15 Best Bruce Willis Movies, Ranked

Bruce Willis started acting in 1980, though he didn't gain much traction in Hollywood until he landed the role of David Addison in "Moonlighting" in 1985. After the success of that series, Willis landed a variety of roles on the small and big screens alike. But when Willis played John McClane in 1988's "Die Hard," he changed his career, becoming an action star.

It wasn't long before Willis began branching out into all kinds of movies, from "Hudson Hawk" to "The Sixth Sense," portraying a plethora of different types of characters and never settling on a specific role that would get him typecast. But after appearing in 126 movies, 16 TV shows, a few video games, and a handful of theatrical performances, Willis tragically retired from acting in 2022 following a diagnosis of aphasia, which made it difficult for him to communicate. 

Sadly, Willis won't be making any more films, but during his career he built a considerably large filmography of excellent movies. While he's been in his share of bombs, Willis has also appeared in numerous highly-rated and hugely successful films. These 15 are easily his best, ranked using an aggregate of Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and IMDb scores.

Bruce Willis had a relatively minor role in 2010's "The Expendables," but his portrayal of Mr. Church received an upgrade in the sequel two years later. "The Expendables 2" sees Mr. Church appear in more action sequences with more to do, first at the beginning of the film and again in the final act. "The Expendables 2" did surprisingly well with critics and also financially, earning more than three times its budget.

Mr. Church is a significant character, as he drives much of the story by sending the Expendables on their mission. Unfortunately, Willis didn't return for "The Expendables 3" due to a disagreement over his salary. The franchise continued without him, though subsequent sequels failed to match the success of the first two.

Outside of Willis' work in the franchise, "The Expendables 2" upped the ante from the first film by chucking more than a dozen action movie stars into a single film, which Variety described as a "muscle-bound meathead extravaganza." The purpose of the franchise is to rekindle the overt action spectacles of the '80s and '90s, which it does with aplomb.

Edward Norton wrote, produced, and directed "Motherless Brooklyn," based on Jonathan Lethem's novel of the same name. The film is about a private eye who launches an investigation into the murder of his mentor. Bruce Willis plays Frank Minna, the head of the detective agency where Lionel Essrog (Norton) works.

Frank takes Lionel under his wing, helping him to manage his OCD and Tourette syndrome so he can become a good detective. After Frank is killed, Lionel dives into the hunt to find his killer. "Motherless Brooklyn" has a relatively slow pace, but getting over that is easy, given how impressive each actor's performance is in the movie. The film had a difficult production, as a New York firefighter was killed putting out a fire on the set. 

While that was tragic, production ultimately resumed, and the film reached theaters, where it did well with critics. Unfortunately, "Motherless Brooklyn" tanked at the box office, but that wasn't due to Willis or anyone else's performance. Bad press surrounding the firefighter's death, the subsequent lawsuit, and a packed release schedule didn't help its theatrical earnings.

Bruce Willis plays Korben Dallas in "The Fifth Element," which came out during a relatively strong period in his career. The film is something of an outlier, as Willis didn't stray often into science fiction, but that may be why he's so perfect in the role. His calm and cool demeanor translates perfectly into the character of Dallas, a retired soldier and cab driver just trying to get by in the film's futuristic world.

After a strange girl named Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) crashes through the roof of his cab, he's thrust into an adventure across the stars to defeat an ultimate evil using the titular weapon. Dallas goes up against alien terrorists aboard a cruise starship to recover four stones needed to activate the Fifth Element — which turns out to be Leeloo herself — and stop evil from destroying the Earth.

It's a fun and engaging movie with brilliant performances, especially from Chris Tucker as Ruby Rhod. Willis shines as Dallas and everyone in the cast of "The Fifth Element" seemed perfectly suited to their roles. The film was a huge hit, both commercially and critically, and remains a fan favorite among sci-fi and Bruce Willis enthusiasts.

Most spy movies feature agents running around causing trouble in their nation's interests, but that's not "RED." The film is based on the DC Comics series of the same name, and its title is an acronym meaning "Retired, Extremely Dangerous." That's the distinction given to Francis "Frank" Moses (Bruce Willis) after he's forced into retirement from the CIA's black ops division.

Retirement isn't easy for Frank, and he spends much of his time talking to Sarah Ross (Mary-Louise Parker) on the phone about his retirement benefits. In truth, he just wants to talk to her, but when an active black ops agent, William Cooper (Karl Urban), comes after Frank, Sarah is thrown into the mix as he and his retired allies fight to keep them alive.

"RED" was an ideal project for Willis, and he shares the screen with a plethora of powerful performers, including Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, and many others. "Red" is funny and filled with memorable action sequences, so it's no wonder it scored a sequel a few years later, though "RED 2" underperformed at the box office.

