8 Best Steve McQueen Movies

By Vlad Zakh · January 12, 2026

Steve McQueen built his stardom on cool, understated masculinity and a genuine love of speed, and his best films let both do most of the talking. Bullitt chases a witness’s protector through a citywide car chase, The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven are the ensemble classics, The Thomas Crown Affair masterminds a heist for fun, Papillon attempts repeated escapes from a French penal colony, and The Towering Inferno battles a blaze in a skyscraper. The Cincinnati Kid and Love with the Proper Stranger round out the list.

The Towering Inferno (1974)

IMDb ★ 7.0 RT 69% Metacritic 69

A fire breaks out during a skyscraper's star-studded opening gala, trapping guests at the top.

Directed by John Guillermin · 2h 45m · Rated PG

Won 3 Oscars13 wins & 14 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Papillon (1973)

TMDB ★ 8.0

A wrongly convicted man endures brutal conditions in a penal colony while relentlessly plotting his escape.

Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner · 2h 31m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A bored billionaire orchestrates elaborate heists purely for the thrill of the challenge.

Directed by Norman Jewison · 1h 42m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, MGM Plus · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Bullitt (1968)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A San Francisco detective's protection of a witness spirals into a citywide car chase and conspiracy.

Directed by Peter Yates · 1h 53m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

TMDB ★ 7.1

An ambitious young poker player challenges the reigning champion in a legendary high-stakes match.

Directed by Norman Jewison · 1h 42m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Love with the Proper Stranger (1963)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A musician and a department store clerk navigate an unplanned pregnancy in 1960s New York.

Directed by Robert Mulligan · 1h 42m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Great Escape (1963)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 94% Metacritic 86

Allied prisoners of war plan an elaborate mass breakout from a heavily guarded German camp.

Directed by John Sturges · 2h 53m · Rated NR

Nominated for 1 Oscar3 wins & 12 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Philo, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

TMDB ★ 7.7

Eli Wallach plays the bandit leader in this tale of seven hired gunfighters who defend a poor Mexican village.

Directed by John Sturges · 2h 08m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, MGM Plus · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

8 Best Steve McQueen Movies

The Towering Inferno (1974)

Papillon (1973)

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

Bullitt (1968)

The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Love with the Proper Stranger (1963)

The Great Escape (1963)

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

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