretty much everything that happens is WILD. 

Revenge Of The Nerds (1984)

Jeff Kanew’s 1984 comedy, Revenge of the Nerds, doesn’t seem all that bad or too risque on the surface, but man, this movie is absolutely nuts. Sure, there’s an edited TV version that cuts out a lot of the language and some of the more absurd scenes, but the theatrical cut is a depraved exploration of college culture. The language is one thing, but the Lambda Lambda Lambda members spying on a sorority, the Darth Vader scene, and several other interactions mean giving this movie an R-rating was a no-brainer.

Super Troopers (2001)

The 2001 Broken Lizard comedy, Super Troopers, follows a group of Vermont state troopers as they try to prevent their raucous station from being shut down and their jurisdiction handed over to the local police department. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? Well, this movie is bonkers in all the good ways. With more curse words than one can count, so many drug references, and so many shenanigans, it’s easy to see what an R-rating was a given with this one.

Well, we’ve come to the end of this wild and debaucherous ride going back several decades. If you want to know about all the upcoming comedy movies that will push the boundaries of the R-rating, take a look at our 2023 movie schedule so you don’t miss a thing.

The 1970s was a highly influential and deeply formative era for culture, especially at the movies. The decade saw the beginning of the Star Wars movies, (arguably) the beginning of the slasher genre with John Carpenter’s Halloween, and the dawn of the modern superhero movie with Superman: The Movie. See how to watch these classics and more picks for the best ‘70s movies in the following guide.

American Graffiti (1973)

Director: George Lucas

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard

What it’s about: A group of Los Angeles teens spends the night cruising the streets, each with different goals in mind, in 1962.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Arguably George Lucas’ best movie outside the Star Wars franchise, American Graffiti, offers an electrifying, nostalgic inside look at the early 1960s teen culture, set to a totally “boss” soundtrack.

How to watch American Graffiti

• Rent or buy American Graffiti on Amazon
• Buy American Graffiti on Blu-ray on Amazon

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)

Director: Robert Benton

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep

What it’s about: An advertising executive struggles to be a single parent to his young son after his wife suddenly leaves him.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: One of the all-time most devastating movie break-ups is that of Ted and Joanne in Kramer vs. Kramer – an Oscar-winning exploration of divorce based on Avery Corman’s novel.

How to watch Kramer vs. Kramer

• Rent or buy Kramer vs. Kramer on Amazon
• Buy Kramer vs. Kramer on Blu-ray on Amazon

Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)

Director: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese

What it’s about: Led by King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table encounter a series of unusual and ridiculous obstacles while searching for a coveted artifact.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: One of the most beloved creations of influential British comedy troupe, Monty Python, is the hilarious and surreal Arthurian spoof movie classic, Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

How to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail

• Stream Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Netflix
• Rent or buy Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Amazon
• Buy Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Blu-ray on Amazon

Network (1976)

Director: Sidney Lumet

Starring: Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch

What it’s about: A struggling TV network exploits the cynical ramblings of one of its oldest and most troubled news anchors.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: The four-time Oscar-winning Network is a brilliant and shocking satire of the television industry.

How to watch Network

• Rent or buy Network on Amazon
• Buy Network on Blu-ray on Amazon

Superman: The Movie (1978)

Director: Richard Donner

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder

What it’s about: The sole survivor of an alien planet crash-lands on Earth as a child and grows up to become a powerful defender of the innocent.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Even decades later, few comic book movies remain as influential as Superman: The Movie, for its timeless special effects and even more timeless lead performance by Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent.

How to watch Superman: The Movie

• Stream Superman: The Movie on Amazon Prime
• Stream Superman: The Movie on Max
• Buy Superman: The Movie on Blu-ray on Amazon

Alien (1979)

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver

What it’s about: The crew of an outer space freighter ship becomes trapped inside with a slimy, malevolent beast.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: One of the most perfect combinations of space movies with horror is Alien – a pulse-pounding exercise in suspense that turned Sigourney Weaver into a leading Scream Queen for generations to come.

