The Wild Bunch (1969)

Probable Score

Not Enough Info

Your Score

(0 - 100)

An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them (imdb)

More Information and Actions

Cast and Information

Directed By: Sam Peckinpah

Written By: Sam Peckinpah, Walon Green, Roy N. Sickner

Starring: Ernest Borgnine, Dub Taylor, William Holden, Edmond O'Brien, L.Q. Jones, Robert Ryan, Ben Johnson, Emilio Fernández, Albert Dekker, Warren Oates, Strother Martin, Jaime Sánchez

Genre: Western

Country: USA

Where to Stream

Ratings

Collections

Stats

Loading...
loading

The Wild Bunch belongs to 106 collections

1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by kozan26 - 233 stars)

2. IMDB Top 250 (collaborative: moderated by ppinocchio - 122 stars)

3. Roger Ebert: Great Movies (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 80 stars)

4. boobs (collaborative: moderated by Pickpocket - 51 stars)

5. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2008 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 39 stars)

6. Jonathan Rosenbaum's Top 1000 Movies (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 38 stars)

7. Empire's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time (public: Ross - 36 stars)

8. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2010 revision) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 32 stars)

9. New York Times' The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made (collaborative: moderated by theficionado - 31 stars)

10. National Film Registry (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 30 stars)

11. The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 30 stars)

12. AFI 100 (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 27 stars)

13. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2014 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Jehan - 27 stars)

14. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2012 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 25 stars)

15. AAA: Empire's five star movies (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 24 stars)

16. IMDb Top 250 Complete (collaborative: moderated by Jorg - 23 stars)

17. Academy Award - Oscar - ALL Best Picture, Directing, Acting & Screenplay Nominees (collaborative - 22 stars)

18. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2017 revision) (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 22 stars)

19. The Story of Film: An Odyssey (collaborative: moderated by rant1229 - 20 stars)

20. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)

21. Best of criticker: Drama (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 18 stars)

22. Edgar Wright 1000 Favorite Movies (Aug 2016) (collaborative: moderated by Aron Ericson - 17 stars)

23. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2013 revision) (collaborative: moderated by rant1229 - 16 stars)

24. Best film of top directors (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 15 stars)

25. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2011 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 14 stars)

26. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2020 revision) (public: djross - 14 stars)

27. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 13 stars)

28. Sight and Sound 2012 (collaborative: moderated by DavidB - 13 stars)

29. New Hollywood (collaborative: moderated by saudade - 12 stars)

30. films101.com's 5 star films (collaborative: moderated by ppinocchio - 11 stars)

31. International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 11 stars)

32. Cinema Discusso Yearly Consensus (2008) (public: PeaceAnarchy - 10 stars)

33. Alternate versions / cuts (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 9 stars)

34. Sight and Sound 2002 (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 9 stars)

35. IMDb Top 250 (250 most recurrent) (public: sianaa - 8 stars)

36. Anamorphic Cinematography (collaborative: moderated by Bojangles - 7 stars)

37. David Thomson's 1000 Films (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 7 stars)

38. Sight & Sound 2012 Directors' Top 100 Greatest Films of All Time (public: Whyte Nite - 7 stars)

39. List: Taschen (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 6 stars)

40. TSPDT Top 200 Directors: Best Film (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 6 stars)

41. AFI 100 Years, Original 1998 list (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 5 stars)

42. List: Empire's 301 Greatest Movies of All Time (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 5 stars)

43. Top 3000 movies with the most votes on IMDb (public: fanfic - 5 stars)

44. AFI - 10 Top 10 Western (collaborative: moderated by CCLZA - 4 stars)

45. Cinemag's Best 200 films Ever Created! (collaborative: moderated by hristos - 4 stars)

46. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2007 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 4 stars)

47. IMDb Top of The 1960's (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 4 stars)

48. 19th century period film (collaborative: moderated by djross - 4 stars)

49. Best of criticker: Western (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 4 stars)

50. Men+ (collaborative: moderated by BeeDub - 4 stars)

51. Triumvirate of Oscar Winning Actors/Actresses in the Cast (3 or more) (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx - 4 stars)

