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In this age of digital distraction, streaming services have given us easy access to thousands of films from across the last century. I never need to rewatch a movie again! And yet here I am, queuing up Back to the Future for the nth time.
Because sometimes, you just want a known quantity, and some movies seem designed to be watched again and again. Others simply go down so agreeably that you can't help but find them comforting. The pop culture critic Sarah D. Bunting has a name for these endlessly rewatchable flicks: "poppy-fields movies." Like the enchanted flowers outside the palace in The Wizard of Oz (see below), you can't help but fall into them every time they're on TV. (There's also an entire podcast dedicated to them, called The Rewatchables, naturally.)
The criteria for a rewatchable film varies, but there are some common themes: memorable set pieces, quotable dialogue, particularly colorful characters you love spending time with, and, most critically, a truly satisfying ending. It’s also matter of taste—I’ll rewatch Citizen Kane as readily as I’ll rewatch Charlie’s Angels—and nostalgia never hurts. Wicked has already proven itself to be a popular (get it) rewatch, with audiences having gone back to the theater for multiple screenings. If the second part manages not to blow it, I think one or both of those movies will earn a spot on this list someday.
In the meantime, here are 50 films worth seeing more than once. Or twice.
Galaxy Quest (1999)
What makes it rewatchable: One of the best Star Trek movies isn't a Trek movie at all; instead, it's a parody about the fictional cast of a sci-fi TV series who become drawn into an interstellar conflict. That's a pretty goofy premise for a movie that plays out here with a lot of affection for its source material and an impressive amount of heart. Oh, and it's pretty funny, too. You can rent Galaxy Quest from Prime Video.
Jaws (1975)
What makes it rewatchable: The ur-blockbuster changed the way movies are marketed forever, ushering in an era of summer tentpoles that strive for ever-larger box office returns. That's not really great, but you can hardly blame Steven Spielberg and his plucky little shark-attack film for being such a damn good time at the movies. You can rent Jaws on Prime Video.
Do the Right Thing (1989)
What makes it rewatchable: Spike Lee's masterpiece isn't always an easy watch—for all the funny and joyful moments and rich characters, there's a tremendous undercurrent of trauma in the story of a Brooklyn block about to explode. But even for all of that, it's so brilliantly and cleverly constructed that it's impossible not to want to watch more than once. You can stream Do the Right Thing on Prime Video.
Spirited Away (2001)
What makes it rewatchable: Perhaps Spirited Away is the best of director Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli films, or perhaps it's just that it's so thoroughly representative of what the artist is capable of. The first among nearly equally great films, you might say. The story of a young girl who takes a job at a bathhouse in a spirit world in order to save herself and her parents (who've been turned into pigs) is beautifully animated and, ultimately, deeply moving. You can stream Spirited Away on Max or rent it from Prime Video.
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