The movie industry produced some incredible films in the year1975. These motion pictures continue to be studied in academic courses, referenced in pop culture, and enjoyed by audiences today. The movies from 1975 are now turning 50 years old, and it’s incredible how original some of them were, even in their own time.
1975 was a great year for dramatic works, but also for risk-taking and innovative stylistic choices. More than one of the movies on this list defy traditional genre barriers. These 10 movies could only have been made in the time and place which produced them, and they remain unique time capsules of the 1970s.
10’Barry Lyndon'
Released June 21, 2025
Legendary writer-directorStanley Kubrick madeBarry Lyndonin betweenA Clockwork Orangeand beforeThe Shining. It is an adventurous period piece set in the 1750s. The film follows a man named Redmond Barry (Ryan O’Neal) who falls in love with his cousin, Nora Brady (Gay Hamilton). After he shoots Nora’s suitor in a duel, he is forced to flee and goes off to war. The cast features Marisa Berenson (Cabaret), Patrick Magee (A Clockwork Orange), Hardy Krüger (The Flight of the Phoenix), Godfrey Quigley (Get Carter), and Michael Hordern (Labyrinth) as the movie’s unseen narrator.
Barry Lyndonwas celebrated upon release for its cinematography, using unique camera techniques for the time paired with settings that heightened ambiance at every turn. Reviews at the time of release were conflicted. Many recognized the film’s technical achievements, but felt that the approach to the story itself felt somewhat detached and slow-paced. This did not stop the movie from receiving seven Academy Award nominations, winning four of them. Over time, appreciation for the film has only grown. Today, it holds a 92% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
9’Three Days of the Condor'
Released July 15, 2025
Three Days of the Condoris a spy thrillerdirected by Sydney Pollack(Out of Africa) with a screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr. (The Drowning Pool) and David Rayfiel (Death Watch). It is based on James Grady’s 1974 novelSix Days of the Condorand stars Robert Redford (All the President’s Men) as bookish CIA agent Joe Turner, who must take action after his co-workers are murdered by unknown gunmen. Faye Dunaway stars alongside Redford as Turner’s love interest, Kathy Hale (Bonnie and Clyde). The cast also includes Cliff Robertson (Spider-Man) and Max von Sydow (The Exorcist).
The film did well upon release, praised for Pollack’s thrilling direction and strong performances from the cast. The Watergate scandal had only happened a few years before the film’s release, and so the story really resonated with people at the time.Three Days of the Condorreceived an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing and a Golden Globe nomination for Faye Dunaway. The film won Best Motion Picture at the Edgar Allan Poe Awards. It has an 87% certified fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
8’The Passenger'
Released July 29, 2025
Jack Nicholson (The Shining) appeared in 15 feature films throughout the 1970s, two of them in 1975.The Passengeris a spy thriller made by Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni (Blowup) with a screenplay by Antonioni, Mark Peploe (The Last Emperor), and Enrico Sannia. David Locke (Nicholson) is a journalist struggling to cover his latest war assignment. When an Englishman at his hotel dies from a heart attack, Locke decides to swap identities with the man, only to learn that the person whose life he has stolen had secrets of his own. The cast is rounded out by Maria Schneider (Peacetime in Paris), Steven Berkoff (Beverly Hills Cop), Ian Hendry (Tales from The Crypt), and Jenny Runacre (The Witches).
The Passengeris a complex slow-burn with impressive cinematography and long takes. Critics praised the movie for its technical achievements. Even famed critic Roger Ebert, who initially gave the movie a negative review, changed his mind years later and praised the film. Michelangelo Antonioni was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and won a Silver Ribbon for Best Director from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists. Rotten Tomatoes marksThe Passengeras certified fresh with an 88% rating from critics.
7’Nashville'
Released August 20, 2025
Nashvilleis a comedy drama made by 1970s “New Hollywood"director Robert Altman(McCabe & Mrs. Miller) with a screenplay written by Joan Tewkesbury (Thieves Like Us). The film follows over 20 characters involved in the Nashville music industry in the days leading up to a gala concert. The large ensemble cast features David Arkin (The Long Goodbye), Barbara Baxley (Norma Rae), Ned Beatty (All the President’s Men), Karen Black (Easy Rider), Ronee Blakley (A Nightmare on Elm Street),Timothy Brown (Midnight Ride), Keith Carradine, (Deadwood), Geraldine Chaplin (Doctor Zhivago), Robert DoQui (RoboCop),Shelley Duvall (The Shining), Allen Garfield (The Front Page), Henry Gibson (The ‘Burbs), Scott Glenn (The Silence of the Lambs), Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park), Barbara Harris (Family Plot), David Hayward (Knots Landing), Michael Murphy (Magnolia), Allan F. Nicholls (Popeye), Cristina Raines (Sunshine), Bert Remsen (McCabe & Mrs. Miller), Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie), Gwen Welles (Between the Lines), and Keenan Wynn (Annie Get Your Gun).
The film was a box office success and received plenty of attention from critics for its range, humor, music, and humanity. The cast were given the opportunity to write their own songs, which resulted in Keith Carradine winning Best Music, Original Song at the Academy Awards that year.Nashvillereceived four additional nominations at the Oscars, including a nod for Best Picture. The movie was nominated for a Grammy and scored 11 Golden Globe nominations, where Carradine won again for Best Original Song.