How to watch Alien

• Stream Alien on Hulu
• Rent or buy Alien on Amazon
• Buy Alien on Blu-ray on Amazon

All The President's Men (1976)

Director: Alan J. Paluka

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford

What it’s about: The Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward struggle to get to the bottom of the Watergate Scandal in 1972.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Based on Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward’s book, All the President’s Men is one of the best movies about news reporters for its inspirational retelling of a true, ambitious crusade for truth amidst a firewall of corruption.

How to watch All the President’s Men

• Rent or buy All the President's Men on Amazon
• Buy All The President's Men on Blu-ray on Amazon

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando

What it’s about: Captain Benjamin Willard is sent on a secret mission to track down and assassinate a Green Beret colonel with a dangerous god complex.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Inspired by Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and set during the Vietnam War, Apocalypse Now is one of the best war movies of all time and a masterful epic from a masterful filmmaker.

How to watch Apocalypse Now

• Stream Apocalypse Now on Plex
• Rent or buy Apocalypse Now on Amazon
• Buy Apocalypse Now on Blu-ray on Amazon

Being There (1979)

Director: Hal Ashby

Starring: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine

What it’s about: For reasons even he does not understand, a simple-minded gardener unexpectedly becomes a close advisor to a powerful businessman and eventually an influential voice in Washington, D.C.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Based on the novel by Jerzy Kosinski, Being There is a fascinating and hilarious satire for which Peter Sellers earned an Academy Award nomination.

How to watch Being There

• Rent or buy Being There on Amazon
• Buy Being There on Blu-ray on Amazon

Cheech & Chong's Up In Smoke (1978)

Director: Lou Adler, Tommy Chong

Starring: Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong

What it’s about: With a bumbling police sergeant on their tail, a pair of pothead musicians unwittingly smuggle a van made of marijuana into L.A.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Whether or not Up in Smoke (also co-written by iconic movie potheads Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong) is the all-time greatest stoner movie is up for debate but few would disagree that it is the first great stoner movie.

How to watch Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke

• Rent or buy Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke on Amazon
• Buy Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke on Blu-ray on Amazon

Chinatown (1974)

Director: Roman Polanski

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway

What it’s about: Small-time private investigator Jake Gittes looks into an increasingly complicated, life-threatening case in 1937 California.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Murder, corruption, and vile secrets are the central themes of Chinatown – a crime drama that borrows from classic noir thrillers of Hollywood’s golden age with twists that were shockingly unique for the time but still timelessly entertaining today.

How to watch Chinatown

• Stream Chinatown on Paramount+ with Showtime add-on
• Rent or buy Chinatown on Amazon
• Buy Chinatown on Blu-ray on Amazon

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut

What it’s about: A disparate group of ordinary people make contact with beings from another planet.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Steven Spielberg adapts self-funded, 1964 sci-fi flick Firelight into one of the most iconic alien “invasion” movies ever made, Close Encounters of Third Kind, which also features one of the top John Williams scores of his career.

How to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind

• Rent or buy Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Amazon
• Buy Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Conversation (1974)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Gene Hackman, John Cazale

What it’s about: A lonely, disillusioned surveillance expert begins to question the moral boundaries of his profession when he uncovers evidence that a young couple may be targeted for murder.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Francis Ford Coppola had two films up for Best Picture Oscar at the 1975 Academy Awards, including The Conversation, which still earns universal acclaim today as a striking cautionary tale way ahead of its time.

How to watch The Conversation

• Stream The Conversation on Paramount+ with Showtime add-on
• Rent or buy The Conversation on Amazon
• Buy The Conversation on Blu-ray on Amazon

Dawn Of The Dead (1978)

Director: George A. Romero

Starring: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross

What it’s about: Four survivors of an ongoing uprising of flesh-eating, undead humans take refuge at an abandoned shopping mall.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Ten years after introducing the modern zombie with 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero resurrected the genre with one of the all-time best zombie movies, the chilling, surprisingly thought-provoking economic satire Dawn of the Dead.

