12 Essential New Hollywood Movies Everyone Should See At Least Once

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Classics

By the mid-1960s, the studio system started to unravel and led to American cinema transitioning from its Classical Era and moving into what is known as the New Hollywood Movement. The movement introduced audiences to a new generation of young and ambitious filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Don Siegel, who forever changed the landscape of cinema.

Films like The Godfather, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Raging Bull revitalized the traditional tropes of well-established film genres with a modernized appeal, ultimately altering the movie experience. While the New Hollywood Era is full of exceptional films that all deserve some form of recognition for their contribution, there are some, including The Sting, The Exorcist, and Dirty Harry, that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime.

12 'The Graduate' (1967)

Directed by Mike Nichols

Elaine (Katharine Ross) and Ben (Dustin Hoffman) on a date in The Graduate

Dustin Hoffman stars in Mike Nichols' non-high school coming-of-age film, The Graduate, as Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate who is struggling to figure out what to do with his life. After moving back home, Braddock finds himself being seduced by a married woman and a friend of his family's, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). As Braddock and Robinson engage in an innocent affair, things become complicated when Braddock begins to fall for his lover's daughter.

At first glance, many believe the movie sensationalizes a young man's affair with an older woman, but The Graduate dives further into the motives and circumstances surrounding both Hoffman and Bancroft's characters, who are at complete opposite ends of their lives, creating an insightful dynamic with a touch of humor. The Graduate earned seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress, going on to win Best Director.

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A disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.

Release Date December 21, 1967

Cast Dustin Hoffman , Katharine Ross , Murray Hamilton , Anne Bancroft , William Daniels

Runtime 106 minutes

Writers Calder Willingham , Buck Henry

11 'Taxi Driver' (1976)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) stands in the street wearing sunglasses and sporting a rough mohawk in 'Taxi Driver' (1976).

Martin Scorsese's neo-noir psychological thriller Taxi Driver is an intense look into the deteriorating mind of a Vietnam War veteran, Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), who spends most of his time alone and works nights as a cab driver in a morally corrupt New York City. Audiences are effortlessly drawn into the film's dream-like state and become fully immersed in Bickle's torrid and decaying mental state that is impossible to look away from.

The movie initially earned mixed reviews, with many critics citing its excessive violence, but despite its controversy, Taxi Driver boldly addresses the psychological impact of warfare as well as the cultural changes occurring in American society at the time. The film went on to earn several Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Actor, and today is credited as a crucial film from the New Hollywood Movement.

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A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.

Release Date February 9, 1976

Runtime 114 Minutes

Main Genre Drama

Writers Paul Schrader

10 'The Exorcist' (1973)

Directed by William Friedkin

Linda Blair as Regan, floating above a bed, possessed, with her arms spread wide in The Exorcist

Movie-goers were forever changed by William Friedkin's classic horror film, The Exorcist, which cultivated a new kind of terror for the silver screen. Based on the 1971 novel written by William Peter Blatty, the movie follows the efforts of two Catholic priests (Max Von Sydow, Jason Miller) and their determination to save a young girl (Linda Blair) who has been possessed by a demonic spirit.

While there were other horror films that centered around religious elements, The Exorcist was a landmark film noted for its incredible visual and story detail and immense depth that changed the formula of the genre forever. The Exorcist went on to make Oscar history, becoming the first horror film to earn nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress, and winning for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film's overall praise and influence essentially legitimized the horror genre, proving it to be more than just violent, campy entertainment.

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When a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.

Release Date December 26, 1973

Runtime 122 minutes

Writers William Peter Blatty

Budget $12 million

Studio(s) Hoya Productions

Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures

Franchise(s) The Exorcist

9 'Bonnie and Clyde' (1967)

Directed by Arthur Penn

Bonnie and Clyde sitting in a convertible, looking in the same direction in Bonnie And Clyde (1967)

Bonnie and Clyde is a riveting crime romance based on notorious sweetheart criminals, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Burrow, who, during the 1930s, became two of America's most wanted fugitives. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway star as the titular characters, who initially meet in Texas after Burrow tries to steal a car belonging to Parker's mother. The partners in crime start out as petty thieves, but they eventually graduate to committing a series of high-profile bank robberies and a string of murders that capture the attention of the American public.

