10 Movie Classics From the '60s That Keep Getting Better

The 1960s were a consequential decade for movies. With the fall of the Hays Code and cultural revolutions around the world, films began to reflect life in new and daring ways that would continue to influence future filmmakers. There were dozens upon dozens of classic films made in the '60s, but not all have aged equally; many still reflect attitudes toward sexuality, gender, or race that look pretty horrific through the lens of 2026.

That doesn't mean those films should be disregarded, but it does mean some have aged poorly, while a great many classics look even better now than they did then. Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri (1962) is a katana-sharp critique of strict codes of honor enforced by those who are corrupt and dishonorable.

A tale of a ronin in the Edo period who asks a feudal lord for the right to commit ritual suicide in his palace courtyard, the plot reveals in flashback his true origins and motivations and represents those who suffered at the hands of the lord.

Japan, Edo

1960s, movie classics, hays code, cultural revolutions, masaki kobayashi, harakiri, ronin, edo period, ritual suicide, film criticism