52. Djross overrated movies (public: djross - 4 stars)

53. Roger Ebert's 102 Films You Must See (public: kevinjoseph - 4 stars)

54. Canon Fodder by Paul Schrader ~d~ (public: 5Z5qjRCfM2 - 4 stars)

55. AFI 100 Years... 100 Thrills (collaborative: moderated by iceblox - 3 stars)

56. 501 Movie Directors (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 3 stars)

57. Best of criticker: Action (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 3 stars)

58. Cult Movies (Danny Peary) (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 3 stars)

59. Moribunny's favorite westerns (public: Moribunny - 3 stars)

60. Timeout's 100 Best Action Movies (public: horrorjames - 2 stars)

61. Westerns set in Mexico (collaborative: moderated by Moribunny - 1 star)

62. Roger Ebert's Top 10 Films of 1969 (collaborative - 1 star)

63. Taschen 100 All-time favorites movies (collaborative: moderated by hristos - 1 star)

64. List: Empire's masterpiece picks (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 1 star)

65. Leonard Maltin: 100 Must-See Films of the 20th Century (collaborative - 1 star)

66. filmsite 100 Greatest Films (collaborative: moderated by pupetman64 - 1 star)

67. A Year of Essential Cinema (collaborative: moderated by Ibetolis1 - 1 star)

68. imdb top 250 / 100% (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 1 star)

69. BBC 100 Greatest American Films (collaborative: moderated by jeff_v - 1 star)

70. Halliwell's Four Star Films (collaborative: moderated by MacSwell - 1 star)

71. AFI - 10 Top 10 (All) (collaborative: moderated by Phantom Nook - 1 star)

72. IMDb Top 250 (2 years) (public: sianaa - 1 star)

73. Western Harikaları (public: Ozancan - 1 star)

74. The Greatest Movies of All Time - Filmweb's Alternative Top 500 (public: Hadleyreis - 1 star)

75. DVD Collection (collaborative)

76. NME's 100 Greatest Rock 'N' Roll Films (collaborative)

77. Films Photographed by Lucien Ballard (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed)

78. Walk thing (collaborative: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer)

79. The Canon podcast (all films) (collaborative: moderated by psim)

80. The Canon podcast (only the Canon) (collaborative: moderated by psim)

81. Revolución Mexicana (collaborative: moderated by babaracus)

82. They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?: TOP 100 (collaborative: moderated by CCLZA)

83. Piero Scaruffi's list of great films (collaborative)

84. 50 Best Guy Movies of All Time (Filmsite) (collaborative: moderated by BeeDub)

85. Available on Divicast (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx)

86. PeaceAnarchy's film of the year (public: PeaceAnarchy)

87. 4: Rewatches (public: KasperL)

88. Films I watched in 2011 (public: jal90)

89. Mwgerb - Seen but Unrated (public: mwgerb)

90. 1969: Year in Review (public: polanski28)

91. to watch [TG] (public: teckgecko)

92. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 5 (public: PeaceAnarchy)

93. Top 101 (public: losrasputin)

94. D:Movies (public: ptkw)

95. Esplanade to see (public: Malcym)

96. KENDELL'S MASSIVE LIST (public: kendell)

97. Tom's Movies (public: tomwalsh)

98. REWATCH (public: AFlickering)

99. Sight and Sound 2012 - Combined list - Part II (public: Ariaz)

100. New Beverly Cinema (public: xmoffx)

101. Films Dunstan Owns (public: Dunstan-xxx)

102. Western watchlist (public: AFlickering)

103. 1960s Mile High Club (public: Dunstan-xxx)

104. The Greatest Films (public: JackRyan2014)

105. nextup (public: valkyrian)

106. Metacritic Top 50 (public: amazedemon)

Browse the full list of collections

Show:

All Ratings | With Reviews

Order by:

TCI | Percentile | Date Rated | # Stars (Reviews)

