Best of 1960

Best Movies of 1960, Ranked

742 films on the site were released in 1960, and 26 have enough critic or audience ratings to be ranked. Psycho tops the list, ahead of The Apartment and The Hidden Fortress. The Apartment won Best Picture at the 1961 Oscars. This page covers 1960 alone; the 1960s page ranks the whole decade.

films released in 1960: 742
ranked by rating: 26
award wins: 24
languages: 35

#1 of 1960

What Is the Best Movie of 1960?

Psycho is the best-rated film of 1960, with a rank value of 91/100 from critics and audiences, ahead of The Apartment (90/100). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

#1 of 26

Best-rated film of 1960

Psycho

1960 Mystery Thriller Horror 1h 49m

97 Metascore

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

About Psycho

Ranked

Top 25 Movies of 1960, Ranked

The Apartment and The Hidden Fortress follow Psycho. Drama is the most common genre in the top 25 (15 films). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Best of the 1960s

2. The Apartment 94 Metascore (Metascore 94 out of 100)

1960 · Drama, Comedy · 2h 5m

Dir. Billy Wilder No Echo Score: ranked 90/100 on critics & audiences
3. The Hidden Fortress 89 Metascore (Metascore 89 out of 100)

1960 · Adventure, Drama · 2h 6m

Dir. Akira Kurosawa No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences
4. Spartacus 87 Metascore (Metascore 87 out of 100)

1960 · Adventure, Biography

Dir. Stanley Kubrick No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences
5. The Sundowners 82 Metascore (Metascore 82 out of 100)

1960 · Adventure, Drama · 2h 13m

Dir. Fred Zinnemann No Echo Score: ranked 82/100 on critics & audiences
6. Darby O'Gill and the Little People 80 Metascore (Metascore 80 out of 100 (6 critic reviews))

1960 · Adventure, Fantasy · 1h 33m

Dir. Robert Stevenson No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences
7. Village of the Damned 77 Metascore (Metascore 77 out of 100)

1960 · Sci-Fi, Horror · 1h 17m

Dir. Wolf Rilla No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences
8. Inherit the Wind 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100 (8 critic reviews))

1960 · Biography, Drama · 2h 8m

Dir. Stanley Kramer No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences
9. Sunrise at Campobello 82 Metascore (Metascore 82 out of 100)

1960 · Biography, Drama · 2h 24m

Dir. Vincent J. Donehue No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences
10. The Magnificent Seven 74 Metascore (Metascore 74 out of 100)

1960 · Action, Adventure · 2h 8m

Dir. John Sturges No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences
11. Private Property 80 Metascore (Metascore 80 out of 100)

1960 · Drama, Crime · 1h 19m

Dir. Leslie Stevens No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences
12. House of Usher 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100 (8 critic reviews))

1960 · Drama, Horror · 1h 19m

No Echo Score: ranked 72/100 on critics & audiences
13. Pollyanna 66 Metascore (Metascore 66 out of 100)

1960 · Drama, Comedy · 2h 14m

Dir. David Swift No Echo Score: ranked 70/100 on critics & audiences
13. The Entertainer 70 Metascore (Metascore 70 out of 100)

1960 · Drama · 1h 36m

Dir. Tony Richardson No Echo Score: ranked 70/100 on critics & audiences
15. The Time Machine 67 Metascore (Metascore 67 out of 100)

1960 · Adventure, Sci-Fi · 1h 43m

Dir. George Pal No Echo Score: ranked 69/100 on critics & audiences
16. Exodus 70 Metascore (Metascore 70 out of 100 (11 critic reviews))

1960 · Action, Drama · 3h 28m

No Echo Score: ranked 68/100 on critics & audiences
17. Swiss Family Robinson 61 Metascore (Metascore 61 out of 100)

1960 · Adventure, Family · 2h 6m

Dir. Ken Annakin No Echo Score: ranked 68/100 on critics & audiences
18. Suddenly, Last Summer 54 Metascore (Metascore 54 out of 100)

1960 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 54m

Dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz No Echo Score: ranked 66/100 on critics & audiences
19. Where the Boys Are 63 Metascore (Metascore 63 out of 100)

1960 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 39m

Dir. Henry Levin No Echo Score: ranked 63/100 on critics & audiences
20. Bells Are Ringing 61 Metascore (Metascore 61 out of 100 (8 critic reviews))

1960 · Comedy, Romance · 2h 6m

Dir. Vincente Minnelli No Echo Score: ranked 61/100 on critics & audiences
21. Midnight Lace 60 Metascore (Metascore 60 out of 100 (6 critic reviews))

