Danny Boyle - All His Films Ranked

Short Biography:

Danny Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on films including Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and its sequel T2 Trainspotting, The Beach, 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Steve Jobs and Yesterday.

Boyle’s debut film Shallow Grave won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film. The British Film Institute ranked Trainspotting the 10th greatest British film of the 20th century. Boyle’s 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire, the most successful British film of the decade, was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won eight, including the Academy Award for Best Director. He also won the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for Best Director. Boyle was presented with the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award at the 2008 Austin Film Festival, where he also introduced that year’s AFF Audience Award Winner Slumdog Millionaire.

Boyle’s love for film began with his first viewing of Apocalypse Now:
“It had eviscerated my brain, completely. I was an impressionable twenty-one-year-old guy from the sticks. My brain had not been fed and watered with great culture, you know, as art is meant to do. It had been sandblasted by the power of cinema. And that’s why cinema, despite everything we try to do, it remains a young man’s medium, really, in terms of audience.”

Here is a rundown of his movies, with the score based on the average from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes (public votes only) and Letterboxd, from lowest ranked to highest:

Number of Qualifying Films:

Career Average Rating:

7.25

Total Career Box Office:

$ 1,075,509,915

Total Combined Budgets:

$ 251,000,000

Total Career Profit or [Loss]:

$ 824,509,915

Average Career Return on Every $1 Spent:

$ 4.28

13 – A Life Less Ordinary (1997)

IMDb:

6.3

RT Users:

5.9

Letterboxd:

5.90

6.03

Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

Top Billed Cast:

Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter, Delroy Lindo, Dan Hedaya, Stanley Tucci

SYNOPSIS:

A couple of angels, O’Reilly (Holly Hunter) and Jackson (Delroy Lindo), are sent to Earth to make sure that their next supervised love-connection succeeds. They follow Celine (Cameron Diaz), a spoiled rich girl who has just accidentally shot a suitor (Stanley Tucci) and, due to a misunderstanding, is kidnapped by janitor Robert (Ewan McGregor). Although Celine quickly frees herself, she stays with Robert for thrills. O’Reilly and Jackson pursue, hoping to unite the prospective lovers.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 14,636,722

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 12,000,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 2,636,722

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 1.22

12 – The Beach (2000)

IMDb:

6.6

RT Users:

5.7

Letterboxd:

6.24

6.18

Adventure, Drama, Romance, Thriller

Top Billed Cast:

Leonardo DiCaprio, Virginie Ledoyen, Guillaume Canet, Tilda Swinton, Staffan Kihlbom

SYNOPSIS:

The desire to find something real — to connect with something or someone — is what drives Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio), a young American backpacker who arrives in Thailand with adventure on his mind. Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen) join him on an adventure to “The Beach,” a mystical paradise. However, this paradise is less than perfect.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 144,056,873

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 50,000,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 94,056,873

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 2.88

11 – Trance (2013)

IMDb:

6.9

RT Users:

6.2

Letterboxd:

7.50

6.87

Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Top Billed Cast:

James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel, Rosario Dawson, Danny Sapani, Matt Cross

SYNOPSIS:

Simon (James McAvoy), a fine-art auctioneer, joins a gang of thieves led by Franck (Vincent Cassel) to steal a priceless Goya painting. During the heist Simon suffers a head injury and awakes with no memory of where he hid the artwork. When torture and physical threats fail to break through his amnesia, Franck hires a hypnotherapist named Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) to find the answer. But as Elizabeth probes the recesses of Simon’s mind, the lines between truth and deceit start to blur.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 24,261,569

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 20,000,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 4,261,569

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 1.21

10 – Millions (2004)

IMDb:

6.8

RT Users:

7.8

Letterboxd:

6.22

6.94

Comedy, Crime, Drama, Family

Top Billed Cast:

Alexander Nathan Etel, Lewis McGibbon, James Nesbitt, Daisy Donovan, Christopher Fulford

SYNOPSIS:

When 9-year-old Damian (Alex Etel) finds a bag of money in his back yard, he and his brother Anthony (Lewis Owen McGibbon) decide to try to spend it without telling their father (James Nesbitt). Seeking advice from the imaginary saints with whom he converses, Damian struggles with his own morality, and attempts to spend his money in a more altruistic way. News of the mysterious loot inevitably attracts attention, however, and Damian is faced with an increasingly hairy situation.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 11,782,282

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 10,000,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 1,782,282

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 1.18

9 – Yesterday (2019)

IMDb:

6.8

RT Users:

8.9

Letterboxd:

5.82

7.17

Comedy, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Top Billed Cast:

Himesh Patel, Lily James, Joel Fry, Ed Sheeran, Kate McKinnon, Sanjeev Bhaskar

SYNOPSIS:

Jack Malik is a struggling singer-songwriter in an English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie. After a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed. Performing songs by the greatest band in history to a world that has never heard them, Jack becomes on overnight sensation with a little help from his agent.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 154,608,507

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 26,000,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 128,608,507

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 5.95

8 – Steve Jobs (2015)

IMDb:

7.2

RT Users:

7.3

Letterboxd:

7.12

7.21

Drama, History

Top Billed Cast:

Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg, Katherine Waterston

SYNOPSIS:

