Fantasy horror films are waiting for the release of Dark Harvest on September 9th, set during Halloween 1963 and based on the Norman Partridge novel of the same name. Other recent films, like Last Night In Soho, bring to life a '60s atmosphere, allowing viewers who were not even alive in the decade to feel like they are witness to an exciting time. However, if one wants to see what the decade was truly like, then what better place to look than movies shot in the era itself.
Some films from the '60s are records of their time, depicting particular events of the time, along with the fashion, music, and sports trends of the Summer of Love decade. Similarly, some films serve as a moving photograph of the ever-changing cities of the world at an important place in time, whether it be Mod London or the Sunset Strip, L.A's Beatnik hot spot.
The Endless Summer (1966)
Stream On Amazon Prime
The Endless Summer is a documentary that follows two surfers searching for the perfect wave and traveling along the coasts of California, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa.
The '60s obsession with surfing, memorialized in other works like Gidget, Surf Party, and Beach Blanket Bingo, is captured in The Endless Summer. Adding to the '60s atmosphere, the doc is scored by surf rock band The Sandals. Everything about The Endless Summer screams '60s surf and serves as an interesting snapshot of a beloved sport that flourished in the '60s.
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Stream On HBO Max
The peak of Beatles hysteria was captured on celluloid in this musical comedy. The Beatles experienced a meteoric rise to fame in the '60s. The four lads from Liverpool had a monumental effect on music, fashion, cinema, and culture in general, which is still seen today over 60 years since the band's inception.
A Hard Day's Night covers a fictional day in the life of The Beatles as the fab four struggle to get away from ravenous fans and keep Paul's grandpa in check while preparing for a TV performance. Often regarded as the greatest Beatles movie, the film exemplifies the astronomical level of fame the Beatles saw in the '60s.
Viva Las Vegas (1964)
Stream On HBO Max
Viva Las Vegas follows a race car driver who strikes up a romance in Las Vegas while working as a waiter to pay for his new engine.
This Elvis movie chronicles the Vegas atmosphere of the '60s. Las Vegas experienced a major boom in the '60s when business tycoons and mafia men developed Vegas into the Sin City reputation it still enjoys, as noted in an article with Las Vegas Review-Journal. As a result, the Las Vegas captured on film is a dazzling spectacle of neon lights, roadsters, and Vegas monuments. Vegas's oldest wedding chapel known as The Little Chruch of the West is seen in the ending scene, immortalizing one of the city's landmarks.
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Available To Rent On AppleTV
Midnight Cowboy follows a country hayseed who forges a friendship with an outcast hustler upon coming to New York to seek a rich woman to fund him. The film embodied the cynicism that was starting to grow in the late '60s.
With discontent over the Vietnam War and growing distrust in the nation's government, the country had gone from optimistic and hopeful in the early '60s to cynical and disenchanted in the ending years of the decade. Midnight Cowboy is one film that shows that trend.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)
Available To Rent On AppleTV
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice expressed the '60s evolving attitude toward sex and monogamy. The sexual revolution of the late '60s showed the increase of sex outside monogamous relationships, especially marriage, and brought to life the country's shift in attitudes toward sex and sexual behavior.
The movie is about married Bob and Carol who, after attending a new agey type of couples counseling, try to push their new beliefs on marriage, relationships, and monogamy on their friends Ted and Alice. Before long, sexual tension bubbles to the surface and Bob and Carol's unorthodox views start to affect the couples' dynamic.
Blow-Up (1966)
Stream On HBO Max
Blow-Up served as a visual representation of the fashion world of the era. In the movie, a London fashion photographer accidentally captures a murder on film. The environment of the '60s mod subculture in the fashion industry was revealed in this film and even features supermodels of the decade, like Jane Birkin and Veruschka.
The movie was also inspired by influential fashion photographer David Bailey, who was responsible for the establishment of the '6os aesthetic. The film's flourishes of trippy '60s psychedelia also add to its atmosphere.
Model Shop (1969)
Available To Rent On Amazon
The Sunset Strip of the '60s is captured on film and serves as a time capsule of '60s-era Los Angeles in Model Shop. The film also looked at the dark cloud of the Vietnam war on American citizens and the draft that recruited many reluctant young men.
Acclaimed French director Jacques Demy's story revolves around an unemployed man, with the Vietnam draft looming over his head, who becomes obsessed with a model named Lola, as he pursues her through Los Angeles.
The Graduate (1967)
Stream On Paramount+
The Graduate is about a disillusioned college graduate, Benjamin Braddock, and the love triangle he finds himself in between his older lover and her daughter. The film captured the feelings of malaise and discontent that many '60s youth were dealing with at the time.
Mixed with the feelings of angst experienced by his peers, Benjamin also shows an awkwardness and ineptness that continues to be a common occurrence among those fresh out of college, making a film that perfectly captures the decade it was made in addition to being relatable for future generations. Moreover, the film's soundtrack is by the lauded folk-rock duo, Simon & Garfunkel, adding to the '60s atmosphere of the film.
Valley Of The Dolls (1967)
Available To Buy On AppleTV
The fashions of the '60s are put on full display in Valley of the Dolls, which tells the story of three actresses and their struggles in show business.Colorful shift dresses with an A-line silhouette, bold prints, and bouffant hairstyles that were all the rage in the '60s made their way into the movie, making it a must-watch for every TikTok fashion aesthetic.
Likewise, the environment of Hollywood in the '60s was revealed in Valley of the Dolls. Despite the film's over the top campiness, the movie actually shed a light on some serious issues that some actresses of the '60s had to deal with, including barbiturate abuse.
Easy Rider (1969)
Available To Buy On AppleTV
In Easy Rider, two bikers travel from L.A to New Orleans for freedom and to live life on the open road. It has been regarded as an American cultural touchstone of the '60s as it explores the societal landscape, tensions toward youth culture, the burgeoning generation gap, the rise of the hippie movement, drug use, and communal lifestyle that was notable of the decade.
The movie's exploration of '60s issues and topics was aided by the stellar soundtrack that features music luminaries like The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Byrds, and The Band.
