Top 76 Ranked

Best 1965 Movies

Classic Cinema and Golden Age Masterpieces

Explore the best films of a landmark year in cinema. From epic musicals to grit-filled westerns, discover the top-rated movies that defined the era.

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About Movies in 1965

The year 1965 sits at a fascinating crossroads in cinematic history. It was a time when the sturdy, reliable traditions of Old Hollywood began to feel the first tremors of a cultural earthquake. If you look at the box office charts from that year, you see a world still in love with the grand, melodic spectacle. The Sound of Music premiered in March and quickly became a global phenomenon, shattering records and proving that the massive roadshow musical still had a grip on the public imagination. It remains the ultimate example of the studio system at its most polished and sentimental.

However, just beneath that sugary surface, cinema was starting to grow teeth. While Julie Andrews was singing on the hills, other filmmakers were exploring darker, more psychological territory. This was the year Roman Polanski delivered Repulsion, a terrifying descent into madness that felt light years away from the colorful comfort of a musical. It signaled a shift toward a more visceral, uncompromising style of storytelling that would eventually define the following decade.

Internationally, 1965 was nothing short of revolutionary. In France, Jean Luc Godard was busy deconstructing the very idea of what a movie could be. He released both Alphaville and Pierrot le Fou that year, mixing film noir, science fiction, and pop art into a cocktail that felt dangerous and modern. These films ignored the rules of linear editing and traditional character growth, inspiring a generation of young American directors who were tired of the status quo. David Lean also released Doctor Zhivago in 1965, proving that the epic could still be intimate and politically complex, even if it was wrapped in a sweeping romance.

The year also marked a significant peak for the coolest man in movies: James Bond. Thunderball arrived in December and triggered a wave of spy mania that took over the globe. It was more than just a movie; it was a cultural brand that dictated fashion, gadgets, and music. At the same time, the spy genre was being subverted by The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, which stripped away the glamour to show the gritty, soul crushing reality of the Cold War.

Film fans remember 1965 because it was the last great year of the transition. You had the elegance of a fading era existing side by side with the grit of the new. It was a year where you could see Mickey Rooney in a traditional comedy one day and then witness the avant garde brilliance of Federico Fellinis Juliet of the Spirits the next. The Hays Code was crumbling, audiences were getting younger and more demanding, and the lens was starting to focus on the real world instead of just a backlot fantasy. It was the year when the movies finally decided to grow up, and cinema has never been the same since.

The Complete Rankings

Based on the top picks in drafts on SnakeDrafts

See Top Ten
76
1965 in The Collector (1965)
The Collector
1965

A man kidnaps a woman and holds her hostage just for the pleasure of having her there.

Thriller
Terence Stamp, Samantha Eggar, Mona Washbourne, Maurice Dallimore
75
1965 in The Heroes of Telemark (1965)
The Heroes of Telemark
1965

Set in German-occupied Norway, resistance fighter Knut Straud enlists the reluctant physicist Rolf Pedersen in an effort to destroy the German heavy water production plant in rural Telemark.

Action
Drama
2h 11m
Anthony Mann
Kirk Douglas, Richard Harris, Ulla Jacobsson, Michael Redgrave
74
1965 in War-Gods of the Deep (1965)
War-Gods of the Deep
1965

A chance discovery leads American mining engineer Ben Harris and acquaintance Harold to discover a lost city under the sea while searching for their kidnapped friend Jill. Held captive in the underwater city by the tyrannical Captain (Vincent Price), and his crew of former smugglers, the three plot to escape...

Adventure
Science Fiction
1h 24m
Jacques Tourneur
Vincent Price, David Tomlinson, Tab Hunter, Susan Hart

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73
1965 in None But the Brave (1965)
None But the Brave
1965

American and Japanese soldiers, stranded on a tiny Pacific island during World War II, must make a temporary truce and cooperate to survive various tribulations. Told through the eyes of the American and Japanese unit commanders, who must deal with an atmosphere of growing distrust and tension between their men.

War
1h 46m
Frank Sinatra
Tatsuya Mihashi, Takeshi Katō, Homare Suguro, Kenji Sahara
72
1965 in The Knack... and How to Get It (1965)
The Knack... and How to Get It
1965

A nebbish schoolteacher begs his smooth (and misogynistic) pal to teach him 'the knack' – how to score with women. Serendipitously, the men meet up with a new girl in town, as well as a friendly lunatic who can’t help but paint things white.

Comedy
Romance
Rita Tushingham, Ray Brooks, Michael Crawford, Donal Donnelly
71
1965 in Casanova '70 (1965)
Casanova '70
1965

The amorous adventures of Andrea Rossi-Colombotti, an army officer who finds pleasure with beautiful women in life-threatening situations.

