DexerBruce Willis is an undeniable icon (as opposed to those deniable icons?) who has made some of the finest films to ever grace the silver screen. But what are the best Bruce Willis movies?
Well, that’s not the most straightforward question to answer. Bruce (I can call him Bruce, right?) has been working in Hollywood for more than three decades, working with some of the brightest stars and biggest names in Tinsel Town.
It’s perhaps unsurprising then that his name is synonymous with some of the best movies ever made across multiple genres – from comedy films to action movies and even sci-fi, there’s almost no genre Bruce hasn’t dipped his carpet scrunching toes into.
However, as the star turns 70 this year (on March 19 for those who want to send him a card), our team of experts has taken on the challenge of ranking the star’s greatest films… and don’t worry, we only put two Die Hard movies on here
10. Die Hard With a Vengeance
20th Century Studios- Release date: May 19, 1995
- Director: John McTiernan
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson
- How long is it? 2 hours 8 minutes
What it’s about: The unluckiest cop in the NYPD, John McClane, is forced to play a deadly game of “Simon says” with a criminal mastermind. Along the way, he meets electrician Zeus Carver, saves New York from destruction, and slowly realizes there’s more to this game than meets the eye.
Why we like it: While Die Hard With a Vengeance may not be as narratively tight as the original Die Hard, McTiernan’s keen eye for an exciting set piece, punchy ideologue, and dynamic cinematography keep this thriller fun and fast paced. Unarguably though, the film’s greatest strength is Willis and Jackson’s incredible chemistry and the pair’s barbed back and forth, which help cement this as easily the best Die Hard sequel (not exactly hard, I know).
9. The Whole Nine Yards
Warner Bros.- Release date: February 18, 2000
- Director: Jonathan Lynn
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Rosanna Arquette
- How long is it? 1 hour 38 minutes
What it’s about: Trapped in a loveless marriage, mild-mannered dentist Oz Oseransky eeks out a pretty miserable existence in the suburbs of Montreal. However, when he strikes up a friendship with his new neighbor Jimmy, it seems as though things are on the up… that is until Oz realizes Jimmy is an infamous contract killer with a price on his head.
Why we like it: When people think of Bruce Willis, they inevitably think of his action roles or even his work in thrillers like The Sixth Sense. Yet before he jumped off Nakatomi Plaza, Willis cut his teeth in the comedy world and The Whole Nine Yards might be the finest example of his well-developed funny bone. Boasting a likable cast and an outlandish premise, The Whole Nine Yards is laugh-out-loud funny and wildly irreverent. Now, admittedly, a lot of that comes down to Perry, who’s wonderfully out of his depth in the criminal underworld, but there’s something to be said for Willis’ sardonic, borderline effortless charm.
8. Moonrise Kingdom
Focus Features- Release date: May 25, 2012
- Director: Wes Anderson
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand
- How long is it? 1 hours 34 minutes
What it’s about: 12-year-old orphan Sam Shakusky escapes from his summer camp to reunite with the love of his young life.
Why we like it: As whimsical as a trip to the candyfloss factory and somehow even sweeter, Moonrise Kingdom is both an eccentric love story and an incisive examination of what it means to be a child in an increasingly adult world. Personally, I’ve always struggled with Anderson’s twee indulgences and idiosyncrasies, but Moonrise Kingdom, with its strong story and likable cast, gets a pass from me. I should probably talk a little about Bruce in the film, as this is his list, and he’s excellent. It’s not necessarily the kind of performance you expect from a guy who’s most famous for running around in a vest, but that’s sort of the point; he’s playing off his no-nonsense tough guy persona, and it elevates his role.
7. Looper
TriStar Pictures- Release date: September 28, 2012
- Director: Rian Johnson
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt
- How long is it? 1 hour 58 minutes
What it’s about: In a future where getting away with murder is near impossible, criminals send people back in time to be killed by assassins known as loopers. When a looper known as Joe is tasked with killing his older self, however, he hesitates and unintentionally sets off a chain of events that threaten to rewrite history.
Why we like it: Rian Johnson’s bold and imaginative sci-fi movie wowed audiences in 2012 by blending a clever (but not complicated) premise with the type of exciting action cinema-goers can’t get enough of. Gordon-Levitt and Willis are great as the temporally dislocated doppelgangers and really sell you on the dystopian future that Johnson has conjured from his imagination. All that said, though, the best thing in it doesn’t involve either actor; it’s the sequence when a desperate Seth tries to turn himself in as criminals mutilate his past self. The building horror as Old Seth realizes what’s happening to him and his body parts start to disappear is genuinely harrowing and will stay with you long after you’ve turned off the film.
6. The Last Boy Scout
Warner Bros.- Release date: December 13, 1991
- Director: Tony Scott
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Field
- How long is it? 1 hour 45 minutes
What it’s about: Disgraced former Secret Service agent turned private eye Joe Hallenbeck begrudgingly teams up with a washed-up NFL star, Jimmy Dix, to investigate a murder. However, as the pair look into the case, they uncover a bigger plot to legalize gambling in sports.