Upon its initial release, many criticized Bonnie and Clyde, believing it glorified the couple, but others, notably film critic, Roger Ebert, gave the movie four out of four stars, praising its honesty and cinematic brilliance. Despite the controversy, Bonnie and Clyde marked a significant turning point in cinema as the tropes of the classic movie were pushed aside and replaced with excessive violence and sex appeal, which became a calling card of the New Hollywood Era. Bonnie and Clyde earned nine Oscar nominations, including all five major categories, and ended up winning for Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actress.

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Bonnie and Clyde

Release Date July 18, 1967

Director Arthur Penn

Runtime 111 minutes

Main Genre Biography

Writers David Newman , Robert Benton , Robert Towne

8 'Airplane!' (1980)

Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker

Leslie Nielsen, Robert Hays, and Otto desperately trying to land the plane Airplane!

Robert Hays stars in Airplane! as a former military pilot, Ted Striker, whose struggle to cope with his past leads his girlfriend, Elaine (Julie Hagerty), to leave him. In an effort to win her back, Striker faces his fears and boards the plane on which Elaine is working on as a flight attendant. When the passengers and pilots become sick with food poisoning, it's up to Striker to save the day and land the plane safely.

Airplane! is an iconic New Hollywood film that heightened the already-established elements of the comedy genre with a more modernized, uncensored sense of humor, ultimately deeming it to be one of the best comedies of all time. Serving as a parody of a string of disaster films released during the 1970s, Airplane! ultimately ushered in a new kind of comedy for audiences with a mix of deadpan humor, slapstick, and raunchy jokes that paved the way for a new generation of comedians and filmmakers.

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After the crew becomes sick with food poisoning, a neurotic ex-fighter pilot must land a commercial airplane full of passengers safely.

Release Date July 2, 1980

Director Jim Abrahams , David Zucker , Jerry Zucker

Cast Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Lloyd Bridges , Peter Graves , Julie Hagerty , Robert Hays , Leslie Nielsen

Runtime 88 minutes

Writers Arthur Hailey , Hall Bartlett , John C. Champion , Jim Abrahams , David Zucker , Jerry Zucker

7 'Raging Bull' (1981)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta in the ring, looking directly at the camera in Raging Bull

The Oscar-winning sports drama, Raging Bull, was a pivotal New Hollywood movie that ambitiously explored the dark corners of the life and career of middleweight boxing champion, Jake LaMotta. Based on LaMotta's 1970 memoir, Raging Bull: My Story, the movie is noted for its candid complexity of LaMotta's rise and fall in the boxing world, as well as the toxic impact his career had on his life outside the ring.

Raging Bull was originally criticized for its excessive violence, but Scorsese's refusal to downplay the physical and mental impact of LaMotta's story cultivates a genuine, unaltered perspective that effectively draws audiences into the boxer's torrid tale. Aside from a few negative responses, others recognized the brilliance of Raging Bull, including Roger Ebert, who called the movie an instant classic as well as one of the best movies of the decade. Raging Bull received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture, and ended up winning Best Editing and Best Actor for De Niro's stellar performance.

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Directed by Martin Scorsese, Raging Bull is a 1980 sports drama based on the rise and fall of real-life boxer Jake LaMotta as he strives for success while dealing with his inner demons and his violent temper. Robert De Niro stars as the middleweight champion, with Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, and Nicholas Colasanto in supporting roles.

Release Date December 19, 1980

Runtime 129 minutes

Main Genre Biography

Writers Mardik Martin , Paul Schrader

6 'Dirty Harry' (1971)

Directed by Don Siegel

Clint East Wood as Harry Callahan looking at a person offscreen in Dirty Harry (1971)

Clint Eastwood stars as Detective Harry Callhan in Don Siegel's Dirty Harry, which paved the way for a new kind of cop film that centered around an unorthodox, loose cannon lawman. Set in San Francisco, Callahan races to track down a killer known as Scorpio (Andy Robinson) before he kills an innocent girl, but when the detective violates the man's civil rights, the department legally has to let him go. Scorpio soon strikes again and hijacks a bus full of children, forcing Callahan to take matters into his own hands.