Comedy
1h 50m
Mario Monicelli
Marcello Mastroianni, Virna Lisi, Marisa Mell, Michèle Mercier
70
1965 in Genghis Khan (1965)
Genghis Khan
1965

This is the story of the shy Mongol boy Temujin who,during the 13th century, becomes the fearless Mongol leader Genghis Khan that unites all Mongol tribes and conquers India,China,Persia,Korea and parts of Rusia,Europe and Middle-East.

History
Drama
2h 7m
Henry Levin
Omar Sharif, Stephen Boyd, James Mason, Eli Wallach
69
1965 in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
The Greatest Story Ever Told
1965

From his birth in Bethlehem to his death and eventual resurrection, the life of Jesus Christ is given the all-star treatment in this epic retelling. Major aspects of Christ's life are touched upon, including the execution of all the newborn males in Egypt by King Herod; Christ's baptism by John the Baptist; and the betrayal by Judas after the Last Supper that eventually leads to Christ's crucifixion and miraculous return.

Drama
History
3h 19m
George Stevens
Max von Sydow, Michael Anderson Jr., Carroll Baker, Ina Balin
68
1965 in Sylvia (1965)
Sylvia
1965

Sylvia West (Carroll Baker) may not be who she says she is. Her fiancé, the very well-to-do Frederick Summers (Peter Lawford), hires an investigator named Alan Maklin (George Maharis) to do some digging, and what he finds out about her life prior to becoming a writer is quite shocking. Will the newfound knowledge ruin the marriage? Gordon Douglas (Young at Heart) directs this drama, which is based on E.V. Cunningham's book.

Drama
Thriller
1h 55m
Gordon Douglas
Carroll Baker, George Maharis, Joanne Dru, Peter Lawford
67
1965 in How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
How to Murder Your Wife
1965

Stanley Ford leads an idyllic bachelor life. He is a nationally syndicated cartoonist whose Bash Brannigan series provides him with a luxury townhouse and a full-time valet, Charles. When he wakes up the morning after the night before - he had attended a friend's stag party - he finds that he is married to the very beautiful woman who popped out of the cake - and who doesn't speak a word of English. Despite his initial protestations, he comes to like married life and even changes his cartoon character from a super spy to a somewhat harried husband.

Comedy
1h 58m
Richard Quine
Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi, Terry-Thomas, Eddie Mayehoff
66
1965 in The Hallelujah Trail (1965)
The Hallelujah Trail
1965

A wagon train heads for Denver with a cargo of whisky for the miners. Chaos ensues as the Temperance League, the US cavalry, the miners and the local Indians all try to take control of the valuable cargo.

Western
Comedy
2h 45m
John Sturges
Burt Lancaster, Lee Remick, Jim Hutton, Donald Pleasence
65
1965 in The Family Jewels (1965)
The Family Jewels
1965

A young heiress must choose between six uncles, one of which is up to no good and out to harm the girl's beloved bodyguard who practically raised her.

Comedy
1h 39m
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis, Donna Butterworth, Sebastian Cabot, Neil Hamilton
64
1965 in Shakespeare-Wallah (1965)
Shakespeare-Wallah
1965

The story of a family troupe of English actors who travel around the towns and villages in India giving performances of Shakespearean plays. Through their travels we see the changing face of India as the old is replaced by the new, Maharajas become hotel owners, sports become more important than culture and the theater is replaced by Bollywood movies. Based on the travels of Geoffrey Kendal with his daughter Felicity Kendal.

Drama
Romance
2h 0m
James Ivory
Shashi Kapoor, Felicity Kendal, Geoffrey Kendal, Laura Liddell
63
1965 in Girl Happy (1965)
Girl Happy
1965

A Chicago mobster hires a rock and roll singer and his band to keep an eye on his daughter during Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Comedy
Music
1h 36m
Boris Sagal
Elvis Presley, Shelley Fabares, Harold J. Stone, Gary Crosby
62
1965 in What's New Pussycat? (1965)
What's New Pussycat?
1965

A playboy who refuses to give up his hedonistic lifestyle to settle down and marry his true love seeks help from a demented psychoanalyst who is having romantic problems of his own.

Comedy
Romance
1h 48m
Clive Donner
Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, Romy Schneider, Capucine
61
1965 in Up from the Beach (1965)
Up from the Beach
1965

After the D-Day landings in June 1944, a US squadron liberates a small village in Normandy from German occupation.

Drama
War
1h 39m
Robert Parrish
Cliff Robertson, Marius Goring, Red Buttons, Irina Demick
60
1965 in The Satan Bug (1965)
The Satan Bug
1965

A US government germ warfare lab has had an accident. The first theory is that one of the germs has been released and killed several scientists. The big fear is that a more virulent strain, named The Satan Bug because all life can be killed off by it should it escape, may have been stolen.

