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On December 14, 2025, renowned director Rob Reiner tragically passed away alongside his wife, Michele.
The beloved filmmaker was behind such cinema classics as Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, This Is Spinal Tap and A Few Good Men. Many fans are taking to social media to memorialize the director by talking about how much his movies meant to them.
As a tribute to the life and career of Hollywood’s greatest artists, Watch With Us is highlighting five essential movies from Reiner that you can watch right now on Netflix and Prime Video.
‘Stand by Me’ (1986)
This classic adaptation of Stephen King’s novella The Body sees a group of young boys forever linked by a gruesome discovery. After they learn that a stranger has been killed near their homes, four boys in rural Oregon decide to set out to find the body. Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Vern (Jerry O’Connell), Chris (River Phoenix) and Teddy (Corey Feldman) embark on a journey that will forever change their lives, as they learn more about one another than they ever realized.
Stand by Me features some fantastic storytelling and child performances from the lead cast, with that signature timeless directing skill from Reiner that helped shape the movie into an enduring classic. It portrays realistic relationships between kids and provides a thoughtful coming-of-age story that ruminates on the pains of adolescence.
Stream Stand by Me now on Netflix.
‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (2013)
Stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) became a Wall Street juggernaut in the 1990s, a true rags-to-riches story of a self-made millionaire. However, Belfort made millions by scamming people as an elite con artist, and his opulent life with wife Naomi (Margot Robbie) is made possible through lies and deceit. As the FBI starts closing in on him, Belfort finds that his own self-destructive tendencies may bring him down as well.
The Wolf of Wall Street happens to feature one of Rob Reiner’s funniest roles as Belfort’s father, Max Belfort, and he’s a true scene-stealer in every sense of the word. Line reads like “I don’t mind it” remind one why the director first got his start as a comedic actor before transitioning to the director’s chair.
Stream The Wolf of Wall Street now on Netflix.
‘When Harry Met Sally’ (1989)
Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) end up debating whether men and women can be platonic friends over a long car ride from Chicago to New York City. They go their separate ways, but fate seems to keep bringing them back together over the span of twelve years. Harry and Sally somehow manage to find one another through coincidental encounters, and they forge a friendship that becomes something more. Since Harry wants to keep his feelings from ruining things, will the two have a shot at love?
This creative tango between director Reiner and the great screenwriter Nora Ephron comes together in this beautiful and iconic rom-com that is often considered one of the best ever made. While Crystal and Ryan portray timeless chemistry, it’s hard to imagine what it would be like without Reiner’s guiding hand. In fact, the movie wouldn’t have had its happy ending if Reiner hadn’t met his future wife, Michele, while filming.
Stream When Harry Met Sally now on Prime Video with a STARZ subscription.
‘The American President’ (1995)
One of Reiner’s most underrated movies is The American President, an unabashedly old-fashioned romantic comedy that wasn’t afraid to raise then-topical political issues in its charming tale of an unexpected love affair. U.S. President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) has it all — he’s good at his job, his precocious pre-teen daughter adores him and he’s well-liked by everyone, even Republicans. He has everything he wants except what he desires the most — a companion.
When environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening) walks into his life, he thinks he’s found his second shot at love, but how will the American public react when they see their beloved leader dating someone with a mind of her own — and not afraid to speak it?
Rob Reiner and Michael Douglas in The American President Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.
Written by Aaron Sorkin, The American President is peak ’90s in the best possible way. Douglas and Bening generate real chemistry as two career-obsessed people who can’t help but fall in love with each other, and the stacked supporting cast, which includes Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox and Richard Dreyfuss, is outstanding. The American President was the blueprint for what later became The West Wing, but it’s also very much a Rob Reiner film — full of optimism, warmth and sharply observed humor.
Rent or purchase The American President on Prime Video.
‘Sleepless in Seattle’ (1993)
When recently widowed father Sam (Tom Hanks) is tricked by his son Jonah (Ross Malinger) to confess his feelings of loneliness on a radio talk show on Christmas Eve, he inadvertently becomes the object of pity and desire for thousands of women nationwide. One of those women, Annie (Meg Ryan), is intrigued enough to do some investigating to see if Sam is as good as he sounds. Turns out, he’s better — he’s Annie’s soulmate. But Annie is engaged, she lives thousands of miles away and Sam has no idea who she is. Can Annie overcome all those obstacles and embark on an affair to remember?
Sleepless in Seattle is Nora Ephron’s show, but she’s helped by a solid cast of established actors and newcomers who breathe life into her quirky material. One of those actors is Reiner, who plays Sam’s best friend, Jay. Jay is a classic Reiner supporting character — helpful when needed, but whose advice is always delivered with a punchline. When Jay asks his friend the last time he dated, Sam responds by saying his last date took place in 1978. “Things are a little bit different now,” Jay sarcastically responds.
Rob Reiner and Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
It’s a brief role, but it provides enough comedy and color to make the movie just a little bit better. That’s what Reiner brought to every movie and TV show he appeared in. From Postcards from the Edge with Meryl Streep to New Girl with Zooey Deschanel, Reiner was always a welcome presence, and he’ll be sorely missed as an actor and director.
Rent or purchase Sleepless in Seattle on Prime Video.
