8 Best Movies of 1978

By Vlad Zakh · June 27, 2026

1978 was a great year for horror and big-hearted spectacle. Invasion of the Body Snatchers has aliens replacing San Francisco residents, Dawn of the Dead barricades survivors in a mall, and Superman launched the superhero movie. Midnight Express, Days of Heaven, Grease, Halloween and The Deer Hunter round out the eight.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A health inspector discovers San Francisco residents are being secretly replaced by alien duplicates.

Directed by Philip Kaufman · 1h 56m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Superman (1978)

TMDB ★ 7.2

The original big-screen Superman, still the template for a hopeful, earnest take on the character.

Directed by Richard Donner · 2h 24m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, HBO Max · 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

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 92% Metacritic 71

The original mall-siege zombie classic, using consumerism as its own kind of horror.

Directed by George A. Romero · 2h 07m · Rated NR

3 wins & 2 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Midnight Express (1978)

TMDB ★ 7.4

An American student is brutally imprisoned in a Turkish jail after being caught smuggling drugs.

Directed by Alan Parker · 2h 01m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Days of Heaven (1978)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A farmhand's scheme to marry his girlfriend to a dying rich farmer ends in tragedy on the Texas plains.

Directed by Terrence Malick · 1h 34m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Grease (1978)

IMDb ★ 7.2 RT 65% Metacritic 70

Two summer sweethearts from opposite cliques reunite awkwardly at the same high school.

Directed by Randal Kleiser · 1h 50m · Rated PG

Nominated for 1 Oscar8 wins & 10 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, Freeform · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Halloween (1978)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 97% Metacritic 91

The slasher template, built almost entirely around one relentless, silent killer.

Directed by John Carpenter · 1h 31m · Rated R

9 wins & 3 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+ · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Deer Hunter (1978)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 86% Metacritic 90

Three friends from a Pennsylvania steel town are forever changed by their experiences in the Vietnam War.

Directed by Michael Cimino · 3h 03m · Rated R

Won 5 Oscars24 wins & 27 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · 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 1978

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Superman (1978)

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Midnight Express (1978)

Days of Heaven (1978)

Grease (1978)

Halloween (1978)

The Deer Hunter (1978)

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