7 Best Stanley Kubrick Movies

By Vlad Zakh · February 4, 2026

Stanley Kubrick brought meticulous visual precision and unflinching thematic ambition to nearly every genre he touched, producing some of the most studied films in cinema history. 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining and Full Metal Jacket are the headliners, Barry Lyndon schemes and duels into the English aristocracy, and Dr. Strangelove and Paths of Glory round out the list.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 89% Metacritic 78

Marine recruits endure brutal training before being thrown into the chaos of the Vietnam War.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick · 1h 57m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar8 wins & 15 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · 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

The Shining (1980)

IMDb ★ 8.4 RT 84% Metacritic 68

A writer's winter caretaking job at an isolated hotel unleashes his descent into supernatural-fuelled madness.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick · 2h 24m · Rated R

6 wins & 9 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, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Barry Lyndon (1975)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 78% Metacritic 89

An Irish rogue schemes and charms his way into wealth and nobility in 18th-century Europe.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick · 3h 08m · Rated PG

Won 4 Oscars18 wins & 14 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 86% Metacritic 77

A violent young delinquent undergoes an experimental treatment designed to condition away his behaviour.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick · 2h 17m · Rated NC-17

Nominated for 4 Oscars12 wins & 26 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · 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

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 90% Metacritic 84

A black monolith and a rogue computer push a deep-space crew towards humanity's next step.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick · 2h 29m · Rated G

Won 1 Oscar18 wins & 14 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, 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

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 98% Metacritic 97

A rogue general's nuclear strike order sends the president's cabinet into absurd, doomed crisis talks.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick · 1h 35m · Rated PG

Nominated for 4 Oscars14 wins & 11 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · 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

Paths of Glory (1957)

IMDb ★ 8.4 RT 96% Metacritic 90

A French colonel defends three soldiers unjustly court-martialled for a doomed First World War offensive.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick · 1h 28m · Rated NR

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award5 wins & 3 nominations total

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel · 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 Stanley Kubrick Movies

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

The Shining (1980)

Barry Lyndon (1975)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Paths of Glory (1957)

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