The 20 Best Movies Unavailable on Streaming

‘Love Me Tonight’ (dir. Rouben Mamoulian, 1932)

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A foundational musical romantic comedy, ‘Love Me Tonight’ occasionally floats on and off the Criterion Channel, but currently can not be watched nor rented on any major streaming platform. Rouben Mamoulian’s comedy of errors stars Maurice Chevalier as a humble French tailor who poses as a noble baron to woo the gorgeous Princess Jeanette (Jeanette MacDonald). Featuring several classics songs like ‘Isn’t it Romantic?’ and the title track, ‘Love Me Tonight’ is a wistful, uplifting treasure.
‘Rebecca’ (dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1940)

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It seems absurd that Alfred Hitchcock’s only Best Picture-winning film is one of his few films to go undistributed on streaming, but such is the fate that has befouled ‘Rebecca.’ Hitchcock’s first American production, his adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s gothic novel is a perfectly atmospheric and tortured rendition of the love affair between the second Mrs. de Winter (Joan Fontaine) and the Byronic Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier), with Judith Anderson stealing the show as the vampiric Mrs. Danvers. Unfortunately, if you want to experience du Maurier’s story on streaming, your only option is the panned 2020 Ben Wheatley version, which you’re better off ignoring entirely.
‘The Tarnished Angels’ (dir. Douglas Sirk, 1957)

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Douglas Sirk is best known for making melodramas in glorious Technicolor. ‘The Tarnished Angels’ subs out his use of stunning color for black-and-white CinemaScope, but his adaptation of the William Faulkner novel ‘Python’ has plenty of melodrama all the same. Sirk’s regular leading man Rock Hudson plays journalist Burke Devlin, who takes on a story about former World War I pilot Roger Shumann (Robert Stack) and his current work as an air show stuntman. In doing so, he falls madly in love with Shumann’s abused wife LaVerne (Dorothy Malone). Hudson and Stack are great, but it’s Malone’s steely, exceptional performance that gives ‘The Tarnished Angels’ its emotional power.
‘Sleuth’ (dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1972)

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Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s final film before retirement, 1972’s ‘Sleuth’ sees the ‘All About Eve’ director take on a twisted, shocking two-hander. Laurence Olivier plays Andrew Wyke, a detective fiction writer who invites his wife’s lover (Michael Caine) to his mansion, where a fierce and surprising game of one-upmanship commences. Consistently shocking and genuinely unpredictable, the wild ‘Sleuth’ is a film best watched blind.
‘The Heartbreak Kid’ (dir. Elaine May, 1972)

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If you want, you can go ahead and stream the 2007 remake of ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ starring Ben Stiller on Paramount+. But why would you want to do that? The poorly reviewed bomb can’t hold a candle to Elaine May’s fiercely funny 1972 original film, which is less easily available but well worth seeking out. Starring a career-best Charles Grodin as a self-absorbed salesman who heads to Miami Beach to honeymoon with his wife and soon finds himself taken with another woman, May’s film is a skewering of masculine selfishness and deluded romantics that practically perfects the art of cringe comedy.
‘Pink Flamingos’ (dir. John Waters, 1972)

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In some respects, it’s fitting that a film as proudly underground as ‘Pink Flamingos’ is so intensely difficult to track down. Still, more squeamish viewers would probably appreciate the opportunity to watch John Waters’ defining work more easily at home. Starring the legendary Divine as a criminal whose rivalry with a couple leads her to engage in wildly depraved acts, such as exhibitionism, vomiting, incest, murder, cannibalism, and, of course, shit eating: This brilliant work of abject art has it all.
‘Silkwood’ (dir. Mike Nichols, 1983)

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Meryl Streep is one of the world’s greatest actors, and ‘Silkwood’ features one of the star’s very best performances, which makes it all the wilder that it’s so difficult to track down. Mike Nichols’ film casts her as Karen Silkwood, a real-life whistleblower who exposed rampant health violations and corruption at the plutonium plant she worked at. Featuring great supporting performances from Kurt Russell and Cher, ‘Silkwood’ is a biopic done right, with a brilliant Streep at its center.
‘To Live and Die In L.A.’ (dir. William Friedkin, 1985)

