Top 50 movies of the '60s
As one of America's most transformative decades, the 1960s represented a cultural shift on multiple fronts, cinema being no exception. Between the emerging youth market, the , the influence of foreign films, increased competition from television, and numerous other factors, the decade ushered in new paradigms of big-screen entertainment. Old Hollywood became New Hollywood, and along with this changing of the guard, there arose an endless sense of possibility and innovation.
It's almost impossible to overstate the influence of seminal 1960s movies or their respective departures from previous norms. As if spitting in the face of the Hays Code—which officially ended in 1968—films such as "Bonnie & Clyde'' and "The Wild Bunch" offered stark depictions of violence. And whereas Old Hollywood movies would often coyly infer their sexual themes, comedies like "The Graduate" put those very same themes front and center. Over in Europe, meanwhile, movements like the new terrain and influencing a legion of aspiring filmmakers in the process.
Even with so much change in the air, however, there was still plenty of room left for a good old-fashioned John Wayne Western or blockbuster musical. In the same sense that Frank Sinatra was a contemporary of The Rolling Stones, movies such as "Funny Girl" and "Oliver!" were released the same year as "2001: A Space Odyssey." Of course, it was the latter—along with works like "Easy Rider"—that challenged the medium's very own conventions.
In the immediate wake of this historic transition, there came a slew of talented young visionaries. Having absorbed the technical innovations and narrative devices of 1960s cinema, directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg carried the torch into the next decade and beyond. To this day, they remain synonymous with the modern era of filmmaking. But the true modern era started with their influences both in America and abroad.
If these examples don't give you enough of a sense of the lasting power of 1960s cinema, one need only look at some of the iconic films celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2025, including "The Sound of Music," "Doctor Zhivago," "What's New Pussycat?," and "Thunderball," which together present a perfect picture of the decade's eclecticism. Of those, "The Sound of Music" has naturally left the largest cultural footprint, which is why it's being honored with a number of . All of these films, however, made their mark—as did countless others.
To honor the decade in which everything changed, Â鶹Դ´ compiled data on all '60s movies to come up with a Â鶹Դ´ score—a weighted index split evenly between and scores. To qualify, the film had to have a release date between 1960 and 1969, a Metascore, and at least 5,000 votes. Metascore broke ties, and further ties were broken by IMDb user rating. Counting down from #50 to #1, here are the greatest movies of the 1960s.
#50. The Graduate (1967)
- Director: Mike Nichols
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 89.1
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Runtime: 106 minutes
Not only did this seminal comedy capture the spirit of its era, it also . It centers on disaffected grad student Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) who gets romantically entangled with both a young woman and her lascivious mother (Anne Bancroft). In addition to its modern themes, the film features unforgettable dialogue and a classic soundtrack from Simon & Garfunkel.
#49. The Miracle Worker (1962)
- Director: Arthur Penn
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 89.6
- Metascore: 83
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 106 minutes
This tells the true story of Anne Sullivan (played by Anne Bancroft) and Helen Keller (played by Patty Duke). As Keller's tutor, Sullivan is tasked with teaching her blind and deaf pupil how to communicate. Arthur Penn directed both the .
#48. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
- Director: Jacques Demy
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 89.6
- Metascore: 86
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 91 minutes
French multi-hyphenate Jacques Demy directs Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo in this musical drama. In the spirit of certain operas or stage musicals, all the film's dialogue is sung. The story unfolds in three parts and spins a tale of romance against the backdrop of the Algerian War.
#47. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
- Director: Arthur Penn
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 89.6
- Metascore: 86
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 111 minutes
If there's a single film that divides Old Hollywood from new, it could very well be this seminal crime saga. Loosely based on , it follows a small-town waitress (Faye Dunaway) and her ex-con boyfriend (Warren Beatty) on a Depression-era robbery spree. The two anti-heroes at its center took the world by storm, as did the movie's uncompromising portrayal of gun violence.
