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Sam Peckinpah

American film director (1925–1984)

5.50body-of-work score · ranked #184 of 2631 directors · 8 films in our library

A director's score is the sum of their films' composite canon scores — methodology.

Born
February 21, 1925 · Fresno
Died
December 28, 1984 · Inglewood
Nationality
United States
Work
film director, film producer, screenwriter, actor
Reference
Wikipedia · Wikidata
Portrait of Sam Peckinpah
Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain

Films in our library, ranked

Ranked by composite canon score across 20+ authoritative lists, awards and polls — our ordering, with every placement citing its evidence on the film's page.

  1. 1
    The Wild BunchMust-See #284

    1969 · United States · crime, western

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #136 · AFI 100 (2007) #79 · AFI 100 (1998) #80

    2.3011 citations
  2. 2
    Straw Dogs

    1971 · United Kingdom / United States / Australia · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1972 #5 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Criterion Collection spine #182

    0.834 citations
  3. 3
    Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid

    1973 · United States · western, biography

    Hoberman's annual top 10 1989 #2 · Empire 500 (2008) #126 · Criterion Collection spine #1224

    0.693 citations
  4. 4
    Junior Bonner

    1972 · United States · western, drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1972 #7 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

    0.502 citations
  5. 5
    Ride the High Country

    1962 · United States · western

    National Film Registry (inducted 1992) · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

    0.392 citations
  6. 6
    Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia

    1974 · United States / Mexico · action, thriller, western

    Roger Ebert's Great Movies · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.363 citations
  7. 7
    The Ballad of Cable Hogue

    1970 · United States · comedy, drama, western

    NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Sarris's annual top 10 1970 #8

    0.322 citations
  8. 8
    The Getaway

    1972 · United States · crime, action, thriller

    Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

    0.111 citation

Complete filmography

All 15 directorial credits recorded on Wikidata, in chronological order; films in our library link to their canon-score page.