How to watch Dawn of the Dead

• Buy Dawn of the Dead on DVD on Amazon

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Director: Michael Cimino

Starring: Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage

What it’s about: Three close friends become separated after suffering traumatic circumstances while serving in Vietnam.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Winner of five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Walken, The Deer Hunter is a heartbreaking, unforgettable meditation on the debilitating effects of war.

How to watch The Deer Hunter

• Stream The Deer Hunter on Netflix
• Rent or buy The Deer Hunter on Amazon
• Buy The Deer Hunter on Blu-ray on Amazon

Dirty Harry (1971)

Director: Don Siegel

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Andrew Robinson

What it’s about: A rebellious San Francisco cop must rely on his instinct and his controversial methods to catch a ruthless murderer.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: After great Western movies made him a star, Clint Eastwood brought his signature outlaw persona to the title role of Dirty Harry – the first of five almost equally iconic movies that changed the crime thriller genre forever.

How to watch Dirty Harry

• Rent or buy Dirty Harry on Amazon
• Buy Dirty Harry on Blu-ray on Amazon

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Director: Sidney Lumet

Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale

What it’s about: A man’s plan to rob a bank in order to fund his lover’s transgender operation turns into a media circus.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: The most shocking aspect of the Oscar-winning, and even inspiring, masterpiece, Dog Day Afternoon, is that it is actually based on true crime.

How to watch Dog Day Afternoon

• Rent or buy Dog Day Afternoon on Amazon
• Buy Dog Day Afternoon on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Exorcist (1973)

Director: William Friedkin

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max Von Sydow

What it’s about: An actor, desperate to cure her 12-year-old daughter of the sinister forces that have taken over her body, enlists the help of a priest experiencing a crisis of faith.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Curiously, William Friedkin never approached his adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist as horror but as a commentary on the mystery faith, which may be why it is considered one of the best horror movies based on a true story, let alone one of the best horror movies of all time.

How to watch The Exorcist

• Stream The Exorcist on Max
• Rent or buy The Exorcist on Amazon
• Buy The Exorcist on Blu-ray on Amazon

The French Connection (1971)

Director: William Friedkin

Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider

What it’s about: A streetwise New York detective and his partner uncover a European drug smuggling operation in the States.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Based on the book Robin Moore which is also inspired by a true story, The French Connection is a tightly-paced, gritty suspense drama with one of the most hypnotically intense car chases of all time.

How to watch The French Connection

• Stream The French Connection on Max
• Rent or buy The French Connection on Amazon
• Buy The French Connection on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Godfather (1972)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino

What it’s about: After his father's life is threatened, a young man is lured into the violent lifestyle of the family business.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: No list of the best gangster movies is complete without mention of The Godfather, the first film based on Mario Puzo’s acclaimed novel.

How to watch The Godfather

• Stream The Godfather on Paramount+
• Rent or buy The Godfather on Amazon
• Buy The Godfather on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro

What it’s about: While Michael Corleone looks to expand the family business, flashbacks trace his father, Don Vito’s, rise to power.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Of course, you cannot refuse the offer to continue the story of the Corleone Family in The Godfather Part II, which also took home the Best Picture Oscar and also earned Robert De Niro his first Academy Award for playing a young Don Vito Corleone.

How to watch The Godfather Part II

• Stream The Godfather Part II on Paramount+
• Rent or buy The Godfather Part II on Amazon
• Buy The Godfather Part II on Blu-ray on Amazon

Grease (1978)

Director: Randal Kleiser

Starring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John

What it’s about: Two wildly different teens – one a rebellious greaser and the other a squeaky-clean Australian – each try to be more like the other after falling for each other in the 1950s.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Based on the hit romantic stage show, Grease cleverly funnels its relatively honest confessions of teen angst through upbeat show tunes.

How to watch Grease

• Stream Grease on Paramount+
• Rent or buy Grease on Amazon
• Buy Grease on Blu-ray on Amazon

Halloween (1978)

Director: John Carpenter

Starring: Donald Pleasance, Jamie Lee Curtis

What it’s about: A violent escaped mental patient returns to his hometown and stalks three babysitters on All Hallows’ Eve.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: With the original Halloween movie, John Carpenter and co-writer Debra Hill (arguably) invented the modern slasher movie, introduced one of the all-time greatest horror movie villains with Michael Myers, and made Jamie Lee Curtis the top Scream Queen.

