Some movies are so great and timeless that they endure for decades and earn generations of fans. Even as several new movies are released each year, there are plenty of classic titles that still resonate with viewers thanks to compelling storytelling, fantastic performances, or innovative filmmaking techniques. For proof, one only has to look at a list of the best movies from the 1970s. Some 50 years later, audiences still enjoy watching memorable works like Jaws, Star Wars, Alien, Taxi Driver, and Dog Day Afternoon. This decade produced some of the best movies of all time, and arguably the best of the bunch is now a big streaming hit.
According to FlixPatrol, which measures the popularity of titles on various streaming services, The Godfather is now the No. 8 movie on Paramount+. It ranked ahead of The Contractor and Old Guy to earn that place on the streamer’s chart. Today, February 17th, is the first day it ranked in Paramount’s top 10.
Why The Godfather Is a Streaming Hit on Paramount+
There’s never a bad time to watch The Godfather, which is widely considered to be one of the most influential movies ever made. Winner of Best Picture back in 1972 (among many other accolades), its engrossing tale of life in organized crime continues to captivate to this day. The Godfather tells a thematically rich story about America through the eyes of the mafia, crafting a fascinating and unique perspective that set a new benchmark for the crime genre. The film’s legendary narrative is why it remains such a favorite all these years later, but there’s a more somber reason for its recent surge on the streaming charts.
The Godfather star Robert Duvall recently passed away at age 95. He portrayed Tom Hagen, consigliere and lawyer for the Corleone family, in the first two Godfather films. Over the course of his remarkable career, Duvall racked up an impressive list of credits, but The Godfather is still one of his most popular roles. Looking to celebrate the legendary actor, many Godfather fans decided to cue the film up as a tribute to Duvall. The Godfather will likely stay on Paramount+’s top 10 for the next few days as more people watch it.
Duvall is characteristically excellent in The Godfather, but the film boasts several other standout performances that make it worth watching. Though he had a few acting credits under his belt before, The Godfather was the coming out party for Al Pacino, who announced himself as an incredible talent with his standout turn as Michael Corleone. Though Pacino was nominated alongside Duvall for Best Supporting Actor, Michael is essentially the heart of the picture, as the story chronicles his slow corruption and rise to power. Pacino does an excellent job of selling audiences on the character’s transformation, setting the stage for arguably an even greater performance in The Godfather Part II.
James Caan and Marlon Brando earned The Godfather‘s other acting nominations (Brando won for playing the iconic Vito Corleone), so the performances are stellar across the board. If, for some reason, you haven’t seen The Godfather, now is the perfect time to cross it off your watchlist. Though the film is three hours long, the run time flies by thanks to Francis Ford Coppola’s exemplary direction that always keeps the story moving forward at a great pace. There’s a reason why The Godfather still holds up more than five decades later, and it’s easy to see why Paramount+ subscribers are checking it out.
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