The article highlights ten films from the 1970s that it argues deserve greater recognition, presenting them as overlooked masterpieces rather than mainstream classics. It matters chiefly as a set of viewing recommendations, drawing attention to ambitious cinema from a decade often defined by more familiar titles and directors.

The selections span international and American filmmaking, including dramas, thrillers, comedies and genre films. The list features works such as *The Long Goodbye*, *The Conversation*, *The Wicker Man*, *Aguirre, the Wrath of God*, *The Last Detail*, *Don’t Look Now*, *Days of Heaven*, *The Passenger*, *Wake in Fright* and *The Friends of Eddie Coyle*.