Wild Rovers

They were damned good cowboys, until they robbed a bank.

1971 • 136 min • Action · Western

Join the Angel Guild Write your review Sign in to rate and review

Synopsis

Ross Bodine and Frank Post are cowhands on Walt Buckman's R-Bar-R ranch. Bodine is older and broods a bit about how he will get along when he's too old to cowboy. Post is young and rambunctious and ambitious for a better life than wrangling cows. When one of their fellow cowboys is killed in a corral accident, Post suggests a way into a better life for himself and his friend: robbing a bank. Bodine reluctantly joins in the plan and the two contrive to rob the local bank. They make good their escape initially, but Walt Buckman and his two sons, John and Paul, are incensed at this betrayal by their own trusted employees. John and Paul set out to bring Bodine and Post to justice.

Our family guide

Best from age 12

Movie Knight Score

53 reviews

100 Reviewers · 1 · 51%
61 Audience · 52 · 49%

Two cowhands, one older and disillusioned, the other young and ambitious, decide to rob a bank for a better life. Their former employer and his sons pursue them, leading to a tense chase across the American West. It explores themes of loyalty, desperation, and the pursuit of freedom.

Violence & peril: 5/10
Language: 3/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 3/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

Some shooting and chase sequences
Characters drink alcohol and smoke
Moments of emotional intensity

What it models well

Loyalty to friends
Seeking a better life
Personal responsibility

Talk about it after

Choices and consequences
The meaning of justice
Family loyalty and duty
Life in the Old West

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Wild Rovers. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

Country

Free with ads

YouTube Free
Plex
Plex Channel
Tubi TV

Rent

Buy

Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.

Top billed cast

Director: Blake Edwards • Crew: Blake Edwards

Trailers & clips

Wild Rovers (1971) Original Trailer [FHD]

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
A reflective gem of an Oater. Wild Rovers is written and directed by Blake Edwards. It stars William Holden, Ryan O'Neal, Karl Malden, Joe Don Baker, Tom Skeritt and James Olsen. Music is scored by Jerry Goldsmith and the Panavision/Metrocolor cinematography is by Philip Lathrop.…
John Chard, TMDB Community