Science Fiction
Thriller
1h 54m
John Sturges
George Maharis, Richard Basehart, Anne Francis, Dana Andrews
59
1965 in The Glory Guys (1965)
The Glory Guys
1965

Though a fictionalized Western based on George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, the film is almost a generic war story covering the enlistment, training, and operational deployment of a group of recruits that could take place in any time period.

Drama
Action
1h 52m
Arnold Laven
Tom Tryon, Harve Presnell, Senta Berger, Michael Anderson Jr.
58
1965 in Ski Party (1965)
Ski Party
1965

Two college boys from SoCal attend a spring break vacation at a ski lodge in Idaho to get insider tips on how the president of the ski club manages to attract so many girls as a way to make amends to their girlfriends. Alongside this relatively simple endeavor are ice-skating polar bears, love triangles, musical numbers, and quick-switching in and out of drag to achieve the goal of discovering what went wrong in the boys' romantic lives.

Comedy
Music
1h 30m
Alan Rafkin
Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Deborah Walley, Yvonne Craig
57
1965 in The Slender Thread (1965)
The Slender Thread
1965

Alan is a Seattle college student volunteering at a crisis center. One night when at the clinic alone, a woman calls up the number and tells Alan that she needs to talk to someone. She informs Alan she took a load of pills, and he secretly tries to get help. During this time, he learns more about the woman, her family life, and why she wants to die. Can Alan get the cavalry to save her in time before it's too late?

56
1965 in That Funny Feeling (1965)
That Funny Feeling
1965

Joan Howell, a young and pretty maid-for-hire, meets and begins dating wealthy New York City businessman Tom Milford. Embarrassed about bringing him back to her tiny apartment that she shares with her roommate Audrey, Joan brings Tom over to a fancy apartment that she cleans on a daily basis not knowing that it's his place. Tom plays along with the charade despite not knowing who Joan really is, while she tries to tidy up Tom's place not knowing who he really is.

Comedy
Romance
1h 33m
Richard Thorpe
Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin, Donald O'Connor, Nita Talbot
55
1965 in Marriage on the Rocks (1965)
Marriage on the Rocks
1965

Ad-agency president Dan Edwards goes to Mexico to celebrate his nineteenth wedding anniversary and winds up getting divorced by mistake, whereupon his wife Valerie marries his best friend Ernie Brewer by mistake.

Comedy
Romance
1h 49m
Jack Donohue
Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, Dean Martin, Cesar Romero
54
1965 in McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force (1965)
McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force
1965

The crew of PT-73 are in trouble again when Ensign Parker is mistaken for a pilot and gets shanghied into the Air Force.

Comedy
1h 26m
Edward Montagne
Joe Flynn, Tim Conway, Bob Hastings, Gary Vinson
53
1965 in Major Dundee (1965)
Major Dundee
1965

During the last winter of the Civil War, cavalry officer Amos Dundee leads a contentious troop of Army regulars, Confederate prisoners and scouts on an expedition into Mexico to destroy a band of Apaches who have been raiding U.S. bases in Texas.

Western
War
Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, James Coburn
52
1965 in Battle of the Bulge (1965)
Battle of the Bulge
1965

In the winter of 1944, the Allied Armies stand ready to invade Germany at the coming of a New Year. To prevent it, Hitler orders an all-out offensive to re-take French territory and capture the major port city of Antwerp.

Drama
History
2h 49m
Ken Annakin
Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw, Robert Ryan, Dana Andrews
51
1965 in The Flight of the Phoenix (1965)
The Flight of the Phoenix
1965

A cargo aircraft crashes in a sandstorm in the Sahara with less than a dozen men on board. One of the passengers is an airplane designer who comes up with the idea of ripping off the undamaged wing and using it as the basis for a replacement aircraft they need to build before their food and water run out.

Adventure
Drama
2h 22m
Robert Aldrich
James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Hardy Krüger
50
1965 in The Alphabet Murders (1965)
The Alphabet Murders
1965

The Belgian detective Hercule Poirot investigates a series of murders in London in which the victims are killed according to their initials.

Comedy
Crime
1h 30m
Frank Tashlin
Tony Randall, Anita Ekberg, Robert Morley, Maurice Denham
49
1965 in Sands of the Kalahari (1965)
Sands of the Kalahari
1965

A diverse group of individuals struggle to survive in the Kalahari desert after their passenger plane crashes.

Action
Adventure
1h 59m
Cy Endfield
Stuart Whitman, Stanley Baker, Susannah York, Harry Andrews
48
1965 in The Dirty Game (1965)
The Dirty Game
1965

A U.S. intelligence general recalls three Cold War cases of Soviet, French and Italian spies.