#46. Goldfinger (1964)
- Director: Guy Hamilton
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 89.6
- Metascore: 87
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 110 minutes
The , according to the Tomatometer and numerous fans alike. Sean Connery reprises the role and takes on his most formidable adversary yet, a thieving bullion dealer by the name of Auric Goldfinger. Everything that made the early franchise iconic was either introduced or perfected here.
#45. Faces (1968)
- Director: John Cassavetes
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 89.6
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Runtime: 130 minutes
Helmer John Cassavetes employs his in this acclaimed drama about a crumbling upper class marriage. It's the and the first to star wife Gena Rowlands. Nominated for three Oscars, it set an early and .
#44. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
- Director: Sergio Leone
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 90.2
- Metascore: 80
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Runtime: 165 minutes
Gritty in tone and sweeping in scope, Sergio Leone's spaghetti Western chronicles a violent dispute over a profitable piece of land. Henry Fonda plays against type as a ruthless mercenary, who kills at the behest of a greedy railroad tycoon. Quentin Tarantino is such a fan that he recently
#43. Band of Outsiders (1964)
- Director: Jean-Luc Godard
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 90.2
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 95 minutes
From the director of "Breathless" comes this French New Wave crime dramedy with offbeat overtones. Follow two Hollywood-obsessed crooks as they convince a young woman (Anna Karina) to help them rob her own home. Featured in the film is an improvisation-style dance sequence that took on a .
#42. Spartacus (1960)
- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 90.7
- Metascore: 87
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 197 minutes
Kirk Douglas plays the slave Spartacus and leads a revolt against the Roman Republic in this Oscar-winning epic. Douglas was so passionate about the project that he . Stanley Kubrick , only boarding the project after Douglas fell out with original director Anthony Mann.
#41. Mary Poppins (1964)
- Director: Robert Stevenson
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 90.7
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 139 minutes
Entertaining young children to this day, "Mary Poppins" tells the story of its eponymous British nanny (Julie Andrews). Upon descending from the sky by way of a magic umbrella, Poppins whips a family into shape. The blockbuster film won , including Best Original Music Score.
#40. The Innocents (1961)
- Director: Jack Clayton
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 90.7
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 100 minutes
Adapted from a Henry James novella, this British horror classic explores the fine line between the psychological and supernatural. After arriving at a new estate, a young governess (Deborah Kerr) grows increasingly convinced that the grounds are haunted. Martin Scorsese .
#39. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 91.3
- Metascore: 84
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 149 minutes
Something of a , Kubruck's sci-fi classic has achieved true masterpiece status over time. Depicting human evolution as the result of advanced alien forces, it influenced an endless swath of subsequent space epics. , even choosing the fabrics for some of the actor's costumes.
#38. Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
- Director: Luchino Visconti
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 91.3
- Metascore: 84
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 179 minutes
Luchino Visconti's sweeping Italian drama follows five brothers as they move from a small village to the big city. It breaks down into chapters and dedicates each chapter to the respective story of each brother. An original three-hour version was shortened for foreign distribution and .
#37. Persona (1966)
- Director: Ingmar Bergman
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 91.3
- Metascore: 86
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 83 minutes
A series of intense visuals sets the stage for Bergman's surrealist nightmare. What appears to be a story about a mute actress (Liv Ullmann) and her nurse (Bibi Andersson) doubles as a meditation on various themes, including the nature of cinema itself. Critics and cinephiles are .
#36. A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
- Director: Daniel Petrie
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 91.3
- Metascore: 87
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Runtime: 128 minutes
Playwright Lorraine Hansberry adapted her own Broadway play when writing the script for this acclaimed social drama. It tells the story of a struggling African American family, who become the unexpected recipients of a hefty insurance payout. As they hash out their plans, an alternative glimpse of American life unfolds.
#35. The Birds (1963)
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 91.3
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 119 minutes
Alfred Hitchcock was at a creative peak when he unleashed this classic horror flick, in which vicious birds descend upon a small town. Both real birds and mechanical ones were used during production, as . To attract the real birds during the shoot, many of the film's actors smeared ground meat and anchovies on their hands.
