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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWhich Robert Redford movies should you watch first? Start with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the breakthrough that reshaped his career, then follow his range from political thrillers and capers to romance and solitary survival drama. This ranking weighs career importance, performance, cultural recognition, and variety; it is an editorial order, not a definitive consensus.
10 essential Robert Redford movies, ranked
This list focuses on films in which Redford stars, rather than ranking his work as a director. The British Film Institute’s September 16, 2025 selection of essential starring roles provides the pool; the order below is our own.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
![Sneakers [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51q+KNVOTJL._SL160_.jpg)
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Sneakers [Blu-ray] | $8.14 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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All the President's Men Blu-ray | Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman | Region Free | $20.43 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Jeremiah Johnson Blu-ray | Robert Redford | Region Free | $17.31 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![BRUBAKER (BLU-RAY) - VARIOUS [1980] [Region A & B & C]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5101oRaxaCL._SL160_.jpg)
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BRUBAKER (BLU-RAY) - VARIOUS [1980] [Region A & B & C] | $19.65 | Buy on Amazon |
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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), directed by George Roy Hill
Redford’s Sundance Kid, opposite Paul Newman’s Butch Cassidy, is the clearest introduction to his screen persona: charming, quick-witted, and relaxed enough to refresh the western outlaw. The BFI says the film changed Redford’s fortunes, while the American Film Institute recognizes it on its greatest-film lists. Speaking to The Associated Press in 2015 about being cast, Redford said, “I was not a name equal to Paul’s. I was just sort of moving up at that time.” The Associated Press reported the remark in 2015.
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All the President’s Men (1976), directed by Alan J. Pakula
Redford plays Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, with Dustin Hoffman as Carl Bernstein, in a dramatization of the reporters’ Watergate investigation. The BFI notes that Redford approached the journalists and that the film follows the first seven months of the real events. It is a defining example of his interest in political power and of a move beyond romantic leading-man roles toward serious, producer-driven drama. The BFI discusses Redford’s approach to the project.
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The Sting (1973), directed by George Roy Hill
Redford and Newman reunite as Depression-era grifters in a caper built around misdirection, comic timing, and the pleasure of watching a plan unfold. Its playful, deliberately old-fashioned style shows that Redford’s appeal was not limited to earnest heroes. The American Film Institute records 10 Oscar nominations and seven wins, including Best Picture. AFI’s awards records include the film’s Oscar recognition.
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The Candidate (1972), directed by Michael Ritchie
Redford’s Bill McKay begins as a long-shot candidate and learns how quickly a campaign can turn a person into an image. The BFI reads the role as a study of image-making and the erosion of ideals. Its satire makes it a useful companion to All the President’s Men, but the target here is electoral performance rather than investigative journalism.
Rank #2
All the President's Men Blu-ray | Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman | Region Free- Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Robards, Alan J. Pakula
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Three Days of the Condor (1975), directed by Sydney Pollack
Redford plays a CIA researcher who returns from lunch to find his co-workers murdered and becomes a target himself. The film’s paranoid-thriller machinery suits his quiet, observant presence: he is not an action hero so much as a thinking man forced into danger. The BFI points to the ending’s ambiguity and pessimism, which keep the story’s conspiracy from resolving into simple reassurance.
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Jeremiah Johnson (1972), directed by Sydney Pollack
In this mountain-man story, Redford’s solitary figure seeks a life in the winter landscape of Utah. It was the first of seven collaborations between Redford and Pollack. The BFI also frames the film in relation to white encroachment on Native culture, so its survivalist imagery is worth viewing critically rather than as uncomplicated frontier nostalgia.
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Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.Rank #3
Jeremiah Johnson Blu-ray | Robert Redford | Region Free- Robert Redford, Will Geer, Delle Bolton, Sydney Pollack
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All Is Lost (2013), directed by J.C. Chandor
Redford carries this late-career survival drama largely alone, playing a sailor trying to stay alive after a collision with a shipping container. With minimal dialogue and little of the banter that animates his early hits, the performance depends on physical detail and sustained isolation. The BFI calls it a defining late-career role.
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The Way We Were (1973), directed by Sydney Pollack
Redford’s Hubbell and Barbra Streisand’s Katie are drawn together and pulled apart by their different temperaments and political commitments. The BFI emphasizes the contrast between the stars’ screen personas and the film’s engagement with Hollywood blacklist history. The title song has had a cultural life of its own, but the romance is the reason to watch Redford navigate a relationship shaped by incompatible ideals.
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Downhill Racer (1969), directed by Michael Ritchie
Redford plays an ambitious, aloof skier whose talent does not make him an easy hero. The BFI describes the film as a challenge to the athlete-as-hero myth. It is a revealing early choice: Redford was willing to make a leading role prickly rather than simply likable.
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Brubaker (1980), directed by Stuart Rosenberg
Redford is a reform-minded prison warden confronting abusive conditions in an Arkansas prison, in a drama based on real prison incidents. The BFI connects the role’s reform politics to Redford’s screen persona while noting that the film can be heavy-handed. It rounds out the list with institutional critique beyond the election campaigns and journalism of his better-known political films.
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Choose your first Redford film by mood
| What you want to watch | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A lively western and a star-making partnership | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | Its outlaw duo captures Redford’s charm and wit. |
| A political investigation | All the President’s Men | Redford plays Woodward in a drama grounded in Watergate reporting. |
| A clever caper | The Sting | Its grifters, comic timing, and elaborate scheme make it the breeziest pick. |
| A paranoid thriller | Three Days of the Condor | A CIA researcher is forced to question the institution around him. |
| A romance shadowed by politics | The Way We Were | Its central relationship brings together contrasting personalities and ideals. |
| A quiet survival drama | All Is Lost | Redford’s isolated, minimally verbal performance contrasts sharply with his early roles. |
What this ranking leaves out
The list is about Redford as a starring performer, following the BFI’s stated frame. His directing career deserves its own discussion: Ordinary People won him the Best Director Oscar, and Quiz Show is another notable directorial work. The Associated Press identifies both among his directing credits in its 2025 career retrospective; they are not inserted into this ten-film ranking because it is focused on starring performances.
Streaming catalogs change by country and over time. The Associated Press’s September 2025 viewing examples are historical snapshots, not a reliable guide to availability in October 2026, so check the live catalog in your region before choosing a service.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