Drama
Thriller
1h 53m
Terence Young
Henry Fonda, Robert Ryan, Vittorio Gassman, Annie Girardot
47
1965 in The Monkey's Uncle (1965)
The Monkey's Uncle
1965

College whiz-kid Merlin Jones concocts a method for teaching advanced information to a chimpanzee, then creates a flying machine of his own design, ultimately raising havoc on the campus.

Family
Comedy
1h 27m
Robert Stevenson
Tommy Kirk, Annette Funicello, Leon Ames, Arthur O'Connell
46
1965 in Do Not Disturb (1965)
Do Not Disturb
1965

When American couple Janet and Mike move to England for his business, she soon fears he's having an affair with his attractive secretary and decides to get back at him by pretending she has been unfaithful.

Comedy
Romance
1h 43m
Ralph Levy
Doris Day, Rod Taylor, Hermione Baddeley, Sergio Fantoni
45
1965 in Ten Little Indians (1965)
Ten Little Indians
1965

Ten strangers are invited as weekend guests to a remote mountain mansion. When the host doesn't show up, the guests start dying, one by one.

Crime
Mystery
1h 32m
George Pollock
Hugh O'Brian, Shirley Eaton, Fabian, Leo Genn
44
1965 in Lord Jim (1965)
Lord Jim
1965

After being discredited as a coward, a 19th century seaman lives for only one purpose: to redeem himself. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2000.

Adventure
Drama
2h 34m
Richard Brooks
Peter O'Toole, James Mason, Curd Jürgens, Eli Wallach
43
1965 in Boeing, Boeing (1965)
Boeing, Boeing
1965

Living in Paris, journalist Bernard has devised a scheme to keep three fiancées: Lufthansa, Air France and British United. Everything works fine as long as they only come home every third day. But when there's a change in their working schedule, they will be able to be home every second day instead. Bernard's carefully structured life is breaking apart

Comedy
1h 42m
John Rich
Jerry Lewis, Tony Curtis, Thelma Ritter, Christiane Schmidtmer
42
1965 in I've Gotta Horse (1965)
I've Gotta Horse
1965

A fast-moving comedy with Billy Fury, who plays himself in the film. The story reveals his great love of animals, and it features his own racehorse, Anselmo. Also featured are several of Billy's own dogs.

Comedy
Music
1h 32m
Kenneth Hume
Billy Fury, Amanda Barrie, Michael Medwin, Bill Fraser
41
1965 in The Nanny (1965)
The Nanny
1965

Nanny, a London family's live-in maid, brings morbid 10-year-old Joey back from the psychiatric ward he's been in for two years, since the death of his younger sister. Joey refuses to eat any food Nanny's prepared or take a bath with her in the room. He also demands to sleep in a room with a lock. Joey's parents -- workaholic Bill and neurotic Virgie -- are sure Joey is disturbed, but he may have good reason to be terrified of Nanny.

Drama
Thriller
1h 31m
Seth Holt
Bette Davis, Wendy Craig, Jill Bennett, James Villiers
40
1965 in Kwaidan (1965)
Kwaidan
1965

Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden, but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior's reflection in his teacup.

Horror
Fantasy
3h 3m
Masaki Kobayashi
Michiyo Aratama, Rentaro Mikuni, Misako Watanabe, Kenjirō Ishiyama
39
1965 in The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
The Sons of Katie Elder
1965

The four sons of Katie Elder reunite in their hometown of Clearwater, Texas for her funeral and discover that the family ranch is now in the hands of Morgan Hastings, a corrupt businessman who wants to exploit the area around the town.

Western
2h 2m
Henry Hathaway
John Wayne, Dean Martin, Martha Hyer, Michael Anderson Jr.
38
1965 in Simon of the Desert (1965)
Simon of the Desert
1965

Simon, a deeply religious man living in the 4th century, wants to be nearer to God so he climbs a column. The Devil wants him come down to Earth and is trying to seduce him.

Comedy
Drama
45m
Luis Buñuel
Claudio Brook, Silvia Pinal, Hortensia Santoveña, Enrique Álvarez Félix
37
1965 in A High Wind in Jamaica (1965)
A High Wind in Jamaica
1965

In 1870, a Jamaican colonial family sends its children to Britain for proper schooling, but their ship is taken over by pirates, who become fond of the kids.

Adventure
Drama
1h 43m
Alexander Mackendrick
Anthony Quinn, James Coburn, Deborah Baxter, Gert Fröbe
36
1965 in The Bedford Incident (1965)
The Bedford Incident
1965

During a routine patrol, a reporter is given permission to interview a hardened cold-war warrior and captain of the American destroyer USS Bedford. The reporter gets more than he bargained for when the Bedford discovers a Soviet sub and the captain begins a relentless pursuit, pushing his crew to breaking point.