#34. Eyes Without a Face (1960)
- Director: Georges Franju
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 91.3
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 90 minutes
A trailblazing work, this eerie French-language film set early precedents for the body horror subgenre. In the hopes of giving his daughter a new face, a guilt-ridden surgeon goes to maniacal extremes. Not just a , the movie also .
#33. The Great Escape (1963)
- Director: John Sturges
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 91.8
- Metascore: 86
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 172 minutes
Allied prisoners plot a massive escape from a German POW camp in this WWII actioner. While based on actual events, the story does take its liberties. For instance, the .
#32. In Cold Blood (1967)
- Director: Richard Brooks
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 91.8
- Metascore: 89
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 134 minutes
Truman Capote's inspired this noirish docudrama. In the wake of a botched robbery turned quadruple homicide, two drifters must come to terms with their heinous act. Naturalistic performances from lead actors Robert Blake and Scott Wilson lend the work a chilling degree of verisimilitude.
#31. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
- Director: George A. Romero
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 91.8
- Metascore: 89
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 96 minutes
Armed with a great idea and an estimated budget of just over $100,000, filmmaker George Romero churned out this landmark horror classic. Not only did it spawn a number of sequels, but it more or less single-handedly launched the entire zombie subgenre. Funnily enough, the word "zombie" is .
#30. Repulsion (1965)
- Director: Roman Polanski
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 91.8
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 105 minutes
The first English-language film from Roman Polanski kicked off the director's Layering psychosexual themes beneath a veneer of claustrophobic anxiety, it chronicles the breakdown of a repressed woman (Catherine Deneuve). Writing for The A.V. Club, critic Greg Cwik
#29. Z (1969)
- Director: Costa-Gavras
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 92.3
- Metascore: 86
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 127 minutes
This taut political drama centers on the assassination of a Greek pacifist leader and subsequent cover-up. Inspired by the , it follows two men on their search for truth and justice. Roger Ebert in his four-star review.
#28. Masculin Féminin (1966)
- Director: Jean-Luc Godard
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 92.3
- Metascore: 93
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Runtime: 103 minutes
Director Jean-Luc Godard turns his attention in this romantic dramedy. At its heart is the Parisian love affair between a wayward idealist (Jean-Pierre Léaud) and rising pop star (Chantal Goya). In addition to its unique sense of self-awareness, the film provides a .
#27. Le Petit Soldat (1963)
- Director: Jean-Luc Godard
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 92.3
- Metascore: 97
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Runtime: 88 minutes
As one of history's most influential directors, it's no surprise that Jean-Luc Godard crafted many of the decade's best films. This one takes place during the Algerian War and follows the affair between two lovers with opposing political views. It was due to stark depictions of torture and a subversive outlook.
#26. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
- Director: Robert Mulligan
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 92.9
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 129 minutes
Harper Lee's timeless novel made for an equally timeless film with "To Kill a Mockingbird." Set in a small Southern town during the Depression, it puts lawyer Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) up against hostile locals in the midst of a racially charged case. The film features a classic six-and-a-half minute speech from Finch, which was .
#25. The Hustler (1961)
- Director: Robert Rossen
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 92.9
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Runtime: 134 minutes
Paul Newman stars as pool shark "Fast" Eddie Felson in this acclaimed 1961 drama. Down on his luck and out of money, Felson hustles his way back to the top, grappling with his own soul along the way. Newman would later reprise the role in the 1986 follow-up "The Color of Money."
#24. Hara-Kiri (1962)
- Director: Masaki Kobayashi
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 93.4
- Metascore: 85
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Runtime: 133 minutes
Peace has spread across 17th-century Japan and that's bad news for thousands of samurai, who are left without a cause or a master. Prepared to commit the honorable act of hara-kiri—a form of ritual suicide—an elder warrior first learns of the tragic fate that befell his son-in-law. So begins a brutal showdown between the lone samurai and a feudal lord.