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One of the late William Friedkin’s most exhilarating films, ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’ presents the audience with a bleak, near-dystopian look at life in its titular city. Following the cat-and-mouse games between two Secret Service Agents and a counterfeit ring, the film operates as both a brilliant and stylish cop thriller — complete with an unforgettable original score by New Wave band Wang Chung — and a deconstruction of the genre, questioning the morals of the reckless and rule-breaking officers that serve as the supposed heroes. And, in an early career performance, Willem Dafoe steals the show as the mincing, reptilian main villain.
‘The Brave Little Toaster’ (dir. Jerry Rees, 1987)

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A childhood favorite for many that grew up in the ’80s and ’90s thanks to VHS releases, ‘The Brave Little Toaster’ is frustratingly difficult to track down now: You’ll need to nab a DVD on Amazon or eBay to properly watch it. The film from Jerry Rees is notable as the first animated movie to debut at the Sundance Film Festival, and tells the story of five household appliances searching for their master. Its mix of weighty character development and snappy songs makes it an animated film that can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike.
‘Hotel Terminus’ (dir. Marcel Ophuls, 1988)

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A nearly 4-and-a-half-hour documentary about the rise and fall of a Nazi war criminal isn’t exactly the type of movie people just throw on streaming on a random night. Still, Marcel Ophuls’ ‘Hotel Terminus’ is well worth seeking out and experiencing. The winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Film in 1988, the movie uses its story of the life of Klaus Barbie — a German SS officer so notorious for his misdeeds he became known as the ‘Butcher of Lyon’ — as a window into arresting and terrifying questions about the nature of evil and how responsibility for misdeeds can be deflected by bureaucracy and hierarchies.
‘Wild at Heart’ (dir. David Lynch, 1990)

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One of David Lynch’s most polarizing films, ‘Wild at Heart’ is nonetheless one of the director’s more accessible (low bar, we know) and purely fun efforts — a Bonnie and Clyde story that sizzles with the heat between leads Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern. They play young lovers Sailor and Lulu, who head on a road trip to escape the shadow of Lulu’s domineering mother Marietta (Diane Ladd), only to be trailed by Marietta’s hired detective and hitman. Stylish and packed with gore, grotesquerie, and tributes to Lynch’s favorite film, ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ‘Wild at Heart’ picked up a well-deserved Palme d’Or upon its 1990 release.
‘Pump Up the Volume’ (dir. Allan Moyle, 1990)

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‘Heathers’ is more famous, but it’s ‘Pump Up the Volume’ that contains the essential performance from early ’90s heartthrob Christian Slater. He plays introverted and unpopular high schooler Mark Hunter, who starts an anonymous shortwave radio show in which he rebels against the injustices and hypocrisies of his high school and small Arizona town. Slater is fiery, dreamy, and unforgettable in the role, and his chemistry with Samantha Mathis as Mark’s love interest makes Allan Moyle’s teen film a deeply delightful watch. Unfortunately, on streaming, the closest thing to ‘Pump Up the Volume’ you can find is Disney Channel’s 2012 so-bad-it’s-good ‘Radio Rebel,’ which does basically the same premise to considerably less potent effect.
‘Flirting’ (dir. John Duigan, 1991)

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A sensitive and smart indie teen film from Australia, ‘Flirting’ marked the breakout roles for both Thandiwe Newton and Nicole Kidman, who look young and fresh-faced as teen girls at a boarding school. The film is actually in the middle of a series of semi-autobiographical films Duigan made featuring Noah Taylor as the main character Danny, but the hearttrending main story — about the teen’s fumbling first relationship with Newton’s Ugandan immigrant — stands on its own.
‘Short Cuts’ (dir. Robert Altman, 1993)

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One of the most successful films from Robert Altman’s ’90s renaissance, ‘Short Cuts’ is frustratingly difficult to track down. Based on 10 different short stories from the master of minimalism Raymond Carver, Altman’s dramedy turns these separate stories into an interlocking narrative that unfolds across Long Angeles. Featuring an enviable ensemble of stars (including Lily Tomlin, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Lemmon, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr., and Tom Waits), ‘Short Cuts’ is an indelible portrait of the City of Angels.
‘Heavenly Creatures’ (dir. Peter Jackson, 1994)

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Peter Jackson’s ‘mature’ breakthrough after releasing several cult classic (and brilliant) splatter horror movies, ‘Heavenly Creatures’ is still one of the director’s best. A vivid mix of psychological drama and fantasy, the film tells the story of Pauline Parker and Juliet Holme, two teen girls who in 1954 murdered Parker’s mother. Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet star as the two girls, and their performances as young virtual unknowns remain some of the stars’ most indelible and heartbreaking work to this day.
‘Crash’ (dir. David Cronenberg, 1996)

