Bruce Willis - His 30 Best Movies Ranked

Bruce Willis – His 30 Best Movies Ranked

After hearing the sad news that Bruce Willis is retiring from acting due to health reasons, we thought we’d go through his entire filmography and rank his top 30 movies. These are based on an averaged score from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes User score and the public scores on Letterboxd.

30 – 16 Blocks (2006)

1 witness… 118 minutes…

IMDb: 6.6 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 5.7 | Letterboxd: 6.02

6.11 /10

Action | Adventure | Crime | Thriller

Directed by: Richard Donner

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Yasiin Bey, David Morse, Jenna Stern, David Zayas, Casey Sander

SYNOPSIS:

An aging cop is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness from police custody to a courthouse, but they find themselves running the gauntlet as other forces try to prevent them from getting there.

29 – RED 2 (2013)

The best never rest.

IMDb: 6.6 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 6.3 | Letterboxd: 5.56

6.15 /10

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Directed by: Dean Parisot

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Catherine Zeta-Jones

SYNOPSIS:

Former CIA black-ops agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) and his old partner, Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich), are caught in the grip of retirement — but that soon changes when a powerful Cold War weapon known as Nightshade resurfaces decades after its disappearance. With assassins hot on their trail, Frank and his team set out to find the one scientist (Anthony Hopkins) who can unravel the mystery of Nightshade and help them save themselves — and the world.

28 – Hostage (2005)

Every second counts.

IMDb: 6.5 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 6.2 | Letterboxd: 5.82

6.17 /10

Action | Crime | Thriller

Directed by: Florent-Emilio Siri

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Ben Foster, Jonathan Tucker, Jimmy Bennett, Michelle Horn, Marshall Allman

SYNOPSIS:

When a mafia accountant is taken hostage on his beat, a police officer – wracked by guilt from a prior stint as a negotiator – must negotiate the standoff, even as his own family is held captive by the mob.

27 – Death Wish (2018)

How Far Would You Go To Protect Your Family?

IMDb: 6.3 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 7.1 | Letterboxd: 5.12

6.17 /10

Action | Crime | Thriller

Directed by: Eli Roth

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Vincent D’Onofrio, Dean Norris, Elisabeth Shue, Camila Morrone, Jack Kesy

SYNOPSIS:

Dr. Paul Kersey is a surgeon who often sees the consequences of the city’s violence in the emergency room. When home intruders brutally attack his wife and young daughter, Kersey becomes obsessed with delivering vigilante justice to the perpetrators. As the anonymous slayings grab the media’s attention, the public begins to wonder if the deadly avenger is a guardian angel — or the Grim Reaper itself.

26 – The Expendables 2 (2012)

Back for War.

IMDb: 6.6 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 6.7 | Letterboxd: 5.46

6.25 /10

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Directed by: Simon West

Top Billed Cast:

Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Bruce Willis

SYNOPSIS:

Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat.

25 – The Whole Nine Yards (2000)

In the heart of suburbia, a hit man with heart has just moved in.

IMDb: 6.7 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 6.4 | Letterboxd: 6.00

6.37 /10

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Directed by: Jonathan Lynn

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Natasha Henstridge, Amanda Peet, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rosanna Arquette

SYNOPSIS:

After a mobster agrees to cooperate with an FBI investigation in order to stay out of prison, he’s relocated by the authorities to a life of suburban anonymity as part of a witness protection program. It’s not long before a couple of his new neighbours figure out his true identity and come knocking to see if he’d be up for one more hit—suburban style.

24 – Glass (2019)

You Cannot Contain What You Are

IMDb: 6.6 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 6.7 | Letterboxd: 5.92

6.41 /10

Thriller | Drama | Science Fiction

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Top Billed Cast:

James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sarah Paulson, Spencer Treat Clark

SYNOPSIS:

In a series of escalating encounters, former security guard David Dunn uses his supernatural abilities to track Kevin Wendell Crumb, a disturbed man who has twenty-four personalities. Meanwhile, the shadowy presence of Elijah Price emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men.

23 – Tears of the Sun (2003)

He was trained to follow orders. He became a hero by defying them.