Stars	User	Rating
9	Alex Watkins	5 _91st
Above all, amazingly entertaining, with fantastic action sequences and brutal scenes of violence. But it's also a swan song of the dying old west, and there's powerful emotional resonance with this group of ragged, hard-edged old cowboys, who, despite their misgivings, carry with them the weight of pride and honor. One of the all-time great movie endings.
6	Nathan S	4 _74th
One of the most brutal and intense westerns I've ever seen. The tension between the Bunch and the bounty hunters, and even the tension among the Bunch itself keeps things interesting. Then the sheer violence and chaos of the gunfights works as a big payoff. Throughout there's a certain sentimental quality, as the men are very aware that their way of life is coming to an end, and it lends a sense of balance that, I think, defines the movie.
5	Magb	90 _85th
The Wild Bunch is a top notch western. It's got some truly classic sequences, the acting is terrific, the editing is very impressive -- especially in the fight scenes; and it's even got some surprisingly emotional moments. It's no chick flick, but the end in particular definitely resonated with me more than the average action movie does. There are of course some slower parts that aren't as exhilarating as some other scenes, but that's usually more of a strength than a weakness. Brilliant.
5	TheDenizen	100 _99th
This is the greatest western ever made. Sam Peckinpah's masterpiece stars Bill Holden, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, and Warren Oates, and it blows me away every time I watch it. 3 massive action setpieces (a bank robbery, a train robbery, and the cataclysmic final massacre) highlight this somber tale of the dying old west, and old men who can't keep up with the pace of their violent lives any longer. Unbelievably bloody and sad. #3 in my all time top 10.
5	Anomaly	93 _97th
"Brutal" is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the description of this film, and for good reason. Despite forty years of films trying to top and outdo each other in terms of violence, this film still packs a powerful punch today. But beyond the content, it is a very competently made film, with great direction, action sequences, and loads of tension. Slows down a little too much after the brilliant opening heist, but once it gets back into gear, it fails to disappoint.
5	cloak	26 _18th
everyone can fuck off. i highly doubt peckinpah made a better film than pat garrett and billy the kid.
4	Landstander	9 _95th
I've read several interpretations, all of which worthwhile: as a look at the nature of humanity, it's bleak and powerful; as a take on the western with the removal of the "hero" element, it's refreshing and original. But most of all this is a visceral experience, complete with violence and smart characterization that's at once unwatchably brutal and highly entertaining.
3	fabfunk	100 _99th
The death of the western in glorious Technicolor. Required viewing for any man.
3	Barthalen	85 _92nd
The fact that this movie was filled with a sense of decay, depravity and man's capacity for cruelty made it a more interesting watch than a lot of 'heroic' westerns or ones that are all about the cool, badass factor. Some interesting characters and conflicts, and it was a good watch throughout.
3	waddayanuts	52 _7th
A great redemptive ending that connects all the dots and makes some thematical sense of it all saves it from being downright bad. But the first two hours aren't worth much. The humour is forced, there's never any real tension in either the plot or between the characters and the action scenes, albeit wonderfully brutal, have a poor sense of space. Maybe they're intended to be chaotic but I like my action to make spatial sense and not just to be a montage of people firing shots and getting killed.
3	afx237vi	40 _23rd
Can't say that this one struck much of a chord with me. It covers a lot of familiar Western themes - the encroachment of modernity leaving no room for the honourable outlaw and so on - but the pacing and the story just left me cold. Robert Ryan's character seems totally superfluous to the rest of the narrative and the lighter, more humorous moments didn't mix well with the grimy violence. The two main action sequences are worth a watch, but overall I found it fairly disappointing.
2	MartinTeller	75 _54th
I can see the greatness of it, but at the same time I just didn't care. Peckinpah's view of the world as a place where the last shreds of human decency are snubbed out by relentless brutality and dishonor isn't necessarily one I disagree with, just not one I care to inhabit when I watch a movie. The action scenes were brilliant, though, really well edited and very influential. Overall, I thought it was good enough, but I'd probably never bother watching it again.
2	doctor7	88 _89th
