Whether it’s authentically ‘70s, or authentically looks ‘70s, disco in movies is always a trip. The clothes, the hair, the lights, the driving music, everything about the dance craze that sparked a cultural identity and defined a good part of the decade still looks great on screen. Acting sometimes as a light in an otherwise dark story, or a fun side-note from the main plot, disco still jives.

“American Hustle” (2013) — Inspired by the FBI Abscam operation in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the David O. Russell helmed venture features an all star cast including Christian Bale as Irv, a loan shark who falls for another scammer (Amy Adams). They’re caught by an FBI Agent (Bradley Cooper) and are forced to cooperate to bring down a New Jersey mayor (Jeremy Renner). Jennifer Lawrence stars as Irv’s jealous wife who’s tumultuous personality may bring them all down around her. Adams, Bale, Cooper and Lawrence were all nominated for acting Oscars for their performances that at times go over the top without much depth behind them, but mostly stay true to the outrageousness of the storyline. Stream it on Hulu with Live TV or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Boogie Nights” (1997) — While not straight-up disco, there are some great, continuous shots of a disco club, dancing and great disco tunes throughout the movie. However, this one is not for the faint of heart strictly because of the content. While not super graphic, the main premise of the movie is a young wannabe actor named Eddie (Mark Wahlberg) meets a big-time adult film director Jack (Burt Reynolds) who asks him to be in one of his films given his, uh, natural talent. Eddie changes his name to the more porn-appropriate moniker of Dirk Diggler and goes on to be the best in the biz. It is an adventurous look at Dirk’s life and the people in it as they navigate the changes of the 1970s and ‘80s California porn industry. Stream it on Showtime or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Car Wash” (1976) — A day in the life of a Los Angeles car wash in the mid-’70s featuring major cameos from comedy greats Richard Pryor, the Pointer Sisters and George Carlin. The main story follows the employes of the De-Lux car wash as they go about their shift washing and scrubbing the clean and dirty cars as they make their way through. With a few side plots thrown in the film is very much of its era and feels more like a time capsule than most other movies from the decade. The soundtrack is headed by the hit song of the same name by Rose Royce which was written for the film as well as a bop by the Pointer Sisters “You Gotta Believe.” Stream it on Starz or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Disco Grandfather” (1979) — The blaxploitation film from ‘70s icon Rudy Ray Moore may not be his best foray into the genre but at least it’s interesting. It feels like if you mixed reefer madness in with a kung fu-disco, this is what you’d get. Moore stars (as always) as Tucker Williams who goes by the stage name Disco Godfather. He’s a retired cop-turned nightclub owner who is on the hunt for whoever is selling PCP to the youths in his community including his nephew Bucky (Julius Carry), and he’ll stop at nothing to find them and bring them to justice. With a funky soundtrack throughout, Moore’s lavish wardrobe and delightfully cheesy acting is always a treat. Stream it on Tubi or IMDbTV or rent it from YouTube or Vudu.

“The Nice Guys” (2016) — The neo-noir flick starring Ryan Reynolds and Russell Crowe may have flown by without you noticing, but it is well worth checking out. Taking place in 1977, a private eye (Gosling) teams up with a guy who breaks people’s arms for a living (Crowe) to find a missing woman who is captured by some truly bad guys. Crowe and Gosling make an amazing duo and it is dripping in that ’70s tonality. Directed and co-written by Shane Black (“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “Iron Man 3”) it is a surprisingly good romp with two unlikely protagonists. Stream it on HBO Max/Go or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Saturday Night Fever” (1977) — The ultimate disco fever movie and one of the darkest to be made about the era while the fad was still in full swing. Starring the very young John Travolta in one of his three most recognizable roles (the others bein Danny in “Grease” and Vincent in “Pulp Fiction” thanks to dorm rooms everywhere) and probably his best as Tony Manero, a chauvinistic 19-year old Brooklynite who isn’t respected at home so he finds that admiration on the dancefloor at a disco. His moves are nearly flawless and he takes his dancing very seriously so much so that he dumps his maybe girlfriend Annette (Donna Pescow) for another more talented dancer, Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney) to dance with him in a competition. Full of the cream of the crop of disco hits and some stellar choreography with long scenes of the chaos on the dancefloor, the film is way darker in theme than you’d expect. Tackling abortion, abuse, violence and the fear of missing out on a dream, Travolta is nuanced and doesn’t veer too much into the shticks he knelt on as Vinnie Barbarino in “Welcome Back Kotter” or later in his career. Stream it on Starz or rent it from Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Studio 54” (2018) — A easily digestible doc on the “Mt. Olympus of Disco” as one reporter of the time dubbed it. The infamous New York night club catered to the rich and famous and anyone good looking enough to cross it’s velvet roped threshold. Inside along with the bumping disco tunes on the dance floor, patrons partook in all the other features of the era including free expression, sex, drugs and more. With interviews from co-founder Ian Schrager, promoters, attorneys, frequenters and prosecutors, the documentary paints a clear vision of the meteoric rise and devastating fall of the club synonymous with the ‘70s. Stream it on Netflix or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu or YouTube.

“Xanadu” (1980) — This movie has everything, roller skating disco, the Electric Light Orchestra, old Gene Kelly playing the clarinet, a random Don Bluth animated scene where people turn into fairies then turn into fish then back into fairies. The plot is a basic: boy meets actual muse (like a daughter of Zeus) who inspires him to quit his day job and open a club with a nice old man he just met all the while the boy and muse fall in love. There is way more in this movie than needs to be there, but who cares with some solid tunes from ELO and a neon Olivia Newton-John. Stream it on HBO Max/Go or rent it from Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu or YouTube.