IMDb: 6.6 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 6.9 | Letterboxd: 5.90

6.47 /10

War | Drama | Action

Directed by: Antoine Fuqua

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Monica Bellucci, Cole Hauser, Eamonn Walker, Johnny Messner, Nick Chinlund

SYNOPSIS:

Navy SEAL Lieutenant A.K. Waters and his elite squadron of tactical specialists are forced to choose between their duty and their humanity, between following orders by ignoring the conflict that surrounds them, or finding the courage to follow their conscience and protect a group of innocent refugees. When the democratic government of Nigeria collapses and the country is taken over by a ruthless military dictator, Waters, a fiercely loyal and hardened veteran is dispatched on a routine mission to retrieve a Doctors Without Borders physician.

22 – Death Becomes Her (1992)

In one small bottle… The fountain of youth. The secret of eternal life. The power of an ancient potion. Sometimes it works… sometimes it doesn’t.

IMDb: 6.6 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 6.1 | Letterboxd: 7.16

6.62 /10

War | Drama | Action

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Top Billed Cast:

Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn, Isabella Rossellini, Ian Ogilvy, Adam Storke

SYNOPSIS:

Madeline is married to Ernest, who was once arch-rival Helen’s fiance. After recovering from a mental breakdown, Helen vows to kill Madeline and steal back Ernest. Unfortunately for everyone, the introduction of a magic potion causes things to be a great deal more complicated than a mere murder plot.

21 – Over the Hedge (2006)

Taking back the neighborhood… One snack at a time.

IMDb: 6.7 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 7.1 | Letterboxd: 6.10

6.63 /10

Family | Comedy | Animation

Directed by: Karey Kirkpatrick

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Nick Nolte

SYNOPSIS:

A scheming raccoon fools a mismatched family of forest creatures into helping him repay a debt of food, by invading the new suburban sprawl that popped up while they were hibernating – and learns a lesson about family himself.

20 – Armageddon (1998)

The Earth’s Darkest Day Will Be Man’s Finest Hour

IMDb: 6.7 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 7.3 | Letterboxd: 5.92

6.64 /10

Action | Thriller | Science Fiction | Adventure

Directed by: Michael Bay

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Will Patton, Steve Buscemi

SYNOPSIS:

When an asteroid threatens to collide with Earth, NASA honcho Dan Truman determines the only way to stop it is to drill into its surface and detonate a nuclear bomb. This leads him to renowned driller Harry Stamper, who agrees to helm the dangerous space mission provided he can bring along his own hotshot crew. Among them is the cocksure A.J. who Harry thinks isn’t good enough for his daughter, until the mission proves otherwise.

19 – Alpha Dog (2006)

One crime. 38 witnesses. No way back.

IMDb: 6.9 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 6.7 | Letterboxd: 6.40

6.67 /10

Action | Thriller | Science Fiction | Adventure

Directed by: Nick Cassavetes

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Emile Hirsch, Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Foster

SYNOPSIS:

Johnny Truelove likes to see himself as tough. He’s the son of an underworld figure and a drug dealer. Johnny also likes to get tough when things don’t go his way. When Jake Mazursky fails to pay up for Johnny, things get worse for the Mazursky family, as Johnny and his ‘gang’ kidnap Jake’s 15 year old brother and holds him hostage. Problem now is what to do with ‘stolen boy?’

18 – RED (2010)

Still armed. Still dangerous. Still got it.

IMDb: 7.0 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 7.2 | Letterboxd: 6.08

6.76 /10

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Directed by: Robert Schwentke

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren. Karl Urban, Mary-Louise Parker

SYNOPSIS:

When his peaceful life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former black-ops agent, Frank Moses reassembles his old team in a last ditch effort to survive and uncover his assailants.

17 – The Last Boy Scout (1991)

Everyone had counted them out. But they’re about to get back in the game.

IMDb: 7.0 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 6.8 | Letterboxd: 6.78

6.78 /10

Action | Thriller

Directed by: Tony Scott

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Field, Noble Willingham, Taylor Negron, Danielle Harris

SYNOPSIS:

When the girl that detective Joe Hallenback is protecting gets murdered, the boyfriend of the murdered girl attempts to investigate and solve the case. What they discover is that there is deep seated corruption going on between a crooked politician and the owner of a pro football team.

