Disco was an interesting fad in the 70s. It arose from a genre of music and turned into its own subculture. Disco is defined by its extravagant and sex appeal heavy fashions, with drug use and promiscuity becoming enmeshed in the lifestyle.
Many find that disco was a time of partying and decadence, with many who weren't there wishing they could have been a part of that hedonistic time. While nothing will ever come close to living in the disco era, there are some movies that give a really great glimpse into what it was like.
The Apple (1980)
A dystopian musical set in 1994, an innocent couple tries to break into the music industry only to be met with the dark side of the business in The Apple.
Despite taking place in the future (by 1980 standards), the movie embodies disco's aesthetic and over-the-top decadence. The costumes are glittery and styled after the popular disco fashions of the late 70s. Likewise, the film's portrayal of the dark side of the music industry takes inspiration from many disco clubs, especially Studio 54's, over-the-top decadence that saw every vice known to man being utilized by the clubgoers.
Can't Stop The Music (1980)
In this fictional retelling of the formation of the Village People, model Samantha tries to help her friend get a record deal by recruiting a policeman, a cowboy, a construction worker, a soldier, an American Indian, and a biker to form a proper group.
The Village People was a disco hit-making machine, spawning the hits "YMCA", "Macho Man", and "In the Navy", among others. Given the disco group's massive popularity, it was bound for them to be featured in a film in some way.
That's the Way of the World (1975)
Named after the album of the same name by the genre-spanning band, Earth, Wind, and Fire, That's the Way of the World follows a successful music producer (the talented Harvey Keitel) who is torn between business-minded record executives and his own standards when looking for the next big music sensation.
Earth, Wind, and Fire play the band that Keitel becomes interested in during the movie, which is fitting as the group had a multitude of hits, many of the disco genre. In one scene, Earth, Wind, and Fire are seen playing at a roller disco rink, can't really get more disco than that.
Disco Godfather (1979)
A Rudy Ray Moore film, one of the behemoths of the Blaxploitation genre, Disco Godfather follows an ex-cop tasked with stopping an angel dust producer. The film's fashions are next-level disco; the polyester budget of this movie must have been astronomical.
The film also makes full use of the popularity of discos at the time, centering the film's plot in a discotheque setting and showcasing the disco dancing style that was all the rage in the clubs of the era.
Xanadu (1980)
Sometimes labeled one of the worst movies of all time, this oft-maligned cult classic provides a snapshot of the disco craze. In Xanadu, an unsuccessful painter meets his muse in a Greek goddess that suggests to him that his destiny is to open a disco club called Xanadu.
The styling of the movie, as well as its settings, all scream of the disco era despite the film being released when disco took its last dying breath.
The Secret Disco Revolution (2012)
A documentary that looks at disco music and its effects through a social and political lens, The Secret Disco Revolution interviews many musicians of the disco environment in addition to academics' opinions on the genre.
The film posits that disco was a way of catalyzing advances for gender, racial, and LGBTQ equality in the late 70s. Interviewing disco stars like KC of KC and the Sunshine Band, "I Will Survive"'s Gloria Gaynor, and "Don't Leave Me This Way'"s Thelma Houston, the movie covers many different aspects of the disco period from different sides of the spectrum.
Roll Bounce (2005)
Roll Bounce captures a subsect of disco culture: roller disco. When their neighborhood roller rink closes, a grieving teen and his friends must skate at the more upscale rink where they sign up for a skating contest to prove themselves to their new rink, in 1978 Chicago, in Roll Bounce.
The film's soundtrack is a cornucopia of disco hits, from Chaka Khan, Kool and the Gang, Chic, and Donna Summer among many others. Further, the film masters roller disco fashion of the late 70s like hot pants, satin bomber jackets, and big hair.
Studio 54 (2018)
A documentary on the famed nightclub where disco reigned king and everyone from Andy Warhol to Dolly Parton to Grace Jones partied. The hotspot of New York City for the disco years of the late 70s, Studio 54 provides an inside look into the glitz and the glamour of the club.
The film covers the history of Studio 54 through the eyes of co-owner Ian Schrager, whose rapid rise and fall reflected the success of his club.
Thank God It's Friday (1978)
In a movie that is inarguably a time capsule of the 70s, Thank God It's Friday follows a Friday night at The Zoo, a disco club in Los Angeles, where the staff and clients meet to dance their cares away.
The movie shares a look at the club scene at the height of disco notoriety and fame. There are disco queens who dub the band Kiss as "kid stuff" while showing an aspiring disco singer, played by the real deal Donna Summer, in this day in the life comedy.
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
The seminal film on disco culture, Saturday Night Fever is about Tony's escape from his bleak future prospects and dysfunctional family by spending his nights in the disco. As a disco dancing competition looms overhead, Tony sees a chance for a way out of Brooklyn and to achieve his dreams of becoming a real dancer.
From the Bee Gee's soundtrack to the sharp disco fashions in addition to the very disco dance moves, the film captures disco culture from the point of view of its main character.