What Are the 10 Best Billy Wilder Movies?
What films from the acclaimed auteur are his best?
'Double Indemnity'
Whenever I'm stuck in a screenplay or even just having a terrible day, I like to put on a Billy Wilder movie. The guy just knew how to captivate an audience and how to tell a story.
But what are Billy Wilder's best movies? I had to really wrestle with myself and my emotions to create this list.
It was hard and I'm still not sure I got it right.
Let's dive in.
1. Sunset Boulevard
I mean, as No Film School's resident screenwriter, how could I not put this movie first?
It's Wilder's opus on Hollywood. William Holden plays a struggling screenwriter who stumbles into the decaying mansion of Norma Desmond, a forgotten silent film star. The film's incisive critique of the film industry and its performances make it a cornerstone of American cinema. The delivery of Gloria Swanson's iconic "I'm ready for my closeup" encapsulates the haunting brilliance of this dark and twisted tale.
The Apartment
Man, this movie is perfect and probably should be at the top of the list. I legit have no reason it's not as good as the other. It's a hilarious Best Picture winner where Jack Lemmon stars as C.C. Baxter, a lonely insurance clerk who lends his apartment to his bosses for their extramarital affairs, hoping for a promotion.
His world gets turned upside down when he falls for the elevator operator, Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), who is also his boss's mistress.
It's the perfect blend of comedy and drama. It's riveting to watch.
This film earned Wilder Oscars for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay as well.
3. Some Like It Hot
As funny today as it ever was, this truly is one of the greatest comedies of all time. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon play two musicians who witness a mob hit and go on the run disguised as members of an all-female band.
Marilyn Monroe steals every scene in one of her most memorable roles, as the band's effervescent singer. The film is a masterclass in comic timing, clever dialogue, and gender-bending farce.
4. Double Indemnity
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. Really, any of the top four could have been number one. A quintessential film noir, this movie set the standard for the genre.
Fred MacMurray plays an insurance salesman lured into a murderous plot by the seductive Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck). The film's shadowy cinematography, razor-sharp dialogue co-written with Raymond Chandler, and palpable sense of impending doom create an atmosphere of suspense and moral decay that never loses its gravity.
5. Witness for the Prosecution
Based on an Agatha Christie play, this is Wilder playing with suspense and misdirection. Charles Laughton delivers a tour-de-force performance as a brilliant but ailing lawyer who takes on the case of a man accused of murder.
The plot twists and turns us to a stunning climax that makes you want to watch the movie immediately again to get all the clues along the way.
6. Ace In the Hole
I kind of wish this movie didn't hold up, but it does. It takes on media sensationalism and hot-take headlines.
We follow Kirk Douglas, who plays a disgraced journalist who exploits a man trapped in a cave-in to revive his career. The film's prescient themes and Douglas's ferocious performance make an unflinching look at the dark side of the appetite for a hit story.
7. Stalag 17
I actually feel like this movie gets lost a lot in Wilder's epic filmography. But this movie really rips. It's a WWII movie that masterfully balances drama and comedy.
William Holden won an Oscar for his portrayal of a cynical and resourceful sergeant who is suspected of being a German informant. The film's ensemble cast creates a compelling portrait of survival and suspicion in the face of adversity.
8. The Lost Weekend
This movie is not a fun watch, but a beautiful one. It's a harrowing and groundbreaking portrayal of alcoholism.
Ray Milland won a Best Actor Oscar for his powerful performance as a struggling writer on a weekend-long drinking binge. The film's realistic depiction of addiction earned it the Academy Award for Best Picture and cemented Wilder's reputation as a director who could handle any subject.
9. Sabrina
If you re having a bad day, this movie will literally change everything about it. It's charming and sophisticated. It had crackling dialogue and characters you deeply love.
Audrey Hepburn plays the chauffeur's daughter who returns from Paris a transformed woman, capturing the hearts of two wealthy brothers, played by Humphrey Bogart and William Holden.
The film's witty script, elegant direction, and the luminous presence of Hepburn make it an enduring classic.
10. The Seven Year Itch
This movie cracks me up. It's such a great dissection of male fantasy and lunacy, I cannot imagine anyone making a movie like this today.
This iconic comedy gave the world one of cinema's most indelible images: Monroe standing over a subway grate with her white dress blowing upwards.
This movie is so horny all the time, it's hilarious.
The film centers on a faithful husband (Tom Ewell) who is tested when a vivacious model moves into the apartment upstairs while his family is away for the summer.
And nothing you think will happen does.
Summing It All Up
Billy Wilder is one of the best writers and directors of all time. Picking ten of his best films was near impossible. It made me want to start at the top and watch all these movies all over again.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
