Boasting one of the most strange and diverse filmographies of any of cinema’s great auteurs, William Friedkin’s illustrious career has been laced with both tremendous success and surprising failure, with his movies greatly varying in both their critical reception and box office performance.
Having dabbled in almost every genre from supernatural horror musical comedy, Friedkin has also made countless smaller movies – Bug and Killer Joe, for instance – that don’t get the love they deserve. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five of the director’s best ever movies, as well as five that weren’t quite so good – in IMDb’s eyes at least.
Best: The Boys in the Band (1970) – 7.6
Based on Mart Crowley’s stage play of the same name, William Friedkin’s The Boys in the Band was a surprisingly progressive film considering its 1970 release date, with the director himself citing it as one of his personal favorite projects.
Taking place entirely in one New York apartment, the movie chronicles the events of a birthday party thrown by recovering alcoholic Michael. While the party’s guests all happen to be gay, the event becomes strained when Michael’s straight college friend Alan arrives out of the blue.
Worst: Jade (1995) – 5.3
Released in the wake of popular erotic thrillers Basic Instinct and The Last Seduction, 1995’s Jade was a clear attempt to capitalize on the mid-90s trend of sexually charged cinema. Unfortunately, the movie failed to live up its contemporaries, with its script drawing particular criticism from audiences who felt its central mystery lacked sufficient intrigue.
The movie centers on Assistant District Attorney David Corelli, who discovers that his married ex-lover may be implicated in a grisly crime involving murder, infidelity, and bribery.
Best: Sorcerer (1977) – 7.7
While its title may be misleading – which likely led to its notably poor performance at the box office – 1977’s Sorcerer stands as one of William Friedkin’s finest films to date regardless.
Following a diverse group of men – Jaws’ Roy Scheider among them – as they attempt to transport a highly volatile batch of rotting explosives across the treacherous South American jungle, the movie is a masterclass in tension and suspense, with its concept being amongst the most unique and thrilling in Friedkin’s entire career.
Worst: Deal of the Century (1983) – 4.7
A 1983 comedy starring Chevy Chase and Sigourney Weaver, Deal of the Century tells the story of multiple small arms dealers who get wrapped up in an escalating competition to sell weapons to a group of war-hungry South American rebels.
While its cast and premise may have been promising, the movie failed to make an impact upon its release, with critics’ primary concern being that film simply wasn’t funny. Deal of the Century also underperformed at the box office, only just making back its $10 million budget.
Best: The French Connection (1971) – 7.7
Perhaps Friedkin’s most widely loved movie outside of The Exorcist, 1971’s The French Connection chronicles the real-life story of two NYPD narcotics detectives who are tasked with bringing down a powerful French drug lord named Alain Charnier.
Praised for its intelligent, thought-provoking script, taut, compelling action and top-tier performances, The French Connection cleaned house at the 44th Academy Awards, taking home statues for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
Worst: The Devil and Father Amorth (2017) – 4.6
While it’s clear that William Friedkin has a huge interest in all things supernatural, the director’s well-intentioned 2017 documentary The Devil and Father Amorth falls completely flat regardless, documenting its titular priest’s ninth attempted exorcism of the troubled ‘Cristina’.
The film doesn’t provide any particularly compelling perspectives on the subject of possession, nor do its interviews feel genuine – coming off as casual conversations with the director’s friends rather than interviews with hand-picked experts. Its presentation also leaves a lot to be desired, shot largely on a shaky, handheld camera. Perhaps the movie’s most egregious crime, however, comes in its extended ‘exorcism’ footage – in which it’s extremely apparent that sound effects have been placed over Cristina’s voice to make the sequence appear more frightening.
Best: 12 Angry Men (1997) – 7.9
More often than not, critical reaction to remakes – particularly those of Hollywood classics – go one of two ways. Most commonly, the resulting movie is lambasted for its inferior quality and pointlessness. In much rarer circumstances, the movie its hailed as superior to its predecessor, with The Thing and The Fly being two notable examples.
Weirdly, however, William Friedkin’s made-for-TV remake of the incredible 12 Angry Men seemed to fly under the radar completely, despite its overwhelmingly positive reviews. Sure, it may not reach the heights of the 1957 classic – which is the eighth-highest rated movie of all time on IMDb – but the movie was praised for its well-written script and fantastic performances, making it more than worth a watch.
Worst: Good Times (1967) – 4.6
Serving as the feature film debut of William Friedkin, Good Times is one of the most bizarre directorial debuts of all time, especially considering the tremendous reputation he’d later earn for himself.
The movie is a musical comedy starring Sonny and Cher, structured as a series of spoofs, each targeting a different genre of film – spy flicks, westerns and mystery thrillers amongst them. Good Times was criticized for its unfunny, disconnected sketches and poor central performances, earning itself an awful 4.6 on IMDb as well as 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Best: The Exorcist (1973) – 8.0
Undeniably the movie most widely associated with the famed director, The Exorcist is William Friedkin’s magnum opus. classic novel of the same name, The Exorcist tells the disturbing story of Regan MacNeil, a young girl who finds herself possessed by a malevolent demonic entity.
As effective today as it was in 1973, the film consistently tops lists of the greatest horror movies ever made, with its terrifying sequences of demonic possession remaining unequaled almost half a century on.
Worst: C.A.T. Squad: Python Wolf (1988) – 4.3
How Friedkin managed to go from The Exorcist to the made-for-TV C.A.T. Squad movies in just over a decade is anyone’s guess. Despite the movie’s schlocky-sounding title, however, the franchise’s second entry C.A.T. Squad: Python Wolf plays things surprisingly straight, following a group of soldiers who take on nefarious South African smugglers.
Even a score from the legendary Ennio Morricone can’t save this one, with the movie’s predecessor C.A.T. Squad earning itself an equally abysmal 4.4 on IMDb.
