By Luc Haasbroek
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Billy Wilder, an Austrian-born American filmmaker, was one of the legends of Classic Hollywood. His illustrious career spanned over five decades, during which he crafted a remarkable array of films that exerted a huge influence on the medium. He was remarkably versatile, crafting the chaotic comedy of Some Like It Hot, the noir of Double Indemnity, and the Hollywood horror of Sunset Boulevard.
With this in mind, this list looks at some of the director's must-see movies. The following ten projects are great demonstrations of his varied talents, ranging from rom-coms and courtroom dramas to satire and everything in between. There's something for everyone in Wilder's filmography.
10 'Sabrina' (1954)
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, Walter Hampden
"Paris is always a good idea." Audrey Hepburn leads this rom-com as Sabrina Fairchild, the daughter of a chauffeur for the wealthy Larrabee family. She has spent her entire life pining for David Larrabee (William Holden), the carefree younger son of the family. After spending time in Paris, Sabrina returns home transformed—now poised, elegant, and suddenly the object of David's affections. However, David's practical older brother, Linus (Humphrey Bogart), sees the potential scandal and decides to intervene, only to unexpectedly fall for Sabrina.
The script is a little too sweet, but the leads are so magnetic that they practically carry Sabrina on their own. Hepburn delivers her signature radiance, while Holden exudes devilish charm, but it's Bogart's unconventional casting that makes the biggest impression, showcasing a rare vulnerable side beneath his usual hardened exterior. The movie is also visually stunning despite being in black-and-white, particularly with the fashion, winning the Oscar for Best Costume Design.
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Sabrina
Approved
Comedy
Romance Drama- Release Date
- September 10, 1954
- Runtime
- 113 minutes
- Director
- Billy Wilder
- Writers
- Ernest Lehman
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
9 'One, Two, Three' (1961)
Starring: James Cagney, Horst Buchholz, Pamela Tiffin, Arlene Francis
"Bad news sells best. Cause good news is no news." One, Two, Three is a whirlwind Cold War political satire featuring James Cagney as C.R. MacNamara, a high-ranking Coca-Cola executive stationed in West Berlin, where he hopes to impress his American superiors and secure a major promotion. His ambitions are thrown into chaos when he is tasked with looking after his boss's daughter, the free-spirited Scarlett (Pamela Tiffin). To MacNamara's horror, she secretly marries a staunchly communist East German named Otto (Horst Buchholz), setting off a frantic chain of events.
One, Two, Three hurtles forward with unrelenting energy, delivering farcical comedy at a blistering pace. The screenplay is sharp, jam-packed with then-contemporary references to pop music and JFK, including the killer line "We have trade agreement with Cuba: they send us cigars, we send them rockets." Cagney delivers his rapid-fire dialogue with relish, and Wilder's direction ensures that the jokes land with precision.
One, Two, Three
NR
Comedy
- Release Date
- December 15, 1961
- Runtime
- 115 minutes
Cast
-
James Cagney
C.R. MacNamara
-
Liselotte Pulver
Fräulein Ingeborg
-
Horst Buchholz
Otto Ludwig Piffl
-
Pamela Tiffin
Scarlett Hazeltine
8 'Ace in the Hole' (1951)
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Robert Arthur, Porter Hall
"I'd never be so stupid as to lie to a man who wears both belt and suspenders." Shifting gears dramatically is Ace in the Hole, one of Wilder's darkest and most cynical films. Kirk Douglas stars as Chuck Tatum, a disgraced newspaper reporter desperate for a comeback. When he stumbles upon a man (Richard Benedict) trapped in a collapsed cave, he sees an opportunity to turn the rescue effort into a media circus. Instead of pushing for a quick rescue, Tatum manipulates the situation to prolong the coverage, ensuring that he stays at the center of the biggest news story in the country.
Douglas is great here, holding the viewer's attention the whole way through. On the directing front, Wilder uses this macabre premise to skewer media sensationalism and journalist corruption. It's a biting movie, one whose themes have only grown more relevant in the social media age. The idea of an unscrupulous observer tinkering with events for profit seems like it influenced 2014's Nightcrawler with Jake Gyllenhaal.