How to watch Halloween

• Stream Halloween on AMC+
• Stream Halloween on Plex
• Rent or buy Halloween on Amazon
• Buy Halloween on Blu-ray on Amazon

Jaws (1975)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw

What it’s about: A police chief, a marine biologist, and a veteran seafarer hunt a 25-foot great white shark putting local beach dwellers in a panic.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: With the heart-racing shark movie, Jaws, Steven Spielberg made a groundbreaking hit thriller that is widely credited as the very first “blockbuster.”

How to watch Jaws

• Stream Jaws on Netflix
• Rent or buy Jaws on Amazon
• Buy Jaws on Blu-ray on Amazon

Nashville (1975)

Director: Robert Altman

Starring: Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall

What it’s about: The misadventures of a group of popular musicians, aspiring musicians, and others in Tennessee.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Few filmmakers mastered the star-studded ensemble comedy like Robert Altman and few films represent that talent of his like Nashville - an inspired satirical examination of the cross-section of politics of country music.

How to watch Nashville

• Rent or buy Nashville on Amazon
• Buy Nashville on Blu-ray on Amazon

National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)

Director: John Landis

Starring: John Belushi, Tim Matheson

What it’s about: The members of a maligned fraternity engaged in uproarious conflict with their own school in the 1950s.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Few filmmakers have mastered the raunchy, star-studded ensemble comedy quite like John Landis did with National Lampoon’s Animal House, which is still considered the best movie about college of all time.

How to watch National Lampoon’s Animal House

• Rent or buy National Lampoon’s Animal House on Amazon
• Buy National Lampoon’s Animal House on Blu-ray on Amazon

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Director: Miloš Forman

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher

What it’s about: A criminal’s plea of insanity lands him in a mental institution where he is subjected to a fate worse than prison: the cruel treatment of Nurse Ratched.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Jack Nicholson gives his first Academy Award-winning performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – an inspirational and often witty tale of rebelling against authority and a movie that gets real about mental health.

How to watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

• Rent or buy One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on Amazon
• Buy One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on Blu-ray on Amazon

Rocky (1976)

Director: John G. Avildsen

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire

What it’s about: The story of an amateur, underdog boxer taking on an undefeated champion.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Sylvester Stallone channeled his experiences as a struggling actor into his screenplay for one of the all-time best sports movies, Rocky, which would go on to win the Oscar for Best Picture and spawn a franchise that still lives on through the Creed movies.

How to watch Rocky

• Rent or buy Rocky on Amazon
• Buy Rocky on Blu-ray on Amazon

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Director: John Badham

Starring: John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney

What it’s about: A young Brooklynite escapes his harsh realities on the dance floor with the disco music of The Bee Gees as his guide.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: John Travolta earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination and skyrocketed to movie star status after leading the era-defining classic, Saturday Night Fever.

How to watch Saturday Night Fever

• Stream Saturday Night Fever on Amazon Prime
• Buy Saturday Night Fever on Blu-ray on Amazon

Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

Director: George Lucas

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, James Earl Jones

What it’s about: Jedi-in-training Luke Skywalker teams up with rebellious pilot Han Solo to rescue Princess Leia from the tyrannical Darth Vader.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Cinema had never seen anything quite like one of the all-time best sci-fi movies, Star Wars (retroactively subtitled A New Hope – and the medium has never been the same since.

How to watch Star Wars: A New Hope

• Stream Star Wars: A New Hope on Disney+
• Rent or buy Star Wars: A New Hope on Amazon
• Buy Star Wars: A New Hope on Blu-ray on Amazon

Taxi Driver (1976)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster

What it’s about: A disturbed, sleepless Vietnam veteran’s hatred for urban nightlife begins to consume him after taking a job as a New York City cabbie.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: With stunning performances and subtle commentary on toxic masculinity, Taxi Driver, one of Martin Scorsese's best movies, is a captivating exploitation of cynicism and savagery at its darkest.

