Finding out where to watch Licorice Pizza shouldn't feel as complicated as navigating a 1970s San Fernando Valley waterbed business, but streaming rights are a fickle thing. One day a movie is on Netflix; the next, it's vanished into the ether of premium cable licensing. Paul Thomas Anderson’s sun-drenched, chaotic, and oddly touching 2021 masterpiece is currently floating between a few different platforms depending on whether you want to pay a flat subscription fee or just shell out a few bucks for a one-time rental.
It's a weird movie. Honestly. If you haven't seen it yet, you're in for a trip that doesn't follow a standard three-act structure. It’s more of a vibe. Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman (son of the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman) have this electric, frustrating, and deeply human chemistry that carries the film through high-speed truck chases and encounters with a terrifyingly high-strung Bradley Cooper.
The Best Places to Stream Licorice Pizza Currently
Right now, if you are looking for where to watch Licorice Pizza without paying an extra rental fee, your best bet is MGM+. Since MGM was acquired by Amazon, a lot of their library has shifted over there. You can access MGM+ as a standalone app or as an add-on channel through Amazon Prime Video. It’s annoying to have another sub, I know. But they usually offer a seven-day free trial if you just want to binge this and maybe catch up on Billy the Kid or Pennyworth before canceling.
If you aren't an MGM+ subscriber, you aren't totally out of luck. The movie frequently rotates onto Prime Video for standard members in various international territories, but in the US, it’s currently gated behind that MGM+ paywall.
Sometimes it pops up on Paramount+ due to legacy deals with Showtime, but those windows are closing fast as Paramount consolidates its branding. It’s always worth a quick search on your TV's universal search bar, but as of this week, MGM+ is the primary home.
Buying vs. Renting: Which Makes More Sense?
Look, some movies are "one and done." Licorice Pizza isn't really one of them. It's the kind of film you put on a Sunday afternoon when you just want to feel the warmth of a California summer. Because the streaming rights jump around so much, buying it digitally is often the smarter move for PTA fans.
You can find it on all the usual suspects:
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- Apple TV (iTunes): Usually has the best bit-rate and includes some decent digital extras.
- Amazon Prime Video: Convenient if you already live in the Amazon ecosystem.
- Google Play / YouTube Movies: Reliable, though the interface for extras is basically non-existent.
- Vudu (Fandango at Home): Often runs sales where you can snag it for $7.99 or $9.99.
Rentals typically run about $3.99 to $5.99. If you buy it, you’re looking at $14.99 on average. Honestly? If you see it for under ten bucks, just buy it. You'll want to rewatch the scene where Bradley Cooper's Jon Peters threatens a gas station attendant more than once. It’s cinematic gold.
Why This Movie Is So Hard to Pin Down
There is a specific reason why you might struggle with where to watch Licorice Pizza compared to a Marvel movie or a Netflix original. United Artists Releasing handled the distribution, and their deals are fragmented. Unlike Disney+, which owns everything under its umbrella forever, mid-budget prestige dramas like this get sold off in "windows."
First, it hits theaters. Then, "Premium Video on Demand" (the $20 rentals). Then, standard digital sales. Finally, it hits a pay-TV window (like MGM+ or HBO).
We are currently in that long-tail window where it moves between boutique streaming services. It’s not "content" designed to sit on a landing page forever; it's a piece of cinema that moves where the licensing checks are fattest. This is why physical media is actually making a comeback among Paul Thomas Anderson purists. The Blu-ray won't disappear because a contract expired.
The Bradley Cooper Factor and "The Vibe"
The reason people keep searching for this movie years after its release isn't just the "where." It's the "what." The film captures a very specific moment in 1973. The oil crisis. The transition from the hippie era into something more cynical and commercial.
Bradley Cooper’s cameo as the real-life producer Jon Peters is arguably the funniest thing he’s ever done. He’s on screen for maybe fifteen minutes, but he dominates the entire memory of the film for many viewers. Then you have Sean Penn showing up as a surrogate for William Holden, doing motorcycle stunts and being generally intense. It’s a series of vignettes tied together by the gravitational pull of Alana and Gary.
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Is it on Netflix or Hulu?
The short answer is no. Not in the United States.
Netflix rarely carries Paul Thomas Anderson's newer work because they didn't produce it and they don't want to pay the high licensing fees for a "niche" title when they can spend that money on Stranger Things. Hulu occasionally gets MGM titles, but Licorice Pizza hasn't made its way there yet in 2026.
If you are using a VPN, you might find it on different services in the UK or Canada (it occasionally hits Crave in Canada or Amazon Prime's base tier in other regions), but for US-based viewers, you're stuck with the MGM+ or the "Buy/Rent" options.
A Note on Physical Media
If you're a cinephile, you probably care about grain. Paul Thomas Anderson shot this on 35mm film using vintage lenses to get that specific flares-and-smudges look. Streaming compression—even on 4K—kills a lot of that texture.
The Blu-ray of Licorice Pizza is surprisingly affordable now. It often includes a limited-edition poster or some behind-the-scenes footage of the cast learning to drive those massive delivery trucks. If you have a decent home theater setup, the physical disc blows the streaming version out of the water in terms of audio depth and visual clarity.
Common Misconceptions About the Film
Some people skip the movie because they hear about the age gap between the two leads. It’s a valid thing to be curious about. Gary is 15, and Alana is 25. But the movie isn't "approving" of a romantic relationship in a traditional sense. It’s more about two people who are both "stuck"—Gary is a kid trying to be an adult, and Alana is an adult who doesn't know how to grow up.
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It’s awkward. It’s supposed to be. The film treats their connection as a strange, lightning-in-a-bottle moment in time rather than a standard Hollywood romance. Understanding that context makes the viewing experience a lot more rewarding and a lot less confusing.
How to Get the Best Viewing Experience
If you've finally found where to watch Licorice Pizza and you're sitting down to press play, do yourself a favor: turn off the lights. This isn't a "second screen" movie where you scroll through TikTok while it plays. The sound design is incredible—lots of David Bowie, The Doors, and Nina Simone.
- Check your MGM+ subscription status or look for a trial.
- If you don't want another sub, rent it on Apple TV for the highest bitrate.
- Turn off "Motion Smoothing" on your TV. This movie is meant to look like film, not a soap opera.
- Grab a drink, settle in, and don't worry about the plot. Just follow the characters.
The movie ends as abruptly as a summer night, leaving you with a weird sense of nostalgia for a time and place you probably never actually lived through. That’s the magic of it.
Practical Steps for Your Watchlist
Start by checking your existing Amazon Prime account to see if you have any "No-Rush Shipping" credits. These can often be applied toward a digital rental or purchase of the film, sometimes making it effectively free. If you're a student, check if your university provides access to Kanopy. While Licorice Pizza isn't always on there, many A24 and MGM prestige titles rotate through that free-with-a-library-card service.
Lastly, if you're planning a PTA marathon, remember that his other films like The Master and There Will Be Blood are often scattered across different services like Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Mapping out your "watch path" ahead of time saves you twenty minutes of scrolling through menus when you should be watching the opening credits. Keep an eye on the "Leaving Soon" sections of your apps at the end of every month; that’s usually when these high-value titles swap platforms.
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