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Ace In The Hole
Approved
Drama- Release Date
- June 14, 1951
- Runtime
- 111 Minutes
- Director
- Billy Wilder
- Writers
- Walter Newman, Lesser Samuels, Billy Wilder
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
7 'Stalag 17' (1953)
Starring: William Holden, Don Taylor, Otto Preminger, Robert Strauss
"If I ever run into any of you bums on a street corner, just let's pretend we've never met before." Stalag 17 unfolds in a German prisoner-of-war camp during World War II. There, a group of American airmen suspects that one of their own is a traitor leaking information to their captors. At the center of the suspicion is Sergeant J.J. Sefton (William Holden), a cynical, self-serving operator who trades with the Germans to secure extra privileges for himself. As tensions rise and the men grow increasingly paranoid, Sefton must prove his innocence while uncovering the real informant in their midst.
This is a sharp dramedy, pivoting deftly between humor and tension (though the more serious moments hold up better than the funny ones). The movie's strongest feature is the acting, particularly the Oscar-winning lead performance from Holden. He plays Sefton as a shrewd but ultimately redeemable antihero, a tricky balance to pull off.
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Stalag 17
NR
Comedy
DramaWar
- Release Date
- May 29, 1953
- Runtime
- 120 minutes
- Director
- Billy Wilder
- Writers
- Edwin Blum
WHERE TO WATCH
RENT
BUY
6 'The Lost Weekend' (1945)
Starring: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Phillip Terry, Howard Da Silva
"One's too many and a hundred's not enough." The Lost Weekend centers on Don Birnam (Ray Milland), a struggling writer who has spent years battling alcoholism. Over the course of three days, Don spirals deeper into his addiction, deceiving those who care about him. With his brother Wick (Phillip Terry) and girlfriend Helen (Jane Wyman) trying to help him, Don resists every attempt at intervention, convinced that alcohol is the only thing that fuels his creativity.
This is one of Wilder's most harrowing movies. Though somewhat dated now, its stark, unflinching depiction of addiction was bold for the time, made all the more hard-hitting thanks to the striking expressionistic cinematography. The director never sugarcoats anything, nor does Milland, who plays the character as jittery, frantic, and increasingly desperate. The Lost Weekend struck a chord on release, taking home that year's Oscar for Best Picture as well as the top prize at Cannes.
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The Lost Weekend
Passed
DramaFilm Noir
9.0/10
- Release Date
- December 31, 1945
- Runtime
- 101 Minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
5 'Some Like It Hot' (1959)
Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft
"Well, nobody's perfect." Some Like It Hot is one of Wilder’s most beloved films and a landmark screwball comedy. It follows Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon), two struggling musicians who accidentally witness a mob hit and must disguise themselves as women to escape the gangsters. They join an all-female band led by the stunning and unpredictable Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), and while Jerry fully commits to his new identity as “Daphne,” Joe sees an opportunity to seduce Sugar by posing as a wealthy oil tycoon.
Monroe is effortlessly iconic, blending vulnerability and comedic timing to create a character both irresistible and tragic. Lemmon and Curtis, meanwhile, throw themselves into their roles with boundless energy, resulting in one of the most hilariously chaotic comedies of the 1950s. All in all, this is a quick-witted farce that never loses steam, littered with great lines like "Real diamonds! They must be worth their weight in gold!"
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Some Like It Hot
Passed
Comedy
Music Romance9.0/10
- Release Date
- March 15, 1959
- Runtime
- 121 Minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
RENT
BUY
4 'Double Indemnity' (1944)
Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Porter Hall
"Yes, I killed him. I killed him for money—and for a woman. I didn’t get the money and I didn’t get the woman. Pretty, isn’t it?" One of the quintessential noir films, Double Indemnity revolves around Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), an insurance salesman who falls under the spell of the seductive and deadly Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck). Together, they hatch a plan to murder her husband and collect a hefty insurance payout. What follows is a tense, slow-burning descent into paranoia as their crime unravels.
