7 Best Ellen Burstyn Movies

By Vlad Zakh · January 14, 2026

Ellen Burstyn built her reputation on raw, unglamorous honesty, favouring roles that let desperation and resilience show without any softening. Requiem for a Dream spirals a lonely widow’s diet-pill addiction alongside her son’s heroin habit, Resurrection gives a car-crash survivor a mysterious healing gift, Same Time, Next Year meets lovers at one inn over twenty-six years, and The Fountain chases a cure across three timelines. The Exorcist, The Last Picture Show and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore round out the list.

The Fountain (2006)

TMDB ★ 7.2

One love story told across three timelines spanning a thousand years.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky · 1h 36m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 80% Metacritic 71

Four Coney Island residents' addictions spiral into devastating, interconnected ruin.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky · 1h 42m · Rated NR

Nominated for 1 Oscar37 wins & 69 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Peacock Premium, Sundance Now, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Resurrection (1980)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A woman who survives a near-fatal car accident discovers she has developed a mysterious healing power, with Ellen Burstyn in the lead.

Directed by Daniel Petrie · 1h 43m · Rated PG

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Same Time, Next Year (1978)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A married man and woman meet for an annual affair at the same inn over twenty-five years, with Ellen Burstyn in the lead.

Directed by Robert Mulligan · 1h 59m · Rated PG

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A newly widowed woman and her son travel across the Southwest, chasing her dream of becoming a singer.

Directed by Martin Scorsese · 1h 52m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Howdy Amazon Channel · 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

The Last Picture Show (1971)

TMDB ★ 7.9

Teenagers in a dying Texas town navigate love and loss as their local movie theatre faces closure.

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich · 1h 59m · Rated R

Where to watch

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.

7 Best Ellen Burstyn Movies

The Fountain (2006)

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Resurrection (1980)

Same Time, Next Year (1978)

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

The Exorcist (1973)

The Last Picture Show (1971)

You might also like

8 Best Movies of 2000

8 Best Movies of 1973

250 Best Movies of All Time

8 Best Movies of 1971

6 Best Oscar Best Actress Winners of the 1970s

6 Best Mental Breakdown and Nervous Collapse Movies