The 1980s was a decade filled with memorable movies that to this day remain classics. Films like The Terminator, Ghostbusters, The Goonies, and Die Hard are bona fide hits that many people deem their “comfort movies.” The ones they can watch over and over and will never tire of. There’s also a sci-fi classic on that list that some even call “the greatest movie ever made,” and now, it’s coming to Netflix along with its two sequels.
We’re talking, of course, about Back to the Future. Released on July 3, 1985, the Michael J. Fox sensation is one of those 80s movies that has managed to stand the test of time, and is still considered a favorite today. It’s bonkers premise of a teen accidentally sent back to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean shouldn’t have worked, but in the hands of director Robert Zemeckis and producer Steven Spielberg, it all came together beautifully to create a movie that to this day remains one of the benchmarks that all time-travel movies are measured against.
Also starring Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson, Back to the Future is one of those rare movies that united critics and audiences. It holds a 93% and 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many calling it not just one of the best movies ever made, but “the ultimate American summer blockbuster.” It’s hard to argue that point, especially when you consider that Back to the Future brought in an astounding $388 million four decades ago, which is equivalent to a little over a billion dollars in 2025. Part sci-fi, part comedy, and all fun, Back to the Future hits Netflix on November 1, and in case you forgot just how good it is, here’s the synopsis to remind you:
“In this 1980s sci-fi classic, small-town California teen Marty McFly (Fox) is thrown back into the ’50s when an experiment by his eccentric scientist friend Doc Brown (Lloyd) goes awry. Traveling through time in a modified DeLorean car, Marty encounters young versions of his parents (Glover and Thompson), and must make sure that they fall in love, or he’ll cease to exist. Even more dauntingly, Marty has to return to his own time and save the life of Doc Brown.”
‘Back to the Future’ Parts II & III Are Also Coming to Streaming
Fans looking to sit down and watch the franchise in its entirety don’t have to worry, because not only is Back to the Future coming to Netflix next month, but so are its two sequels. Released in 1989 and 1990, respectively, they were shot back to back with one another. While the merits of the two films were questioned by critics at the time, both have gone on to become revered favorites today.
Some have even gone so far as to call Back to the Future Part II one of the greatest sequels ever made, and Part III is deemed by many to be a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Thankfully, the series remains untouched by any reboots or remakes, and we expect it to stay that way based on comments made by everyone from screenwriter Bob Gale to Zemeckis himself, who said in the past that “it just isn’t in the cards.”
- Release Date
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July 3, 1985
- Runtime
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116 minutes
- Director
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Robert Zemeckis
- Producers
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Bob Gale, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Neil Canton
- Sequel(s)
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Back to the Future Part II, Back to the Future Part III