How to watch Taxi Driver

• Stream Taxi Driver on MGM+
• Rent or buy Taxi Driver on Amazon
• Buy Taxi Driver on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Director: Tobe Hooper

Starring: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen

What it’s about: Five young roadtrippers are stalked by the grotesque Leatherface and his cannibalistic family.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: Tobe Hooper's penchant for accurately capturing the feeling of a nightmare makes The Texas Chain Saw Massacre one of the most unsettling thrillers of all time.

How to watch The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

• Stream The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on Amazon Prime
• Stream The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on Tubi
• Buy The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on Blu-ray on Amazon

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)

Director: Mel Stuart

Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum

What it’s about: A poor boy becomes one of five children given the opportunity to tour the never-before-seen establishment of the most famous candy maker in the world.

Why it is one of the best ‘70s movies: From a screenplay by Roald Dahl (based on his novel), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a timelessly whimsical adventure, perfected by the late Gene Wilder’s truly magical performance as the titular chocolatier.

How to watch Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

• Rent or buy Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory on Amazon
• Buy Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory on Blu-ray on Amazon

Would you say we have covered all of the best movies that the 1970s had to offer? If so, which is your favorite?

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They say that you can connect Kevin Bacon to almost any other actor through mutual movies in six steps or less and, as a frequent player of this game, I can conclude there is some validity to it. The reason being, simply, that the 62-year-old Golden Globe winner is in a lot of really good films, which means a list of the best Kevin Bacon movies would actually take more than just six steps to get through. Case in point, the whopping total of 17 favorites you can watch now on streaming, as a digital rental or purchase, or even to find on Blu-ray and DVD if you still prefer to collect physical media, starting with his feature film debut.

National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)

A 20-year-old Kevin Bacon proved his skills in both comedy and villainy as Chip Diller in director John Landis’ National Lampoon’s Animal House - considered the Citizen Kane of college movies by most. The freshman ROTC cadet thinks he’s hot shit after Faber’s Omega House accepts him as a pledge, but his true cowardice is exposed when Delta House sabotage’s the homecoming parade.

Stream National Lampoon’s Animal House on AMC+.

Buy or Rent National Lampoon’s Animal House on Amazon.

Get National Lampoon’s Animal House on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Friday The 13th (1980)

There is not much to be said about Kevin Bacon’s role as Jack in director Sean Cunningham’s first installment of the iconic slasher franchise, aside from being one of the several young counselors stalked and killed one-by-one at Camp Crystal Lake. However, when it comes to the most iconic kill in Friday the 13th, he easily gets the point.

Stream Friday the 13th on Starz.

Buy or Rent Friday the 13th on Amazon.

Get Friday the 13th on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Footloose (1984)

The movie that made the world want to dance again was the movie that made a star out of Kevin Bacon as a teenager who seeks to rebel against his new small town's law against dancing. With a choreography by future High School Musical director Kenny Ortega and fun set of tunes by Bonnie Tyler, Foreigner, and Kenny Loggins on the title tracks, Footloose is an irresistible romp to "cut loose" to.

Stream Footloose on Hulu or on Amazon Prime. *

Buy or Rent Footloose on Amazon. *

Get Footloose on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Diner (1982)

Two years after Animal House, Kevin Bacon once again played a collegian in a period piece that has a great deal of comedy, but a more dramatic central narrative. Written and directed by Barry Levinson, Diner is an inspiring, Oscar-nominated coming of age story about five young men facing the end of the ‘50s and the beginning of adulthood.

Stream Diner on HBO Max. If you're not an HBO Max subscriber, you can sign up here. *

Buy or Rent Diner on Amazon.*

Get Diner on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

She’s Having A Baby (1988)

Speaking of the beginnings of adulthood, She's Having a Baby also carries that theme heavily. The romantic comedy written and directed by the late, great John Hughes stars Kevin Bacon as newly married man who begins to fall under the pressure of life when his wife (Academy Award nominee Elizabeth McGovern) announces she is pregnant.

Stream She’s Having A Baby on Paramount+. *

Buy or Rent She’s Having A Baby on Amazon. *

Get She’s Having A Baby on DVD on Amazon.