Action
Drama
1h 42m
James B. Harris
Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, James MacArthur, Martin Balsam
35
1965 in The Skull (1965)
The Skull
1965

Esoterica collector Dr Maitland buys an unusual skull from his ordinary source; the artifact is what remains of the Marquis De Sade. Much too soon, Maitland discovers that the skull is turning him into a frenzied killer.

Horror
Thriller
1h 23m
Freddie Francis
Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Patrick Wymark, Jill Bennett
34
1965 in Morituri (1965)
Morituri
1965

A German living in India during World War II is blackmailed by the English to impersonate an SS officer on board a cargo ship leaving Japan for Germany carrying a large supply of rubber for tyres. His mission is to disable the scuttling charges so the captain cannot sink the ship if they are stopped by English warships.

Action
Drama
2h 3m
Bernhard Wicki
Marlon Brando, Yul Brynner, Janet Margolin, Trevor Howard
33
1965 in The Sandpiper (1965)
The Sandpiper
1965

A free-spirited single mother forms a connection with the wedded headmaster of an Episcopalian boarding school in Monterey, California.

Drama
Romance
1h 57m
Vincente Minnelli
32
1965 in Young Cassidy (1965)
Young Cassidy
1965

In Dublin circa 1911, John Cassidy (Rod Taylor), an impoverished idealist, whose ambitions are restricted by the demands of looking after his family, journeys through the social injustices of Dublin life, involving himself with the rowdy tramway-men strike, dawdling with prostitute Daisy Battles (Julie Christie), and seeking a better life. He falls in love with bookshop assistant Nora (Dame Maggie Smith) who encourages him toward a life of writing. Finding success at the Abbey Theatre, his unorthodox views estrange him from family, friends, and his own past.

Drama
1h 50m
Jack Cardiff
Rod Taylor, Julie Christie, Maggie Smith, Michael Redgrave
31
1965 in In Harm's Way (1965)
In Harm's Way
1965

A Naval officer, reprimanded after Pearl Harbor, is later promoted to Rear Admiral and gets a second chance to prove himself against the Japanese.

War
Drama
2h 45m
Otto Preminger
John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Tom Tryon
30
1965 in Harum Scarum (1965)
Harum Scarum
1965

Johnny Tyronne, action movie star and ladies man, is traveling through the Middle East on a goodwill tour to promote his latest movie, "Sands of the Desert". Once he arrives, however, he is kidnapped by a gang of assassins who were so impressed with his on-screen adventures that they want to hire him to carry out an assassination for them.

Comedy
Crime
1h 25m
Gene Nelson
Elvis Presley, Mary Ann Mobley, Fran Jeffries, Michael Ansara
29
1965 in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes (1965)
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
1965

In order to boost circulation of his newspaper, Lord Rawnsley announces an air race and offers £10,000 to the first person who can fly across the English Channel. But one of the participants, Percy, plots to sabotage his competitor's planes. Will Percy triumph?

Comedy
2h 18m
Ken Annakin
Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, James Fox, Alberto Sordi
28
1965 in Othello (1965)
Othello
1965

General Othello's marriage is destroyed when vengeful Ensign Iago convinces him that his new wife has been unfaithful.

Drama
2h 45m
Stuart Burge
Frank Finlay, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Joyce Redman
27
1965 in Ship of Fools (1965)
Ship of Fools
1965

Passengers on a ship traveling from Mexico to Europe in the 1930s represent society at large in that era. The crew is German, including the ship's Dr. Schumann, who falls in love with one of the passengers, La Condesa. A young American woman, Jenny, is traveling with the man she loves, David. Jenny is fascinated and puzzled by just who some of the other passengers are.

Drama
Romance
2h 29m
Stanley Kramer
Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, José Ferrer, Lee Marvin
26
1965 in King Rat (1965)
King Rat
1965

When Singapore surrendered to the Japanese in 1942, the Allied POWs, mostly British but including a few Americans, were incarcerated in Changi prison. Among the American prisoners is Cpl. King, a wheeler-dealer who has managed to establish a pretty good life for himself in the camp. King soon forms a friendship with an upper-class British officer who is fascinated with King's enthusiastic approach to life.

Drama
War
2h 14m
Bryan Forbes
George Segal, James Fox, Tom Courtenay, Patrick O'Neal
25
1965 in Von Ryan's Express (1965)
Von Ryan's Express
1965

Von Ryan's Express stars Frank Sinatra as a POW colonel who leads a daring escape from WWII Italy by taking over a freight train, but he has to win over the British soldiers he finds himself commanding.

