You're Not A Movie Fan If You Haven't Seen This Classic Epic Streaming On Netflix

Many Netflix original movies are great, but the streaming service also has other films — including classics that stand head and shoulders above the rest. In fact, at the moment, the platform is home to one of the absolute must-watch films that everyone should see before they can call themselves a movie buff. The film we're talking about is the all-time epic "Lawrence of Arabia." The 1962 movie is a common sight on lists of the best movies of all time, and for good reason.

Ambitious in both storytelling and scope, "Lawrence of Arabia" is adored by both critics and audiences. Even Steven Spielberg has described this epic as a major miracle, due to the powerful impact it had on him when he viewed it as a youngster. That, alone, is recommendation enough to queue up this masterpiece on Netflix — and it doesn't hurt that "Lawrence of Arabia" fully lives up to its reputation as one of the greatest films in the history of cinema.

Directed by David Lean, produced by Sam Spiegel, and written by Robert Bold and Michael Wilson, "Lawrence of Arabia" is based on the true story of the World War I-era activities of British multi-hyphenate T. E. Lawrence. As the movie depicts, Lieutenant Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) serves as the British liaison to Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness) — spelled "Feisal" in the movie — the future King of Iraq and an influential figure in that period's Arab rebellion against the Turks. Though disliked by the British due to his unruly nature, Lawrence's openness and cultural awareness win Faisal over, and the lieutenant becomes a respected key figure in the prince's operations.

It's a big story, and the movie matches its scale. "Lawrence of Arabia" was immediately recognized as an exceptional work: It won seven Academy Awards, including best picture and best director. Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif (who plays Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish) also received Oscar nominations for their performances. To this day, the movie remains so revered and ubiquitous in popular culture that even "Better Call Saul" features nods at "Lawrence of Arabia." If you've managed to miss the movie so far, you can now easily watch it on Netflix to see what the fuss is all about.