10 Movies From the 60s and 70s Every Millennial Needs to See

Culture

Out of the 60s and 70s came some of the greatest cinema classics that still hold up in our current special effects-dominated world. Here is a list of 10 incredible movies from that time that every millennial should see, and if you've already seen them, watch them again! Classics never lose their sparkle. 

1. Bonnie and Clyde - 1967

Bonnie and Clyde is now common folklore. This highly stylized, if not overly romanticized, look at the lives of the notorious outlaws is pure cinema magic. It is safe to say it revolutionized cinema in every way. Its outlaws at their most merciless, but mesmerizing. I dare anyone to try to look away.

2. The Godfather - 1972

This movie needs no introduction. Most everyone has at least heard of it, if not seen this  masterpiece. If you've seen it once, give it another go, or five. It's brilliant. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." This says it all.

3. Psycho - 1960

Alfred Hitchcock owns mystery, suspense, and horror. Psycho set the bar for horror films, but Hitchcock's brilliance is letting the audience use their imaginations. With not too much blood and gore, it has more style and substance than any horror film from today. A shower scene has never had the power to terrify and mystify at the same time.

4. Chinatown - 1974

Chinatown is film noir at its best, and Jack Nicholson gives arguably one of his finest performances. Haunting and mystifying, nothing is as it seems in Chinatown. This is one film not to be missed for its brilliant characters and constant intrigue. A murder is not just a murder. There is always much more to the story.

5. Young Frankenstein - 1974

Arguably one of the funniest movies of all time, this is Mel Brooks at his finest. From all things Young Frankenstein, hilarity ensues.

6. The Last Picture Show 1971

In this movie about a small, dying Texas town, the lives of young people twist and turn. Everyone can relate to the heartache of growing up. It's timeless and simple, with characters who are flawed, damaged, and ultimately beautiful.

7. Hud - 1963

Paul Newman was one of the finest actors to ever light up the screen. In Hud, he's a ruthless cad, a merciless man without a soul. Newman was so stunning physically that few noticed how remarkable an actor he was. This movie is pure, unadulterated magic.

8. Taxi Driver - 1976

This is one of Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese's finest collaborations. DeNiro plays a desperately lonely, unstable taxi driver. The rest is genius. "You talking to me?" DeNiro crackles and the audience can only come along for the ride.

9. Network - 1976

Network plays like a headline from the present, with persistent, but measured intensity. It's revolutionary and forward thinking, like a current reality show on crack. "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore." Most people will concur.

10. The Graduate - 1967

The most famous seduction in cinema defines The Graduate. An older married woman and a college graduate have an illicit affair. The rest is cinema history.