Tremors (1990)

Further cementing Kevin Bacon into "Scream King" status was his lead role in this old school creature feature about a small, desert town in Nevada terrorized by giant, man-eating worms. There are still Tremors movies being made today (as recently as 2020 with Tremors: Shreiker Island), but none have had quite the same charm that Bacon's Valentine McKee brought to the original.

Stream Tremors on Starz.

Buy or Rent Tremors on Amazon. *

Get Tremors on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.*

Flatliners (1990)

While Tremors is appreciated for its decent number of laughs, Kevin Bacon's other cult thriller from 1990, which earned an Oscar nomination for visual effects, takes a more earnest approach to horror. Directed by the late Joel Schumacher and featuring an all-star ensemble also including Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland, Flatliners stars Bacon as one of five medical students going to the extreme to study the afterlife, and with grave consequences.

Stream Flatliners on Starz. *

Buy or Rent Flatliners on Amazon. *

Get Flatliners on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Stir Of Echoes (1999)

Nine years after Flatliners, Kevin Bacon would once again grow uncomfortably close with the dead as a man hypnotized into seeing ghostly visions in a thriller released the same year as The Sixth Sense, coincidentally. Based on the novel by Richard Matheson, Stir of Echoes was Bacon's first chilling collaboration with writer and director David Koepp before reuniting on You Should Have Left in 2020.

Stream Stir Of Echoes on Tubi, on IMDbTV, or on Vudu. *

Buy or Rent Stir Of Echoes on Amazon. *

Get Stir Of Echoes on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

JFK (1991)

Earlier in the 1990s, Kevin Bacon would make two highly acclaimed legal dramas released within a year of each other - the first being JFK, which sheds light on a supposed governmental conspiracy behind the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Bacon appears as a fictional composite of multiple witnesses who testified at the legendary trial that inspired director Oliver Stone's controversial Oscar-winner.

Buy or Rent JFK on Amazon. *

Get JFK on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.*

A Few Good Men (1992)

Kevin Bacon would follow up JFK the next year with director Rob Reiner's A Few Good Men, in which he plays a a prosecuting military attorney for murder opposing Tom Cruise's defense of Marines accused of murder. The oft-quoted film from the mind of writer Aaron Sorkin, director of recent legal thriller The Trial of the Chicago 7, was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Buy A Few Good Men on Amazon. *

Get A Few Good Men on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.*

Apollo 13 (1995)

In Kevin Bacon's next Oscar darling (winning two of its nine nominations), he portrayed Astronaut Jack Swigart, one of a three-man crew whose lives were put in danger when a "problem" occurred during a flight to the Moon in April 1970. Also starring Tom Hanks and Bill Paxton and directed by Ron Howard, Apollo 13 is pulse-pounding space odyssey based on a shocking true story of miraculous survival.

Stream Apollo 13 on Peacock. *

Buy or Rent Apollo 13 on Amazon. *

Get Apollo 13 on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Balto (1995)

In the same year as Apollo 13, Kevin Bacon lent his voice to his first animated family adventure that is also based on a true story which later inspired the live action film Togo in 2019. He plays the title character of Balto - a Husky who leads a team of sled dogs in an attempt to prevent a deadly epidemic from reaching a small Alaskan town.

Stream Balto on Peacock. *

Buy or Rent Balto on Amazon. *

Get Balto on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Sleepers (1996)

Kevin Bacon would reunite with Diner director Barry Levinson for another coming-of-age story, but with much grimmer circumstances. Based on the novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra, Sleepers follows a group of childhood friends who seek revenge against the detention center guard who abused them years earlier, played by Bacon.

Stream Sleepers on Tubi. *

Buy or Rent Sleepers on Amazon. *

Get Sleepers on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Mystic River (2003)

Years after Sleepers, director Clint Eastwood would cast Kevin Bacon in another dark thriller based on a novel about childhood friends reunited through tragedy. Bacon plays a Boston detective investigating the murder of his ex-convict friend's teenage daughter (future Shameless star Emmy Rossum) in Mystic River, which Sean Penn and Tim Robbins both earned their first Academy Awards for.

