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The Wild Bunch

Play trailer 2:53 Poster for The Wild Bunch R 1969 2h 22m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
91% Tomatometer 66 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
In this gritty Western classic, aging outlaw Pike Bishop (William Holden) prepares to retire after one final robbery. Joined by his gang, which includes Dutch Engstrom (Ernest Borgnine) and brothers Lyle (Warren Oates) and Tector Gorch (Ben Johnson), Bishop discovers the heist is a setup orchestrated in part by his old partner, Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan). As the remaining gang takes refuge in Mexican territory, Thornton trails them, resulting in fierce gunfights with plenty of casualties.
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The Wild Bunch

The Wild Bunch

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Critics Consensus

The Wild Bunch is Sam Peckinpah's shocking, violent ballad to an old world and a dying genre.

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Critics Reviews

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Penelope Gilliatt The New Yorker Jul 7, 2022
Apart from Peckinpah's simple technical control and the cut of his script, which is a knife that never slips off the bone, there is an angry quality to his mind. Go to Full Review Tom Milne Sight & Sound Mar 18, 2020
The film drives to its foregone conclusion with the sureness of an arrow. Go to Full Review Judith Crist New York Magazine/Vulture Jan 1, 2020
If you must see The Wild Bunch, be sure to take along a barf bag. Go to Full Review Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap Mar 16, 2026
5/5
Sam Peckinpah's frontal assault on the Western genre was informed by the outrages happening in Vietnam and cinema’s recent embrace of blood-soaked violent imagery. Go to Full Review Jeff Beck The Blu Spot Jul 30, 2025
4/5
The Wild Bunch remains a beloved staple of the western genre, utilizing a gripping story, memorable characters, exciting action, and impeccable technical elements to deliver a thrilling adventure. Go to Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies May 31, 2023
5/5
To say that The Wild Bunch is a violent masterpiece would not be an understatement. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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William R S May 14, 2024 One of my all time favorite westerns. Cutting edge violence, editing, direction and acting. The movie that put Peckinpah on the map and made his movies "must see" events (for me, anyway.) Saw this when it was released in 1969 and it's still as potent a story now as it was then. See more Robert P @Superbad Sep 9, 2026 The Wild Bunch = a *4.5* star Movie... See more Robert E @bobfreengel Jul 28, 2026 One of my favorite westerns of all time. See more Bob L @Dudeorama5 Jul 10, 2026 The first and the last scenes were the best part. The acting was great. The movie and story was a little clunky at times. But I will always remember the ending and the brutality of it all. See more Felipus h @Felipus Jan 2, 2026 It wasn't the western I expected, but a great movie among the best of its genre. With a solid script, thrilling action scenes with chaotic shootings and high pace chases, this film is pure epic. Besides great acting, there are no "good guys" but characters who feel like real people, with all the contradictions of human nature. On the contrary to movies centered around an outlaw-character, this one doesn't seems to make apology of crime or violence. See more Maksim S @MaksimusMovies Nov 1, 2025 The Wild Bunch is best appreciated not as a meditation on morality or historical realism, but as pure cinematic spectacle. Sam Peckinpah’s notorious violence, often cited as shocking or excessive, functions less as commentary and more as kinetic art — meticulously choreographed, balletic mayhem that elevates the film to cult status. While it lacks the narrative tension and tight plotting of Leone’s Dollars trilogy, it more than compensates with relentless, action-packed sequences and a ferocity of on-screen carnage rarely matched in Western cinema. The film’s enduring appeal lies in its audacious energy, inventive staging, and the sheer fun of watching chaos executed with precision — a high-octane Western that is, above all, entertaining and unforgettable. See more Read all reviews
The Wild Bunch

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Cast & Crew

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Sam Peckinpah

Director

William Holden

Pike Bishop

Ernest Borgnine

Dutch Engstrom

Robert Ryan

Deke Thornton

Edmond O'Brien

Freddie Sykes

Warren Oates

Lyle Gorch

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The Wild Bunch

The Wild Bunch: Trailer 1 The Wild Bunch: Trailer 1 2:53 Now Playing View more videos
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The Wild Bunch

The Wild Bunch (1969) The Wild Bunch (1969) The Wild Bunch (1969) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In this gritty Western classic, aging outlaw Pike Bishop (William Holden) prepares to retire after one final robbery. Joined by his gang, which includes Dutch Engstrom (Ernest Borgnine) and brothers Lyle (Warren Oates) and Tector Gorch (Ben Johnson), Bishop discovers the heist is a setup orchestrated in part by his old partner, Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan). As the remaining gang takes refuge in Mexican territory, Thornton trails them, resulting in fierce gunfights with plenty of casualties.
Director
Sam Peckinpah
Producer
Phil Feldman
Screenwriter
Walon Green, Roy N. Sickner
Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co
Warner Brothers
Rating
R
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 18, 1969, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Runtime
2h 22m
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