THESE ARE THE BEST BRUCE WILLIS MOVIES, RANKED

Bruce Willis is one of the most famous movie stars in the world. Originally getting his start on the hit television series Moonlighting, he eventually broke out as an action star with his role as John McClane in Die Hard. Die Hard was a huge success and launched a franchise that is still producing sequels to this day. It also afforded Willis the chance to work with some of the best filmmakers in Hollywood. Throughout his career, he has worked with filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, M. Night Shyamalan, and many more. While primarily associated with action, he also is known for his comedic chops and has tackled a variety of genres.

Updated June 1, 2023: To keep the article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated by Amira Abdel-Fadil.

Willis's icon status will never be questioned, yet sadly his acting days are over. In 2022 the actor and his family announced he was retiring, suffering from aphasia, which resulted in his speech and memory being impaired. In 2023 it was announced he was diagnosed with dementia. Willis's movies combined have made him one of the most profitable actors in the world, and even while audiences won't see him act again, he has plenty of great films that are worth checking out. Here are Bruce Willis's best movies, ranked.

The Jackal (1997)

The Jackal sees Bruce Willis play a hired hitman seeking revenge for a man from the Azerbaijani who was killed in a joint operation between the FBI and their Russian MVD. It’s tense and fast-paced, and Willis portrays an ice-cold, ruthless assassin really well. Even though many didn’t think it lived up to the original film, it has great editing, cinematography, acting, and music that makes it a fun 90s throwback.

Over the Hedge (2006)

Bruce Willis had lent his voice to animated movies before, most notably Spike in Rugrats Go Wild. Yet his role as RJ the Racoon in the 2006 DreamWorks animated film Over the Hedge is his best. Originally RJ was meant to be voiced by Jim Carrey but was then replaced by Willis, and honestly, it is hard to imagine anyone else in the part. Willis lends RJ a sense of cool swagger that he gave his action heroes like John McClaine.

Tears of the Sun (2003)

Tears of the Sun highlights a moral dilemma between one’s work duty and one’s humanity. Set in the Nigerian jungle after the Nigerian government has fallen, the country is on the verge of a serious political conflict. Meanwhile, a US Navy SEAL team led by Lieutenant Waters as Bruce Willis has been ordered to rescue Dr. Lena Kendricks from the jungle where civil war is breaking.

However, when the doctor refuses to go with them unless they rescue her patients, who happen to be refugees, a delicate situation arises. How will they handle it? The film is both thrilling and thought-provoking with a message to say. Tears of the Sun is a powerful war-themed motion picture with an incredible cast and where Bruce Willis steals the show.

Armageddon (1998)

Although Michael Bay's 1998 disaster film Armageddon was ripped apart for its scientific inaccuracies, it is undoubtedly an action-packed ride from beginning to end. Willis plays the rough and tough oil digger, Harry Stamper. When NASA discovers a planet-killing asteroid hurtling towards Earth, Stamper, along with his oil crew of misfits, must travel to space to destroy the asteroid.

Armageddon has a fantastic cast, including Ben Affleck, Steve Buscemi, Owen Wilson, Michael Clark Duncan, Billy Bob Thornton, and Liv Tyler. In real life, NASA shows this film in their management training program, tasking their new hires to find as many scientific inaccuracies as possible. They have now found 168.

The Last Boy Scout (1991)

The Last Boy Scout is an action crime-thriller where Bruce Willis plays a bodyguard who is supposed to protect a pole dancer. When she gets murdered, he uses his past of being a detective and teams up with her boyfriend to go after those who killed her. Their investigations lead them to find out about a lot of corruption. The action-packed film has humor, violence, and that classic 90's buddy cop vibe.

Looper (2012)

Rian Johnson's science-fiction thriller Looper gives the audience a look into the future where time travel is possible. The film follows Joe (Joesph Gorden-Levitt), who is a "looper,"; someone who kills people that are sent from the future. Eventually, Joe is assigned the job of killing his future self, played by Bruce Willis. Things go wrong, and Joe is sent on a quest to destroy his future self before it is too late.

The thought-provoking film was a huge success and launched the directing career of Rian Johnson to a new level, eventually allowing the director to make massive financial successes, like Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Knives Out. It was one of many high-profile films for Bruce Willis that year, which included Moonrise Kingdom.

The Whole Nine Yards (2000)

The Whole Nine Yards was a box office, and see Willis in this comedy about a contract killer who worked for the mob but now wants to start a new life. Willis has a great time in this comedy and has wonderful chemistry with the rest of the cast, which includes Amanda Peet, Matthew Perry, Rosanna Arquette, and Michael Clarke Duncan. The movie plays to Willis's strength as a man who audiences associate with action but also has a good sense of comedic timing.

