Special Report
Best Movie Classics You’ve Never Seen Available to Stream Right Now
Published:
As the summer winds down and people return home from vacation, movie aficionados might find more indoor time to catch up on some classic film offerings on their favorite streaming services.
To determine the best classic movies you’ve never seen available to stream at home this week, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, current as of August 2022, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies made before 1990 with fewer than 50,000 user reviews on IMDb were included. Documentaries were not considered. Data on streaming availability, also current as of August, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood.
Of the 50 movies listed here, 22 have a perfect score among Rotten Tomatoes critics, and 11 of them received a high IMDb user rating of at least 8.0/10. Eight of these films on the list won Academy Awards. (See how many are among the 100 greatest movies ever made.)
Silence is golden this week as our list features four silent films from the 1920s that cracked the top 10: “Safety Last” (1923), “Sherlock Jr.” (1924), “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” (1928), and “The Circus” (1928). These motion pictures feature Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin, the pantheon of silent movies greatest stars – the first with Lloyd, the next two with Keaton, the last with Chaplin. (Here’s a list of Charlie Chaplin’s best and worst movies.)
Also on the list are three movies from 1939, considered by film historians as the greatest year in Hollywood history: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Stagecoach,” and “Of Mice and Men.” (Other famed classics from that year, far too well-known to have made this list, include “Gone with the Wind,” “Ninotchka,” and “The Wizard of Oz.”)
Click here to see the best movie classics you’ve never seen available to stream right now
Burt Lancaster, one of American Film Institute’s 50 greatest actors of the 20th century, appears in three movies on the list: “The Swimmer” (1968), “Brute Force” (1947), and his Oscar-winning triumph, “Elmer Gantry” (1956).
Directors John Huston and Woody Allen each landed three movies on the list. More out of the mainstream are downbeat director Jim Jarmusch and indie film champion John Cassavettes, who have two films apiece represented.
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
50. The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (3,935 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (591 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (8 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Wood
> Streaming on: Plex
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Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
49. Brute Force (1947)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (9,738 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (1,647 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (18 reviews)
> Directed by: Jules Dassin
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
48. Body and Soul (1947)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (4,692 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (717 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (12 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Rossen
> Streaming on: Plex
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
47. Fat City (1972)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (8,448 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (2,341 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (24 reviews)
> Directed by: John Huston
> Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Plex
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Source: Courtesy of Avenue Pictures Productions
46. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (35,682 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (22,934 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (28 reviews)
> Directed by: Gus Van Sant
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
45. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (49,994 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (20,373 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (38 reviews)
> Directed by: Woody Allen
> Streaming on: Tubi
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Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
44. Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (24,850 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (9,521 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (29 reviews)
> Directed by: Woody Allen
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Courtesy of Island Pictures
43. Down by Law (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (49,905 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (22,383 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (31 reviews)
> Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
42. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (10,978 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (7,628 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (15 reviews)
> Directed by: William Dieterle
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
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Source: Courtesy of The Samuel Goldwyn Company
41. Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (36,300 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (15,648 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (26 reviews)
> Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
40. The Swimmer (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (10,838 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (3,124 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Perry
> Streaming on: Plex
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Source: Courtesy of National General Pictures
39. Little Big Man (1970)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (34,080 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (17,453 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (26 reviews)
> Directed by: Arthur Penn
> Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
38. Elmer Gantry (1960)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (11,084 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (3,412 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (31 reviews)
> Directed by: Richard Brooks
> Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Tubi
Source: Courtesy of Island Pictures
37. The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (4,468 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (1,541 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (9 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Masterson
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex
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Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
36. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (10,492 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (6,847 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (32 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Wood
> Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Tubi, Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of Allied Artists Pictures
35. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (47,052 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (19,223 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (57 reviews)
> Directed by: Don Siegel
> Streaming on: Plex
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Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
34. Breaking Away (1979)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (22,676 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (9,357 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (41 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Yates
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
33. The Public Enemy (1931)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (20,233 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (7,548 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (32 reviews)
> Directed by: William A. Wellman
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
32. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (9,765 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (1,436 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (27 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Yates
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
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Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
31. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (22,263 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (37,079 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (33 reviews)
> Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
30. The Odd Couple (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (33,393 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (31,427 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (37 reviews)
> Directed by: Gene Saks
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
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Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
29. Key Largo (1948)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (38,974 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (12,041 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (35 reviews)