Stream Mystic River on HBO Max. If you're not an HBO Max subscriber, you can sign up here. *

Buy or Rent Mystic River on Amazon. *

Get Mystic River on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Frost/Nixon (2008)

Kevin Bacon would reunite with Apollo 13 director Ron Howard for another Academy Award-nominated historical drama set around an infamous occurrence in the 1970s. He plays Richard Nixon's post-resignation chief of staff Jack Brennan in Frost/Nixon, a dramatic recreation of a legendary series of interviews between the disgraced former president (Frank Langella) and British TV journalist David Frost (Michael Sheen) in response to the Watergate Scandal.

Stream Frost/Nixon on Peacock. *

Buy or Rent Frost/Nixon on Amazon. *

Get Frost/Nixon on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Crazy Stupid Love (2011)

While he may not be the romantic lead, Kevin Bacon plays one of its more memorable characters in Crazy Stupid Love, especially by how often his name is brought up in conversation. He plays David Lindhagen, with whom Julianne Moore's Emily cheats on her husband, Cal (Steve Carell), who then seeks retribution from charming womanizer Jacob (Ryan Gosling) in this surprisingly clever and refreshingly honest romantic comedy.

Stream Crazy Stupid Love on Netflix. *

Buy or Rent Crazy Stupid Love on Amazon. *

Get Crazy Stupid Love on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Patriots Day (2016)

Released just three years after the bombing at the 2013 Boston Marathon, Patriots Day chronicles the events leading up to and preceding the harrowing tragedy. Kevin Bacon plays Special Agent Richard DesLauriers, who joins Mark Wahlberg's Sgt. Tommy Saunders on a manhunt for the perpetrators of the heinous act in one of director Peter Berg's very best films.

Stream Patriots Day on Amazon Prime or on HBO Max. If you're not an HBO Max subscriber, you can sign up here. *

Buy or Rent Patriots Day on Amazon. *

Get Patriots Day on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Clearly Kevin Bacon has an impressive filmography on the big screen, but his work in television also should not go unnoticed. He led the cast of Scream writer Kevin Williamson's crime drama The Following, won his first Golden Globe for the HBO movie Taking Chance, and now stars opposite Aldis Hodge on City on a Hill, a Showtime original miniseries about the unlikely partnership between a corrupt FBI agent and an assistant district attorney on an earth shattering case in 1990s Boston. It is just further proof of how, in six steps or less, everything comes back to Bacon.

December approaches, and with it brings a new crop of movies and TV shows to Netflix's streaming lineup. As is often the case, the biggest haul will drop at the start of the month, but Netflix has other goodies scattered throughout the month.

Dates and titles are subject to change.

Week of December 1

Always (1989) - Thursday, December 1

Angels in the Snow (2015) - Thursday, December 1

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) - Thursday, December 1

Beyond Bollywood (2014) - Thursday, December 1

Black Snake Moan (2007) - Thursday, December 1

Chill with Bob Ross: Collection (1990) - Thursday, December 1

Compulsion (1959) - Thursday, December 1

D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) - Thursday, December 1

David Blaine: Street Magic (1997) - Thursday, December 1

Dreamland (2010) - Thursday, December 1

For the Love of Spock (2016) - Thursday, December 1

Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce: Season 2 (2015) - Thursday, December 1

Glory Daze: The Life and Time of Michael Alig (2016) - Thursday, December 1

Harry and the Hendersons (1987) - Thursday, December 1

Hitler: A Career (1977) - Thursday, December 1

Holiday Engagement (2011) - Thursday, December 1

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) - Thursday, December 1

House of Wax (2006) - Thursday, December 1

Hannibal (2001) - Thursday, December 1

Merli: Season 1 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Thursday, December 1

Merry Kissmas (2015) - Thursday, December 1

National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) - Thursday, December 1

