It may not have the slasher bombast of 1980s horror, the classical intrigue of the 40s, or the introspective social analysis of the 2010s, and yethorror cinema of the 1960s stands as one of the most pivotal and fascinating eras the genre has ever seen. The 60s as a whole marked a decade of change for Hollywood, a stepping stone from the Hays Code censorship of the golden era to the aggressive and gritty new wave of film-making that exploded in the 1970s.
Horror, as is often the case, was at the forefront of exploring such evolution and change, prying into audiences’ sensitivities with dare and conviction without completely relinquishing the sci-fi B-movie edge that had defined the genre in the 1950s. From adored classics that remain landmark triumphs to pictures that were initially dismissed but have found admirers in time, these 10 horror films define the dashing brilliance of the genre throughout the 1960s.
10’Dementia 13' (1963)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Dementia 13is something of a challenging watch. It suffers from many of the pitfalls of the B-movies of the 50s, yet it displays occasional glimpses of brilliance,snippets of Francis Ford Coppola’s genius that poke out from behind the limitations of the production. In this regard, it is emblematic of 60s horror’s appetite for experimentation and eeriness as well as its firm grounding in the movies of the decades prior, but it is also a tease of the talent that was lurking behind the camera.
It follows a deceitful widow going to great lengths to swoop in on her late husband’s inheritance. Her efforts to execute her devious scheme are interrupted when an ax murderer is let loose on the family estate. While it has only ever garnered mixed reviews, it holds a special placein film history as Coppola’s debut picture, while its qualities have an enchanting peculiarity to them that is emblematic of 60s horror.
Dementia 13
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9’Dracula: Prince of Darkness' (1966)
Directed by Terence Fisher
Horror in the 1960s was as much about honoring the past as it was about welcoming in the future. Count Dracula may be a horror villain most commonly associated with 1940s cinema, but his highlights in the 60s are still indicative of the interests of contemporary moviegoers and horror lovers. WithChristopher Leereprising the titular role from 1958’sDracula,Dracula: Prince of Darknesssees the count brought back to life when four ignorant tourists enter his castle.
Probably too burdened by its obligation to the past, the film struggles to wield a terrifying spell. However,it does maintain a certain air of sensual, creeping mystery that is symbolic of the Hammer films of the era. As one of the best of the Hammer horror pictures of the 60s, and given it features Lee’s sensational villainous turn,Dracula: Prince of Darknessdefines what traditional horror was in the 1960s.
Dracula: Prince Of Darkness
8’Eyes Without a Face' (1960)
Directed by Georges Franju
An unnerving tale of love, obsession, and desperation,Eyes Without a Faceisa near-perfect marriage of the horror ideas of the 40s and 50s, and the thematic exploration that would define the genre going forward. The French film follows a plastic surgeon who performs an operation on his daughter after she is disfigured in a car accident. When the operation doesn’t go as planned, the surgeon grows murderous and desperate as he tries to amend his mistake.
The villainous flair of a mad scientist or doctor that was prolific in old Hollywood horror is at the forefront ofEyes Without a Face, but so too is a tragic journey of guilt and paternal obligation that only grows more pointed as the stakes continue to escalate. Contemporary critical response only ranged from unbridled disgust to moderate approval, but it is today celebrated as a powerful and poetic tale that stands amongthe most influential horror movies ever made.
Eyes Without a Face
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7’Onibaba' (1964)
Directed by Kaneto Shindo
As American cinema underwent something of an identity crisis during the 1960s, many of the defining classics of the decade come from international cinema, with nations like Japan, France, and Italy contributing many acclaimed films of the era. While this applies to Westerns and dramas in particular, foreign horror was still soaring as well.Onibabais proof of this, thriving as it follows an impoverished mother and her daughter-in-law as they survive 14th-century Japan by looting the dead, an arrangement that sours when they learn that the man they are waiting for has died in war.
Excelling with its immersive atmosphere and its dramatic intensity,Onibabaemits a haunting aura with its feverish narrative and its eerie black and white cinematography. Unsettling and squeamish, yet oddly hypnotic,the Japanese horror pictureis emblematic of the tone and style that made many international horror films of the 60s so striking. While it is unfair to make it representative of an entire world of horror cinema,Onibabadoes encapsulate the era with such artistry and power that it can be viewed as somewhat defining of global horror interests throughout the decade.
6’Carnival of Souls' (1962)
Directed by Herk Harvey
Carnival of Soulsis a fascinating movie in the context of 1960s horror cinema.With its striking cinematography and its imposing atmosphere of eeriness and dread, the film has endured as a cult classic of the decade, though it is one that has been compared to the German Expressionism films of the silent era, with directorHerk Harveytaking inspiration from European filmmakersIngmar BergmanandJean Cocteauto create the movie’s unique visual display.
