Last Updated on 12 June 2024
The following list is the Official Definitive List of the 400 best movies made in the 1970s.
I found 19 different ranked lists online of “best” or “favorite 70s movies” and pulled them all into Excel and merged them all to get this definitive compilation. See my Methodology page for the research process that was used, including links to all 19 lists that were averaged. Below is a checklist you can print to track which ones you’ve seen, followed by the ranked list with links to IMDb.
- The Godfather (1972)
- The Godfather Part II (1974)
- Taxi Driver (1976)
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
- Apocalypse Now (1979)
- Jaws (1975)
- Alien (1979)
- Chinatown (1974)
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
- Rocky (1976)
- The Exorcist (1973)
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
- A Clockwork Orange (1971)
- Network (1976)
- Annie Hall (1977)
- The Sting (1973)
- Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
- The French Connection (1971)
- All the President’s Men (1976)
- The Deer Hunter (1978)
- Blazing Saddles (1974)
- American Graffiti (1973)
- Young Frankenstein (1974)
- The Conversation (1974)
- Halloween (1978)
- National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)
- Patton (1970)
- Superman (1978)
- Barry Lyndon (1975)
- The Last Picture Show (1971)
- The Conformist (1970)
- A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
- Dirty Harry (1971)
- Life of Brian (1979)
- Serpico (1973)
- Dawn of the Dead (1978)
- Being There (1979)
- Grease (1978)
- Deliverance (1972)
- Badlands (1973)
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
- Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
- Mean Streets (1973)
- McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
- Enter the Dragon (1973)
- Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
- Days of Heaven (1978)
- Carrie (1976)
- Nashville (1975)
- Day for Night (1973)
- Stalker (1979)
- Don’t Look Now (1973)
- Manhattan (1979)
- The Warriors (1979)
- The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
- Cabaret (1972)
- M*A*S*H (1970)
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
- Solaris (1972)
- Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)
- The Jerk (1979)
- Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
- The Muppet Movie (1979)
- Suspiria (1977)
- Paper Moon (1973)
- Harold and Maude (1971)
- Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
- Mirror (1975)
- Eraserhead (1977)
- Papillon (1973)
- All That Jazz (1979)
- Saturday Night Fever (1977)
- Love and Death (1975)
- The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
- The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
- 3 Women (1977)
- I, Claudius (1976)
- Marathon Man (1976)
- Mad Max (1979)
- Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
- Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
- The Wicker Man (1973)
- Scenes from a Marriage (1973)
- Midnight Express (1978)
- Breaking Away (1979)
- The Long Goodbye (1973)
- Amarcord (I Remember) (1973)
- The Passenger (1975)
- Walkabout (1971)
- Cries and Whispers (1972)
- The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
- Five Easy Pieces (1970)
- The Holy Mountain (1973)
- Straw Dogs (1971)
- High Plains Drifter (1973)
- The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)
- Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
- House (1977)
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
- Sleuth (1972)
- The Towering Inferno (1974)
- Duel (1971)
- Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974)
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
- Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
- The Bad News Bears (1976)
- Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)
- Moonraker (1979)
- What’s Up, Doc? (1972)
- Rocky II (1979)
- Three Days of the Condor (1975)
- Killer of Sheep (1978)
- Every Which Way but Loose (1978)
- Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
- Slap Shot (1977)
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
- Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
- Sorcerer (1977)
- The Amityville Horror (1979)
- The Aristocats (1970)
- The Last Detail (1973)
- The Omen (1976)
- Last Tango in Paris (1972)
- Klute (1971)
- Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
- The Getaway (1972)
- Kelly’s Heroes (1970)
- Autumn Sonata (1978)
- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
- Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
- Watership Down (1978)
- The Goodbye Girl (1977)
- Wanda (1970)
- Live and Let Die (1973)
- The Devils (1971)
- The Day of the Jackal (1973)
- Frenzy (1972)
- Deep Red (1975)
- Fantastic Planet (1973)
- Soylent Green (1973)
- Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
- Lady Snowblood (1973)
- Love Story (1970)
- A Bridge Too Far (1977)
- Magnum Force (1973)
- Get Carter (1971)
- The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)
- The Rescuers (1977)
- That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)
- The Parallax View (1974)
- The China Syndrome (1979)
- The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
- Jaws 2 (1978)
- Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
- Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
- Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
- Shaft (1971)
- Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)
- Sleeper (1973)
- Shampoo (1975)
- Tess (1979)
- Logan’s Run (1976)
- Coming Home (1978)
- Play Misty for Me (1971)
- Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)
- Billy Jack (1971)
- Dersu Uzala (1975)
- Heaven Can Wait (1978)
- Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)
- The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
- The Shootist (1976)
- Wake in Fright (1971)
- Woodstock (1970)
- The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)
- Robin Hood (1973)
- The Enforcer (1976)
- Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
- The Tenant (1976)
- The Ascent (1977)
- Grey Gardens (1975)
- Girlfriends (1978)
- El Topo (1970)
- THX 1138 (1971)
- The Way We Were (1973)
- A Touch of Zen (1971)
- Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)
- Tommy (1975)
- F for Fake (1973)
- Claire’s Knee (1970)
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
- Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)
- The Longest Yard (1974)
- The Last Waltz (1978)
- Airport (1970)
- Time After Time (1979)
- And Justice for All (1979)
- The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972)
- Vanishing Point (1971)
- Black Christmas (1974)
- Westworld (1973)
- Murder by Death (1976)
- Norma Rae (1979)
- 1900 (1976)
- Death Wish (1974)
- The In-Laws (1979)
- Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
- Death on the Nile (1978)
- Drunken Master (1978)
- The American Friend (1977)
- Earthquake (1974)
- Seven Beauties (1975)
- The Boys from Brazil (1978)
- Duck, You Sucker! (1971)
- The Trial of Billy Jack (1974)
- Catch-22 (1970)
- Johnny Got His Gun (1971)
- Opening Night (1977)
- Stroszek (1977)
- Performance (1970)
- The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
- Hair (1979)
- Coffy (1973)
- The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
- Journey of the Hyena (1973)
- Silver Streak (1976)
- Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972)
- Sholay (1975)
- The Message (1976)
- The Omega Man (1971)
- World on a Wire (1973)
- The Three Musketeers (1973)
- Big Jake (1971)
- High Anxiety (1977)
- Play It Again, Sam (1972)
- Fist of Fury (1972)
- Airport 1975 (1974)
- Foul Play (1978)
- Phantasm (1979)
- Black Sunday (1977)
- Magic (1978)
- Salem’s Lot (1979)
- Quadrophenia (1979)
- Lenny (1974)
- The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)
- Little Big Man (1970)
- Rollerball (1975)
- The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)
- The Candidate (1972)
- The Beguiled (1971)
- The Phantom of Liberty (1974)
- The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)
- And Now for Something Completely Different (1971)
- Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)
- The Travelling Players (1975)
- Alice in the Cities (1974)
- Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)
- Silent Movie (1976)
- The Duellists (1977)
- Roots (1977)
- The Wild Child (1970)
- To Fly! (1976)
- The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
- Blue Collar (1978)
- The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
- The Black Stallion (1979)
- Charley Varrick (1973)
- Charlotte’s Web (1973)
- Last House on the Left (1972)
- Foxy Brown (1974)
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
- Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
- Night Moves (1975)
- A New Leaf (1971)
- Mikey and Nicky (1976)
- The Cowboys (1972)
- The Driver (1978)
- Tristana (1970)
- Oh, God! (1977)
- The Way of the Dragon (1972)
- Scarecrow (1973)
- Capricorn One (1977)
- Death in Venice (1971)
- Chloe in the Afternoon (1972)
- The Andromeda Strain (1971)
- Sisters (1972)
- The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)
- Cross of Iron (1977)
- Theater of Blood (1973)
- Rooster Cogburn (1975)
- The Front Page (1974)
- Interiors (1978)
- Martin (1977)
- Bananas (1971)
- The Brood (1979)
- A Bay of Blood (1971)
- The Eagle Has Landed (1976)
- Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
- Midway (1976)
- Macbeth (1971)
- Julia (1977)
- The Mechanic (1972)
- A Star Is Born (1976)
- In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
- Carnal Knowledge (1971)
- Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)
- Hardcore (1979)
- The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
- Force 10 from Navarone (1978)
- Hard Times (1975)
- Robin and Marian (1976)
- Up in Smoke (1978)
- Silent Running (1972)
- The Legend of Hell House (1973)
- A Special Day (1977)
- Rio Lobo (1970)
- The Last of Sheila (1973)
- The Great Train Robbery (1978)
- The Sugarland Express (1974)
- Shivers (1975)
- French Connection II (1975)
- Cooley High (1975)
- Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979)
- One Sings, the Other Doesn’t (1977)
- Out 1 (1971)
- The Mother and the Whore (1973)
- Distant Thunder (1973)
- The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)
- Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970)
- An Unmarried Woman (1978)
- Sounder (1972)
- Scum (1979)
- Pink Narcissus (1971)
- The Story of Adele H (1975)
- Emitaï (1971)
- Female Trouble (1974)
- Soldier of Orange (1977)
- Lancelot of the Lake (1974)
- The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976)
- Hearts and Minds (1974)
- Je Tu Il Elle (1974)
- La région centrale (1971)
- The Boys in the Band (1970)
- The Emigrants (1971)
- The Out-of-Towners (1970)
- Scrooge (1970)
- 10 (1979)
- The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
- Summer of ’42 (1971)
- Meatballs (1979)
- Pink Flamingos (1972)
- Ryan’s Daughter (1970)
- King Kong (1976)
- The Deep (1977)
- The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob (1973)
- The Rose (1979)
- The Gauntlet (1977)
- The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
- The Wanderers (1979)
- Benji (1974)
- Gimme Shelter (1970)
- Roma (1972)
- Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1979)
- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)
- Zombie (1979)
- Waterloo (1970)
- The Paper Chase (1973)
- Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
- Let It Be (1970)
- Avanti! (1972)
- Trinity Is Still My Name (1971)
- The Hindenburg (1975)
- The Wing or The Thigh? (1976)
- Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
- Pete’s Dragon (1977)
- Freebie and the Bean (1974)
- California Suite (1978)
- Mr. Majestyk (1974)
- The Big Boss (1971)
- Death Race 2000 (1975)
- Turkish Delight (1973)
- Voyage of the Damned (1976)
- Crime Busters (1977)
- The Tin Drum (1979)
- The Black Hole (1979)
- The Champ (1979)
- Airport ’77 (1977)
- Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976)
- The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)
- When a Stranger Calls (1979)
- Ode to Billy Joe (1976)
- My Name is Nobody (1973)
- Willard (1971)
- The Panic in Needle Park (1971)
- The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
- The Odessa File (1974)
- The Last Wave (1977)
- Elvis: That’s the Way It Is (1970)