Some movies are evergreen. These classics refuse to go out of style years after their original release, standing the test of time thanks to their compelling plots, commanding screen presence of actors, directorial merit and stellar background scores, all of which come together to form a harmonious union on the silver screen. The vast number of contemporary movies that continue to generously borrow inspiration from these classics speaks volumes about their cinematic triumph. Keeping that in mind, we’ve hand-picked a bunch of Hollywood classics on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix you need to give a watch right now.
9 Hollywood classics you should watch on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix:
#1 Psycho (1960)
If you enjoyed watching Bates Motel on Netflix, then you must watch Psycho, the original psychological thriller it was adapted from. Touted by critics as one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best works, the film follows the journey of Marion, a secretary who is on the run after stealing money from her employer, to Bates Motel, where she meets Norman Bates.
Where to watch: Netlfix
#2 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The first instalment in the fantasy trilogy features Frodo, a young hobbit, who embarks on a journey fraught with danger with his companions in order to destroy the One Ring and save Middle-earth.
Where to watch: Netflix
#3 Forrest Gump (1994)
This classic comedy-drama takes you through the life of Forrest Gump, a slow-witted but whimsical man, who unknowingly finds himself living through some of the most defining moments of American history.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, Netflix
#4 A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick, this cult classic follows the story of Alex, a psychopath who is imprisoned for rape and murder. Two years into his sentence, he signs up for an experimental aversion therapy which soon goes wrong.
Where to watch: Netflix
#5 The Godfather (1972)
Widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is a generational crime saga which details the journey of a powerful gang headed by Don Vito Corleone over the course of 10 years. After a failed assassination attempt on his father by a rival gang, Corleone’s youngest son Michael decides to seek revenge on the men involved, marking the beginning of his transformation from a reluctant insider to a powerful mafia boss.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
#6 Schindler’s List (1993)
Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning number is a historical retelling of World War II. Oskar Schindler, an Austrian industrialist and a member of the Nazi party, hatches a plan to save over a thousand Jews in occupied Poland by employing them in his factory.
Where to watch: Netflix
#7 Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The first in the Indiana Jones franchise, the film features Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, an archaeologist who encounters Nazis and his rival René in the process of retrieving a biblical relic known as the Ark of the Covenant.
Where to watch: Netflix and Amazon Prime
#8 The Green Mile (1999)
Based on Stephen King’s 1996 novel of the same name, the fantasy crime film features Tom Hanks as a prison guard who, upon discovering that an inmate convicted of murder possesses supernatural tendencies, frantically tries to prevent his execution.
Where to watch: Netflix
#9 Gladiator (2000)
This Ridley Scott classic is set in AD 180 and shines in all its Romanesque glory. When Commodus murders his father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, for choosing general Maximus over him as his successor, Maximus, now demoted, decides to fight his way up the ranks as a gladiator and avenge the deaths of his family and the Emperor.
Where to watch: Netflix