War
Action
1h 57m
Mark Robson
Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard, Raffaella Carrà, Brad Dexter
24
1965 in That Darn Cat! (1965)
That Darn Cat!
1965

A young woman suspects foul play when her cat comes home wearing a wristwatch. Convincing the FBI, though, and catching the bad guys is tougher than she imagined.

Family
Comedy
1h 56m
Robert Stevenson
Hayley Mills, Dean Jones, Dorothy Provine, Roddy McDowall
23
1965 in The Loved One (1965)
The Loved One
1965

Newly arrived in Hollywood from England, Dennis Barlow finds he has to arrange his uncle's interment at the highly-organised and very profitable Whispering Glades funeral parlour. His fancy is caught by one of their cosmeticians, Aimee Thanatogenos. But he has three problems - the strict rules of owner Blessed Reverand Glenworthy, the rivalry of embalmer Mr Joyboy, and the shame of now working himself at The Happy Hunting Ground pets' memorial home.

Comedy
2h 2m
Tony Richardson
Robert Morse, Jonathan Winters, Anjanette Comer, Rod Steiger
22
1965 in The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
The Agony and the Ecstasy
1965

During the Italian Renaissance, Pope Julius II contracts the influential artist Michelangelo to sculpt 40 statues for his tomb. When the pope changes his mind and asks the sculptor to paint a mural in the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo doubts his painting skills and abandons the project. Divine inspiration returns Michelangelo to the mural, but his artistic vision clashes with the pope's demanding personality and threatens the success of the historic painting.

Drama
History
2h 18m
Carol Reed
Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento, Harry Andrews
21
1965 in Darling (1965)
Darling
1965

Diana, a beautiful but shallow and easily distracted model and failed actress, toys with the affections of several men while attempting to gain fame and fortune in Swinging London.

Drama
Romance
2h 8m
John Schlesinger
Julie Christie, Dirk Bogarde, Laurence Harvey, José Luis de Vilallonga
20
1965 in Alphaville (1965)
Alphaville
1965

Lemmy Caution is on a mission to eliminate Professor Von Braun, the creator of a malevolent computer that rules the city of Alphaville. Befriended by the scientist’s daughter Natasha, Lemmy must unravel the mysteries of the strictly logical Alpha 60 and teach Natasha the meaning of the word “love.”

Drama
Science Fiction
1h 39m
Jean-Luc Godard
Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina, Akim Tamiroff, Valérie Boisgel
19
1965 in Red Beard (1965)
Red Beard
1965

Aspiring to an easy job as personal physician to a wealthy family, Noboru Yasumoto is disappointed when his first post after medical school takes him to a small country clinic under the gruff doctor Red Beard. Yasumoto rebels in numerous ways, but Red Beard proves a wise and patient teacher. He gradually introduces his student to the unglamorous side of the profession, ultimately assigning him to care for a prostitute rescued from a local brothel.

Drama
Toshirō Mifune, Yūzō Kayama, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Reiko Dan
18
1965 in The Hill (1965)
The Hill
1965

North Africa, World War II. British soldiers on the brink of collapse push beyond endurance to struggle up a brutal incline. It's not a military objective. It's The Hill, a manmade instrument of torture, a tower of sand seared by a white-hot sun. And the troops' tormentors are not the enemy, but their own comrades-at-arms.

Drama
War
Sean Connery, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Alfred Lynch
17
1965 in The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
The Cincinnati Kid
1965

An up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself in a high-stakes match against a long-time master of the game.

Drama
Steve McQueen, Edward G. Robinson, Ann-Margret, Karl Malden
16
1965 in A Thousand Clowns (1965)
A Thousand Clowns
1965

Twelve-year-old Nick lives with his Uncle Murray, a Mr.Micawber-like Dickensian character who keeps hoping something won't turn up. What turns up is a social worker, who falls in love with Murray and a bit in love with Nick. As the child welfare people try to force Murray to become a conventional man (as the price they demand for allowing him to keep Nick), the nephew, who until now has gloried in his Uncle's iconoclastic approach to life, tries to play mediator. But when he succeeds, he is alarmed by the uncle's willingness to cave in to society in order to save the relationship.

Comedy
Drama
1h 58m
Fred Coe
Jason Robards, Barry Gordon, Barbara Harris, Martin Balsam
15
1965 in The Rounders (1965)
The Rounders
1965

Ben (Glenn Ford) and Marion (Henry Fonda) are two cowboys who make a meager living breaking wild horses. Their frequent employer Jim (Chill Wills), who always gets the better of them, talks them into taking a nondescript horse in lieu of some of their wages. Ben finds that the horse is un-rideable, he comes up with the idea of taking it to a rodeo and betting other cowhands they cannot ride it.