#23. 8½ (1963)
- Director: Federico Fellini
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 93.4
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Runtime: 138 minutes
Federico Fellini's follows the misadventures of his thinly veiled counterpart, an overstressed director named Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni). Against a whirling backdrop of fantasy and memory, Anselmi prepares for his next film. Roger Ebert once
#22. The Servant (1963)
- Director: Joseph Losey
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 94
- Metascore: 93
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 116 minutes
This British drama explores the shifting dynamic between a wealthy aristocrat (James Fox) and his scheming servant (Sir Dirk Bogarde). When adapting the source novella, screenwriter Harold Pinter was tasked with . The film is also often viewed as a .
#21. Chimes at Midnight (1965)
- Director: Orson Welles
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 94
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 115 minutes
Adapting , this once-overlooked drama follows the adventures of Sir John Falstaff (Orson Welles) and Prince Hal (Keith Baxter). It debuted at Cannes to hostile reception and then all but . Resurrected and reappraised, it's now considered one of Welles' greatest achievements.
#20. The Producers (1967)
- Director: Mel Brooks
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 94
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Runtime: 88 minutes
Comedy legend Mel Brooks presents the story of producers Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, who put together a play called "Springtime for Hitler." If the play sounds like a guaranteed disaster in the making, that's the plan, as both men realize they can make more money by producing a flop. The film pulls off an impressive feat in that it both celebrates and skewers Broadway musicals at the very same time. For somewhat obvious reasons, for many years.
#19. A Hard Day's Night (1964)
- Director: Richard Lester
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 94
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Runtime: 87 minutes
Released at the height of Beatlemania, this whimsical romp spends nearly two days in the life of the Fab Four. Zany antics and killer songs move the story forward at a brisk pace, lending the film a certain timeless allure. The opening scene of the band running from hordes of fans has been more or less ingrained into the collective cultural consciousness.
#18. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
- Director: Stuart Rosenberg
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 94.5
- Metascore: 92
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 127 minutes
A laid-back southerner arrives in prison, where—to the chagrin of a cruel warden—his infectious behavior has a discernible effect on his fellow inmates. So goes 1967's "Cool Hand Luke," starring Paul Newman in the iconic title role. An ex-convict named Don Pearce wrote the source novel and also co-wrote the script, basing the .
#17. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
- Director: John Frankenheimer
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 94.5
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 126 minutes
This taut political thriller stars Frank Sinatra as former POW Major Bennett Marco, who gets brainwashed into becoming a Cold War assassin. To get the film greenlit by reluctant studio executives, . It didn't perform too well at the box office, but has since endured as a favorite among cinema buffs and conspiracy theorists alike.
#16. My Fair Lady (1964)
- Director: George Cukor
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 94.5
- Metascore: 95
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 170 minutes
In this adaptation of a Broadway musical, a phonetics professor (Rex Harrison) wagers he can transform a lowly flower girl into a member of high society. Screen legend Audrey Hepburn plays the female lead, a role portrayed by Julie Andrews in the Broadway version. Both . It was Andrews who ended up walking away with the award, for her performance in "Mary Poppins."
#15. Samurai Rebellion (1967)
- Director: Masaki Kobayashi
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 95.1
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Runtime: 128 minutes
A samurai is torn between two codes in this acclaimed Japanese drama. On one side is the demands of a feudal lord and on the other is the love between his son and daughter-in-law. When the daughter-in-law gets kidnapped, all bets are off.
#14. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
- Director: John Ford
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 95.6
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 123 minutes
One among a number of collaborations between director John Ford and actor John Wayne, this black and white drama centers on a supposedly heroic senator (James Stewart). Heralded as the man who once shot and killed a notorious criminal, he returns to the town in which the deed took place. It's only then that the true story is revealed.
#13. La Dolce Vita (1960)
- Director: Federico Fellini
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 95.6
- Metascore: 95
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Runtime: 174 minutes
Striking a balance between satire and sentimentality, Fellini dives into the world of Rome's elite class. His avatar for the journey is lustful journalist Marcello Rubini (Marcello Mastroianni), who indulges in a variety of hedonistic whims. If not for this film and a character named Paparazzo (Walter Santesso), the .
#12. Jules and Jim (1962)
- Director: François Truffaut
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 95.6
- Metascore: 97
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 105 minutes
From French New Wave icon François Truffaut comes the story of a love triangle between two men and one woman. Based on a semi-autobiographical novel, it kicks off just before WWI and unfolds over the course of many years. On Empire's list of "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema," this .
