What better way to make my audience feel old than by sharing a list of movies that turn a certain age in 2026? Each year, I watch TikTok videos or read articles about turning a certain age and feel old. My fellow MCDI writer Matthew Fox does rewind reviews that knock it out of the ballpark. Those lists inspired me to share the list of movies turning FIFTY, yes FIFTY years old in 2026. 

The year was 1976, and Sylvester Stallone was on his way to making the first movie in his storied career that went on to take home Best Picture and Director at the 49th Academy Awards for Rocky. The number one song of 1976 (according to Billboard) was “Silly Love Songs” by Wings. Grab the popcorn, and let’s dive into the list.

Movies Turning 50 in 2026

Rocky

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), a small-time boxer from working-class Philadelphia, is arbitrarily chosen to take on the reigning world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), when the undefeated fighter’s scheduled opponent is injured. While training with feisty former bantamweight contender Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), Rocky tentatively begins a relationship with Adrian (Talia Shire), the wallflower sister of his meat-packer pal Paulie (Burt Young).

Carrie

In this chilling adaptation of Stephen King’s horror novel, withdrawn and sensitive teen Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) faces taunting from classmates at school and abuse from her fanatically pious mother (Piper Laurie) at home. When strange occurrences start happening around Carrie, she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers. Invited to the prom by the empathetic Tommy Ross (William Katt), Carrie tries to let her guard down, but things eventually take a dark and violent turn.

A Star Is Born

A rock star on the decline, John Norman Howard has given in to drugs and excessive drinking, and his music has suffered as a result. Wandering into a club one night, John watches singer Esther Hoffman perform and is smitten. The two begin dating, and soon John lets Esther take the spotlight during his concerts. However, even as Esther finds fame and success with her singing, John continues his downward spiral.

All The President’s Men

Two green reporters and rivals working for the Washington Post, Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman), research the botched 1972 burglary of the Democratic Party Headquarters at the Watergate apartment complex. With the help of a mysterious source, code-named Deep Throat (Hal Holbrook), the two reporters make a connection between the burglars and a White House staffer. Despite dire warnings about their safety, the duo follows the money all the way to the top.

Taxi Driver

Suffering from insomnia, disturbed loner Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) takes a job as a New York City cabbie, haunting the streets nightly, growing increasingly detached from reality as he dreams of cleaning up the filthy city. When Travis meets pretty campaign worker Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), he becomes obsessed with the idea of saving the world, first plotting to assassinate a presidential candidate, then directing his attentions toward rescuing 12-year-old prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster).

Network

In this lauded satire, veteran news anchorman Howard Beale (Peter Finch) discovers that he’s being put out to pasture, and he’s none too happy about it. After threatening to shoot himself on live television, instead he launches into an angry televised rant, which turns out to be a huge ratings boost for the UBS network. This stunt allows ambitious producer Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) to develop even more outrageous programming, a concept that she takes to unsettling extremes.

Bound For Glory

The Dust Bowl overtakes his native Oklahoma in the early 1930s, and struggling young musician Woody Guthrie (David Carradine) leaves his wife, Mary (Melinda Dillon), to join the great westward migration to southern California. When he meets singer and union agitator Ozark Bule (Ronny Cox), Guthrie finds his populist political voice — but at the expense of his personal life. Director Hal Ashby adapted this biopic from Guthrie’s 1943 autobiography of the same title.

Even more movies: Black Shampoo, Bugsy Malone, Cannonball, Car Wash, King Kong, Marathon Man