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It’s a crime that the only ‘Crash’ you can watch easily on streaming is the infamous 2004 Oscar winner. Not when David Cronenberg’s ‘Crash’ is quite possibly the Canadian auteur’s masterpiece, a slick and unforgettable look at sexuality and connection that wraps its probing questions behind a lurid premise. Deborah Kara Unger and James Spader star as the central couple, whose passionless sex life is reignited when they become involved with a cult-like group that derives sexual pleasure from car crashes. Featuring memorable performances from its entire ensemble and scenes that are both disturbing and unquestionably hot, Cronenberg’s film is a fascinating look at the relationship between pleasure and pain.
‘Happiness’ (dir. Todd Solondz, 1998)

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Controversial but highly acclaimed upon release, ‘Happiness’ has gone years without a streaming home. This is a shame, because more should be familiar with Todd Solondz’s acidic comedy, one of the best indie films of its decade. Loosely following the lives of three adult sisters and their loved ones living in New Jersey, the film features a game cast — including Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Dylan Baker, Jarred Harris, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Jane Adams — playing troubled souls, from pedophilic fathers to perverted creeps. Solondz’s film doesn’t just push buttons for buttons sake, instead offering surprising empathy for these screwed-up freaks and their quest to find love. Hopefully, the movie’s upcoming physical release via the Criterion Collection portends a streaming premiere for the film in the near future.
‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ (dir. Michael Patrick Jann, 1999)

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One of the funniest, most quotable teen films of its decade, ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ is a cult favorite that’s frustratingly hard to track down online. Set in the world of small-town beauty pageants, the mockumentary focuses on the efforts of the competitors to get the crown, which go from cutthroat to legitimately deadly. Lona Williams’ script for the film is fresh, hilarious, and skewering in its look at the pageant world, and the cast is loaded with iconic actresses doing hilarious work: Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Brittany Murphy, Allison Janney, Denise Richards, Kirstie Alley, and even a young Amy Adams in her first onscreen role.
’28 Days Later’ (dir. Danny Boyle, 2002)

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With a sequel set to come out next year, don’t be surprised if ’28 Days Later’ gets back to streaming sooner or later. But for now, it’s impossible to watch the defining zombie movie of the 21st century without looking for a DVD. Directed by Danny Boyle from Alex Garland’s Hollywood breakthrough script, ’28 Days Later’ revolutionized zombie apocalypse cinema through its action-packed script, fast and deadly depiction of the walking dead, and smart character-driven drama. Add in a career-making performance from Cillian Murphy, and you have a classic.
‘The Intruder’ (2004)

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Even by Claire Denis’ standards, ‘The Intruder’ is an elliptical, withholding journey, one that keeps you at a distance before suddenly coming in for the kill. Michel Subor, in a nearly wordless performance, plays an ex-mercenary suffering from a heart condition who abandons everything to spend his last few days on a trip to Tahiti to track down a son he never knew. It’s a difficult but rewarding story of morality and connection that ranks among Denis’ best.

The 20 Best Movies Currently Not Streaming Anywhere: ‘Near Dark,’ ‘The Intruder,’ and More

Wilson Chapman

‘Love Me Tonight’ (dir. Rouben Mamoulian, 1932)

‘Rebecca’ (dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1940)

‘The Tarnished Angels’ (dir. Douglas Sirk, 1957)

‘Sleuth’ (dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1972)

‘The Heartbreak Kid’ (dir. Elaine May, 1972)

‘Pink Flamingos’ (dir. John Waters, 1972)

‘Silkwood’ (dir. Mike Nichols, 1983)

‘To Live and Die In L.A.’ (dir. William Friedkin, 1985)

‘The Brave Little Toaster’ (dir. Jerry Rees, 1987)

‘Hotel Terminus’ (dir. Marcel Ophuls, 1988)

‘Wild at Heart’ (dir. David Lynch, 1990)

‘Pump Up the Volume’ (dir. Allan Moyle, 1990)

‘Flirting’ (dir. John Duigan, 1991)

‘Short Cuts’ (dir. Robert Altman, 1993)

‘Heavenly Creatures’ (dir. Peter Jackson, 1994)

‘Crash’ (dir. David Cronenberg, 1996)

‘Happiness’ (dir. Todd Solondz, 1998)

‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ (dir. Michael Patrick Jann, 1999)

’28 Days Later’ (dir. Danny Boyle, 2002)

‘The Intruder’ (2004)

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