The Best Movie Every Year Since 1970

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The slogan of the fictional Hollywood studio in Robert Altman’s The Player summed it up best: “Movies, Now More Than Ever!”

Eh, maybe not. Still: Whether it’s in a movie theater, on home video, or on streaming, you are never far from a great work of cinema these days — and thanks to all of those outlets there are more great movies available to watch at the push of a couple buttons now than ever before. There are so many options, in fact, that it can sometimes get a little overwhelming. I can’t be the only one who’s settled down in front of the TV to watch something, only to spend 20 minutes looking through Netflix, Max, Hulu, Criterion, and so on, unable to decide on a title — and then give up and go to bed without watching anything at all.

When I was a wee lad growing up in the wilds of suburban New Jersey, I used Roger Ebert’s The Great Movies or books like 50,001 Movies You Need to Watch Before You’re Eaten By Rabid Squirrels to determine my viewing choices. So maybe the list below will be of similar use for the indecisive streamers out there like myself. It lists the single best movie of every year (at least according to yours truly) from 1970 to today. That’s over 50 classic titles every person should see before they’re eaten by rabid squirrels. Most are widely available to rent or stream at home right now.

After that, uh, well, have you seen Citizen Kane? That’s pretty good too.