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Iconic R-Rated Films of the 1960s That Changed Hollywood Forever

Iconic R-Rated Films of the 1960s That Changed Hollywood Forever

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The 1960s marked a turning point in American cinema, as filmmakers began pushing past traditional storytelling boundaries. They were emboldened to make movies their way, which was often shocking to first time viewers. This quickly evolving era laid the groundwork for what would become the modern R rating. Within this new rating system, directors had room to explore previously-off-limits themes like female sexuality, violence, and ethically ambiguous characters. As audiences matured, they desired more realism and creativity from the films they watched. Hollywood responded by filling the Big Screen with shocking moments, exciting plot twists, and stories that challenged the status quo.

The R-rated films that came out during this transformative decade changed Hollywood forever. From then on, audiences and filmmakers alike understood that movie making could continually evolve and surpass what audiences of years past thought was possible. We saw more complex characters, darker motives, and jarring visuals. Many of these movies remain influential today, helping to craft the age of modern cinema. Looking back at these iconic works reveals just how important the 1960s were in redefining how Hollywood could approach movie making.

To compile our list of the best R-rated movies from the ’60s, 24/7 Tempo consulted IMDB, choosing films that had a 7 or higher rating. Cast credits are from IMDB. (For more 1960s movies, check out this list of the most underrated films from the ’60s that are worth watching.)

Here are iconic R-rated films of the 1960s that changed Hollywood forever:

25. Death Rides a Horse (1967)

Death Rides a Horse (1967) | Lee Van Cleef in Death Rides a Horse (1967)
Courtesy of United Artists
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7 out of 10
  • Starring: Lee Van Cleef, John Phillip Law, Mario Brega

24. Spring Night, Summer Night (1967)

Courtesy of Joseph Brenner Associates
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.1 out of 10
  • Starring: Larue Hall, Ted Heimerdinger, Marjorie Johnson

22. The Boston Strangler (1968)

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.1 out of 10
  • Starring: Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, George Kennedy

21. Easy Rider (1969)

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.2 out of 10
  • Starring: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson

20. Medium Cool (1969)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.2 out of 10
  • Starring: Robert Forster, Verna Bloom, Peter Bonerz

19. Mirage (1965)

Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.2 out of 10
  • Starring: Adriana Ugarte, Chino Darín, Javier Gutiérrez

18. Faces (1968)

Courtesy of Continental Distributing
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.4 out of 10
  • Starring: John Marley, Gena Rowlands, Lynn Carlin

17. The Damned (1969)

Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.4 out of 10
  • Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Ingrid Thulin, Helmut Griem

16. If…. (1968)

If.... (1968) | Malcolm McDowell, Richard Warwick, and David Wood in If.... (1968)
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.4 out of 10
  • Starring: Malcolm McDowell, David Wood, Richard Warwick

15. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)

Courtesy of Continental Distributing
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.5 out of 10
  • Starring: Albert Finney, Shirley Anne Field, Rachel Roberts

14. Belle de Jour (1967)

Courtesy of Allied Artists Pictures
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.6 out of 10
  • Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Jean Sorel, Michel Piccoli

13. Seconds (1966)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.6 out of 10
  • Starring: Rock Hudson, Frank Campanella, John Randolph

12. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.7 out of 10
  • Starring: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard

11. Tystnaden (The Silence) (1963)

Tystnaden (The Silence) (1963) | Gunnel Lindblom, Jörgen Lindström, and Ingrid Thulin in The Silence (1963)
Courtesy of Janus Films
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.7 out of 10
  • Starring: Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom, Birger Malmsten

10. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Courtesy of United Artists
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.8 out of 10
  • Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles

9. In Cold Blood (1967)

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.9 out of 10
  • Starring: Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe

8. The Wild Bunch (1969)

Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.9 out of 10
  • Starring: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan

7. A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

A Fistful of Dollars (1964) | Sieghardt Rupp in A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
Courtesy of United Artists
  • Avg. IMDb rating 7.9 out of 10
  • Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gian Maria Volontè, Marianne Koch

6. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • Avg. IMDb rating 8 out of 10
  • Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon

5. Skammen (Shame) (1968)

Courtesy of Lopert Pictures Corporation
  • Avg. IMDb rating 8 out of 10
  • Starring: Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, Sigge Fürst

4. Andrei Rublev (1966)

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • Avg. IMDb rating 8.1 out of 10
  • Starring: Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Ivan Lapikov, Nikolay Grinko

3. For a Few Dollars More (1965)

For a Few Dollars More (1965) | Clint Eastwood in For a Few Dollars More (1965)
Courtesy of United Artists
  • Avg. IMDb rating 8.2 out of 10
  • Starring: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Gian Maria Volontè

2. Psycho (1960)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • Avg. IMDb rating 8.5 out of 10
  • Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles

1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Courtesy of United Artists

  • Avg. IMDb rating 8.8 out of 10
  • Starring: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

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