West Side Story (1961): cast, story & where to watch
1961 · Film · ★ 7.3
Released in 1961, West Side Story is a drama, crime and romance film directed by Robert Wise, running about 151 minutes. “The screen achieves one of the great entertainments in the history of motion pictures.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. In the slums of the upper West Side of Manhattan, New York, a gang of Polish-American teenagers called the Jets compete with a rival gang of recently immigrated Puerto Ricans, the Sharks, to "own" the neighborhood streets. Tensions are high between the gangs but two romantics, one from each gang, fall in love leading to tragedy.
Who’s in it. West Side Story stars Natalie Wood as Maria, Richard Beymer as Tony, Russ Tamblyn as Riff and Rita Moreno as Anita, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 7.3/10, West Side Story has been warmly received by audiences. It went on to earn $43.7M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch West Side Story page.
If you liked it. Fans of West Side Story tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch West Side Story (1961)?
- In US, West Side Story is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is West Side Story worth watching?
- West Side Story holds an audience score of 7.3 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama, crime and romance. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in West Side Story?
- West Side Story stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris.
- When was West Side Story released?
- West Side Story was released in 1961, with a runtime of about 151 minutes.