The Definitive Movies Of 1973: Films That Shaped Cinema
1973 hit theaters like a creative lightning bolt, unleashing movies that pushed storytelling into bold new territory.
Horror chilled to the bone, dramas hit with raw emotion, and adventures raised the bar for spectacle, all while introducing unforgettable characters and fresh techniques.
These films did more than entertain, they reshaped the industry and still pull new audiences in decades later.
Disclaimer: Notable films associated with 1973 are highlighted based on widely documented release history, awards records, and long-running critical and audience discussion. Views on what counts as “notable,” along with interpretations of each film’s impact, are subjective and can vary by viewer, era, and personal taste.
1. The Exorcist
Have you ever watched a movie that made you sleep with the lights on?
William Friedkin’s chilling masterpiece follows young Regan MacNeil as she becomes possessed by a terrifying demon. Her desperate mother turns to two priests who must battle evil itself to save the girl’s soul.
Groundbreaking special effects and haunting sound design created scenes that still disturb audiences decades later. The film’s realistic approach to supernatural horror set a new standard that countless movies have tried to match ever since.
2. The Sting
Paul Newman and Robert Redford join forces as two sharp con artists chasing revenge in Depression-era Chicago. An elaborate plot centers on building a fake betting parlor to outsmart a ruthless mob boss responsible for a friend’s murder.
Ragtime piano music from Scott Joplin captures the playful spirit behind every layer of this detailed caper.
Film won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, underscoring how smart storytelling and star chemistry can stay timeless. Every twist and turn keeps audiences guessing right up to the final moment.
3. American Graffiti
Before Star Wars made him famous, George Lucas captured one magical night in small-town California.
Teenagers cruise Main Street in classic cars, fall in love, and face big decisions about their futures. The film feels like flipping through your parents’ yearbook while listening to their favorite oldies station.
Rock and roll hits from the early 1960s drive every scene forward. This nostalgic journey launched the careers of Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, and Richard Dreyfuss while reminding everyone why those carefree nights matter.
4. Papillon
Wrongly convicted of murder, Henri Charrière refuses to let prison walls decide his fate. Steve McQueen delivers a gripping performance as a man driven to escape a brutal French penal colony in South America.
Dustin Hoffman portrays a loyal companion who helps plan bold escape attempts through dangerous jungles and shark-filled waters.
Hope, friendship, and an unbreakable human spirit shine through even in the harshest conditions, making every desperate bid for freedom impossible not to support.
5. Mean Streets
Martin Scorsese brought raw energy to the screen with this gritty tale of small-time criminals in New York’s Little Italy.
Harvey Keitel plays a young man torn between loyalty to his reckless friend and his own survival instincts. Robert De Niro explodes onto the scene as the unpredictable troublemaker who can’t stay out of danger.
Rock music pulses through violent encounters and tense confrontations.
This early masterpiece established Scorsese’s signature style that would influence crime films for generations.
6. Serpico
What unfolds when one honest cop takes a stand against a deeply corrupt system?
Al Pacino portrays real-life detective Frank Serpico, a man who risked everything to expose widespread bribery within the New York Police Department. Speaking the truth turns him into an outsider among people who were supposed to stand beside him.
Serpico’s beard, unconventional style, and steady integrity make him both a hero and a target, reminding audiences that doing the right thing often carries a heavy price.
7. Badlands
Terrence Malick’s debut film tells a haunting story through beautiful prairie landscapes and dreamy narration.
A young couple goes on a killing spree across South Dakota, but the film never glorifies their violence. Instead, it explores how ordinary people can become lost in fantasy and destruction.
Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek deliver mesmerizing performances that feel both innocent and chilling. The poetic cinematography turned crime drama into art, proving that even dark subjects can be explored with grace and thoughtfulness.
8. Paper Moon
During the Great Depression, a con man reluctantly takes responsibility for a young orphan girl who might be his daughter.
Ryan O’Neal and his real-life daughter Tatum O’Neal share incredible chemistry as they travel through Kansas selling Bibles to widows. Shot in black and white, the film captures dusty roads and desperate times with warmth and humor.
Tatum became the youngest person ever to win an Oscar for her sassy, street-smart performance that steals every scene she’s in.
9. The Way We Were
Sometimes love isn’t enough when two people see the world completely differently.
Barbra Streisand plays a passionate political activist who falls for Robert Redford’s easygoing writer during World War II. Their romance blooms in college, survives Hollywood’s golden age, but struggles against their opposing values and dreams.
Title song became a standard, keeping the film’s heartbreak echoing long after the credits. This bittersweet tale reminds us that not all great loves have fairy-tale endings, making it feel honest and deeply moving.
10. Last Tango In Paris (1972, U.S. Release 1973)
Bernardo Bertolucci crafted one of cinema’s most controversial and widely discussed dramas. Marlon Brando gives a raw, vulnerable performance as a grieving American who begins an anonymous affair with a young French woman in a Paris apartment.
Loneliness, identity, and human connection unfold in ways that stunned audiences around the world.
Debated for decades, its artistic influence on European cinema and daring storytelling style remains undeniable, reshaping boundaries that changed filmmaking for good.
11. The Wicker Man
Arrival on a remote Scottish island quickly reveals a community that feels quietly unsettling.
A devout police sergeant searches for a missing girl, only to learn the island community follows ancient pagan rituals. Slow-building dread mixes with folk music and strange traditions, creating an atmosphere filled with quiet unease.
A shocking finale has earned legendary status among horror fans. That cult favorite showed true terror needs no blood or gore, relying instead on mystery, isolation, and fear of the unknown.
12. Enter The Dragon
Bruce Lee’s final completed film helped set a modern benchmark for martial-arts cinema worldwide. Lee plays a skilled fighter recruited to infiltrate a criminal’s island fortress during a deadly tournament.
Every fight scene showcases his incredible speed, precision, and philosophy that martial arts should flow like water.
The film introduced Eastern fighting styles to Western audiences in spectacular fashion, creating a global phenomenon that launched countless action heroes and inspired millions to study martial arts themselves.
13. Robin Hood
Disney reimagined the legendary outlaw as a charming fox who steals from the wealthy to help the poor.
Set in medieval England with an all-animal cast, the story follows Robin Hood and Little John as they outsmart the greedy Prince John. Catchy songs and lively action scenes turn the adventure into a perfect pick for family movie night.
A whistling rooster narrator sprinkles humor across the tale. Generations of kids have grown up loving an animated classic that celebrates courage and standing up for what is right.
14. Jesus Christ Superstar
Rock opera collides with biblical storytelling in this bold musical adaptation that split audience reactions. Powerful songs and modern sensibilities reframe the final days of Jesus Christ, placing strong focus on the relationships between Jesus, Judas, and Mary Magdalene.
Filming in Israeli desert locations blends ancient landscapes with contemporary costumes and electric guitars.
Love it or view it as controversial, the music’s emotional force and inventive style went on to shape countless stage and film musicals that followed.
15. The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad
Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion magic brings mythical creatures to life in this swashbuckling adventure.
Sinbad sails to a mysterious island seeking a magical fountain, battling a six-armed statue, a griffin, and a centaur along the way. The special effects required painstaking frame-by-frame animation that took months to create just minutes of screen time.
Kids and adults alike marveled at creatures that seemed impossibly real. This fantasy adventure keeps Harryhausen’s legendary craftsmanship alive for anyone who loves imaginative storytelling.
