Every William Friedkin Movie of the ’70s, Ranked
Collider ranks William Friedkin’s five 1970s films as a defining body of New Hollywood work, spanning crime, horror and socially significant drama. It argues that the decade produced his most influential and commercially successful films, while noting that even his least acclaimed entry took an unconventional approach to genre.
– The Exorcist is presented as Friedkin’s defining horror achievement and one of cinema’s most frightening films. – The French Connection is highlighted as a landmark suspense crime film. – Sorcerer is treated as an ambitious, tense thriller that has gained greater appreciation over time. – The Boys in the Band is described as an important queer-cinema milestone despite elements now seen as dated. – The Brink’s Job is ranked last: a flawed but distinctive working-class heist film based on the 1950 Brink’s robbery.
- Friedkin’s 1970s output is presented as his creative peak.
- The Exorcist leads the ranking.
- The Brink’s Job is viewed as the weakest, though still distinctive.
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William Friedkin was an American film director whose work in the 1970s formed part of New Hollywood, a period when directors often took a more personal and unconventional approach to mainstream films. His films ranged from crime stories and horror to drama, and several became influential beyond their original audiences.
The five films in this ranking include The French Connection, a crime thriller, and The Exorcist, a horror film; both became major successes. The Boys in the Band focused on gay men and is regarded as an important work in queer cinema, while Sorcerer and The Brink’s Job explored risk, work and crime in different ways.
Together, the films show the range of stories Friedkin pursued and how a director’s reputation can change over time. They also reflect shifts in film-making and social attitudes, which can shape how audiences view older films today.