Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid

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Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid

R

Released May 23, 1973

2h 2m

Western

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Popcornmeter

60%

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65 Reviews

82%

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5,000+ Ratings

Sheriff Pat Garrett (James Coburn) is ordered by Governor Wallace (Jason Robards) to go after the outlaw Billy the Kid (Kris Kristofferson) because the cattle businessmen want him caught. Although Garrett and Billy are old friends, the lawman must abide by his duty. However, Garrett and his deputies have great difficulty catching Billy, who is very cunning. Along the way, Billy also gains the assistance of Alias (Bob Dylan), a mysterious knife-wielding stranger.

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Critics Consensus

Sam Peckinpah's mournful salute to the bygone West achieves moments of ruthless poetry, but clear signs of studio-dictated cuts and oft-unintelligible dialogue will make this dirge a slog for some.

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Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

The film casts an unsparing eye on the characters’ hypocritical notions of honor.

Jul 5, 2024

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Jay Cocks

TIME Magazine

Even in the maimed state in which it has been released, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is the richest, most exciting American film so far this year. There are moments and whole sequences here that stand among the best Peckinpah has ever achieved.

Jun 14, 2022

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Phil Strassberg

Arizona Republic

Unfortunately, a number of things, such as a clutch of clichés merely remolded to sound different, mar and flaw the otherwise interesting, certainly visually attractive, interpretation by Peckinpah.

Jun 14, 2022

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Julian Singleton

Cinapse

A grisly and ruminative film even compared to the rest of Peckinpah’s nihilistic Rogue’s gallery.

Jul 11, 2025

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…this is a proper revisionist Western, with heroic mumbling bad-guys, corrupt good guys, all part of a realistic, practical and amoral tone…you’d expect a script written by a man with a name like Rudy Wurlitzer to be arcane and pithy and it sure is that..

Rated: 5/5

Jan 14, 2025

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Joshua Ryan

FandomWire

I can’t say enough about Kris Kristofferson’s portrayal as Billy the Kid. It’s a performance filled with the charisma and confidence of Steve McQueen, and is arguably (and in my opinion) the coolest anybody has ever been on screen.

Rated: 9/10

Oct 1, 2024

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Nigel G

My all time favourite movie, a meandering melancholic masterpiece!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/05/25

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Charles G.

Seen all three cuts on the criterion edition, and boy this movie is beautiful

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/14/25

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Dallas H

There is something distinct in tone about a Sam Peckinpah western; sadly, this one was one of those that suffered from studio interference, with an edited-down "studio cut" being released before it was later recut to align with the director's original vision.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

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Carlos S

Great rythm, superb universe of characters and places, a different look, the infinite sadness of a dying world.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/30/25

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michael d

Great music but KK plays the Kid like a one-dimensional Hollywood Star

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/28/25

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Blu B

*Seen the 115 Minute Version* All Time Classic. Coburn & K.K. are amaing in this. It's got Sam P.'s trademarks all over it but it is a much more subdued Wild Bunch. It's all about The End of the West and the characters friendship end. The soundtrack is just amazing too and fits so beautifully with the tone of the film. For most of the runtime save for the start and end, we never see Pat or Billy interact and yet they dominate the actions of the other. Having a direct and indirect effect on every scene despite never sharing time together in a not so much slow but steady burn. The characters are just fasinating to explore and dwell on their actions. One sold out and became part of the new age while the other refuses to comply. Really strong direction as well in this too. Everyone should give this a try once.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/25

Full Review

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Sam Peckinpah

Director

James Coburn

Sheriff Patrick J. Garrett

Kris Kristofferson

Billy the Kid

Bob Dylan

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Jason Robards

Gov. Lew Wallace

Richard Jaeckel

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Synopsis

Sheriff Pat Garrett (James Coburn) is ordered by Governor Wallace (Jason Robards) to go after the outlaw Billy the Kid (Kris Kristofferson) because the cattle businessmen want him caught. Although Garrett and Billy are old friends, the lawman must abide by his duty. However, Garrett and his deputies have great difficulty catching Billy, who is very cunning. Along the way, Billy also gains the assistance of Alias (Bob Dylan), a mysterious knife-wielding stranger.

Director: Sam Peckinpah
Producer: Gordon Carroll
Screenwriter: Rudy Wurlitzer
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp., MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating: R
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 23, 1973, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2008
Runtime: 2h 2m
Sound Mix: Mono

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