Dirty Harry was loosely inspired by the Zodiac Killer who terrorized the Bay Area during the 1960s, becoming one of the most notorious cold cases in American history. Aside from its unsettling inspiration, Dirty Harry was released at a time when law enforcement was losing the fight against crime and essentially gave audiences a lawful vigilante anti-hero who audiences found to be appealing and likable despite his violent methods and frequently bending the rules. Today, Callahan is recognized as one of Eastwood's signature roles as well as a cinematic icon who established a new breed of lawman for the silver screen.

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A hardened police inspector is on the trail of a deranged sniper causing havoc in San Francisco. As he navigates the city's underbelly, his ruthless tactics and determination to enforce his own brand of justice bring him into conflict with both the criminal and the legal system.

Release Date December 23, 1971

Director Don Siegel

Cast Clint Eastwood , Harry Guardino , Reni Santoni , John Vernon , Andrew Robinson , John Larch

Runtime 102 minutes

Main Genre Crime

Writers Harry Julian Fink , Rita M. Fink , Dean Riesner , John Milius , Jo Heims

5 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' (1969)

Directed by George Roy Hill

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid sitting on a cave.

Hollywood icons Robert Redford and Paul Newman star in the classic film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which is considered to be one of the first Western buddy films and a defining film of the New Hollywood Era. The movie is loosely based on the lives of Western outlaws, Robert LeRoy Parker, A.K.A. Butch Cassidy (Newman) and Harry Longabaugh, also known as the Sundance Kid (Redford), who are on the run from a group of lawmen after committing a series of train robberies.

The movie initially earned mediocre reviews, but some, including the New York Times, praised the film noting it to be very humorous in a contemporary way. Despite its lukewarm reviews, the film received seven Oscar nominations and ended up winning four of its nominations, including Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Song. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid has since been reevaluated and is noted for its iconic pairing of Redford and Newman as well as the film's buoyant screenplay and catchy musical score composed by Burt Bacharach.

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In the late 1890s, charismatic outlaw Butch Cassidy and his sharpshooting partner, the Sundance Kid, lead the Hole in the Wall Gang. As persistent lawmen close in, the duo attempts to evade capture by fleeing to South America, grappling with the challenges of a rapidly changing frontier.

Release Date September 24, 1969

Director George Roy Hill

Cast Paul Newman , Robert Redford , Katharine Ross , Strother Martin , Henry Jones , Jeff Corey , George Furth , Cloris Leachman , Ted Cassidy , Kenneth Mars , Donnelly Rhodes , Jody Gilbert , Timothy Scott , Don Keefer , Charles Dierkop , Pancho Córdova , Nelson Olmsted , Paul Bryar , Sam Elliott , Charles Akins , Eric Sinclair

Runtime 111 Minutes

Main Genre Western

Writers William Goldman

4 'The Sting' (1973)

Directed by George Roy Hill

Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) pretends to read a newspaper as he spies around a train station while Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) peers at him from behind in 'The Sting' (1973).

The Sting is a classic crime comedy which follows an aspiring conman, Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford), who teams up with an experienced pro, Henry Gondroff (Paul Newman), to take revenge on the crime boss, Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), who is responsible for murdering Hooker's friend. The two go to extreme lengths to set up a scheme which is designed to lure Lonnegan in and swindle him out of thousands of dollars without him ever knowing he has been played.

Redford and Newman reunite with director George Roy Hill in The Sting, which is noted for its intricate plot and unexpected twists and turns, ultimately delivering a new take on the classic heist film. The film is also known for its use of old-fashioned title cards and ragtime melodies by Scott Joplin, which effectively set the movie's tone and setting. The Sting was both a major commercial and critical success and earned ten Academy Award nominations, winning seven of its nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

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The Sting

Two grifters team up to pull off the ultimate con.