Sin City (2005)

In Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller's gritty noir crime thriller Sin City, based on Frank Miller's graphic novels, Willis plays Officer Hartigan, an aging cop hellbent on stopping a child killer from claiming his fourth victim. Willis plays the role to perfection, capturing the grit needed for Miller's ultra-violent and dark storyline. Willis would later reprise his role as Hartigan in the prequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014).

The Fifth Element (1997)

In one of the most fun and action-packed science-fiction films of the 1990s, The Fifth Element follows futuristic cab driver Korben Dallas (Willis) as he teams up with Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) to stop a cosmic evil from getting into the hands of Zorg (Gary Oldman). This is one of Willis's most gun-happy films, and the aesthetics and set designs are some of the best in the science fiction genre.

The film was nominated for Best Effects in Sound Editing at the Academy Awards and had an incredible cast of supporting actors, including Chris Tucker and Ian Holm. Though Willis was a little hesitant to take the role after Hudson Hawk and Billy Bathgate performed poorly for the critics and box office, he took the role just two hours after reading the script.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Willis plays a different type of cop in comparison to his past roles in Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom. The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike and received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The story follows Sam (Jaren Gilman), a rebellious child who runs away with the love of his life, Suzy (Kara Hayward). Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis), along with others, must try to track down the young couple and bring them home. This would also be the second film where Bruce Willis co-starred with Harvey Keitel, the first being Pulp Fiction in 1994, although the two do not share a scene together.

Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

Though now as well-loved or as good as the first film, Die Hard with a Vengeance was quite a step up from Die Hard 2. John McTiernan returned to direct and added Samuel L. Jackson to the cast, as well as Jeremy Irons, who played the brother of Hans Gruber, the iconic villain from Die Hard. The chemistry between Willis and Jackson is fantastic, and some of the best lines from the franchise popped up in this film. This would help establish a cinematic connection between the two as they would later work on Unbreakable and Split together and previously appeared in Pulp Fiction despite only sharing one scene together with no dialogue.

The action was great, and the film blew the doors off its budget, making back $366 million dollars against its $90 million-dollar budget, making it the highest-grossing worldwide film in 1995. There was some backlash to the subject matter of the film, as the terrorist plots were very similar to the Oklahoma City bombing, which took place exactly one month before the film's release.

Unbreakable (2000)

M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable follows David Dunn (Bruce Willis), a security guard who discovers that he has superhuman strength and endurance. Through the guidance of Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), Dunn navigates his newfound powers and learns how he can use them for good. Shyamalan's film was an interesting take on superhero mythology, and the filmmaker would go on to create two sequels: Split and Glass.

Twelve Monkeys (1995)

Terry Gilliam's science-fiction epic tells the story of James Cole (Bruce Willis), a convict sent back in time to retrieve information about a man-made virus that nearly wiped out the entire human population. Twelve Monkeys is directed brilliantly by Gilliam, and Willis gives a fantastic performance. The film was critically acclaimed and was nominated for Best Costume Design at the Academy Awards. Brad Pitt earned his first Oscar nomination for his supporting performance.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Sixth Sense put M. Night Shyamalan on the map, and the film would go on to be nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture. The story follows Cole (Haley Joel Osment), a boy who can see and communicate with ghosts and seeks help from a child psychiatrist named Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis). Willis gives a fantastic dramatic performance opposite Osment, and the film gave us one of the most iconic twist endings in history.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Willis plays Butch, a tough boxer on the run, in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. The film is an all-time classic and has drama, violence, comedy, and more. Pulp Fiction would go on to win the Palme d'Or in 1994 as well as earning seven Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Original Screenplay.

Butch is the main focus of "The Gold Watch" chapter in the film, and Willis delivers a bloody and gritty performance. Though Matt Dillon was originally wanted for the role, Tarantino offered it to Willis after he was disappointed that John Travolta was cast as Vincent Vega instead of him. Pulp Fiction would help redefine Willis's film persona in the 1990's leading him to films like Twelve Monkeys and The Sixth Sense.

Die Hard (1988)

Bruce Willis will be forever known for his role as John McClane, the quick-thinking cop who rescues an entire office from a group of terrorists on Christmas Eve. Die Hard has thrills from beginning to end, but the movie mostly shines due to its fantastic script written by Jonathan Hensleigh, interesting characters, and a well-balanced blend of drama and comedy. Die Hard is a classic action film, and although there are skeptics, it could be considered a great Christmas movie as well.

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