For a first look at Robert Redford’s range, start with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), then choose a path: the star-led romance of The Way We Were (1973), the unsentimental sports drama Downhill Racer (1969), or the newsroom tension of All the President’s Men (1976). Add Ordinary People (1980) to see him as a director, not just an actor. These are critics’ selections and useful entry points, not a definitive ranking.
Which Robert Redford movies should you watch first?
The British Film Institute’s September 2025 retrospective selects ten essential films from a career spanning six decades and more than 40 feature-film performances. Its choices provide a strong route into Redford’s work, while the Associated Press’s separate overview adds later-career options such as Sneakers and The Old Man & the Gun. Neither list is an objective canon; together, they show how to move beyond the familiar image of Redford as a 1970s leading man.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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The Way We Were (Special Edition) | $6.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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HORSE WHISPERER DVD | $5.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![Out of Africa - Collector's Edition [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51BdWwURIBL._SL160_.jpg)
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Out of Africa - Collector's Edition [DVD] | $8.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![The Electric Horseman [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/411Q0bKfbaL._SL160_.jpg)
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The Electric Horseman [DVD] | $7.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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3 Days of the Condor | $7.79 | Buy on Amazon |
Start with the film that made his screen partnership with Paul Newman an enduring reference point, then follow the kind of performance or filmmaking you want to explore.
Start with the breakout and the movie star
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
George Roy Hill’s western established Redford’s easy screen rapport with Paul Newman as well as his appeal as a leading man. It is also linked to a later part of his story: Sundance Institute’s timeline says Redford named his land Sundance in 1969 after his role in the film. Sundance Institute’s timeline traces the land’s earlier history and the name’s adoption.
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- Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford's classic about the perils of love during Hollywood's blacklisting era.
The Way We Were (1973)
For a different side of the star persona, watch Sydney Pollack’s romantic drama with Barbra Streisand. Its pairing of two major screen presences makes it a useful counterpoint to the western: Redford’s appeal here rests on intimacy and romantic restraint rather than outlaw charm.
See Redford take less conventional roles
Downhill Racer (1969)
In Michael Ritchie’s sports drama, Redford plays a fiercely ambitious skier. The film sidesteps the familiar underdog-and-triumph pattern, making it a revealing early choice for viewers interested in his willingness to play a difficult, self-involved competitor rather than a straightforward hero.
Rank #2
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- Closed-captioned; Color; DVD; Letterboxed; Widescreen; NTSC
All the President’s Men (1976)
As Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, Redford anchors Alan J. Pakula’s account of investigative journalism alongside Dustin Hoffman as Carl Bernstein. It is a political thriller built around reporting, persistence and verification, not action spectacle. Pair it with Downhill Racer to see how Redford could make tightly controlled, driven characters compelling without making them conventionally likable.
Watch Redford as a director
Ordinary People (1980)
Redford made his directorial debut with this family drama about grief and fractured relationships. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Redford won the Academy Award for Best Director. It is essential viewing for anyone whose impression of him comes only from his acting career: his work behind the camera is a substantial part of his film legacy.
Rank #3
Choose a later-career entry point
Sneakers (1992)
This ensemble caper offers a lighter genre option, with Redford among a team of security experts drawn into a high-stakes scheme. The Associated Press includes it among his memorable performances, making it a useful next stop after the intense political drama of All the President’s Men.
The Old Man & the Gun (2018)
David Lowery’s gently comic crime film gives Redford a late-career lead role as a veteran bank robber. It provides a more reflective final chapter to a viewing path than his earlier, more forceful leading-man performances. The AP’s selection is a useful reminder that his screen career did not end with the 1970s.
Rank #4
- Factory sealed DVD
How the films connect to Sundance
Redford’s legacy also includes helping build an institution for independent filmmaking. Sundance Institute says he founded it in 1981 to support independence, risk-taking and new voices in American film. The Institute’s timeline records an earlier step: Redford bought land in Provo Canyon in 1961, then named it Sundance in 1969. The festival and labs later became a platform for independent filmmakers, as the AP also describes in its account of Redford’s influence. Sundance Institute’s mission and history explain the organization’s aims.
The Institute’s timeline attributes this line to Redford: “Risk…can be the catalyst that propels you forward.” It captures a principle behind his work as both a performer willing to take on less conventional parts and an institution-builder who backed new voices.
Best Value
- Shrink-wrapped
A simple viewing order
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) — the breakthrough western and a vivid introduction to his star persona.
- Downhill Racer (1969) — a less conventional, sharply focused performance.
- The Way We Were (1973) — a contrasting look at his romantic leading-man appeal.
- All the President’s Men (1976) — Redford as Woodward in a landmark journalism drama.
- Ordinary People (1980) — his directorial debut and a change of perspective.
- Sneakers (1992) or The Old Man & the Gun (2018) — choose an ensemble caper or a late-career character piece.
This is a guided introduction, not a claim that these films settle the question of Redford’s “best.” The BFI’s ten-film retrospective and the AP’s broader set of memorable performances are critical choices, not a quantitative ranking or a complete filmography.
Quick Recap
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