Ranking the greatest movies of all time: It’s not personal. It’s strictly business. But any publication not elevating The Godfatherto the top of their list might want to rethink a fate of sleeping with the fishes.
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Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and released in March 1972, the film is widely celebrated as a cinematic masterpiece—one that fundamentally changed the film industry and pop culture by turning the once-lowbrow gangster genre into an epic Shakespearean-worthy tragedy.
Even if the infamous Corleone saga doesn’t rank No. 1 on every editorial film list, like it does on Rotten Tomatoes’ definitive roundup, it’s at least somewhere near the top. Which makes the following news all that much sweeter.
According to a press release via Pluto TV, the premier streamer is unleashing what it’s calling Americana 2026, a limited-time streaming event encompassing 250 films that “feel like home,” all in celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday. Kicking off today, June 29, The Godfather, The Godfather II, and hundreds more titles are now available to stream for free on the Paramount-owned platform.
“At the heart of the celebration is a collection of 250 films arriving on Pluto TV this month, spanning the people, places, historical moments, and filmmakers that helped shape American cinema,” the press release reads. “The lineup crisscrosses the country and the decades, bringing together stories rooted in American history, music, sports, ambition, family and community.”
The streamer added, “That includes films like Marshall, Drumline, Bull Durham, Top Gun: Maverick, Steel Magnolias, and Friday, alongside works from some of the industry’s most influential voices, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Sofia Coppola, and Ava DuVernay.”
Check out the full list here.
Then, get started with Coppola’s epic Corleone dynasty starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton. Winner of three Academy Awards, the birthplace of the cinematic antihero, and the rare film whose sequel is often considered even better than the original, The Godfather for free is an offer no movie fan should refuse.
Related: Box-Office Flop Pulls Off Stunning Comeback as No. 1 Movie on Streaming