8 Best Movies of 1973

By Vlad Zakh · June 27, 2026

1973 mixed martial arts, noir and horror. The Exorcist has a mother seeking priests for her possessed daughter, Enter the Dragon has a martial artist infiltrating a crime lord’s tournament, and Serpico has an honest cop targeted by his corrupt department. The Long Goodbye, Paper Moon, Papillon, Amarcord and The Sting round out the eight.

The Long Goodbye (1973)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A laid-back private eye's favour for a friend drags him into a murder far bigger than he expected.

Directed by Robert Altman · 1h 52m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Enter the Dragon (1973)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A martial artist infiltrates a crime lord's island tournament as an undercover agent.

Directed by Robert Clouse · 1h 42m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Serpico (1973)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 93% Metacritic 83

An honest cop's refusal to take bribes makes him a target within his own department.

Directed by Sidney Lumet · 2h 09m · Rated R

Nominated for 2 Oscars8 wins & 13 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Exorcist (1973)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 78% Metacritic 83

A mother turns to two priests after her young daughter becomes violently possessed.

Directed by William Friedkin · 2h 02m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars18 wins & 21 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, AMC, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Paper Moon (1973)

TMDB ★ 7.9

A small-time con man and a sharp-tongued orphan girl team up to swindle their way across Depression-era America.

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich · 1h 42m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Papillon (1973)

TMDB ★ 7.8

A wrongly convicted man endures brutal conditions in a penal colony while relentlessly plotting his escape.

Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner · 2h 31m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Amarcord (1973)

TMDB ★ 7.9

A nostalgic, comic portrait of life in a small Italian coastal town under fascism.

Directed by Federico Fellini · 2h 03m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Sting (1973)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 93% Metacritic 83

Two con artists team up to pull off an elaborate scheme against a ruthless crime boss.

Directed by George Roy Hill · 2h 09m · Rated PG

Won 7 Oscars18 wins & 6 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

8 Best Movies of 1973

The Long Goodbye (1973)

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Serpico (1973)

The Exorcist (1973)

Paper Moon (1973)

Papillon (1973)

Amarcord (1973)

The Sting (1973)

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