Best Action Movies of the 1960s

1. 1
   Harakiri 1962

   Directed by Masaki Kobayashi · Streaming on Criterion Channel
   8.3

   8.5 · 1.3K votes
2. 2
   Sanjuro 1962

   Directed by Akira Kurosawa · Streaming on Criterion Channel
   7.7

   7.9 · 761 votes
3. 3
   Planet of the Apes 1968

   Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner
   7.6

   7.7 · 4.2K votes
4. 4
   The Dirty Dozen 1967

   Directed by Robert Aldrich
   7.5

   7.6 · 1.4K votes
5. 5
   The Sword of Doom 1966

   Directed by Kihachi Okamoto · Streaming on Criterion Channel
   7.4

   7.8 · 282 votes
6. 6
   Goldfinger 1964

   Directed by Guy Hamilton · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
   7.3

   7.4 · 4.1K votes
7. 7
   Le Deuxième Souffle 1966

   Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville · Streaming on Criterion Channel
   7.2

   7.7 · 211 votes
8. 8
   Django 1966

   Directed by Sergio Corbucci · Streaming on JustWatch TV Free, fuboTV, The Roku Channel
   7.1

   7.2 · 1K votes
9. 9
   That Man from Rio 1964

   Directed by Philippe de Broca · Streaming on Kanopy, Cohen Media
   7.1

   7.3 · 368 votes
10. 10
    Bullitt 1968

    Directed by Peter Yates · Streaming on Hoopla, Plex Channel, Tubi TV
    7.1

    7.2 · 1.4K votes
11. 11
    From Russia with Love 1963

    Directed by Terence Young · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    7.1

    7.1 · 3.5K votes
12. 12
    The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven 1961

    Directed by Wan Laiming
    7.0

    7.8 · 99 votes
13. 13
    Grand Prix 1966

    Directed by John Frankenheimer · Streaming on Kanopy, YouTube Free
    7.0

    7.3 · 242 votes
14. 14
    Dr. No 1962

    Directed by Terence Young · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    7.0

    7.0 · 4.2K votes
15. 15
    Branded to Kill 1967

    Directed by Seijun Suzuki
    6.9

    7.2 · 264 votes
16. 16
    Dragon Inn 1967

    Directed by King Hu · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.9

    7.4 · 151 votes
17. 17
    The Professionals 1966

    Directed by Richard Brooks · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus
    6.9

    7.1 · 365 votes
18. 18
    Three Outlaw Samurai 1964

    Directed by Hideo Gosha · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.9

    7.5 · 118 votes
19. 19
    The Tale of Zatoichi 1962

    Directed by Kenji Misumi · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.9

    7.3 · 165 votes
20. 20
    The White Sun of the Desert 1969

    Directed by Vladimir Motyl · Streaming on Fawesome
    6.8

    7.2 · 190 votes
21. 21
    Mothra vs. Godzilla 1964

    Directed by Ishirō Honda · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, Cinemax
    6.8

    7.0 · 364 votes
22. 22
    Von Ryan's Express 1965

    Directed by Mark Robson
    6.8

    7.1 · 256 votes
23. 23
    Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster 1964

    Directed by Ishirō Honda · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, Cinemax
    6.8

    7.0 · 305 votes
24. 24
    Tokyo Drifter 1966

    Directed by Seijun Suzuki · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.8

    7.1 · 220 votes
25. 25
    Greed in the Sun 1964

    Directed by Henri Verneuil · Streaming on France Channel
    6.8

    7.1 · 171 votes
26. 26
    King Kong vs. Godzilla 1962

    Directed by Ishirō Honda
    6.7

    6.9 · 360 votes
27. 27
    Sword of the Beast 1965

    Directed by Hideo Gosha · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.7

    7.5 · 79 votes
28. 28
    Shadow of Evil 1964

    Directed by André Hunebelle · Streaming on MZ Choice, Plex, Plex Channel
    6.7

    7.8 · 56 votes
29. 29
    Goyokin 1969

    Directed by Hideo Gosha
    6.7

    7.5 · 72 votes
30. 30
    Destroy All Monsters 1968

    Directed by Ishirō Honda · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, HBO Max
    6.7

    6.9 · 308 votes
31. 31
    Billy Budd 1962

    Directed by Peter Ustinov · Streaming on HBO Max
    6.7

    7.3 · 82 votes
32. 32
    Battle of Britain 1969

    Directed by Guy Hamilton · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, History Vault
    6.7

