The 20 best movies about the 1970s

Even though the Iran Hostage Crisis occurred at the very end of the 1970s, it has become synonymous with the decade and its prevailing sense of American obsolescence. The Crisis is also at the heart of Argo, which focuses on the “Canadian Caper,” in which several diplomats were rescued from Tehran under the guise of a film production. Ben Affleck proved with this film that he was as skilled a director as an actor (he also starred in the film). Though it clearly fits into the conventions of the caper film, it somehow also manages to be a bit more, and it shines a fascinating light on one of the most underappreciated covert operations in recent history.

Zodiac doesn’t shy away from the dark side of the 1970s, focusing on the Zodiac Killer, the serial killer who was active near San Francisco in the 1960s and the 1970s. Fincher imbues the material with a noirish anxiety, capturing the sense of fear that gripped the city and its residents. Unlike many crime films, which end up with at least some form of resolution, Fincher withholds this from the viewer, daring to sit with the fact that sometimes even the most distressing and ugliest of crimes can never fully be resolved.

The plane crash that took the lives of the Marshall University football team in 1970 was a shattering event, and the film We Are Marshall chronicles the efforts of the university and the city of Huntington to bounce back. Matthew McConaughey gives one of his best and most believable performances as Jack Lengyel, who is tasked with rebuilding the university’s football team. The film may not be particularly adventurous in terms of its story, but it nevertheless manages to be a very feel-good story and, like all of the best sports movies, it demonstrates the indomitable nature of the human spirit. 

Harvey Milk was one of the most important leaders of the LGBTQ+ movement during the 20th century, and he has the distinction of being the first openly gay elected official in California. He gets the biopic treatment in Gus Van Sant’s Milk.  The film provides a fascinating glimpse of gay life in the 1970s, in the aftermath of the Stonewall Riots before the AIDS crisis. Sean Penn delivers a truly extraordinary performance as Milk, and as a result, it becomes something much more than a history lesson. It is a testament to the extraordinary power of the LGBTQ+ community and their commitment to fighting for justice and civil rights. 

Throughout his career, Paul Thomas Anderson has been fascinated with the 1970s, and many of his films explore the period in all its complexity.  Inherent Vice,  for example, draws on the conventions of the neo-noir to Joaquin Phoenix’s Doc Sportello as he finds himself drawn into the criminal underbelly of 1970s LA. Like so many of the director’s other films, it manages to be perplexing, confusing, convoluted, and deeply funny simultaneously. And, as always, he manages to coax stunning performances from his lead cast, including Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon, and Owen Wilson.

The 1997 film Donnie Brasco  is not just a great film about the 1970s but also an excellent crime film. Its success stems from the casting, and both Al Pacino and Johnny Depp are perfect in their roles as mafia hitman and the FBI agent who infiltrates the mafia, respectively. It’s a dense story filled with deception and delicious twists and, like all great examples of the genre, raises all sorts of moral and ethical questions, even as it refuses to give definitive answers to them. It’s also refreshing to see Depp exuding a mixture of beauty and menace at the height of his powers. 

If one book manages to capture the joys and aches of young womanhood, it would have to be Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. It’s a wonderful piece of young adult literature, and in 2023, it was given the movie treatment it deserves. The film manages to stay true to the novel's spirit while expanding some of its elements. Moreover, it manages to convey what it was like to grow up in the 1970s as a woman, and it is also remarkable for the sensitivity and depth with which it explores female friendship.

When a buddy comedy is done right, it can be a riot from beginning to end, and in this regard, The Nice Guys  more than succeeds. This is because there is astonishing chemistry between Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, who both show just how talented they are comedically. They play a PI and an enforcer who join forces to find a missing teenager. The film is edgy and fast-paced, and it’s one of those films that really goes the extra mile in capturing the look and sensibility of the 1970s. It’s the central pairing of Gosling and Crowe, however, that makes this a film worth savoring. 

Few bands are as enduringly popular and recognizable as Queen, and much of the band’s success can be attributed to the outlandish personality and blasting vocals of lead singer Freddie Mercury. Bohemian Rhapsody  is, in some ways, a typical band biopic, but it is elevated to the level of greatness by the lead performance of Rami Malek, who seems to inhabit the body and soul of Mercury in all of his complexity and contradiction. Though the film sometimes plays coy with Mercury’s sexuality, it nevertheless succeeds as a musical biopic, sweeping the viewer up in the trials and triumphs of one of the 20th century’s greatest bands. 

Eddie Murphy is in fine form in Dolemite is My Name, which, as the title suggests, focuses on the noted Blaxploitation actor and director Rudy Ray Moore. The film marks something of a comeback for Murphy, who proves once again he is one of the best actors of his generation, even if he is not always acknowledged as such by such institutions as the Academy. He seems to fully inhabit Moore in all of his egotism and larger-than-lifeness. The film is also notable for the rest of its talented cast, which includes the likes of Keegan-Michael Key, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Tituss Burgess. 