1960 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 43m

No Echo Score: ranked 60/100 on critics & audiences
22. Ocean's 11 57 Metascore (Metascore 57 out of 100 (8 critic reviews))

1960 · Thriller, Comedy · 2h 7m

Dir. Lewis Milestone No Echo Score: ranked 59/100 on critics & audiences
23. 13 Ghosts 56 Metascore (Metascore 56 out of 100 (5 critic reviews))

1960 · Horror · 1h 25m

Dir. William Castle No Echo Score: ranked 53/100 on critics & audiences
24. The Grass Is Greener 51 Metascore (Metascore 51 out of 100)

1960 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 44m

Dir. Stanley Donen No Echo Score: ranked 51/100 on critics & audiences
25. The Bellboy 70 Metascore (Metascore 70 out of 100)

1960 · Comedy · 1h 12m

No Echo Score: ranked 49/100 on critics & audiences

Awards

Which 1960 Movies Won the Most Awards?

The Apartment leads with 11 wins from 17 nominations, then Spartacus with 5 wins. The Apartment won Best Picture at the 1961 Oscars. In all, 16 films released in 1960 have award nominations on the site, with 24 wins between them.

1961 awards season

The Apartment 11 / 17
1960 · Drama, Comedy · 11 wins from 17 nominations Won at BAFTA, DGA Awards, Golden Globes, Oscars
Spartacus 5 / 13
1960 · Adventure, Biography · 5 wins from 13 nominations Won at Golden Globes, Oscars
Exodus 2 / 5
1960 · Action, Drama · 2 wins from 5 nominations Won at Golden Globes, Oscars
Sunrise at Campobello 1 / 7
1960 · Biography, Drama · 1 win from 7 nominations Won at Golden Globes
Psycho 1 / 6
1960 · Mystery, Thriller · 1 win from 6 nominations Won at Golden Globes
Suddenly, Last Summer 1 / 5
1960 · Drama, Mystery · 1 win from 5 nominations Won at Golden Globes
BUtterfield 8 1 / 3
1960 · Drama · 1 win from 3 nominations Won at Oscars
Pollyanna 1 / 2
1960 · Drama, Comedy · 1 win from 2 nominations Won at Oscars

By genre

What Is the Best 1960 Movie in Each Genre?

The highest-ranked 1960 film of 12 genres, from Mystery (Psycho) to Thriller (The Time Machine). Each film appears once, under its first genre that is still free.

Release months

When Were 1960's Movies Released?

December was the busiest month of 1960 with 71 releases; its best-rated film is The Sundowners. January shows 119 because films whose exact release day is unknown are stored on January 1.

January Best: Suddenly, Last Summer
119
February
46
March
61
April Best: Private Property
53
May Best: Pollyanna
48
June Best: The Apartment
52
July Best: Inherit the Wind
42
August Best: Ocean's 11
52
September Best: Psycho
60
October Best: The Hidden Fortress
70
November Best: BUtterfield 8
68
December Best: The Sundowners
71

January (Best: Suddenly, Last Summer): 119
February: 46
March: 61
April (Best: Private Property): 53
May (Best: Pollyanna): 48
June (Best: The Apartment): 52
July (Best: Inherit the Wind): 42
August (Best: Ocean's 11): 52
September (Best: Psycho): 60
October (Best: The Hidden Fortress): 70
November (Best: BUtterfield 8): 68
December (Best: The Sundowners): 71

Languages

Which Languages Were 1960's Movies In?

44% of 1960's films with a known language are in English (319). Japanese comes next with 58 films, out of 35 languages in all.

Every year

Best Movies by Year

A best-of page for each of 55 years, from 1900 to 2026 (so far). Before 1980 there is one page per decade, for its first year (1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970); from 1980 every year has its own.

2020s

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1900–1970

FAQ

Best Movies of 1960: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about 1960's best-rated films and awards, from the lists above.

What is the best movie of 1960?

Psycho is the best-rated film of 1960 on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 91/100 from critics and audiences. The Apartment is second and The Hidden Fortress third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

About Psycho

Which 1960 movie won the Oscar for Best Picture?

The Apartment (1960) won Best Picture at the 1961 Academy Awards.

The Apartment

Which 1960 film won the most awards?

The Apartment has the best award record of the 1960 releases on the site: 11 wins from 17 nominations.

1961 awards season

How many movies were released in 1960?

The site lists 742 films released in 1960. 26 of them are ranked, and December had the most releases with a known day (71).

How are the best movies of 1960 ranked?

Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases). Only feature films count (60 minutes or longer, no concert recordings), and a film needs enough ratings, box office or award attention to be ranked.