7 Best Natalie Wood Movies

By Vlad Zakh · January 18, 2026

Natalie Wood moved from beloved child star to one of the defining leading actresses of her generation, bringing real emotional depth to some of the era’s biggest films. West Side Story clashes rival gangs and star-crossed lovers, Splendor in the Grass crushes a teenage romance under small-town expectations, Gypsy follows an overbearing stage mother, and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice tests friendship after a retreat. Rebel Without a Cause, The Searchers and Miracle on 34th Street round out the list.

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)

TMDB ★ 6.7

Two couples' friendship is tested after one pair returns from a retreat obsessed with total honesty.

Directed by Paul Mazursky · 1h 45m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Gypsy (1962)

TMDB ★ 6.8

A domineering stage mother pushes her daughters towards stardom on the vaudeville and burlesque circuit.

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy · 2h 23m

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

West Side Story (1961)

IMDb ★ 7.6 RT 92% Metacritic 86

Romeo and Juliet retold through rival New York street gangs and a doomed cross-gang romance.

Directed by Jerome Robbins & Robert Wise · 2h 33m · Rated NR

Won 10 Oscars31 wins & 11 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · 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

Splendor in the Grass (1961)

TMDB ★ 7.5

Two teenagers' intense romance is crushed by the rigid social expectations of 1920s Kansas, with Natalie Wood in the lead.

Directed by Elia Kazan · 2h 04m · Rated NR

Where to watch

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Searchers (1956)

TMDB ★ 7.9

Chuck Roberson features in this western about a bitter Civil War veteran who spends years obsessively searching for his niece, kidnapped by Comanches.

Directed by John Ford · 1h 59m · Rated NR

Where to watch

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A troubled new kid in town clashes with his parents and a violent local gang in one restless night.

Directed by Nicholas Ray · 1h 51m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 96% Metacritic 88

A department-store Santa's claim to be the real thing ends up in an actual courtroom.

Directed by George Seaton · 1h 36m · Rated NR

Won 3 Oscars10 wins & 1 nomination

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · 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

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 Natalie Wood Movies

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)

Gypsy (1962)

West Side Story (1961)

Splendor in the Grass (1961)

The Searchers (1956)

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

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