With public anticipation running high, Apple Inc. co-founders Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) and Steve “Woz” Wozniak get ready to unveil the first Macintosh in 1984. Jobs must also deal with personal issues related to ex-girlfriend Chrisann Brennan and their young daughter Lisa. Eventually fired, Jobs launches NeXT Inc. and prepares to release a new computer model in 1988. Ten years later, Jobs is back at Apple Inc. and about to revolutionize the industry once again with the iMac.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 34,441,873

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 30,000,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 4,441,873

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 1.15

7 – Sunshine (2007)

IMDb:

7.2

RT Users:

7.3

Letterboxd:

7.24

7.25

Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction

Top Billed Cast:

Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis, Hiroyuki Sanada

SYNOPSIS:

In the not-too-distant future, Earth’s dying sun spells the end for humanity. In a last-ditch effort to save the planet, a crew of eight men and women ventures into space with a device that could revive the star. However, an accident, a grave mistake and a distress beacon from a long-lost spaceship throw the crew and its desperate mission into a tailspin.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 34,806,812

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 40,000,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ (5,193,188)

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ (0.87)

6 – T2 Trainspotting (2017)

IMDb:

7.2

RT Users:

7.8

Letterboxd:

6.98

7.33

Crime, Drama

Top Billed Cast:

Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle, Anjela Nedyalkova, Kelly Macdonald

SYNOPSIS:

First there was an opportunity, then there was a betrayal. Twenty years later, Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns to the only place that he can ever call home. There waiting for him are old buddies Spud (Ewen Bremner), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) and Begbie (Robert Carlyle). Sorrow, loss, joy, vengeance, hatred, love, fear, regret, self-destruction and mortal danger are also all lined up and ready to welcome him.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 41,681,746

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 18,000,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 23,681,746

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 2.32

5 – Shallow Grave (1994)

IMDb:

7.3

RT Users:

8.3

Letterboxd:

7.44

7.68

Crime, Thriller

Top Billed Cast:

Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston, Ewan McGregor, Ken Stott, Keith Allen, Colin McCredie

SYNOPSIS:

When accountant David (Christopher Eccleston), doctor Juliet (Kerry Fox) and journalist Alex (Ewan McGregor) are searching for a fourth roommate for their trendy flat, they settle on the aloof Hugo (Keith Allen). However, they soon find Hugo dead of a drug overdose, beside a large sum of cash. After some deliberation, the three others decide to keep the money and to dismember and bury Hugo’s body. Soon, each roommate starts thinking about keeping all the money by scamming the others.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 19,873,823

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 2,500,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 17,373,823

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 7.95

4 – 127 Hours (2010)

IMDb:

7.6

RT Users:

8.5

Letterboxd:

6.94

7.68

Adventure, Drama, Thriller

Top Billed Cast:

James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clémence Poésy, Kate Burton, Lizzy Caplan

SYNOPSIS:

While exploring a remote canyon in Utah, mountaineer and adventurer Aron Ralston (James Franco) becomes trapped when a boulder falls on his arm. Over the next five days, Ralston examines his life and considers his options, leading him to an agonizing choice: to amputate his arm so that he can extricate himself and try to make his way back to civilization or remain pinned to the canyon wall and likely die. Based on Ralston’s book, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place.”

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 60,738,797

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 18,000,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 42,738,797

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 3.37

3 – 28 Days Later (2002)

IMDb:

7.5

RT Users:

8.5

Letterboxd:

7.44

7.81

History, Thriller, Science Fiction

Top Billed Cast:

Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, Christopher Eccleston, Noah Huntley

SYNOPSIS:

A group of misguided animal rights activists free a caged chimp infected with the “Rage” virus from a medical research lab. When London bike courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up from a coma a month after, he finds his city all but deserted. On the run from the zombie-like victims of the Rage, Jim stumbles upon a group of survivors, including Selena (Naomie Harris) and cab driver Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and joins them on a perilous journey to what he hopes will be safety.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 84,661,434

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 8,000,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 76,661,434

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 10.58

2 – Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

IMDb:

8.0

RT Users:

9.0

Letterboxd:

7.54

8.18

Drama, Romance

Top Billed Cast:

Dev Patel, Saurabh Shukla, Anil Kapoor, Raj Zutshi, Jeneva Talwar, Freida Pinto

SYNOPSIS:

As 18-year-old Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) answers questions on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” flashbacks show how he got there. Part of a stable of young thieves after their mother dies, Jamal and his brother, Salim, survive on the streets of Mumbai. Salim finds the life of crime agreeable, but Jamal scrapes by with small jobs until landing a spot on the game show.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 378,410,542

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 15,000,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 363,410,542

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 25.23

1 – Trainspotting (1996)

IMDb:

8.1

RT Users:

9.3

Letterboxd:

8.28

8.56

Crime, Drama

Top Billed Cast:

Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Macdonald, Kevin McKidd

SYNOPSIS:

Heroin addict Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) stumbles through bad ideas and sobriety attempts with his unreliable friends — Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Begbie (Robert Carlyle), Spud (Ewen Bremner) and Tommy (Kevin McKidd). He also has an underage girlfriend, Diane (Kelly Macdonald), along for the ride. After cleaning up and moving from Edinburgh to London, Mark finds he can’t escape the life he left behind when Begbie shows up at his front door on the lam, and a scheming Sick Boy follows.

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

$ 71,548,935

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

$ 1,500,000

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

$ 70,048,935

RETURN ON EVERY $1 SPENT:

$ 47.70

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Danny Boyle - All His Films Ranked

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