6’Picnic at Hanging Rock’
Released June 20, 2025
Based on Joan Lindsay’s 1967 novel of the same name,Picnic at Hanging Rockis a marvel of a film written by Cliff Green (Mercury) and directed by Peter Weir (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World). On Valentine’s Day in 1900, the students at a private girls' school in Australia travel by cart for a scheduled picnic at a geological formation known as Hanging Rock. When three students go missing, the police are quickly involved and the mystery of the missing girls begins to haunt the area. The film stars Anne-Louise Lambert (The Draughtsman’s Contract), Karen Robson (Paris), Jane Vallis (The Lost Islands), Christine Schuler, Margaret Nelson (The Lost Islands), Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom), Dominic Guard (The Nelson Affair), John Jarratt (Australian Dream), Helen Morse (Agatha), and Rachel Roberts (Murder on the Orient Express) as head of the school, Mrs. Appleyard.
Picnic at Hanging Rockisa hard film to categorize, blending the coming-of-age story with elements of a mystery and an ethereal quality that makes it unforgettably haunting. The film received great reviews in Australia as well as in the United States, though American audiences were particularly struck by some of the film’s unanswered questions. The movie received seven AFI Award nominations from the Australian Film Institute and won an Awgie Award for Feature Film from the Australian Writers' Guild. It scored three BAFTA nominations as well, winning for Best Cinematography. The movie is certified fresh with a 92% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2018, the story was adapted as a television series for Amazon starring Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) as Mrs. Appleyard.
5’One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest'
Released August 04, 2025
Jack Nicholson’s second movie in 1975 is among the most notable in his entire filmography. Based on Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel,One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nestis a comedic drama about life in a mental health facility. The film is directed by Miloš Forman (Man on the Moon) with a screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman (Meet Joe Black). Nicholson stars as Randle McMurphy, an incarcerated man in the 1960s who pretends to be mentally unwell to avoid hard labor. The cast includes Will Sampson (Fish Hawk), William Redfield (Death Wish), Brad Dourif (Deadwood), Sydney Lassick (Man on the Moon), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future),Danny DeVito (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and Louise Fletcher (Picket Fences) as Nurse Mildred Ratched.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nestinitially had trouble finding a distributor, but it went on to be one of the highest-grossing films of the year. Many critics praised the film’s moments of brilliance, even though some noted that the film put more into getting a message across than delving deeper into the characters emotionally. It earned nine Academy Award nominations, winning Best Picture, Best Actor for Nicholson, Best Actress for Louise Fletcher, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It currently holds a 93% certified fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes.
4’Monty Python and the Holy Grail'
Released August 16, 2025
Based loosely on the legend of King Arthur,Monty Python and the Holy Grailwas writtenby the Monty Python comedy troupe. The group included Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Gilliam and Jones also directed the film.Holy Grailwas Monty Python’s second feature film afterAnd Now for Something Completely Different. It was followed up byMonty Python’s Life of Brianin 1979.
Monty Python and the Holy Grailreceived mixed reviews upon release, but has gone on to become a beloved cult classic among original Monty Python fans as well as younger generations. It is probably the most popular of theMonty Pythonfilms, frequently quoted to this day. In 2001, the group received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the European Film Awards. The film holds a 95% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
3’Dog Day Afternoon'
Released July 23, 2025
Based on a true story,Dog Day Afternoonis a classic crime drama written by Frank Pierson (Presumed Innocent) and directed by Sidney Lumet (Murder on the Orient Express). The film takes place over the course of one day in 1972 when Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) and Salvatore “Sal” Naturile (John Cazale) hold up a bank in Brooklyn, taking hostages and initiating a tense standoff with the police. The cast includes Charles Durning (The Sting), Chris Sarandon (The Nightmare Before Christmas), Penelope Allen (Resurrection), Sully Boyar (The Gambler), Susan Peretz (In the Custody of Strangers), James Broderick (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three), Lance Henriksen (The Terminator), and Carol Kane (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt).
Critics praised Lumet’s direction as well as the cast for bringing to life complex characters against a tense, taut New York City backdrop. The film earned six Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Original Screenplay. Al Pacino won a BAFTA for Best Actor, as did Dede Allen for Best Film Editing.Dog Day Afternoonis certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 96% rating from critics.
2’The Rocky Horror Picture Show'
Released August 15, 2025
Based on the 1973 stage play by Richard O’Brien,The Rocky Horror Picture Showis a comedic horror musicalthat defies definition. Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) and Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) are a young, engaged couple whose car breaks down one rainy night, forcing them to seek shelter at a nearby castle. There, they meet the incomparable Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) and an eclectic household of interesting characters. Among the cast are Richard O’Brien (Shock Treatment), Patricia Quinn (Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life), Little Nell (The Killing Fields), Peter Hinwood (The Odyssey), and Meat Loaf (Fight Club). The film is directed by Jim Sharman (Shock Treatment). Sharman and O’Brien wrote the screenplay together.
The Rocky Horror Picture Showis perhaps the most original movie to come out of 1975. Critics didn’t fully appreciate or understand the film at the time, but over the decadesThe Rocky Horror Picture Showhas transformed into a beloved cult phenomenon. Midnight showings continue to this day, with full audience participation as part of the tradition. It has particularly resonated with the LGBTQ+ community for the freedom of gender expression and androgyny within the film.
Released July 13, 2025
It could be argued thatJawswas the biggest movie to come out in 1975. Based on the novel by Peter Benchley,Jawsisdirected by Steven Spielberg(Jurassic Park) with a screenplay by Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. Romy Schneider (The French Connection) stars as police chief Martin Brody, who is trying to keep vacationers on Amity Island alive as a series of shark attacks threaten the safety of beach-goers. Brody teams up with oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and a local shark hunter named Quint (Robert Shaw) to protect the island from the massive, bloodthirsty shark.
WhileJawsencountered plenty of production challenges on set, it went on to be a huge hit. It’s one of those rare movies beloved by horror fans (who consistently rank it among the scariest horror movies of all time) and general audiences with little to no interest in the horror genre. The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning three of them. It received seven BAFTA nominations and four Golden Globe nominations, with John Williams winning both times for the film’s score.Jawsis certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 97% rating from critics.