James Baldwin’s haunting novel is the basis for If Beale Street Could Talk, directed by Barry Jenkins (famous for directing the Oscar-winning Moonlight ). Set in the 1970s, the film focuses on Fonny, a young African-American man falsely accused and convicted of rapė, and the efforts by his girlfriend Tish and her mother to have him acquitted. It’s a film that is beautifully shot, but it’s the acting that elevates it to the realm of great art. Regina King was rightly awarded an Oscar for her role as Tish’s mother, Sharon. KiKi Layne and Stephan James deliver emotionally resonant performances.  

There are few genres Hollywood (and American) loves more than sports drama, and Remember the Titans is one of the best the genre has to offer. This partly stems from Denzel Washington’s performance as football coach Herman Boone. The film doesn’t shy away from the social problems affecting the US during the decade, particularly since Boone is an African American coaching a White football team. The film hits all the emotional and inspirational notes one would expect of a football drama of this type, but it never gets bogged down in predictability or cliche.  

Though it is based on a true story, American Hustle  still manages to be a compelling black comedy in its own right, with more than a little bit of drama thrown into the mix. The film’s appeal lies in both David O. Russell’s stylish direction and in the memorable performances, and there’s no doubt that it features quite a stacked cast, including Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Jennifer Lawrence. It’s a film that perfectly captures the ridiculousness and humor of political corruption. It may play fast and loose with the truth and with historical facts, but that ends up being part of the fun.

Few sporting events of the 1970s were as well-publicized and significant as the tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. It finally got the big-screen treatment it deserved in the 2017 film Battle of the Sexes,  which stars Emma Stone and Steve Carell in the roles of King and Riggs, respectively. Even though sports buffs will already know the conclusion to the match, the film nevertheless manages to hit all the right notes one expects of a drama such as this one, and Emma Stone delivers one of the best performances of her career. It’s also a film which both feels and looks like the 1970s.

Few coming-of-age films have had quite the impact of Dazed and Confused, which remains one of director Richard Linklater’s most beloved and enduring movies. Taking place in 1976, the film adeptly moves between its different characters and points of view, giving the viewer a fascinating look at adolescent life in the decade. Indeed, there’s something almost anthropological about his approach to his subject, and it’s one of the few films that seems to immerse the viewer into teen life of the 1970s. It is also notable for helping to launch the careers of many of its stars, most notably Matthew McConaughey.

If there’s one musician whose work was very much a product of the 1970s, it would have to be Elton John. In 2019, he finally got the biopic he richly deserved in Rocketman, which chronicles his youth and his rise to fame, as well as his spectacular fall into addiction and despair. Taron Egerton is perfectly cast as Elton, capturing the musician’s unique flair while also showing the haunted psyche beneath all of the elaborate costumes and exuberant music. It also captures the freewheeling culture of 1970s music, anchored by Egerton’s vocals, which, while not quite as soaring as the real singer’s, are nevertheless notable because of the actor’s use of his own voice.

If there’s one film that manages to capture the seediness and tackiness of the 1970s, it would have to be Boogie Nights,  which focuses on Mark Wahlberg’s Eddie Adams, a young man who becomes enormously famous as well-endowed adult film star Dirk Diggler. There’s a profound cynicism at the film’s heart, and it recognizes how much sex is very much a commodity that can be packaged and sold to a willing public. There’s a sort of icky glamor to the film, too, which is very much in keeping with its subject, which is, after all, the Golden Age Pörn.

There’s something innately endearing about many films set in the 1970s, as seen from an offering like Licorice Pizza. Directed by noted auteur Paul Thomas Anderson, the film expertly blends comedy and drama, with a bit of romance thrown into the mix. It captures the ethos of the period, both for better and worse. The relationship between Alana Kane and Gary Valentine is at the heart of the film, and even though it is the feature film debut of Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, it’s already clear that they both have the makings of genuine movie stars.

Even though the 1970s was a troubled decade, many films set in the period are remarkably warm-hearted and comforting. One of the most notable examples is Almost Famous, which focuses on a young reporter and his attempts to write a cover story for Rolling Stone.  Director Cameron Crowe brings an autobiographical touch to this film, which also is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to its cast, which includes Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, and Frances McDormand. The film perfectly combines attention to period detail with a rich, touching emotional core. 

Alexander Payne’s 2023 film The Holdovers perfectly captures the early 1970s feel and aesthetic. Set in a private boys’ boarding school, it follows three characters: teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), rebellious student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), and head cook Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph). They try to make the best of being stranded on campus for the holiday. At once bitingly cynical, deeply moving, and uproariously funny, the film feels like a throwback to an earlier period of filmmaking when such quirky comedies were much more common. It’s also a testament to the enduring power of the teacher/student dynamic.