Henry McCarty. William H. Bonney. Billy the Kid. Whatever you call him, the scrawny kid from New York who became the face of the Lincoln County War has been "dying" on screen since the silent era. It's wild. There are over 50 Billy the Kid movies out there, and honestly? Most of them are complete fiction. Hollywood loves the myth of the boy-king of the West, but they usually trade the gritty, messy reality for something much more polished.
He wasn't a noble hero. He wasn't a bloodthirsty psychopath either. He was a teenager stuck in a corporate war between two rival dry goods factions. Imagine dying at 21 and having Paul Newman, Kris Kristofferson, and Val Kilmer all try to figure out your "vibe" decades later.
The Evolution of Billy the Kid Movies
The early days of cinema treated the Kid like a cardboard cutout. In the 1930s and 40s, actors like Johnny Mack Brown played him as a standard-issue Western hero. He was tall, clean-cut, and wore a massive hat. The problem? The real Billy was about 5'8", had buck teeth, and was known for being incredibly charismatic—not just a stoic gunslinger.
Then came the 1950s. This is where things got weirdly psychological. The Left Handed Gun (1958) starred Paul Newman, and it’s a trip. It was based on the idea that Billy was left-handed because of a famous tintype photograph where his holster appeared on his left side. Here’s the kicker: the photo was actually a mirror image. Billy was right-handed. But because of that one photo, an entire generation of Billy the Kid movies—and even the name of Newman's film—was built on a technical error.
Newman played him as a misunderstood, angsty youth. It was very "Rebel Without a Cause" but with spurs. It’s not accurate, but it’s fascinating to see how the era’s obsession with Method acting changed the outlaw's DNA.
Sam Peckinpah’s Gritty Masterpiece
If you want to talk about the definitive version, you have to talk about Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973). It’s directed by Sam Peckinpah, a man who basically lived like an outlaw himself. This movie is bleak. It’s dusty. It smells like cheap whiskey and regret. Kris Kristofferson plays an aging Billy, which is historically hilarious because Kristofferson was nearly 40 at the time. Billy died at 21.
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Despite the age gap, this movie captures the feeling of the end of the frontier better than almost any other. It treats Billy and Pat Garrett (played by James Coburn) as two sides of the same coin. They were friends. Then Garrett took a job with the law, and the world changed. The soundtrack by Bob Dylan—who also has a weirdly quiet role in the film—gives it this haunting, elegiac tone. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" was literally written for this movie.
The Brat Pack and the 80s Revival
Then came 1988. Young Guns.
I know, I know. It’s flashy. It’s got Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, and Kiefer Sutherland. It feels like a music video. But surprisingly, Young Guns is actually more historically accurate regarding the Lincoln County War than most of the "serious" films that came before it. It includes the "Regulators"—the group Billy actually belonged to—and acknowledges that he was part of a team, not a lone wolf.
Estevez plays Billy with a high-pitched, manic laugh that historical accounts actually mention. He was known for being "lithe" and "joyous," even when things were going south. It’s a fun movie, but it still leans heavily into the "cool outlaw" trope. The sequel, Young Guns II, goes full conspiracy theory by suggesting Billy survived the shooting at Fort Sumner and lived to be an old man named Brushy Bill Roberts.
Is it true? Probably not. DNA evidence has been inconclusive, and most historians think Brushy Bill was just a very talented storyteller. But the movie makes you want to believe it.
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The Recent Shift Toward Realism
In recent years, we've seen a shift. The Kid (2019), directed by Vincent D’Onofrio, tries to look at the legend through the eyes of a child caught in the crossfire. It’s a slower burn. Dane DeHaan plays Billy with a sort of twitchy, dangerous energy that feels a bit more grounded.
Then there’s the MGM+ series (it's basically a long movie anyway) starring Tom Blyth. This version spends a lot of time on Billy’s Irish roots and his family’s poverty. It’s trying to answer why he became a killer. It wasn't just for kicks; it was a lack of options in a corrupt system.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Kid
If you’re watching Billy the Kid movies to learn history, you’re gonna have a bad time. Here are the big ones:
- The Killing Count: Legend says he killed 21 men—one for every year of his life. Historians generally agree it was closer to nine. Still a lot, but not "John Wick" levels.
- The Escape: His escape from the Lincoln County Courthouse in 1881 is often portrayed as a grand shootout. In reality, it was a desperate, bloody mess where he killed two deputies, Bell and Olinger, and had to hack off his shackles with an axe.
- The Death: He didn't die in a dramatic standoff. Pat Garrett hid in the dark in Pete Maxwell’s bedroom and shot Billy when he walked in looking for a piece of meat. Billy’s last words were reportedly "¿Quién es? ¿Quién es?" (Who is it?).
Why We Can’t Stop Making These Films
Billy represents something specific in the American psyche. He’s the ultimate underdog. He was a poor immigrant kid who took on the "Santa Fe Ring"—a group of corrupt politicians and land grabbers. People love a story about a kid sticking it to the Man, even if that kid is a horse thief.
There’s also the mystery. Because we only have one (or maybe two) confirmed photos of him, he’s a blank slate. Any actor can step into those boots and project whatever they want onto him. He can be a hero, a villain, or a victim of circumstance.
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Ranking the Best (and Worst) Billy the Kid Movies
If you're looking to binge-watch, here’s how to prioritize:
- Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973): Essential viewing. Watch the 2005 Special Edition or the 50th Anniversary release if you can. The theatrical cut was butchered by the studio.
- Young Guns (1988): For the pure 80s energy and a surprisingly decent look at the Lincoln County War's politics.
- The Left Handed Gun (1958): For the film nerds who want to see Paul Newman invent the "brooding outlaw" archetype.
- Chisum (1970): This is a John Wayne movie where Billy is a side character. It’s... not great for accuracy. It turns the whole conflict into a standard "Good vs. Bad" Western, which the Lincoln County War definitely was not.
- Billy the Kid (1930): Directed by King Vidor. It was filmed in an early widescreen format and looks stunning, even if the story is pure fluff.
The Actionable Truth for Fans
If you want to actually understand the man behind the Billy the Kid movies, you have to look past the screen. Movies have to have a beginning, middle, and end. Real life is messier.
Start by reading The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid by Pat Garrett (well, ghostwritten by Marshall Ashmun Upson). Just keep in mind that Garrett had a vested interest in making Billy look like a dangerous predator so his own act of killing him looked more heroic. For a more balanced view, check out Robert M. Utley’s Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life.
When you watch these films now, look at the background. Look at the "Ring." Look at the poverty. The best movies aren't the ones where he's the fastest draw; they're the ones that show a kid trying to survive in a world that had no place for him.
To truly appreciate the genre, your next step is to watch the 1973 Peckinpah film and pay attention to the silence. Notice how Billy doesn't talk like a movie star. He talks like a person who knows his time is up. That’s the closest we’ll ever get to the real Henry McCarty. Afterward, compare that somber tone to the frantic energy of Young Guns. You'll see two completely different Americas, both using the same dead kid to tell their story.