Mary (Candace Hilligoss) emerges as the sole survivor from a car accident under mysterious circumstances. As she moves to Utah in an effort to put the tragedy behind her, she finds herself plagued by visions of a grotesque man which veer her towards an abandoned carnival on the edge of town. It remains one of the mosttransfixing and disturbing horror films ever made, and continues to thrive as a glowing example of the era’s penchant for unorthodox and confounding pictures.
Carnival of Souls
5’Targets' (1968)
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
A disturbing movie that sets its horror within day-to-day life,Targetsis a film that is probably even more terrifying and pointed now than it was upon release. It follows two separate characters. Byron Orlok (Boris Karloff) is an old horror actor contemplating retirement. Bobby Thompson (Tim O’Kelly) is a war veteran who, after killing his wife and mother, goes on a shooting spree with his rifle. The two characters’ paths intersect at a screening event at a drive-in theater.
What makesTargetsso epitomizing of 1960s horror is the way it marries what had come before it with what would succeed it. Karloff himself was an aging star of classical horror cinema, and the finale—in which he confronts Thompson—isrevealing of the changing face of terror. The monster in the make-up making way for the mundane and manicured mass murderer as the new face of horror cinema.Targetsmay not be among the greatest horror films of the 60s, but it is one of the most fascinating, and it is the perfect embodiment of the change the genre was going through at the time.
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4’Psycho' (1960)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Controversial upon release, and eager to challenge the contemporary norms of the medium,Psychois beautifully emblematic of the brand of attention-grabbing pictures that Hollywood was starting to release with the erosion of the Production Code in the late 50s. This daring approach is most definitely a part of the reason whytheAlfred Hitchcockclassicis widely regarded to be among the greatest and most influential horror movies ever made.
The winding psychological horror follows a thieving secretary on the run who arrives at the Bates Motel, and the ensuing investigation into her disappearance headed by her spouse and her sister. It is quite possibly the quintessential film of the 1960s of any genre, one thatembodies the decade’s fervor for new techniques and bolder narrativeslike no other, and remains just as unnerving and flawless today as it was upon release well over 60 years ago.
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3’Peeping Tom' (1960)
Directed by Michael Powell
For every film likePsychothat earns universal praise for its pushing against artistic boundaries, there is a film likePeeping Tom, that is punished for its foresight and boldness. A calamitous failure upon release, the psychological horror-thriller received devastating backlash for its depiction of violence and its supposedly egregious sexual content. However, it is today celebrated for its convictions and bravery, heralded as a Hitchcock-esque masterpiece by directorMichael Powell, even if it did derail his career.
It follows a disturbed filmmaker who murders women and records their final moments as snuff films to save as a compilation while claiming to be making a documentary about fear. When his neighbor sneaks into his apartment to watch one of his videos, the situation grows desperate and volatile. While it was on the wrong side of controversial bravery,Peeping Tomis no lessdefining of the appetite for change and more confronting stories that engulfed horror cinema in the 60s.
Peeping Tom
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Directed by George A. Romero
While monster horror wasn’t new to the 1960s,George A. Romerocompletely revolutionized the creature feature with his iconic hitNight of the Living Dead. Many of the subgenre’s predecessors had featured such villains asBela Lugosi’s Dracula or rudimentary foes like the triffids or the fly, but the living undead of Romero’s pioneering classicimbued movie monsters with a hostile and frightful savagery.
In this sense,Night of the Living Deadwas instrumental in pushing the envelope of what could appeal to mainstream audiences, striking a deft balance between grueling horror that leaves audiences shocked and familiar thrills that get the heart racing. Asthe zombie genre has evolved over the decades, the Romero picture has only grown in stature to the point it is now regarded as one of the definitive horror films of all time, let alone the 1960s.
Night of the Living Dead
1’Rosemary’s Baby' (1968)
Directed by Roman Polanski
With the new wave of Hollywood cinema came not only a refined appetite for violence and realism, but a sharper appreciation for social issues being incorporated into narrative features. Released in 1968, as the cinematic movement was just beginning to gain momentum,Rosemary’s Babyis a pristine example of exactly this. It follows a young couple who move in together and start planning for a baby, only for Rosemary (Mia Farrow) to begin being plagued by disturbing visions.
Its Satanic overtones are harrowing enough, but the grounded approach tonotions of anxiety surrounding pregnancygives the film a squeamish undertone of palpable and realistic terror. While such a thematic focus was lost on some viewers upon release, it has helpedRosemary’s Babyendure as a timeless masterpiece of psychological horror that has not only defined the progressive nature of late 60s horror, but the insightful social lens the best horror movies have maintained in the years since.
Rosemary’s Baby
NEXT:The 10 Best Horror Movies of the Last 25 Years, Ranked
