K-9 – Picture: Universal Pictures
One of the Netflix criticisms we see the most (there are many) is that Netflix doesn’t have enough older movies. Indeed, looking through our library pages, you can see very few titles released before the 1990s currently streaming—21 movies from the 80s, five from the 60s, etc., and 0 for the 1950s. When you consider Netflix has a library of over 7,000 titles, that’s quite a poor showing.
Important Note: This article is only for Netflix in the United States, but for other countries, lineups will vary.
Why aren’t there more classic movies on Netflix? That’s a story for another day it’s not any singular reason. It can sometimes be an issue with rights with the individual movies where contracts don’t have provisions for digital distribution, requiring renegotiation. Older films can have complicated ownership structures whereby they may be split between different entities (e.g., studios, distributors, estates of deceased creators), making negotiations more difficult.
From Netflix’s side, there’s the issue of many of these movies not generating much viewership. If you look at the Netflix Engagement Reports (use our helpful search tool here), you’ll see that many only generate a few hundred thousand views over the course of two years, and even the best performers pick up low seven digital views. There are many caveats there (global availability, length of licenses), but either way, when you compare it to newer movies, you can see why they’re reluctant to license more. Having said that, Netflix last year ran a Milestone Collection marketing stunt throughout the year that saw movies celebrating their anniversaries added to the service.
We’ve learned that the first of the month (when many third-party movie licenses come up for renewal) in April will be busy with new titles. Many are returning titles, and we’ll include when they were last seen on Netflix below.
What’s on the way on April 1st? Let’s take a look:
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Bonnie and Clyde, a two-time Oscar winner, will be re-added to Netflix (it was last available three years ago, in 2022), quite literally increasing Netflix’s 1960s library by 25%. The R-rated movie from the late 60s tells the story of a young couple who are in love and on the run during a bullet-riddled bank robbery spree across Depression-ravaged America.
Once you’re done with this classic, we’d recommend a rewatch of The Highwaymen, a movie that sees the police officers who were on the trail of the notorious duo.
Conan the Destroyer (1984)
It’s never a bad time to revisit an Arnold Schwarzenegger classic but Netflixers will definitely want to revisit this year given that FUBAR is soon returning for its second season. Although there’s been talks for years about a sequel, there are no concrete plans right now.
One retrospective review of the movie points out that while the sequel isn’t quite as good as the first movie, it still “musters some fun and some cool visuals,” adding, “it stands as a solid popcorn muncher.”
Netflix has picked up the movie for four months for the past few years, like clockwork on April 1st. It first happened in 2023, again in 2024, and now again in 2025. Sadly, it’s never the case that the first movie is added to Netflix at the same time, with the first movie usually arriving, again like clockwork every year, in the summer.
Field of Dreams (1989)
Released 36 years ago (yes, time flies), Kevin Costner and Amy Madigan appeared as Ray and Annie Kinsella in this fantasy drama that saw one man told by a mysterious voice to turn his cornfield into a baseball diamond field that allows spirits to play. Although on paper, this film seems like it could be a car crash with a crazy plot, it’s completely endearing and charming, with the film’s message and story aging beautifully, providing a real-time capsule for the late 80s and early 90s.
We should also mention that another Costner favorite, Draft Day, is also scheduled to hit Netflix in the US on the first of the month. The star has been rocking Netflix charts around the globe as of late with Yellowstone dominating in international territories and his Western opus, Horizon, performing well over Christmas in the United States.
K-9 (1989)
Featuring the great James Belushi, who is sadly not on our screens much anymore, K-9 is a true icon and all-time greats of the buddy cop comedy genre. The plot revolves around cop Michael Dooley and his new partner, a dog named Jerry Lee, going on the hunt to find a drug dealer. While most working dogs are well-behaved, the same can’t be said for Dooley’s four-legged friend…
For Love of the Game (1999)
Sticking with Kevin Costner (and indeed baseball), Netflix is adding, for the first time from our records, the drama that was released just before the turn of the millennium and was one of the films from Sam Raimi just ahead of his stint directing the Spider-Man films.
The plot is about an aging baseball pitcher reflecting on his career and personal life during what could be his final game. The film received mixed reviews upon its release. While some praised Costner’s performance and the baseball sequences, others felt the romantic subplot was less compelling.
Picture: Universal Pictures
The Breakfast Club (1985)
To my great shame, I’ve never seen The Breakfast Club, and perhaps its re-addition to Netflix in its fortieth anniversary year will finally be the trigger I need to jump in. A cult classic, the comedy, directed by John Hughes, features a stellar cast lineup. The plot revolves around five students reporting in for an all-day detention.
That’s not all – Netflix is also adding these favorites:
- Psycho (1960)
- Rooster Cogburn (1975)
- Smokey and the Bandit and Smokey and the Bandit II
It’s important to note that these movies will almost certainly not stick around for long (most licenses tend only to last a few months), so keep an eye on our removal lists for when they’ll be departing.
We’re still waiting for the complete rundown of all the new movies, series, and games scheduled to drop throughout April, but until then, we’re tracking what has been announced in our monthly preview.
Rating: TV-MA