Double Indemnity is equal parts stylish and psychologically complex, with a lot to say about lust, greed, and betrayal. It was hugely influential in shaping the noir aesthetic, boasting Edward Hopper-inspired images, strange angles, and deep shadows. These powerful visuals are built upon a strong script from Wilder and hardboiled master Raymond Chandler. The dialogue crackles with tension, wit, and doomed romance, continuing to resonate all these decades later.
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Double Indemnity
Not Rated
Crime
Thriller- Release Date
- July 3, 1944
- Runtime
- 107 Minutes
- Director
- Billy Wilder
- Writers
- Billy Wilder, Raymond Chandler
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
3 'The Apartment' (1960)
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston
"Shut up and deal." Jack Lemmon turns in one of his very best performances here as C.C. "Bud" Baxter, an ambitious but lonely office worker who allows his superiors to use his apartment for their extramarital affairs in hopes of climbing the corporate ladder. His plan backfires when he falls for Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), an elevator operator who is entangled in a toxic relationship with one of his bosses, Jeff Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray).
The Apartment is a charming mix of comedy, romance, drama, and corporate satire. Once again, the script is exceptionally strong. Every word is carefully placed, every delivery meticulously controlled, yet nothing feels artificial. Lemmon is superbly cast too, balancing humor with genuine vulnerability. This is one of the best showcases of his everyman appeal. Not for nothing, the film won Wilder the Best Director Oscar, as well as clinching Best Picture. It has aged well and remains enjoyable today.
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The Apartment
Approved
Comedy
Drama Romance9.7/10
- Release Date
- June 15, 1960
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
RENT
BUY
2 'Witness for the Prosecution' (1957)
Starring: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester
"She did it. She killed me." A masterclass in courtroom drama, Witness for the Prosecution follows Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton), a brilliant but ailing defense attorney who takes on the case of Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power), accused of murdering a wealthy widow. His biggest obstacle is Leonard’s enigmatic wife, Christine (Marlene Dietrich), whose testimony could make or break the case. The movie was adapted from an Agatha Christie play, though Wilder's deft touch elevates it considerably. The author herself reportedly considered Witness for the Prosecution to be "the finest film" based on one of her stories.
The film's pacing is superb, expertly planting clues and catching the viewer off guard with juicy twists. It's a brilliant showcase of Wilder's capacity for suspense, proving that he was far more than just a maker of comedies. That said, the real star of this movie is undoubtedly Laughton, who steals every scene with his eloquence and commanding presence.
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Witness For The Prosecution
10.0/10
- Release Date
- December 17, 1957
Cast
-
Tyrone Power
-
Marlene Dietrich
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
RENT
BUY
- Runtime
- 116 Minutes
1 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950)
Starring: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson
"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." Claiming the top spot on this list is, unsurprisingly, Sunset Boulevard, Wilder's chilling, tragic examination of Hollywood underbelly. William Holden once again has top billing, this time as Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter who stumbles into the decaying mansion of Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a former silent film star desperate for a comeback. Seduced by the promise of financial security, Joe becomes entangled in Norma’s delusions.
Wilder was ahead of the curb in critiquing show business and the mechanics of filmmaking. His scathing vision paved the way for later Hollywood satires, like The Player and Mulholland Drive What sets the film apart, however, is not just its biting commentary, but the sheer brilliance of its execution. Wilder crafts a movie packed with razor-sharp dialogue, haunting imagery, and performances that feel almost too raw to be fictional. For all these reasons, Sunset Boulevard has earned a spot in the pantheon of all-time great cinema.
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Sunset Boulevard
Approved
Film Noir
Drama8.7/10
- Release Date
- August 10, 1950
- Runtime
- 110 Minutes
- Director
- Billy Wilder
Cast
-
William Holden
Joe Gillis
-
Gloria Swanson
Norma Desmond
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
RENT
BUY
- Writers
- Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, D.M. Marshman Jr.
NEXT: 10 Essential Tilda Swinton Movies, Ranked
- Movie
- Some Like It Hot
- Sunset Boulevard
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