> Directed by: John Huston
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
28. The Mortal Storm (1940)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (4,919 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (1,121 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (11 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Borzage
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of Faces International
27. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (23,726 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (8,243 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (31 reviews)
> Directed by: John Cassavetes
> Streaming on: HBO Max
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Source: Courtesy of United Artists
26. Of Mice and Men (1939)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (5,832 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (7,152 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (14 reviews)
> Directed by: Lewis Milestone
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
25. Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (16,795 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (5,490 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (35 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Chaplin
> Streaming on: HBO Max
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Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
24. Fail Safe (1964)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (21,121 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (7,162 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (27 reviews)
> Directed by: Sidney Lumet
> Streaming on: Tubi
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
23. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (28,840 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (9,478 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Joseph Sargent
> Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Tubi, Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
22. Inherit the Wind (1960)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (29,012 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (9,656 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (26 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kramer
> Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV
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Source: Courtesy of Allied Artists Pictures
21. The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (47,055 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (16,059 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (31 reviews)
> Directed by: John Huston
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts
20. Wait Until Dark (1967)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (29,189 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (17,112 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Terence Young
> Streaming on: HBO Max
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Source: Courtesy of United Artists
19. Red River (1948)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (29,715 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (8,571 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (30 reviews)
> Directed by: Howard Hawks
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
18. Stagecoach (1939)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (46,215 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (14,658 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: John Ford
> Streaming on: HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
17. The Gunfighter (1950)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (10,510 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (1,321 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (14 reviews)
> Directed by: Henry King
> Streaming on: Tubi
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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
16. Speedy (1928)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (3,579 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (713 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (6 reviews)
> Directed by: Ted Wilde
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
15. Captain Blood (1935)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (13,750 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (8,214 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (27 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Curtiz
> Streaming on: HBO Max
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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
14. Ace in the Hole (1951)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (33,886 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (6,223 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (38 reviews)
> Directed by: Billy Wilder
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
13. Scarlet Street (1945)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (15,674 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (3,697 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (16 reviews)
> Directed by: Fritz Lang
> Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
12. Way Out West (1937)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (8,026 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (4,603 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (13 reviews)
> Directed by: James W. Horne
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
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Source: Courtesy of Faces Distribution
11. Opening Night (1977)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (10,093 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (4,369 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (27 reviews)
> Directed by: John Cassavetes
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
10. Love and Death (1975)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (37,440 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (19,082 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (21 reviews)
> Directed by: Woody Allen
> Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Tubi
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Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
9. Ball of Fire (1941)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (11,857 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (3,345 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (28 reviews)
> Directed by: Howard Hawks
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
8. My Man Godfrey (1936)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (22,597 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (7,668 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (37 reviews)
> Directed by: Gregory La Cava
> Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Tubi, Pluto TV
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
7. Paper Moon (1973)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (44,587 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (11,421 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (41 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
> Streaming on: Amazon Prime
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Source: Courtesy of Metro Pictures Corporation
6. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (45,938 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (6,958 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (24 reviews)
> Directed by: Buster Keaton
> Streaming on: Plex
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
5. The Court Jester (1955)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (12,327 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (9,213 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (30 reviews)
> Directed by: Melvin Frank & Norman Panama
> Streaming on: Pluto TV
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Source: Courtesy of United Artists
4. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (14,002 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (5,423 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (30 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Reisner & Buster Keaton
> Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
3. The Circus (1928)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (32,235 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (6,739 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (28 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Chaplin
> Streaming on: HBO Max
Source: Courtesy of Pathé Exchange
2. Safety Last! (1923)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (19,650 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (3,761 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (35 reviews)
> Directed by: Fred C. Newmeyer & Sam Taylor
> Streaming on: HBO Max
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Source: Courtesy of United Artists
1. To Be or Not to Be (1942)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (33,747 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (6,029 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (47 reviews)
> Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
> Streaming on: HBO Max
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