Harold and Maude (1971)

Harold and Maude (1971) is a darkly comic, tenderly romantic drama about an eccentric friendship that changes two lives. Harold Chasen is a wealthy, isolated young man obsessed with death—staging fake suicides, driving a hearse and haunting strangers’ funerals to shock his exasperated mother. At one of those services he meets Maude, a lively septuagenarian who collects experiences the way others collect things. Where Harold is fascinated by endings, Maude is fully devoted to living, taking every moment for herself without worrying what anyone else thinks. Their unlikely bond begins as a mutual curiosity—each sees in the other a way to satisfy their own obsessions—but it quickly deepens into a life-changing relationship. Maude teases Harold out of his shell, teaching him how to take risks, appreciate beauty, and find meaning beyond theatrical despair. The film blends mordant humor with genuine warmth and, ultimately, a bittersweet look at mortality and freedom. If you watch it, expect wry black comedy, offbeat romance, and emotional moments that alternate between laugh-out-loud absurdity and quiet poignancy. The experience is uplifting and provocative: funny and unconventional on the surface, but quietly philosophical underneath, leaving viewers thinking about what it means to live fully and how love can transform a life.

Actors: Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles

Director: Hal Ashby

Runtime: 91 min

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

7.5 /10 62 /100 7.9 /10 7.2 /10