Netflix movie of the day: Back To The Future is still a brilliant blast from the past

Here's a terrifying thing: the time between today and the release of Back To The Future in 1985 is longer than the amount of time Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) had to reverse in order to return to the small town America of the 1950s. 

Back to the Future is arguably the ultimate American blockbuster, a mix of comedy and adventure with a strong dose of nostalgia – although not everybody liked that latter part; legendary critic Pauline Kael slammed its "willing complicity in the continuing glorification of the '50s". She had a point, but the movie remains beloved for its central storyline and a winning performance by Fox, one of America's favorite actors. Although it spawned sequels the original is by far the best in the series, which is why we rate among the best Netflix movies.

• Watch Back to the Future on Netflix

Why it's worth going back to Back to the Future

The movie is probably darker than you remember: I know that when I watched it with my kids fairly recently I was surprised by the disappointment of the older characters and the contrast with their younger, more optimistic selves. As the Washington Post put it: "For all its comedy, Back to the Future is about a kid coming to terms with his parents' inadequacies, a moment familiar to everyone, and the fulcrum in growing up."

But you don't need to be a fan of existential despair or parental disillusionment to enjoy rewatching this movie. As the Austin American-Statesman said at the time, it was "the first unadulterated pleasure of the summer. Back to the Future is a kick-off-your-shoes, settle-back-in-the-seat movie of abundant humor, boundless energy, and a relentlessly good heart".

"Back to the Future has an irresistible playfulness," The Age said. And the Village Voice found echoes of two other American classics. "This sci-fi blending of American Graffiti and It’s a Wonderful Life is the kind of movie that, try as you might to avoid it, you'll end up ingesting by osmosis anyway." 

It's "superbly put together, an absolute classic.... an imaginative story filled with heart and humour," says the BBC, while Time Out said in a retrospective that it was "every bit as classy, clever and cockle-warming as it was 30 years ago". "Just sign on for the trip," recommends People Magazine. "Back to the Future offers the summer's most dazzling joyride."

You might also like

• 13 AMC shows are coming to Netflix
• 3 Netflix shows with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
• Netflix is turning Blumhouse TV’s true crime hit into a franchise