    6.8 · 368 votes
33. 33
    OSS 117: Mission for a Killer 1965

    Directed by André Hunebelle
    6.7

    7.5 · 62 votes
34. 34
    Thunderball 1965

    Directed by Terence Young · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    6.7

    6.7 · 2.8K votes
35. 35
    El Cid 1961

    Directed by Anthony Mann · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Free, Tubi TV
    6.6

    6.8 · 317 votes
36. 36
    The Heroes of Telemark 1965

    Directed by Anthony Mann · Streaming on YouTube Free
    6.6

    6.9 · 189 votes
37. 37
    The Tale of Zatoichi Continues 1962

    Directed by Kazuo Mori · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.6

    7.1 · 105 votes
38. 38
    Invasion of Astro-Monster 1965

    Directed by Ishirō Honda · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, Shout! Factory TV
    6.6

    6.8 · 269 votes
39. 39
    The War Wagon 1967

    Directed by Burt Kennedy · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    6.6

    6.8 · 234 votes
40. 40
    Hatari! 1962

    Directed by Howard Hawks · Streaming on Hoopla, YouTube Free
    6.6

    6.8 · 280 votes
41. 41
    The Great Spy Chase 1964

    Directed by Georges Lautner · Streaming on HBO Max
    6.6

    6.9 · 170 votes
42. 42
    Samurai Assassin 1965

    Directed by Kihachi Okamoto
    6.6

    7.3 · 63 votes
43. 43
    You Only Live Twice 1967

    Directed by Lewis Gilbert · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    6.6

    6.6 · 2.6K votes
44. 44
    13 Assassins 1963

    Directed by Eiichi Kudō
    6.6

    7.5 · 46 votes
45. 45
    The Bedford Incident 1965

    Directed by James B. Harris · Streaming on YouTube Free
    6.6

    7.0 · 101 votes
46. 46
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1969

    Directed by Peter R. Hunt · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    6.5

    6.6 · 2.2K votes
47. 47
    The One-Armed Swordsman 1967

    Directed by Chang Cheh · Streaming on Plex, Plex Channel, Hi-YAH
    6.5

    6.9 · 114 votes
48. 48
    The Blue Max 1966

    Directed by John Guillermin
    6.5

    6.8 · 129 votes
49. 49
    Kill! 1968

    Directed by Kihachi Okamoto · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
    6.5

    7.0 · 84 votes
50. 50
    New Tale of Zatoichi 1963

    Directed by Tokuzō Tanaka · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.5

    7.0 · 78 votes

Smart score = (votes × rating + 82 × 6.03) ÷ (votes + 82): the TMDB rating, pulled toward the catalog average as if every film had 82 extra average votes.

1. 1
   The Hour and Turn of Augusto Matraga 1965

   Directed by Roberto Santos · Streaming on Film Movement Plus
   6.3

   7.7 · 15 votes
2. 2
   El ojo de vidrio 1969

   Directed by René Cardona Jr.
   6.3

   7.3 · 22 votes
3. 3
   Cash Calls Hell 1966

   Directed by Hideo Gosha · Streaming on Hoopla, Xumo Play, Tubi TV
   6.3

   7.5 · 15 votes
4. 4
   Red Peony Gambler 1968

   Directed by Kōsaku Yamashita · Streaming on Hoopla, MUBI, Xumo Play
   6.3

   7.4 · 16 votes
5. 5
   Daredevil in the Castle 1961

   Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki
   6.2

   7.5 · 12 votes
6. 6
   Samurai Wolf II 1967

   Directed by Hideo Gosha · Streaming on Philo, Hoopla, Fandor
   6.2

   7.1 · 21 votes
7. 7
   Miyamoto Musashi: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights 1962

   Directed by Tomu Uchida
   6.2

   7.3 · 14 votes
8. 8
   Brutal Tales of Chivalry 1965

   Directed by Kiyoshi Saeki
   6.2

   7.4 · 11 votes
9. 9
   The Bells of Death 1968

   Directed by Griffin Yueh Feng · Streaming on Shout! Factory TV, Shout! Factory
   6.2

   7.2 · 15 votes
10. 10
    March on the River Drina 1964

    Directed by Žika Mitrović
    6.2

    7.2 · 15 votes