A superb western masterpiece that's important to see simply due to how influential all the action sequences are. An excellent cast full of full rich and interesting characters with an incredible amount of depth all of whom drive a compelling story forward to it's tragic conclusion. Any western fan should see this.
2	ServantDagon	99 _97th
Sam Peckinpah at the absolute top of his game. And that man's game... is tight.
2	Moribunny	78 _88th
The Wild Bunch is not one of Peckinpah's best. It's somewhat uneven, maybe even more so than the notoriously blundered final cut of Major Dundee which was all but disowned by Peckinpah. Still, it's the work of a master, and the ending is one of the most lyrical and deeply ironic endings ever.
2	djross	45 _34th
Generic Western seasoned with additional fatalism and antiheroism, and a dash of politics. Some impressive moments but overall still susceptible to the tedium that comes with the territory. Numerous scenes of delirious group cackling, presumably intended as laughing in the face of death. Women don't speak.
2	Pickpocket	5 _44th
I just didn't care, there's no one to root for. The influence this movie has had is striking and very apparent (Michael Bay must love this film) but it's an influence that I hate. There's something beautiful in letting a scene develop, all the fast cuts just make me dizzy. Still, there are some solid scenes but this is just overrated. This movie also owes a lot to Bonnie and Clyde.
2	Bojangles	40 _22nd
I don't know if I really care for Peckinpah's influence in action films (set up 8 cameras and cut furiously), but the violence (blood) and slow motion shots were often striking. It's basically a grittier version of Vera Cruz though...not that groundbreaking.
2	TedDedon	94 _92nd
The Wild Bunch is the kind of movie that exerts excellence in every way; it's score, acting, editing, direction, and above all else, entertainment value is at a level that is unrivaled by most movies, especially westerns. This is a heart-pounding, non-stop action western that shouldn't be missed.
2	BillyShears	80 _77th
I really didn't care much for any of the characters, but it sure was a ROOTIN' TOOTIN' GOOD TIME while it lasted.
2	hehejaja	85 _84th
Peckinpah expertly and elegantly fuses machoism and sensitivity in this western-classic.
2	purgatos	90 _91st
Great film with a great cast of characters. There are quite a few characters in this, but they never feel same-y, they're all very different people and it never really gives in to convenient good-bad stereotypes.
2	janus	70 _51st
Startling violence and innovative action setpieces that are still exciting after all these years, but the story between those sequences (opening, train robbery, closing) is slow and seems like means to an end, so the film doesn't carry much narrative oomph. On the plus side, good photography and music makes the period very convincing and the cast makes pretty standard lines ("If they move, kill 'em!") instantly memorable. Important and often entertaining, but it's no masterpiece.
2	billkerwin	97 _97th
An elegiac masterpiece. Superb editing and atmosphere. It continually astonishes me how such a violent film can leave a final impression of sadness, sweetness and loss.
2	Rufam	75 _72nd
"The Wild Bunch" opens with a bombastic action sequence, featuring a bloody town massacre. What ensues isn't as fascinating, but enough to make Peckinpah's western an enjoyable if flawed picture. It suffers from glacial pacing during the middle segments, but the influence it has had on other films is apparent -the revolutionary use of violence and Peckinpah's direction of the action scenes have proved seminal. The moral ambiguity is appreciated, while there's also some fine acting on display.
2	backwardsuit	87 _94th
Solid as all hell western that's somewhere between heroic romanticism & brutal nihilism. Human decency gets ceaselessly run over by the dynamics of the two. Peckinpah conjures up grave contradictions in story & style, wallowing in the wounding baseness of humanity. Uncomfortable & conflicting but to a point, I think. Excellent performances and a great balance in content. I still think that PG&BtK is more consistent & effective but damn, this commitment to misanthropy would make von Trier cringe.
1	Ronin167	100 _99th
My favourite American western. Peckinpah at his best.
1	kenche	90 _94th
Its absolutely contradictious western film. You can't think it is just chasing and running, this is not the main idea. People are unhappy, both running and chasing team members are unhappy because they can't adopt the change, changing the world into capitalism.
1	CinematicESP	90 _87th
The action sequences are great, the cinematography is striking, and it stars William Holden. What's not to love?
1	PeaceAnarchy	93 _98th
Really entertaining, really gritty, really beautiful to watch. Peckinpah's misanthropy is in full force from beginning to end and makes for a dark, twisted unforgettable film.
1	twincinema	85 _85th
