Netflix movie of the day: American Graffiti is a classic coming of age tale with a killer soundtrack

American Graffiti
(Image credit: Universal Studios)

Let's be honest. Not every movie on Netflix is a classic. But American Graffiti is deserving of the label: while George Lucas' later movies may be more famous – you may have heard of them; something about space battles and then a historian with a hat – it's a wonderful period piece about the end of teenage innocence. And it's got a great soundtrack too.

Why American Graffiti is a classic movie

Lucas' 1973 movie is deceptively simple: it follows a group of teenagers over the course of a single night in 1962 in Modesto, California. They cruise the main street, they go to the drive-through, they listen to Wolfman Jack on the radio and they do the kinds of things you do when you're a teenager with nothing to do. But as Roger Ebert explained, "the film’s buried structure shows an innocence in the process of being lost, and as its symbol Lucas provides the elusive blonde in the white Thunderbird -- the vision of beauty always glimpsed at the next intersection, the end of the next street."

The film was already nostalgic for a disappearing age when it was made in the early 70s, and it's even more of a period piece now. But time hasn't lessened its considerable charm, and while the soundtrack seems awfully polite – the setting predates the more raucous rock era that came later in the decade – it's still packed with great songs. 

This was the 1960s before the Kennedy assassination and US troops in Vietnam, and for Movie Nation it was Lucas' The Great Gatsby: "his statement on his generation, and looking back that as popular as his later works became, this was his masterpiece."

One of the things about American Graffiti is that it can make you nostalgic for an era you didn't live through, and a life that not everyone of that age at that time lived. As the Chicago Daily News wrote, "I'm not sure I would have enjoyed their way of life, but it's a great one to remember, even if you didn't live it yourself, and it makes American Graffiti the ultimate nostalgia movie -- certainly the best teen-myth movie since Rebel Without a Cause."

As a film from a certain era, with a different kind of pace and look, not everyone might put it among the best Netflix movies, but it's an iconic piece of movie history that everyone should see once.

You might also like…

Carrie Marshall
Contributor

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.

Read more
A still of Kate Hudson during the movie Almost Famous
Prime Video movie of the day: Almost Famous is a gorgeous, heartwarming coming of age movie that really rocks
Still from the movie Boyz n the Hood
Netflix movie of the day: Boyz n The Hood is a stunning coming of age movie with a sensational soundtrack
Anora sitting on Ivan's lap in a casino in her self-titled film, one of the best new Hulu movies in March 2025
5 new Prime Video movies with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes I think you should stream in March
Gromit (left) and Wallace (right) load up their van with wacky inventions in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Best Netflix movies: the 41 best films worth watching in March 2025
Michelle, Keats, and Doctor Amherst looking unimpressed and worried in The Electric State
New Netflix movies: every original film you can watch on the best streaming service in March 2025
The Ocean's Eleven line up
5 of the best free movies to stream on Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, and more this week (December 30)
Latest in Netflix
A still from Netflix's new miniseries Adolescence starring Stephen Graham
Adolescence is the best show on Netflix right now, and you can watch it in one evening
Sakata in Demon City holds a large cleaver-like weapon
Demon City on Netflix is Japan's answer to John Wick with a dash of Oldboy, and it rocks
Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror season 7
Netflix launches trailer for Black Mirror season 7, giving us a look at its first-ever sequel episode and an unexpected returning character
A woman holds a phone and looks concerned in Caught
Netflix drops an eerie trailer for a new Harlan Coben show – I just hope Caught is better than the author's previous TV adaptations
Nicole Kidman wears a blue blouse with her arms crossed.
Netflix might be renewing The Perfect Couple and Beauty in Black for season 2, but I don’t get why when it’s canceled shows with poorer ratings
Susan holding her baby in Toxic Town.
Netflix's #3 show has a flawless 100% on Rotten Tomatoes – here are 3 more powerful dramas to watch after Toxic Town
Latest in News
Panos Panay and Alexa Plus
Amazon's Panos Panay teases future Alexa+ devices from speakers to possible wearables
Metroid Prime 4
I reckon the Nintendo Switch 2 could launch with Metroid Prime 4 – here’s why
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
New rumors predict a foldable iPhone will launch next year – and cost almost twice as much as the iPhone 16 Pro Max
Pebble smartwatch countdown
Pebble confirms its smartwatch announcement is just hours away
Logo of YouTube Shorts
Is YouTube auto-playing Shorts when you open the app? Well, you’re not alone - here’s how to fix it
Google DeepMind panel discussion
“More sovereignty and protection” - Google goes all-in on UK AI with data residency, upskilling projects, and startup investments