#11. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
- Director: Roman Polanski
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 96.2
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Runtime: 137 minutes
This horror classic tells the story of Catholic housewife, Rosemary (Mia Farrow), who believes that something's terribly wrong with her unborn child. As it turns out, she's carrying the spawn of the devil himself. It's the second installment in
#10. The Wild Bunch (1969)
- Director: Sam Peckinpah
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 96.2
- Metascore: 97
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 135 minutes
Gritty director Sam Peckinpah offers this violent Western, in which a group of aging gunslingers get together for one last job. Set in 1913, the story finds its rugged protagonists struggling to keep pace with a rapidly changing society. The action culminates with a deadly standoff in a Mexican village.
#9. The Apartment (1960)
- Director: Billy Wilder
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 96.7
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 125 minutes
Billy Wilder's 1960 comedy centers on aspiring corporate type C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon), who lends his pad to company executives for their extramarital trysts. Things get complicated when it turns out the personnel director is having an affair with the girl of Baxter's dreams. The film won , including Best Picture.
#8. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
- Director: Gillo Pontecorvo
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 96.7
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 121 minutes
One of the , this gripping war drama presents the Algerian Revolution from alternating perspectives. Fact-based storytelling and realistic violence generate a documentary-like aesthetic and so too does the black-and-white palette. Viewers may occasionally forget that they're watching a fictionalized version of events.
#7. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
- Director: Sergio Leone
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 97.3
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- Runtime: 178 minutes
Sergio Leone's brutal "Dollars Trilogy" redefined the Western genre and made Clint Eastwood one of Hollywood's hottest stars. In this series apex, three rugged gunslingers square off over a buried fortune. The film's ruthless characters and unforgettable score continue to bolster its enduring legacy among critics and fans.
#6. Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)
- Director: Robert Bresson
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 97.8
- Metascore: 100
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 95 minutes
Robert Bresson's minimalist masterpiece follows the tragic life of a mistreated donkey and the girl who once owned him. A it likewise tackles themes of powerlessness and abuse in a hostile world. This one is not for the faint of heart.
#5. The Leopard (1963)
- Director: Luchino Visconti
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 98.4
- Metascore: 100
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Runtime: 186 minutes
Italian director Luchino Visconti chronicles the waning days of the Sicilian aristocracy in this historical epic. As the world rapidly changes around him, a prince (Burt Lancaster) proves himself inert against the rising tide. The story builds to a 45-minute ballroom sequence of .
#4. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 98.9
- Metascore: 97
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Runtime: 95 minutes
Based on a decidedly non-comic novel, this pitch black comedy escalates a series of military mishaps to the point of global destruction. Actor Slim Pickens—who plays an overzealous cowboy pilot—. While that wasn't the case, director Stanley Kubrick has indeed depicted war from a more sobering perspective in other films.
#3. Army of Shadows (1969)
- Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 98.9
- Metascore: 99
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 145 minutes
This acclaimed thriller adapts a novel of the same name and goes deep into the French underground during WWII. Pulling no punches, it tracks the efforts of resistance fighters as they attempt to take down the Nazi regime. Once a , director Jean-Pierre Melville drew upon personal experience when crafting the work.
#2. Psycho (1960)
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 99.5
- Metascore: 97
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Runtime: 109 minutes
Hitchcock went to great lengths to ensure this groundbreaking slasher film delivered maximum thrills and surprises. That included , and reportedly having his assistant buy up copies of the source novel so as to prevent spoilers. Bear witness to serial killer Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and the legendary shower scene that's still dissected in film schools to this day.
#1. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- Director: David Lean
- Â鶹Դ´ score: 100
- Metascore: 100
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 228 minutes
Winner of , director David Lean's WWI epic tells the story of British officer T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole). On assignment in Arabia, Lawrence helps lead native tribes in a guerrilla war against the Turks. The film's wide-reaching influence touched down on a number of subsequent blockbusters,