You know it's a group of tough guys because they pass around a bottle of whiskey and no one winces at the burn.
1	ThaneOfFife	50 _17th
How can a movie with as many gunfights as it has, and directed by Peckinpah be so very boring?
1	caiman	93 _96th
The violence in this movie is unbelievable. Innocent people, including women and children, are put directly in harm's way and are often killed. The film and the characters are indifferent of who's being killed and who's doing the killing - it's all just meaningless violence. This is a notion we've seen many times since, but it originated here. Peckinpah's direction is tight, with just enough stylish splashes. Holden and Borgnine are a delight. This is one of the best westerns I've ever seen.
1	frederic_g54	9 _90th
(2nd viewing, previous score 75) Badass characters and technically superb action scenes make up for a superb western (Red Dead Redemption owes a lot to this film). I feel like a kid again.
1	sebby	60 _45th
It's brutal and tense, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this was more a film pieced together from a fierce conglomeration of individual ideas for scenes -- some of which are incredible, to be fair -- than a truly gripping story with interesting characters. It came and went and I mostly didn't give a shit.
1	rthornhill	75 _12th
Have to admit it.....I wasn't too "wild" about this bunch.
1	Zealot185	59 _39th
The action scenes are impressive, but I thought the story was muddled in oddly-timed flashbacks and excessive whoring.
1	Jeb	85 _70th
One of the greatest, brutal, intense and realistic westerns of all time. Just epic, and contains an incredible score ( Possibly the greatest score in cinema! ). Must see for any western or movie fan in general.
1	Optimus_mike	90 _90th
Amazing western with a refreshing take on the idea that really no one back then was a "hero"
1	SNAKEFOOD89	80 _43rd
Lacks the 'cool' of a sergio leone / ennio morricone flick. Overrated. Very long and meandering.
1	Bmunise	97 _91st
One of the films that kicked off the big revisionist Westerns of the 70s. It shows. Directed by Peckinpah. It shows.
1	WWallce4prez	88 _92nd
A surprising modern appearing western that packs a brutal punch. Fantastic action sequences and a great pace allow The Wild Bunch to cement itself as a western classic. The list of films that owe their success to this predecessor is long.
1	KAH	2 _40th
A masochistic film, even for a western. Not to my taste, didn't care much for the ending either.
1	Piglet	90 _99th
A thing of beauty.
1	yesistasty	97 _95th
The Wild Bunch takes the form of the western and twists it into something deeper, assaulting the viewer with a landscape of violence rarely equaled elsewhere in cinema.
1	SeanBerndorff	50 _26th
Hmmm not my kind of western. Still watchable but hasn't got that Sergio Leone suspense or that John Ford charm. And the actors are just not as great or memorable as the characters of the Clint, Wayne, Stewart, Fonda or even Hill.
1	hellboy76	95 _99th
Epic action and and the underlying defeatism of everything makes this a pretty epic watch.
1	guy piranha	75 _81st
so, a guy shoots the woman who left him for a general, whose lap she just so happens to sit in at that very moment. the whole garrison draws on the guy and asks why he took a shot at the general. someone explains: "he didn't. he shot the woman because she dumped him." silence. then they all start laughing and have a drink together. doesn't get much better than that.
1	pzingg	98 _96th
Suprisingly good on re-watching after 40 years (or maybe after never watching it before). There is hardly a weakness in this production, when you are looking at Lucien Ballard's photography, listening to Jerry Fielding's score (with Mexican corridos and musical tips to The Magnificent Seven), or following a great script by Walon Green and Peckinpah, so deeply interpreted by two good-bad guys William Holden and Robert Ryan (heroes of WWII and postwar films).
1	fra paolo	99 _99th
One of the greatest films ever made.
1	bratings	94 _94th
The Wild Bunch tells its story at numerous levels, and part of the film's brilliance is that it does so with such seeming ease that much of it is received subliminally.
1	buffratings	94 _94th
The Wild Bunch is a rousing and violent Western that benefits surprisingly well from placing its complex characters within a simple story.
1	Pickle_Man	90 _77th
One of those weird self-loathing movies that simultaneously decries violence as entertainment while being super ultraviolent.
1	offlineoz	85 _83rd
A superb cast, innovative direction, outstanding action set pieces, and a tight screenplay helps elevate this film among others within its genre. Ahead of its time by utilizing quick cuts, slow motion, and multi-angles, Peckinpah creates a one of a kind, brutal and dark western. Special shoutout to my hero, Warren Oates, who is the king of playing horny bastards.

Average Percentile 71.04% from 2498 Ratings