7 Best William Holden Movies

By Vlad Zakh · January 17, 2026

William Holden brought wounded, cynical charm to American film for decades, often playing men whose good looks masked real disillusionment. Sunset Boulevard, Stalag 17 and The Bridge on the River Kwai are the 1950s highlights, The Wild Bunch plans one last robbery, Network spins an affair and a network crisis, The Towering Inferno confronts a skyscraper fire, and S.O.B. schemes to salvage a producer’s career.

S.O.B. (1981)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A failed Hollywood producer schemes to salvage his career by turning his family musical flop into a sexy hit.

Directed by Blake Edwards · 2h 01m · Rated R

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Network (1976)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 90% Metacritic 83

A failing network turns its unravelling anchor's on-air breakdown into a ratings sensation.

Directed by Sidney Lumet · 2h 02m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars20 wins & 27 nominations

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 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

The Wild Bunch (1969)

TMDB ★ 7.8

An ageing gang of outlaws plans one last robbery as the Old West gives way to modern civilisation.

Directed by Sam Peckinpah · 2h 25m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 96% Metacritic 88

British prisoners of war are made to build a strategic railway bridge for their Japanese captors.

Directed by David Lean · 2h 42m · Rated PG

Won 7 Oscars30 wins & 7 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · 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

Stalag 17 (1953)

TMDB ★ 8.0

POWs suspect one of their own is feeding information to their German captors.

Directed by Billy Wilder · 2h 00m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Philo · 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

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

IMDb ★ 8.4 RT 98% Metacritic 94

A struggling screenwriter becomes entangled with a faded, delusional silent-film star clinging to the past.

Directed by Billy Wilder · 1h 50m · Rated NR

Won 3 Oscars21 wins & 20 nominations

Where to watch

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

7 Best William Holden Movies

S.O.B. (1981)

Network (1976)

The Towering Inferno (1974)

The Wild Bunch (1969)

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Stalag 17 (1953)

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

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