We all troll through Netflix looking for something good to watch. Usually you stop around the latest releases or maybe you're like me and go straight for a specific genre. Sometimes I want a chick flick, sometimes I want a documentary, but more often than not, I'm heading straight for the classic films. Netflix lumps some interesting choices in the Classic section (Like the 1964 film, Robinson Crusoe on Mars), but here are 10 undeniable classics than you can find on Netflix.
1. Roman Holiday
Netflix description: "She's a princess in hiding. He's a journalist hungry for a big scoop. And their worlds collide..."
Why it's classic: Audrey Hepburn's first major role and her first Oscar winning performance.
Why you should watch it: While the Netflix description makes the film seem like some big thriller, Roman Holiday is the perfect film for anyone feeling stuck in a rut. Hepburn plays the fictitious Princess Ann, who is exhausted from a diplomatic European tour and decides to run away. Over the course of roughly 24-hours, Ann explores Rome like a tourist with the help of Joe Bradley, played by the ever exquisite Gregory Peck. In the film, Hepburn's character gets a real vacation (or holiday, as the Brits would say) from royal life and is able to be a normal woman for once. Or well, as normal as you can be when you're as beautiful as Audrey Hepburn. This film created Hepburn's career, without it, we wouldn't have films like Sabrina or Breakfast At Tiffany's.
2. To Catch a Thief
Netflix description: "Suspected in a new series of heists in the hotels of the French Riviera, a reformed jewel thief sets out to clear himself -- and catch the real thief."
Why it's classic: Grace Kelly. Cary Grant. Alfred Hitchcock. Need I say more?
Why you should watch it: This is my favorite Hitchcock film. Don't worry, this isn't a horror film like, Psycho or The Birds, but even now the thrill of To Catch a Thief holds up. In order to clear his name, ex-jewel thief, John Robie (Grant), finds himself in the French Riviera, but he also finds himself in the arms of heiress, Frances Stevens (Kelly). This film exudes the class and style typical of all Hitchcock films. It even won the 1956 Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
3. The Sting
Netflix description: "Two cunning con men team up to take down a gangster. But they risk their lives if the scam goes sour."
Why it's classic: One of two fantastic buddy films starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman. It was also the 1974 Best Picture.
Why you should watch it: Newman and Redford's chemistry is undeniable. The two men became friends in the late 60's, on the set of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (the first buddy film they made together). This started a friendship that lasted roughly forty years. Redford and Newman's friendship rivals the bromance between Matt Damon and Ben Afleck, or even Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart.
4. A Trip to the Moon
Netflix description: "An astronomer's incredible idea: Fly to the moon! No spacesuits, no jet lag, just a quick trip with alien encounters."
Why it's classic: One of the first science fiction films ever made.
Why you should watch it: This film is so important that, not only does Netflix have it on instant stream, but it has TWO versions. The film was originally made in black and white in 1902, but the director, Georges Méliès, has also made a color version that was treated by hand. Both are on Netflix right now. If you've seen the movie, Hugo, you've probably already heard of A Trip to the Moon. The film is silent, yes, but it's also only twelve minutes long. And what Méliès accomplishes in those twelve minutes is absolutely beautiful.
5. Metropolis (Restored)
Netflix description: "One powerful city with two different kinds of people. No one cares. Until a wealthy man goes underground."
Why it's classic: It inspired everyone from the creators of the Superman comics, to Star Wars.
Why you should watch it: Made roughly twenty five years after A Trip to the Moon, Metropolis is possibly the original dystopian fiction film. Set in 2026, the plot revolves around a young man, who lives in the Utopia above, discovering the terrible conditions of the working classes who live below. The setting of the Superman comics is named for this film. C-3PO's design is inspired by the robot (Brigitte Helm) featured in the film. The film also deals with themes of social justice and systematic inequality, themes that are still major parts of the dystopian genre to this day (hello, Hunger Games).
6. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Netflix description: "A blonde showgirl is unknowingly tracked by an investigator hired by her fiancé's father. But the detective only has eyes for her brunette friend."
Why it's classic: Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" sequence.
Why you should watch it: Marilyn Monroe is regularly overlooked as just being a sex symbol, but the woman had some great comedic chops. The first of two classic Monroe films, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes focuses on the friendship between showgirls, Lorelei Lee (Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell). The film is a musical full of great songs and clipping wit on both Monroe and Russell's parts. If musicals aren't really your thing, just watch it for one of the most famous Marilyn Monroe numbers ever filmed.
7. Cleopatra
Netflix description: "The Queen of the Nile uses intrigue and her beauty to secure her throne. Lust, power ... and lots of eyeliner."
Why it's classic: One of the most epic films ever made.
Why you should watch it: Okay, this film is a bit of a stretch. At a little over three hours long, this Elizabeth Taylor film is one of the most expensive films ever made. At the time, it cost $44 million. Adjusted for inflation that becomes a whopping $344 million nowadays. The extravagance of the film parallels our perception of Ancient Egypt and Rome, but also 1960's Hollywood.
8. To Kill a Mockingbird
Netflix description: "A valiant lawyer, a black man falsely accused. Seen through the eyes of a feisty girl, innocence and injustice collide."
Why it's classic: Based off of the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Harper Lee.
Why you should watch it: While the book is a masterpiece in and of itself, director Robert Mulligan really brought the film to life. Gregory Peck (who I have already mentioned on this list) plays Atticus Finch, a lawyer and single father. While the book and movie are narrated by his daughter, Scout, Atticus is very much the focal point of this film. A lesser actor would have made the film forgettable, but Peck is perfect (as usual). Also, you get a cameo from young Robert Duvall.
9. Sunset Boulevard
Netflix description: "A house of grandeur is really a house of delusions, and a hack screenwriter gets in deep. Is he ready for a close-up?"
Why it's classic:Won the 1951 Academy Award for Best Screenplay.
Why you should watch it: I love films about films. It's always interesting to see how Hollywood sees itself. Sunset Boulevard tells the story of Norma Desmond, a former silent film star. Desmond is played by Gloria Swanson, a former silent film star. Desmond's fading career has led her to become a recluse, who dreams of returning to the silver screen. Her madness is both terrifying and fascinating to watch.
10. The Seven Year Itch
Netflix description: "After his family leaves for the summer, a middle-aged publisher lets his imagination run wild as he fantasizes about his curvaceous new neighbor."
Why it's classic: The scene where Marilyn Monroe's character's dress flies up.
Why you should watch it: I've already talked about how underrated I think Marilyn Monroe is as an actress. Monroe's films fall into two categories: films where she plays "Marilyn Monroe" and films where you can actually see how funny and talented she is. Unfortunately this film falls into the first category. Monroe plays a character only credited as "The Girl". From a modern perspective, this film does little to nothing for women. But it does paint the main character, played by Tom Ewell, as rather pathetic and neurotic man who can't handle himself while his wife and son are away.
These films vary in genre, but they are films that have had some sort of lasting effect on culture and the film industry. Some stand the test of time better than others, but any film buff should see them. This film buff was certainly surprised to find them on Netflix.