Comedy
Western
1h 25m
Burt Kennedy
Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda, Sue Ane Langdon, Hope Holiday
14
1965 in Chimes at Midnight (1965)
Chimes at Midnight
1965

Henry IV usurps the English throne, sets in motion the factious War of the Roses and now faces a rebellion led by Northumberland scion Hotspur. Henry's heir, Prince Hal, is a ne'er-do-well carouser who drinks and causes mischief with his low-class friends, especially his rotund father figure, John Falstaff. To redeem his title, Hal may have to choose between allegiance to his real father and loyalty to his friend.

Comedy
Drama
Orson Welles, Keith Baxter, John Gielgud, Jeanne Moreau
13
1965 in The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965)
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
1965

British agent Alec Leamas refuses to come in from the Cold War during the 1960s, choosing to face another mission, which may prove to be his final one.

Drama
Thriller
1h 52m
Martin Ritt
Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner, Sam Wanamaker
12
1965 in The Ipcress File (1965)
The Ipcress File
1965

Sly and dry intelligence agent Harry Palmer is tasked with investigating British Intelligence security, and is soon enmeshed in a world of double-dealing, kidnap and murder when he finds a traitor operating at the heart of the secret service.

Thriller
1h 49m
Sidney J. Furie
Michael Caine, Nigel Green, Guy Doleman, Sue Lloyd
11
1965 in Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
1965

A trio of thrill-seeking go-go dancers kidnap a young girl and attempt to seduce an old rancher and his two sons out of their small fortune, but their scheme doesn't play out as intended.

Crime
Action
1h 23m
Russ Meyer
Tura Satana, Haji, Lori Williams, Sue Bernard
Why it ranks

Russ Meyer unleashes a violent, high-octane celebration of female aggression that shatters the polite conventions of mid-sixties cinema. Its aggressive framing and nihilistic energy create a visceral cult experience that feels decades ahead of its time.

10
1965 in A Patch of Blue (1965)
A Patch of Blue
1965

A blind, uneducated white girl is befriended by a black man, who becomes determined to help her escape her impoverished and abusive home life.

Drama
Romance
1h 45m
Guy Green
Sidney Poitier, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Hartman, Wallace Ford
Why it ranks

A quiet, devastatingly effective drama that relies on sensory intimacy and the nuanced chemistry between Sidney Poitier and Elizabeth Hartman. It stands out for its understated approach to social tension, choosing gentle humanity over the era’s typical didacticism.

9
1965 in Cat Ballou (1965)
Cat Ballou
1965

A woman seeking revenge for her murdered father hires a famous gunman, but he's very different from what she expects.

Western
Comedy
1h 37m
Elliot Silverstein
Jane Fonda, Michael Callan, Lee Marvin, Dwayne Hickman
Why it ranks

This irreverent Western parody subverts frontier myths with a sharp, satirical edge and a legendary dual performance by Lee Marvin. It manages to mock the genre’s rigid tropes while simultaneously functioning as a charmingly rowdy crowd-pleaser.

8
1965 in The Pawnbroker (1965)
The Pawnbroker
1965

A Jewish pawnbroker, a victim of Nazi persecution, loses all faith in his fellow man until he realizes too late the tragedy of his actions.

Drama
Rod Steiger, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Brock Peters, Jaime Sánchez
Why it ranks

Rod Steiger delivers a harrowing, interior performance that marks a seismic shift in how American cinema confronts the lingering trauma of the Holocaust. Sidney Lumet’s gritty, urban lens rejects sentimentality in favor of a devastatingly honest exploration of emotional paralysis.

7
1965 in Help! (1965)
Help!
1965

An obscure Eastern cult that practices human sacrifice pursues Ringo after he unknowingly puts on a ceremonial ring (that, of course, won't come off). On top of that, a pair of mad scientists, members of Scotland Yard, and a beautiful but dead-eyed assassin all have their own plans for the Fab Four.

Comedy
Music
George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr
Why it ranks

Richard Lester’s kinetic direction transforms this musical caper into a proto-psychedelic playground that perfectly mirrors the evolving wit of the Fab Four. The film’s frantic editing and surrealist visual gags represent a sharp departure from the earnestness of the traditional studio musical.

6
1965 in Repulsion (1965)
Repulsion
1965

Beautiful young manicurist Carole suffers from androphobia (the pathological fear of interaction with men). When her sister and roommate, Helen, leaves their London flat to go on an Italian holiday with her married boyfriend, Carole withdraws into her apartment. She begins to experience frightful hallucinations, her fear gradually mutating into madness.

Drama
Thriller
Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry, John Fraser, Yvonne Furneaux
Why it ranks

Roman Polanski invents a new vocabulary for psychological horror by trapping the viewer within the deteriorating architecture of a fractured mind. This claustrophobic masterclass in tension eschews traditional monsters for the chillingly tactile sensations of isolation and sensory rot.