16 – Die Hard 2 (1990)

Die Harder

IMDb: 7.1 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 7.0 | Letterboxd: 6.52

6.87 /10

Action | Thriller

Directed by: Renny Harlin

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, William Atherton, Reginald VelJohnson, Franco Nero, William Sadler

SYNOPSIS:

Off-duty cop John McClane is gripped with a feeling of déjà vu when, on a snowy Christmas Eve in the nation’s capital, terrorists seize a major international airport, holding thousands of holiday travelers hostage. Renegade military commandos led by a murderous rogue officer plot to rescue a drug lord from justice and are prepared for every contingency except one: McClane’s smart-mouthed heroics.

15 – Motherless Brooklyn (2019)

Sometimes you do everything you’re supposed to, and it all still goes to sh*t.

IMDb: 6.8 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 8.0 | Letterboxd: 6.28

7.03 /10

Drama | Thriller

Directed by: Edward Norton

Top Billed Cast:

Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin, Willem Dafoe, Bobby Cannavale

SYNOPSIS:

New York City, 1957. Lionel Essrog, a private detective living with Tourette syndrome, tries to solve the murder of his mentor and best friend, armed only with vague clues and the strength of his obsessive mind.

14 – Planet Terror (2007)

Humanity’s last hope… rests on a high power machine gun!

IMDb: 7.1 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 7.7 | Letterboxd: 6.62

7.14 /10

Horror | Action | Thriller

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Top Billed Cast:

Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodríguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Jeff Fahey, Bruce Willis

SYNOPSIS:

Two doctors find their graveyard shift inundated with townspeople ravaged by sores. Among the wounded is Cherry, a dancer whose leg was ripped from her body. As the invalids quickly become enraged aggressors, Cherry and her ex-boyfriend Wray lead a team of accidental warriors into the night.

13 – Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

The old school cop is back!

IMDb: 7.1 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 8.6 | Letterboxd: 5.76

7.15 /10

Action | Thriller

Directed by: Len Wiseman

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Cliff Curtis, Maggie Q, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

SYNOPSIS:

John McClane is back and badder than ever, and this time he’s working for Homeland Security. He calls on the services of a young hacker in his bid to stop a ring of Internet terrorists intent on taking control of America’s computer infrastructure.

12 – Unbreakable (2000)

Some things are only revealed by accident

IMDb: 7.3 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 7.7 | Letterboxd: 7.32

7.44 /10

Thriller | Drama | Mystery

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard, Eamonn Walker

SYNOPSIS:

An ordinary man makes an extraordinary discovery when a train accident leaves his fellow passengers dead — and him unscathed. The answer to this mystery could lie with the mysterious Elijah Price, a man who suffers from a disease that renders his bones as fragile as glass.

11 – Nobody’s Fool (1994)

In a town where nothing ever happens… everything is about to happen to Sully.

IMDb: 7.3 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 8.1 | Letterboxd: 7.14

7.51 /10

Drama | Comedy

Directed by: Robert Benton

Top Billed Cast:

Paul Newman, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith, Jessica Tandy, Dylan Walsh, Pruitt Taylor Vince

SYNOPSIS:

Sully is a rascally ne’er-do-well approaching retirement age. While he is pressing a worker’s compensation suit for a bad knee, he secretly works for his nemesis, Carl, and flirts with Carl’s young wife Toby. Sully’s long- forgotten son and family have moved back to town, so Sully faces unfamiliar family responsibilities. Meanwhile, Sully’s landlady’s banker son plots to push through a new development and evict Sully from his mother’s life.

10 – Looper (2012)

Hunted by your future, haunted by your past.

IMDb: 7.4 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 8.2 | Letterboxd: 7.04

7.55 /10

Action | Thriller | Science Fiction

Directed by: Rian Johnson

Top Billed Cast:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Piper Perabo, Noah Segan, Jeff Daniels

SYNOPSIS:

In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past where a looper, a hired gun, like Joe is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good until the day the mob decides to close the loop, sending back Joe’s future self for assassination.

9 – Sin City (2005)

Walk down the right back alley in Sin City and you can find anything…

IMDb: 8.0 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 7.8 | Letterboxd: 7.22

7.67 /10

Thriller | Action | Crime

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Rutger Hauer, Benicio del Toro

SYNOPSIS:

Welcome to Sin City. This town beckons to the tough, the corrupt, the brokenhearted. Some call it dark… Hard-boiled. Then there are those who call it home — Crooked cops, sexy dames, desperate vigilantes. Some are seeking revenge, others lust after redemption, and then there are those hoping for a little of both. A universe of unlikely and reluctant heroes still trying to do the right thing in a city that refuses to care.