Release Date December 25, 1973

Director George Roy Hill

Runtime 129 minutes

Main Genre Comedy

Writers David S. Ward

3 'Chinatown' (1974)

Directed by Roman Polanski

Jack Nicholson stars in the classic neo-noir, Chinatown, as a Los Angeles private eye, Jake Gittes, who is hired by a woman, Evelyn Mulwray, to follow her husband and his daily activities. What starts out as a seemingly average case of infidelity takes a drastic turn when Gittes realizes he was hired by an impersonator after meeting the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway). When Mulwray's husband turns up dead, Gittes becomes entangled in a web of corruption, greed, and murder, which all leads back to Mulwray's father, Noah Cross (John Huston).

Chinatown is considered to be one of the first major films to pioneer the neo-noir genre by revitalizing the classic film noir genre with a few modifications of its traditional tropes for a more modernized audience. While the film is full of elements of the film noir genre, Chinatown is also celebrated for its multi-layered story of mystery and psychological drama, deeming it to be a defining film of the New Hollywood Era. Even though it received a bit of criticism, Chinatown is undeniably an influential masterpiece and is known to feature one of the best screenplays of all time, written by Robert Towne, which earned him the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

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Originally released in 1974, Chinatown is an American neo-noir mystery movie starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. Its story was inspired by the California water wars, a series of conflicts between the city of Los Angeles and the people of Owen's Valley around the beginning of the twentieth century. The movie received 11 Academy Award nominations in total, with Robert Towne winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Release Date June 20, 1974

Director Roman Polanski

Runtime 130 minutes

Writers Robert Towne , Roman Polanski

2 'The Godfather' (1972)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Vito Corleone talking to Johnny Fontaine in 'The Godfather'

Francis Ford Coppola's magnum opus, The Godfather, tells the story of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), who finds himself at a crossroads with the new generation of mobsters who are involved in certain business ventures that Vito deems to be too dangerous for him. As Vito and his family engage in a war against the other families, his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), takes action and leads him on the path to becoming his father's predecessor as the head of one of the most powerful crime families in the country.

The Godfather is a timeless classic and an adaptation of Mario Puzo's best-selling novel which ultimately redefined the gangster genre. The movie was a massive hit and led to the impressive careers of several stars, including James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton. Out of its eleven Academy Award nominations, The Godfather won three Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. The Godfather delivered a new version of the gangster story, providing a relatable rhyme and reason behind the controversial life in organized crime and, today, is considered to be one of if not, the greatest movies of all time.

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The Godfather

Don Vito Corleone, head of a mafia family, decides to hand over his empire to his youngest son, Michael. However, his decision unintentionally puts the lives of his loved ones in grave danger.

Release Date March 24, 1972

Director Francis Ford Coppola

Cast Marlon Brando , Al Pacino , James Caan , Robert Duvall , Richard S. Castellano , Diane Keaton , Talia Shire , Gianni Russo , Sterling Hayden , John Marley , Richard Conte , Al Lettieri , Abe Vigoda , Rudy Bond , Al Martino , Morgana King , Lenny Montana , John Martino , Salvatore Corsitto , Richard Bright , Alex Rocco , Tony Giorgio , Vito Scotti , Tere Livrano

Runtime 175 minutes

Main Genre Drama

Writers Mario Puzo , Francis Ford Coppola

1 'The Godfather: Part II' (1974)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

The Godfather: Part II has been credited as one of the best sequel/prequels of all time, with some even believing it surpasses the first film. Pacino reprises his role as Michael Corleone, who has settled into his role as the head of the family and begins to fulfill his father's wishes by making the family legitimate. As Michael's journey unfolds, audiences witness the early days of Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) and his rise to power and prominence in America as the beloved Godfather.

The Godfather: Part II ranks as one of the best movies in cinema history, delivering a compelling and unique format of storytelling that puts it in its own category of brilliance. Much like the first movie, The Godfather: Part II was an instant success and earned several Academy Award nominations, going on to win six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for De Niro. The Godfather: Part II is recognized for its definitive non-linear storytelling and impeccable performances by the entire cast, specifically Pacino, who gives one of his finest performances to date.

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The Godfather Part II

The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.

Release Date December 20, 1974

Director Francis Ford Coppola

Runtime 202minutes

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