The All-Time Sexiest ’60s Movie Is Now On Netflix

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 hour ago

James Bond is quite possibly the most recognizable cinematic character of the 20th century. He began as the ultimate boys’ fantasy: a character charming enough to land any woman and deadly enough to kill any foe. The fact that he got to travel the world while driving the slickest cars ever made was just the cherry on top of this adolescent dream turned cinematic reality.

While they proved to be major box office hits, Agent 007 wasn’t yet fully formed in his earlier films, and both Dr. No and From Russia With Love (a personal favorite) were used to flesh out his character. But the third time was most definitely the charm, and Goldfinger (1964) transformed this action movie star into the superspy who would dominate pop culture for over half a century. Whether you want to see Bond come into his own or just watch the most iconic spy movie of all time, all you have to do is stream Goldfinger on Netflix! 

The Ties That Bond

The general premise of Goldfinger is that the titular character is a gold smuggler, and British superspy James Bond is assigned to figure out how this man is moving metal around the world. But what starts as a simple investigation soon lands our erstwhile spy in the middle of the most dangerous criminal conspiracy the world has ever known. If he succeeds, he will preserve the way of life for England and America alike; if he fails, however, the planet will be plunged into financial chaos and ruthless anarchy.

Goldfinger is filled with some of the most iconic performers of the 1960s, including Gert Fröbe (best known outside of this film for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) as the titular villain. Additionally, Honor Blackman (best known outside of this film for The Avengers television show) plays the hilariously named Pussy Galore, a powerful enemy who could become the perfect ally if properly persuaded. The real star is Hollywood legend Sean Connery (arguably best known for Dr. No), whose confident performance and sheer rockstar charisma helped singlehandedly transform James Bond into a pop culture icon for the generations.

Audiences Couldn’t Get Enough

Fitting enough, Goldfinger seemed to have the Midas touch, and it earned $125 million against a budget of only $3 million. Incidentally, killer word of mouth just kept goosing ticket sales, and some theaters had to stay open 24 hours a day just to keep up with demand. Thanks to the film’s sheer popularity, it became the then fastest-grossing movie in film history; this paved the way for the inevitable sequels, though the “fastest-grossing movie” honor would be stolen by later films (it is currently held by Avengers: Endgame). 

When Goldfinger came out, the critics quickly decided that it was the new gold standard (so to speak) for the spy genre: it has a staggering 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers praising how it works as both a showcase for 007 and a stylish action movie unto itself. Speaking of 007, most Bond superfans consider this to be the film where the superspy came into his own, establishing himself as one of the most iconic characters in Hollywood. In short, Goldfinger is as good as classic Bond gets, and it’s the perfect film to rewatch for franchise fans waiting to learn which actor will replace Daniel Craig as 007.

Sleek, Sexy, And Stylish

On top of being a hit with critics and fans alike, Goldfinger holds another special honor: it is the first James Bond film to win an Academy Award! In 1965, the film’s sound editor, Norman Wandstall, won the Oscar for Best Sound Editing. Winning this award helped establish 007 as one of Hollywood’s most prestigious action heroes, and Goldfinger composer John Barry was nominated for a Grammy (yes, kids, the music is that good).

In retrospect, it’s not hard to see why most fans consider Goldfinger to be the ultimate James Bond film. The titular villain was unlike any we had seen before, and he combined the charisma and cool death traps that we came to expect from the Big Bads of this franchise. It’s no stretch to say that we just wouldn’t have the modern action movie supervillain without the delightfully over-the-top evil of Auric Goldfinger.

Cheers To The Ultimate James Bond Film

Sean Connery is also at the top of his game as 007 here, finally finding the sweet spot between unflinching action hero and debonair ladies’ man. His every appearance is absolutely dripping with sex appeal, and Golfinger helped establish this spy as the epitome of swaggering masculinity. James Bond became someone every man wanted to be, and every woman wanted to be with, and that would never have happened without the insane popularity of Goldfinger.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Goldfinger wrote the winning formula for all future Bond films: all you need is an over-the-top villain, a globe-spanning plot, an array of futuristic gadgets, sexy action, and dry comedy. James Bond became a pop culture juggernaut, and this franchise has touched millions of lives while completely changing how action movies are made. None of that would have ever happened, though, without the trailblazing success of Goldfinger.

Will you agree that Goldfinger is the most iconic spy movie of all time, or is this one movie you’d rather see destroyed by a laser? You won’t know until you grab the remote (just don’t hit the ejector seat button!) and stream it on Netflix. Come for the killer Shirley Bassey theme song and stay for the borderline pornographic footage of the Aston Martin DB5, the sexiest car in cinematic history!