The Best New Hollywood Movies of All Time | Wealth of Geeks

Every artistic medium has its renaissance period, whether discussing literature, music, or film. More so than most other forms of entertainment, the world of film has seen numerous golden ages flourish across multiple nationalities, from the French New Wave of the 1960s to the Mexican New Wave of the 1990s and 2000s.

Like most countries, American film has seen its own surge in exciting new releases, beginning with the Golden Age of Hollywood and continuing with the New Hollywood movies of the ‘60s. A defining moment in the American film industry, the New Hollywood movement gave rise to a number of young filmmakers who came to fruition in the ‘60s and ‘70s, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Terrence Malick. These creative young directors helped reinvigorate American cinema over two decades, breaking endless rules regarding the “conventional” American films of the ‘40s and ‘50s.

From controversial crime epics to gut-wrenching romantic comedies, find here the greatest of New Hollywood movies.

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Few films play as integral a role in New Hollywood’s development as 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde. In it, director Arthur Penn took two historical figures – the star-crossed bank robbers Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) – and made them living, breathing individuals of extreme complexity. Between its sharp violence, downbeat ending, and liberal exploration of then-controversial subject matter, historians cite the film as the movie that kicked off the New Hollywood movement, ushering in a wave of similarly intricate American movies in the decade that followed.

The Graduate (1967)

The Graduate made a splash in depicting adult-oriented physical relations, but audiences remember director Mike Nichols’ 1967 masterpiece more often for its philosophical themes. Like Easy Rider, The Graduate discusses the emotional longing of its main character – recent college graduate Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) – and the uncertainty he feels now that he has his entire future ahead of him. Unsure of what he wants, Benjamin drifts through life in a fugue state, navigating through disastrous relationships with the seductive Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) and her daughter (Katharine Ross) without feeling true passion for either.

Easy Rider (1969)

Next to Bonnie and Clyde, Easy Rider is considered a landmark in the New Hollywood movement, not only in its implementation of its adult subject matter, but for its candid discussion about the American way of life.

Depicting the hippie movement of the late 1960s, the movie’s counter-cultural representation illustrated the sharp divide between older, more conservative Americans and the angst-riddled younger generation. Opting for a more realistic mode of filmmaking, director Dennis Hopper also broke boundaries when it came to the methods one can use when shooting a film, shining a light on on-screen violence and illicit substance use.

The Wild Bunch (1969)

If Bonnie and Clyde eased open the door for on-screen depictions of violence in the mid-’60s, The Wild Bunch kicked that same door open with Herculean force. One of the most controversial movies of its era, The Wild Bunch’s abundant levels of violence, morally ambiguous characters, and explosive ending left a lasting impression on audience members at the time. Reframing the West through a postmodern lens, director Sam Peckinpah created a film punctuated by sharp violence, coarse language, and vivid characterization.

The French Connection (1971)

In the 1970s, William Friedkin recreated two well-known genres with his 1973 horror film, The Exorcist, and his 1971 crime movie, The French Connection. In the latter’s case, Friedkin adapts an actual N.Y.P.D. narcotics case with unfiltered realism, employing a grounded portrayal of a police investigation rather than an over-the-top, action-packed buddy comedy. Featuring Gene Hackman in perhaps his finest cinematic role, The French Connection introduced a new level of dramatic realism when it came to ‘70s crime movies, laying the groundwork for later films from Coppola and Scorsese in the years ahead.

Chinatown (1974)

In the ‘40s and ‘50s, noir reigned as one of the most popular genres of its era, starring the likes of noted hard-boiled actors like James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, and Robert Mitchum as trench coat-clad, cynical P.I.s. In 1974’s Chinatown, director Roman Polanski turns the conventional detective story on its head, constructing a taut mystery with dark, unexpected consequences for every party involved. Starring Jack Nicholson as the out-of-his-element private eye Jake Gittes, Chinatown drowns viewers in its murky river of corruption and disturbing conspiracies, casting them in uncharted territories with its stomach-turning central mystery.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

If Taxi Driver, The Wild Bunch, and Bonnie and Clyde proved controversial for their shocking levels of violence, Midnight Cowboy earned a similar response for its more open discussion of explicit subject matter. The first X-rated film to win the Oscar for Best Picture, Midnight Cowboy’s unflattering portrait of ‘60s New York – complete with squalid apartment buildings and overarching poverty – contrasted significantly from the glamor and glitz of New York-centric films in the previous decades. As depressing as much of the movie is, though, director John Schlesinger’s emphasis on Joe (Jon Voight) and Rico’s (Dustin Hoffman) friendship hammers home the importance of companionship in the most hopeless of circumstances.

