Echoes Of Fear: Classic Horror Movies From The 1960s

Diego Santillán
Diego SantillánNovember 28, 2025
The 1960s was a pivotal decade for the horror genre, with filmmakers pushing the boundaries of what was considered acceptable on screen. This was an era that saw the rise of psychological horror, with movies that delved into the darkest recesses of the human mind. From the haunting landscapes of rural America to the eerie atmospheres of European castles, the horror movies of the 1960s continue to captivate audiences with their timeless themes and chilling storytelling.

One of the defining characteristics of 1960s horror is its ability to balance suspense and shock value. Movies like Psycho and The Birds became notorious for their graphic content, while more subtle films like The Innocents and Repulsion relied on suggestion and atmosphere to create a sense of unease. This blend of styles helped to establish the horror genre as a major force in popular culture, paving the way for future generations of filmmakers.

The 1960s also saw the emergence of international horror, with films from Europe and Japan making a significant impact on the global scene. Movies like Kwaidan and Onibaba introduced Western audiences to the unique traditions and folklore of other cultures, expanding the possibilities of the horror genre and influencing the course of its development. Whether you're a fan of classic horror or just discovering the genre, the movies of the 1960s offer a wealth of excitement and terror that continues to entertain and unsettle audiences today.

In this collection of classic horror movies from the 1960s, we've gathered some of the most influential and terrifying films of the decade. From the masterful suspense of Hitchcock to the eerie landscapes of European horror, these movies represent the best of a bygone era and continue to inspire new generations of filmmakers and fans. So, if you're ready to experience the fear and suspense of a bygone era, then join us on a journey into the heart of 1960s horror.
Psycho
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Psycho

#1

When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates cares for his housebound mother.

1960109 min
HorrorThrillerMystery
8.4
10478 votes
Black Sunday
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Black Sunday

#2

A vengeful witch, Asa Vajda, and her fiendish servant, Igor Jauvitch, return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant: Katia. Only a handsome doctor with the help of family members stand in her way.

196086 min
Horror
7.4
578 votes
Peeping Tom
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Peeping Tom

#3

Loner Mark Lewis works at a film studio during the day and, at night, takes racy photographs of women. Also he's making a documentary on fear, which involves recording the reactions of victims as he murders them. He befriends Helen, the daughter of the family living in the apartment below his, and he tells her vaguely about the movie he is making.

1960101 min
HorrorThrillerDrama
7.4
867 votes
The Innocents
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The Innocents

#4

A young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted by ghosts and that the children are being possessed.

1961100 min
HorrorMysteryDrama
7.5
637 votes
Mother Joan of the Angels
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Mother Joan of the Angels

#5

A Polish priest arrives at a convent hoping to save the Mother Superior who is supposedly possessed by eight demons.

1961106 min
DramaHorror
7.6
109 votes
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
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What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

#6

A former vaudeville child star viciously torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion.

1962135 min
ThrillerDramaHorror
7.9
1113 votes
The Birds
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The Birds

#7

Thousands of birds flock into a seaside town and terrorize the residents in a series of deadly attacks.

1963120 min
HorrorThriller
7.5
4322 votes
Onibaba
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Onibaba

#8

While her son, Kichi, is away at war, a woman and her daughter-in-law survive by killing samurai who stray into their swamp, then selling whatever valuables they find. Both are devastated when they learn that Kichi has died, but his wife soon begins an affair with a neighbor who survived the war, Hachi. The mother disapproves and, when she can't steal Hachi for herself, tries to scare her daughter-in-law with a mysterious mask from a dead samurai.

1964105 min
Horror
7.7
453 votes
Kwaidan
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Kwaidan

#9

Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden, but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior's reflection in his teacup.

1965183 min
HorrorFantasyDrama
7.7
428 votes
Repulsion
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Repulsion

#10

Beautiful young manicurist Carole suffers from androphobia (the pathological fear of interaction with men). When her sister and roommate, Helen, leaves their London flat to go on an Italian holiday with her married boyfriend, Carole withdraws into her apartment. She begins to experience frightful hallucinations, her fear gradually mutating into madness.

1965105 min
DramaThrillerHorror
7.4
1061 votes
Wait Until Dark
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Wait Until Dark

#11

After a flight back home, Sam Hendrix returns with a doll he innocently acquired along the way. As it turns out, the doll is actually stuffed with heroin, and a group of criminals led by the ruthless Roat has followed Hendrix back to his place to retrieve it. When Hendrix leaves for business, the crooks make their move -- and find his blind wife, Susy, alone in the apartment. Soon, a life-threatening game begins between Susy and the thugs.

1967108 min
ThrillerHorror
7.3
568 votes
Rosemary's Baby
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Rosemary's Baby

#12

A young couple, Rosemary and Guy, moves into an infamous New York apartment building, known by frightening legends and mysterious events, with the purpose of starting a family.

1968138 min
DramaHorrorThriller
7.8
4195 votes
Even the Wind Is Afraid
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Even the Wind Is Afraid

#13

A group of college students, led by Claudia, decide to investigate a local tower that has figured prominently in disturbing reoccurring dreams Claudia has been having. They are suspended from school for their antics, but Claudia learns from one of the female staff members that the person in the dream is a student who killed herself years before and that the headmistress has seen her ghost.

196888 min
MysteryHorrorDrama
7.8
133 votes
Hour of the Wolf
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Hour of the Wolf

#14

While vacationing on a remote German island with his younger pregnant wife, an artist has an emotional breakdown while confronting his repressed desires.

196888 min
DramaHorror
7.4
527 votes
Kuroneko
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Kuroneko

#15

In the Sengoku period, a woman and her daughter are raped and murdered by soldiers during a time of civil war. Afterwards, a series of samurai returning from the war through that area are found mysteriously dead with their throats torn out. The governor calls in a wild and fierce young hero to quell what is evidently an Onryō ghost. He encounters the two beautiful women in an eerie, beautiful scene. After spiritual purification, he meets the demon in a thrilling fight.

1968100 min
DramaFantasyHorror
7.4
220 votes
Night of the Living Dead
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Night of the Living Dead

#16

A group of strangers trapped in a farmhouse find themselves fending off a horde of recently dead, flesh-eating ghouls.

1968
7.6
2563 votes
The Book of Stone
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The Book of Stone

#17

Julia, a governess, comes to work for a bourgeois family that lives in a forested property they have recently bought. Julia is to take care of a little girl named Silvia, whose unusual demeanor may find its roots in the family garden.

1969100 min
HorrorThriller
7.7
84 votes
The Cremator
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The Cremator

#18

In 1930s Prague, a Czech cremator who firmly believes cremation relieves one from earthly suffering is drawn inexorably to Nazism.

1969101 min
ComedyHorrorDrama
7.8
252 votes

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