Top Movies That Defined 1975: A Journey Through Film History

With a new month, it is time for a new year of movies. This year is 1975. This year had several heavy hitters such as Barry Lyndon, Jaws, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but also features a lot of other lesser-known gems. This year also spotlighted iconic actors such as Sean Connery , Jack Nicholson, and Gene Hackman.

This year's Box Office list was a bit challenging as they didn't really start tracking movies at this point, but after a little bit of research, I was able to compile the ten highest-grossing films of the year. I just couldn't get any monetary values.

1. Jaws

2. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

3. Shampoo

4. Dog Day Afternoon

5. The Return of the Pink Panther

6. Three Days of the Condor

7. Funny Lady

8. The Other Side of the Mountain

9. Tommy

10. The Apple Dumpling Gang

Additionally, 1975 featured iconic directors releasing some of their best work, with these films often recognized among the greatest ever made.

• Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick)

• Jaws (Steven Spielberg)

This year featured a couple of musicals, one of which became a cult classic.

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show

• Tommy

This year featured several comedies ranging from pure comedy to more satirical or darker comedy.

• Monty Python and the Holy Grail

• Nashville

• The Return of the Pink Panther

• The Sunshine Boys

• Shampoo

There were several very popular drama films featuring lots of Jack Nicholson, Gene Hackman, and Sean Connery.

• One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Jack Nicholson)

• The Passenger (Jack Nicholson)

• The Man Who Would Be King (Sean Connery and Michael Caine)

• French Connection II (Gene Hackman)

There were also a few standout crime films with more legacy actors in their prime.

• Dog Day Afternoon (Al Pacino)

• Night Moves(Gene Hackman)

• Farewell, My Lovely

There were also a few adventure epics, two of which were made by Disney.

• Escape to Witch Mountain (Disney)

• The Wind and the Lion

• The Apple Dumpling Gang (Disney)

1975 also featured a few action movies, but this is still before the action genre really began to take off.

• The Eiger Sanction

• Rollerball

• Hard Times

• Three Days of the Condor

This year also saw several horror films, none of which were big but still important pieces to the genre.

• Shivers

• The Stepford Wives

• Deep Red

• The Wicker Man

• Trilogy of Terror

• Race with the Devil

These are the nominees for Best Picture for 1975. This year's winner is also one of the few movies to win all five big awards (Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Screenplay, and Director)

• Barry Lyndon

• One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (Winner)

• Jaws

• Dog Day Afternoon

• Nashville

I have only seen four movies from this year, some of the most well-known ones. All four of these movies are iconic in their own ways, so it is difficult to rank them against each other.

4. The Rocky Horror Picture Show

This is a very unique musical with lots of vibrant musical numbers that has amassed a cult following. It was also way ahead of its time with some of its topics. I'm not sure if I liked it, but it is definitely unforgettable.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

3. Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail

This is a hilarious comedy with so many quotable lines and memorable moments. It feels very episodic in the storytelling, but it cancels it out with so many amazing bits and skits.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

2. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

This movie features great performances from Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher and shows an interesting look at life inside a psychiatric hospital. This is probably one of the best Jack Nicholson performances.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

1. Jaws

Jaws is just the perfect storm of a film. It has a great cast who play off each other so well, an iconic soundtrack, and perfectly shows the scariness of a shark without actually showing the shark. This is one of the best horror movies ever made.

Score: 9.5/10 Grade: A+