Nashville (1975)

In reality, every one of Robert Altman’s ‘70s-era movies could’ve earned a spot on this list. Time and time again, Altman reinvented multiple genres of film, from dark comedy war movies like MASH to Western revisionist films like McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Despite the power of Altman’s movies, one shouldn’t look past the innovative nature of 1975’s Nashville. A massive, loosely-formatted ensemble piece with differing narrative threads and character arcs, it’s a sprawling comedy-drama movie whose influence resonates in everything from Boogie Nights to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Annie Hall (1977)

Like the above-mentioned Robert Altman, any one of Woody Allen’s ‘70s and ‘80s films deserves a mention among New Hollywood movies. When looking at the grand trajectory of Allen’s career, however, it becomes clear that Allen made his definitive magnum opus in his 1977 romantic comedy, Annie Hall.

A sharp, intelligent, and often hilarious rendering of the common relationships people find themselves in, Allen showcases a budding romance between his neurotic stand-in Alvy and Diane Keaton’s quirky Annie Hall. Dissecting the couple’s evolution from initial encounter to eventual break-up, Allen underscores the idea that, even though a relationship might not necessarily work out, the companionship people feel from said encounter makes it all worthwhile.

The Godfather (1972)

As with the noir film, the gangster film served as one of the most reliable genres for Warner Brothers throughout the ‘30s and ‘40s. Thirty years later, Francis Ford Coppola set out to film the ultimate gangster epic with his adaptation of Mario Puzo’s best-selling novel, The Godfather. A haunting parable about survival, loyalty, and family, it’s a dense tragedy in every sense of the word, tracing the once-optimistic Michael Corleone’s (Al Pacino) fateful fall into moral damnation. With masterful performances from Pacino, Marlon Brando, and James Caan, it’s among the finest f New Hollywood movies, but of American filmmaking as a whole.

Mean Streets (1973)

Mean Streets may not have constituted Martin Scorsese’s debut effort, but it first demonstrates the imminent talent of a filmmaking genius in the making.

Opting for a more autobiographical representation of his New York upbringing, Mean Streets remains the most personal of Scorsese’s many films over five decades later. Bouncing along with buoyant energy and following a loosely structured plot, Mean Streets presents a realistic depiction of New York’s rough-and-tumble underground life. Scorsese’s first mainstream success also marked the first of numerous collaborations between Scorsese and his go-to star, Robert De Niro.

The Last Picture Show (1971)

A coming-of-age drama like no other, one might describe The Last Picture Show in a similar mold to The Graduate and Easy Rider in its thematic issues and heavy emphasis on young adults. Deconstructing the average lives of several teens in a dusty post-industrialist town in 1950s Texas, Peter Bogdanovich’s exploration of adolescence predates the influential ‘80s teen comedies of John Hughes. Though devoid of humor, The Last Picture Show contains plenty of heart and emotion in its main story, showing several teens’ struggle to obtain meaning in their otherwise grim living situation.

Taxi Driver (1976)

Perhaps the darkest and most nihilistic of New Hollywood movies, Taxi Driver exists as one of the most lauded Scorsese crime films to this day. Employing the ambiguity of an existential Russian novel, Scorsese’s realistic portrayal of mental illness and the often sickening perversity haunting New York’s streets makes Taxi Driver a masterpiece. With De Niro giving one of his finest performances as the traumatized cabbie Travis Bickle, Taxi Driver achieves a melancholic weightiness few films of its era possessed.

Badlands (1973)

One of the most original voices to emerge out of Hollywood, Terrence Malick combined his avid fascination with human psychology with the pointless acts of violence plaguing everyday society in 1973’s Badlands. Like his later work on Days of Heaven or The Thin Red Line, Malick breaks down the conflicting emotions of a ‘50s serial-killing couple (Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek), analyzing their descent into crime and their mutual sense of loneliness. As cold-blooded as the couple’s crimes are, Malick retains a semblance of sympathy for each of them, giving viewers a better understanding of who they are, what they want, and what’s missing from their lives.

Raging Bull (1980)

Rebounding from serious personal problems, Martin Scorsese put everything he had into the 1980 sports drama, Raging Bull. A harrowing biopic centered around the life of controversial boxer Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro), Scorsese creates the complete inversion of 1977’s Rocky. Shot in crisp black and white, De Niro’s LaMotta sacrifices everything in his quest to become the best in the ring, even at the cost of his health, his family, his relationships, and his one true chance at a stable home life.