There are some great options for what to watch in movie theaters this weekend — I particularly enjoyed F1: The Movie but M3GAN 2.0 is also new — or at home, including my five favorite movies of 2025 so far. But if there’s one movie that you should absolutely stream this weekend it is Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, which celebrates its 100th birthday on June 26.
Charlie Chaplin is one of the most iconic figures in movie history, best known for his character simply known as the Little Tramp. While also responsible for undisputed classics like The Kid, City Lights and Modern Times, The Gold Rush is arguably Chaplin’s best movie featuring some of his most iconic moments.
And you can stream The Gold Rush right now for free on Prime Video, or on subscription streaming services Max or The Criterion Channel. The movie is also streaming on Prime Video in the UK, though a subscription is required.
The Gold Rush sees the Little Tramp head to the snowy Klondike where he seeks his fortune in the hidden gold mines. However, before he can do that he must overcome the harsh weather, dangerous animals, other prospectors and loneliness.
Even if you’ve never seen The Gold Rush, you may be at least casually familiar with some of its most iconic bits. The most well known are the dancing bread rolls and Chaplin using shoe laces as a substitute for spaghetti. But there’s plenty more humor and beauty in the movie that is absolutely worth discovering.
If you’re really lucky, maybe there is a special screening of The Gold Rush at a local movie theater in your area on June 26, as screenings are taking place across the world to honor the movie’s 100th birthday. Yet for all my internet sleuthing, I could only find one confirmed screening in the US, at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles, where The Gold Rush was first shown on June 26, 1925. Here’s a trailer for the 4K restoration:
But thankfully The Gold Rush is readily available on streaming for the rest of us.
Now you might be asking, “what’s so great about watching a silent movie?” Watching a silent movie is truly a different experience than watching a movie today. Because you can’t just listen to the dialogue as you scroll on your phone and get the gist of the plot, you have to pay attention to what’s on the screen to understand. And Chaplin was a master storyteller in this format, serving as writer, director and editor on The Gold Rush.
I promise if you give your time and attention to The Gold Rush, you won’t be disappointed.
Stream The Gold Rush on Prime Video in the US and UK; also streaming on Max and The Criterion Channel in the US.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