5
1965 in For a Few Dollars More (1965)
For a Few Dollars More
1965

Two bounty hunters both pursue the brutal and sadistic bandit, El Indio, who has a large bounty on his head.

Western
Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Gian Maria Volonté, Luigi Pistilli
Why it ranks

Lee Van Cleef transforms from a B-movie heavy into a legendary icon of cool, matching Clint Eastwood’s stoicism with a flinty, elder-statesman authority. He plays Colonel Mortimer with a calculated, mathematical precision that proved he could command the screen as a sophisticated protagonist rather than just a nameless thug. It is the definitive rebranding of a career, grounding the film's stylized violence with a weary, soulful gravity.

4
1965 in The Great Race (1965)
The Great Race
1965

Professional daredevil and white-suited hero, The Great Leslie, convinces turn-of-the-century auto makers that a race from New York to Paris (westward across America, the Bering Straight and Russia) will help to promote automobile sales. Leslie's arch-rival, the mustached and black-attired Professor Fate vows to beat Leslie to the finish line in a car of Fate's own invention.

Comedy
Adventure
Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Peter Falk
Why it ranks

Blake Edwards delivers a riotous, high-budget tribute to the slapstick era that operates with the precision of a Swiss watch. Its vivid Technicolor palette and commitment to escalating absurdity make it a standout farcical achievement in a year defined by heavy dramas.

3
1965 in Thunderball (1965)
Thunderball
1965

A criminal organization has obtained two nuclear bombs and are asking for a 100 million pound ransom in the form of diamonds in seven days or they will use the weapons. The secret service sends James Bond to the Bahamas to once again save the world.

Adventure
Action
2h 10m
Terence Young
Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi, Luciana Paluzzi
Why it ranks

The Bond franchise finds its definitive underwater aesthetic here, pushing the boundaries of action choreography with ambitious subaquatic battle sequences. It is a high-water mark for the spy genre that trades the grit of previous entries for a polished, larger than life spectacle.

2
1965 in The Sound of Music (1965)
The Sound of Music
1965

In the years before World War II, a tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey is hired as a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children and brings a new love of life and music into the home.

Drama
Family
2h 55m
Robert Wise
Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker, Charmian Carr
Why it ranks

Julie Andrews cements her status as a global icon in this sweeping Robert Wise production that revitalizes the Hollywood operetta with crystalline vocals and breathtaking alpine scale. It is a rare technical marvel that manages to be both earnest and structurally impeccable, dwarfing its contemporaries through pure emotional resonance.

1
1965 in Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Doctor Zhivago
1965

The life of a Russian physician and poet who, although married to another, falls in love with a political activist's wife and experiences hardship during World War I and then the October Revolution.

Drama
Romance
Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Rod Steiger
Why it ranks

David Lean captures the collision of intimate human longing and the brutal machinery of history in a visually decadent epic of the Russian Revolution. The film’s chilly, monochromatic landscapes provide a haunting backdrop for a story of poetic fragility that remains unparalleled in its cinematic grandeur.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this list and SnakeDrafts

'Doctor Zhivago' is ranked #1 due to its epic storytelling, masterful direction by David Lean, and a compelling blend of drama, romance, and war. Its grand scale and emotional depth have made it a lasting classic that defines 1965's cinematic excellence.

'The Sound of Music' stands out for its timeless musical score, heartwarming story, and widespread popularity. Directed by Robert Wise, it became a cultural phenomenon that year, highlighting the enduring appeal of grand, melodic musicals.

Yes, 1965's top films showcase diverse genres, including Westerns like 'For a Few Dollars More' and 'Cat Ballou,' psychological thrillers like 'Repulsion,' and even cult favorites such as 'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!' This variety reflects the transitional cinematic landscape of the year.

Western films had a strong showing in 1965 with Sergio Leone's 'For a Few Dollars More' ranked #5 and 'Cat Ballou' at #9. These movies revitalized the genre by blending traditional Western themes with innovative storytelling and humor.

'The Pawnbroker' is notable for its gritty drama and powerful exploration of trauma and survival. Sidney Lumet's direction brought a raw, emotional edge that contrasted with the year’s more lavish productions, earning it a unique place among 1965’s best.

'Repulsion' by Roman Polanski and 'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!' showcase 1965's movement toward edgier, experimental films. These movies pushed boundaries with their psychological tension and provocative style, signaling changing tastes in cinema.

'Help!' is a key representative of 1965’s musical-comedy subgenre, featuring The Beatles during the height of their popularity. Its blend of comedy, music, and adventure captures the pop culture spirit of the mid-60s.
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