It’s not often that streaming viewers dust off a small-town romance from the late ’80s, but that’s exactly what’s happening with “Mystic Pizza” — a 1988 rom-com that’s enjoying a quiet resurgence at the moment. Directed by Donald Petrie, the movie follows three young women navigating love, work, and friendship in a picturesque Connecticut town, with much of the action centered around the local pizza shop. Julia Roberts, just a few years shy of becoming America’s sweetheart, stars alongside Annabeth Gish, Lili Taylor, and Vincent D’Onofrio. And in a fun bit of trivia, a teenage Matt Damon makes his first-ever film appearance here — an appearance so quick you might miss it.
According to data from FlixPatrol, “Mystic Pizza” is currently the 8th most-watched movie on Tubi, the free, ad-supported streaming service. And its resurgence here is arguably a reminder that nostalgia, feel-good storytelling, and the novelty of revisiting the work of future Hollywood stars in their earliest roles can still draw in audiences. Even when we’re talking about a movie from almost four decades ago.
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Matt Damon posing at an event – lev radin/Shutterstock
Another thing that makes “Mystic Pizza’s” resurgence so interesting is that it was never a massive box office hit in its day — instead, it built a slow-burn reputation as a cable and VHS staple through the ’90s. In the movie, Julia Roberts brings the familiar spark that would later define her career, while Annabeth Gish and Lili Taylor balance the cast with warmth and depth. Then there’s the trivia factor: Matt Damon’s tiny role as a preppy kid at a family dinner scene has become a fun bit of Hollywood history.
As for the movie’s current streaming home, Tubi isn’t talked about as often as a service like Netflix or Prime Video. Nevertheless, it’s carved out a unique place in the crowded market by offering thousands of movies and TV shows completely free, supported by ads. That accessibility, combined with an appetite for comfort viewing that never really goes away, is likely fueling “Mystic Pizza’s” climb up the charts. For viewers, it’s a chance to revisit (or, as so often happens with streamers, a chance to discover for the first time) a sweet rom-com that proves some kinds of cinema don’t ever go out of style. For what it’s worth, the movie is also still holding on to a solid 78% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 27 reviews.
“‘Mystic Pizza’ is like its namesake food,” reads the Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus. “It’s cheesy, topped with romance, and rises to the occasion.”
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