Why we like it: The Last Boy Scout may not be as good as Lethal Weapon or The Nice Guys (or Lethal Weapon 2), but it is one of the most gloriously preposterous, cynical, and underrated movies of the ’90s; just watch the opening sequence if you don’t believe me. It may be unfashionable to brand something a ‘guy movie’, but this could be the ultimate example: a testosterone-fueled, potty-mouthed, gratuitously violent buddy-cop comedy about a political conspiracy… and football.
Words by Cameron Frew
5. The Fifth Element
Gaumont Buena Vista International- Release date: May 7, 1997
- Director: Luc Besson
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Chris Tucker, Milla Jovovich
- How long is it? 2 hours 6 minutes
What it’s about: In the 23rd Century, a terrifying cosmic entity known as the Great Evil emerges, threatening all life on Earth. Humanity’s only hope is the Fifth Element, a powerful weapon that legend says can defeat the evil once and for all.
Why we like it: You could be forgiven for thinking that The Fifth Element is some grand space opera like Star Wars or Dune, and to an extent, it is. Like those films, Fifth Element boasts some incredible world-building, and it’s got all the over the top trappings of every fantastical far-flung future ever imagined. Yet Besson infuses the film with quirky humor and a campy sensibility, making The Fifth Element feel wholly unique.
4. Pulp Fiction
Miramax Films- Release date: October 14, 1994
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Cast: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Bruce Willis
- How long is it? 2 hours 34 minutes
What it’s about: A non-linear story about the criminal underworld in LA, Pulp Fiction follows several criminals as their lives intersect, usually in violent (and occasionally hilarious) ways.
Why we like it: If you look up the word amazing in the dictionary, you’ll find a definition for the word amazing. Sorry, did you expect me to write something else? Oh, ok, yeah. If you look up the word amazing in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of Pulp Fiction (dictionaries don’t have pictures; this is dumb), which, as we all know, is one of the most influential and important films of the 20th Century.
What makes Pulp Fiction so impressive? Well, it’s an immaculate story told in a fun and dynamic way. The dialogue is sharper than a prison shank, and the cast is phenomenal. Speaking of the cast, Willis is marvelous as the aging boxer Butch and his story is arguably the most memorable courtesy of Ving Rhames and a sadomasochistic gimp.
3. The Sixth Sense
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution- Release date: August 6, 1999
- Director: M. Night Shyamalan
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Haley Joel Osment
- How long is it? 1 hour 48 minutes
What it’s about: Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe is tasked with helping nine-year-old Cole Sear deal with his growing depression. However, Malcolm is soon shocked to learn the reason for Cole’s mental health problems; he sees dead people… everywhere.
Why we like it: The Sixth Sense’s reputation proceeds itself at this point, and in many ways, it’s big brilliant twist – Bruce Willis was dead all along – has sort of overshadowed the film in the annals of pop culture history. This is a bit of a shame because regardless of how it ends, The Sixth Sense is a modern masterpiece that balances modern thrills with the traditional chills of classic ghost stories like Whistle and I’ll Come to You. Once again, Willis plays against type; this time, though, it’s not a funny role. It’s a rather restrained and buttoned-up performance, but it contrasts the supernatural elements perfectly and helps disarm the audience in the build-up to that horrifying ultimate reveal.
2. Die Hard
20th Century Studios- Release date: July 15, 1988
- Director: John McTiernan
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia
- How long is it? 2 hours 12 minutes
What it’s about: John McClane (yes, him again) travels to LA hoping to reconnect with his estranged wife, Holly. When terrorists invade Holly’s office, though, the reconciliation will have to wait because John has a day to save.
Why we like it: Ho-ho-ho! John McTiernan’s sweat-stained masterpiece boasts a superbly simple but effective premise, incredible set pieces, and some memorable character work. It’s a masterpiece on the same level as Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, although most people, when pressed on what makes it so great, love to mention Rickman’s unforgettable turn as the suave thief (he’s an exceptional thief) Hans Gruber. Still, in my book, it’s actually Willis who gives the better performance. It’s easy to forget that for the majority of the runtime, all Bruce has to bounce off is a walkie-talkie, and yet, despite that, he still turns in arguably the most charismatic action movie performance of all time.
1. Unbreakable
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution- Release date: November 22, 2000
- Director: M. Night Shyamalan
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright
- How long is it? 1 hour 46 minutes
What it’s about: After security guard David Dunn walks away from a deadly train crash without a scratch on him, he’s confronted by Elijah Price, a disabled comic store owner who believes that David may have superhuman abilities.
Why we like it: Voted the best M. Night Shyamalan movie by us, it’ll come as no surprise to those who stalk the Dexerto TV and movies team (we know who you are… Joe) to see Unbreakable in the #1 spot. While my colleagues believe the film’s a powerful deconstruction of superhero movies, I’ve always seen it a little differently. Unbreakable is, in fact, a love letter to the cape and cowl crowd. After all, for all its knowing winks and nods to the cliches and tropes that inform superhero films, it’s actually a remarkably straightforward origin story elevated by Willis and Jackson’s uncanny performances, Shyamalan’s stylish vision, and James Newton Howard’s spine-tingling theme.
And that’s it for our best Bruce Willis movies. If you’re looking for more recommendations, why not check out our list of the best Keanu Reeves movies or we have a 2025 movies release calendar so you can plan your next cinema trip.
