Often, cult films are those which inspire affection in an audience, whom look past any flaws and adore their idiosyncrasies. However, Harold and Maude is not one of these films; surely it’s been relegated to the lesser-known depths of film-stores merely for its faintly ridiculous premise. But within the confines of the film, the eponymous romance is believable and (more importantly) touching. Maude’s character must have the honour of being the oldest Manic Pixie Dream Girl in cinema at 80 years old, contrasted with the initially-morose emotionally stifled Harold, 18 years old. The great triumph of the movie is that the characters are too fleshed out to be dismissed as real character tropes, becoming better than any Zooey Deschanel vehicle. This, combined with the great soundtrack and weirdly experimental direction, elevates Harold and Maude to one of the great romantic comedies of cinema