Picture Perfect (1997) - Thursday, December 1

Rainbow Time (2016) - Thursday, December 1

Rodeo & Juliet (2015) - Thursday, December 1

Swept Under (2016) - Thursday, December 1

Switchback (1997) - Thursday, December 1

The Angry Birds Movie (2016) - Thursday, December 1

The Crucible (1996) - Thursday, December 1

The Little Rascals (1994) - Thursday, December 1

The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) - Thursday, December 1

The Rock (1996) - Thursday, December 1

The Spirit of Christmas (2015) - Thursday, December 1

Toys (1992) - Thursday, December 1

Uncle Nick (2015) - Thursday, December 1

Waking Life (2001) - Thursday, December 1

Way of the Dragon (1972) - Thursday, December 1

We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993) - Thursday, December 1

White Girl (2016) - Thursday, December 1

Wildflower (2016) - Thursday, December 1

Zero Point (2014) - Thursday, December 1

Fauda: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Thursday, December 2

Hip Hop Evolution: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Thursday, December 2

Pacific Heat: Season 1 --NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Thursday, December 2

Lost & Found Music Studios: Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 3

Week of December 4

Mad (2016) - Monday, December 5

The Good Neighbor (2016) - Monday, December 5

Blue Jay - Tuesday, December 6

Homeland (Iraq Year Zero): Season 1 - Tuesday, December 6

Reggie Watts: Spatial---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Tuesday, December 6

_The Devil Dolls _(2016) - Tuesday, December 6

The Model (2016) - Tuesday, December 6

The Cuba Libre Story: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Thursday, December 8

Captive: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 9

Cirque du Soleil Junior - Luna Petunia: Season 1 NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 9

Club de Cuervos: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 9

Four Seasons in Havana: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Medici: Masters of Florence: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Spectral---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 9

White Rabbit Project: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 9

Lucky Number Slevin (2006) - Saturday, December 10

Phantom of the Theater (2016) - Saturday, December 10

Week of December 11

Breaking a Monster (2016) - Sunday, December 11

Ricardo O'Farrill: Christmas Special---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Monday, December 12

Colony: Season 1 - Tuesday, December 13

Killswitch (2016) - Tuesday, December 13

I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016) - Tuesday, December 13

Nobel: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Tuesday, December 13

Versailles: Season 1 (2015) - Wednesday - December 14

Barry---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 16

Call Me Francis: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 16

Crazyhead: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 16

No Second Chance: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 16

Rats (2016) - Friday, December 16

The Adventures of Puss in Boots: Season 4 ---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 16

Week of December 18

Miss Stevens (2016) - Monday, December 19

Disorder (2015) - Tuesday, December 20

Gabriel Iglesias: Sorry For What I Said When I Was Hungry---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Tuesday, December 20

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Season 6 (2016) - Tuesday, December 20

Ten Percent: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Tuesday, December 20

The Break: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Tuesday, December 20

Travelers: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 23

Trollhunters: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Friday, December 23

Week of December 25

Marvel's Captain America: Civil War (2016) - Sunday, December 25

When Hari Got Married (2013) - Sunday, December 25

Ajin: Season 2---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Tuesday, December 27

Chasing Cameron: Season 1---NETFLIX ORIGINAL - Tuesday, December 27

Comedy Bang! Bang!: Season 5 (2016) - Wednesday, December 28

The Hollywood Shorties (2016) - Thursday, December 29

The Eighties: Season 1 (2016) - Friday, December 30

Big in Bollywood (2011) - Saturday, December 31

Netflix has some great family-friendly options showing up early in December, just in time for the holiday season. That includes The Mighty Ducks 2, The Angry Birds Movie, Harry and the Hendersons, Toys and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. And for those who want to watch something with a bit more edge, there's the less family-friendly Hannibal, Black Snake Moan and National Lampoon's Animal House.

On the original programming side, Netflix is rolling out a lot of new series, including The Break, Travelers and Dreamworks' Trollhunters, from Guillermo del Toro. We're also getting the second season of Fuller House. There's also Barry, which tells the story of a young Barack Obama, which will air on December 16.

Finally, you'll note that Christmas Day marks the debut of Marvel's Captain America: Civil War streaming. What better time to drop one of the more recent Marvel movies than when families are gathered around the Christmas tree. Let's just hope no family disputes break out over Team Cap vs. Team Iron Man.