8 – Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

Think fast. Look alive. Die hard.

IMDb: 7.6 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 8.3 | Letterboxd: 7.24

7.71 /10

Thriller | Action

Directed by: John McTiernan

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irons, Graham Greene, Colleen Camp, Larry Bryggman

SYNOPSIS:

New York detective John McClane is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he’d seen it all, until a genius named Simon engages McClane, his new “partner” — and his beloved city — in a deadly game that demands their concentration.

7 – Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Wrong Time. Wrong Place. Wrong Number.

IMDb: 7.7 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 8.7 | Letterboxd: 7.02

7.81 /10

Drama | Thriller | Crime | Mystery

Directed by: Paul McGuigan

Top Billed Cast:

Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Lucy Liu, Stanley Tucci

SYNOPSIS:

Slevin is mistakenly put in the middle of a personal war between the city’s biggest criminal bosses. Under constant watch, Slevin must try not to get killed by an infamous assassin and come up with an idea of how to get out of his current dilemma.

6 – The Fifth Element (1997)

There is no future without it.

IMDb: 7.6 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 8.6 | Letterboxd: 7.40

7.87 /10

Adventure | Fantasy | Action | Thriller | Science Fiction

Directed by: Luc Besson

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker, Luke Perry

SYNOPSIS:

In the 23rd century, a New York City cabbie, Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), finds the fate of the world in his hands when Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) falls into his cab. As the embodiment of the fifth element, Leeloo needs to combine with the other four to keep the approaching Great Evil from destroying the world. Together with Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm) and zany broadcaster Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker), Dallas must race against time and the wicked industrialist Zorg (Gary Oldman) to save humanity.

5 – Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

A tormenting and surprising story of children and adults during the stormy days of the summer of 1965.

IMDb: 7.8 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 8.6 | Letterboxd: 7.98

8.13 /10

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Directed by: Wes Anderson

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand

SYNOPSIS:

Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle.

4 – Twelve Monkeys (1995)

The future is history.

IMDb: 8.0 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 8.8 | Letterboxd: 7.60

8.13 /10

Science Fiction | Thriller | Mystery

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, David Morse, Jon Seda

SYNOPSIS:

In the year 2035, convict James Cole reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to discover the origin of a deadly virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth’s population and forced the survivors into underground communities. But when Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990 instead of 1996, he’s arrested and locked up in a mental hospital. There he meets psychiatrist Dr. Kathryn Railly, and patient Jeffrey Goines, the son of a famous virus expert, who may hold the key to the mysterious rogue group, the Army of the 12 Monkeys, thought to be responsible for unleashing the killer disease.

3 – The Sixth Sense (1999)

Not every gift is a blessing.

IMDb: 8.2 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 9.0 | Letterboxd: 7.92

8.37 /10

Mystery | Thriller | Drama

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Donnie Wahlberg, Mischa Barton

SYNOPSIS:

Young Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. Cole is frightened by visitations from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. He is too afraid to tell anyone about his anguish, except child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis). As Dr. Crowe tries to uncover the truth about Cole’s supernatural abilities, the consequences for client and therapist are a jolt that awakens them both to something unexplainable.

2 – Die Hard (1988)

Forty stories. Twelve terrorists. One cop.

IMDb: 8.2 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 9.4 | Letterboxd: 8.12

8.57 /10

Action | Thriller

Directed by: John McTiernan

Top Billed Cast:

Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson,

SYNOPSIS:

NYPD cop John McClane’s plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her office, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down.

1 – Pulp Fiction (1994)

Just because you are a character doesn’t mean you have character.

IMDb: 8.9 | Roten Tomatoes Users: 9.6 | Letterboxd: 8.60

9.03 /10

Thriller | Crime

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Top Billed Cast:

John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel

SYNOPSIS:

Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) are hitmen with a penchant for philosophical discussions. In this ultra-hip, multi-strand crime movie, their storyline is interwoven with those of their boss, gangster Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) ; his actress wife, Mia (Uma Thurman) ; struggling boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) ; master fixer Winston Wolfe (Harvey Keitel) and a nervous pair of armed robbers, “Pumpkin” (Tim Roth) and “Honey Bunny” (Amanda Plummer).

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