Director M. Night Shyamalan first worked with Bruce Willis in 1999's "The Sixth Sense," and given how well that film did, it's unsurprising they paired up several more times over the years. Willis plays David Dunn in "Unbreakable," which explores the concept of superheroes living among us in the real world. Dunn has the ability to survive almost anything and perceive evil intent, which he doesn't initially realize.

Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) finds him through mischievously deadly means, noting that his condition of osteogenesis imperfecta — which makes his bones extremely fragile — makes him the polar opposite of Dunn. While Dunn can survive train wrecks and car crashes, any slight wrong movement can cause Price, who kids dub "Mr. Glass," incredible pain and numerous broken bones.

Eventually, Dunn discovers Price's duplicity and nefarious intent, and has him arrested as he embraces his new status as a superhero. The film was well received all around and garnered two sequels, though the second film, "Split," is only tangentially related via the final scene. The third film, "Glass," was initially a flop (although it found a new audience on Netflix), and it ties the numerous stories together in a sort of conclusive team-up that audiences appreciated.

"Die Hard" was an important film in Bruce Willis' career because it firmly established him as an action star. The movie's success led to four sequels, all of which feature Willis as detective John McClane. In "Die Hard 2," McClane finds himself stuck at an airport on Christmas Eve when terrorists decide to wreak havoc, requiring him to save the day.

The terrorists are on a mission to free their leader, who is being brought to justice. McClane's wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), is on a plane, and because air traffic control is compromised, nobody in the air is safe. McClane gets busy doing what he does best — killing bad guys and saving innocent folks from early graves.

"Die Hard 2" is one of the better entries in the series, due to its character-driven narrative and action sequences that rival its predecessor. It's fair to say that nobody could have played McClane as expertly as Willis — it's as if the role was made just for him, and he doesn't hold back in showing his understanding of the character.

Not all five films in the entire "Die Hard" timeline are among Bruce Willis' best movies. The third film, "Die Hard with a Vengeance," wasn't as well-received as its follow-up, 2007's "Live Free or Die Hard." In this fourth film, Detective John McClane must contend with a cyber-terrorist, Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant).

"Live Free or Die Hard" is different from its predecessors by focusing on a less direct threat. Instead of dealing with a handful of criminals, McClane must fight against someone who hacks into the U.S. government and commercial computer systems across the country to launch a massive cyber attack. Stopping such an assault requires more than a gun and a can-do spirit.

The film's plot offers a new challenge for McClane, which not only makes for an engaging movie, but reinvigorated the franchise. Unfortunately, it was followed by "A Good Day to Die Hard," which was a critical failure. Still, "Live Free or Die Hard" set the bar high, doing well both critically and financially.

Director Terry Gilliam, of Monty Python fame, directed "12 Monkeys," which was inspired by a French short called "La Jetée." In the film, Bruce Willis plays James Cole, a man imprisoned in 2035, when all of humanity must live beneath the surface of the Earth to escape a deadly plague unleashed in 1996. Through inexact time travel technology, Cole is sent back to uncover the truth behind the virus.

Through several attempts, Cole arrives at incorrect times, often off by several years or decades. Ultimately, he makes it to the correct time, which results in a time loop that places Cole at the center of both the start of the pandemic and the knowledge that might bring about its end.

The film was a massive hit, garnering nearly $170 million off a $29 million production budget. "12 Monkeys" was also a critical success, even spinning off a TV series that ran from 2015 to 2018. Willis is exceptional in the movie, and is supported by inimitable performances from Brad Pitt, Madeleine Stowe, and Christopher Plummer.

"Sin City" is an adaptation of Frank Miller's classic neo-noir comic first published in 1991. Director Robert Rodriguez took on the task of transforming Miller's iconic black and white artwork, which uses stark contrasts to create gorgeous visuals, while adding color in certain spots for maximum impact. The result was a digital achievement that was in many ways the first film of its kind.

Numerous copycats and a sequel would follow, but the first is arguably the best. "Sin City" boasts a hefty cast of talented actors, including Bruce Willis as John Hartigan, a man who finds himself at the center of a conspiracy to protect a young girl who grows up to become an exotic dancer. Hartigan repeatedly saves Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba), putting himself in danger each time.

Audiences and critics responded positively to "Sin City," which cost $40 million to shoot and made just shy of $160 million. Critics praised "Sin City" for its groundbreaking visuals and vivid storytelling, but also for its engaging story and characters. It's a movie few likely thought could be made, but Rodriguez and company pulled it off.

Bruce Willis' first collaboration with director M. Night Shyamalan came via 1999's "The Sixth Sense." The film follows child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe as he works with Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a boy troubled by his ability to interact with the dead. The film opens with a traumatic encounter between Crowe and a former patient, and he spends the rest of the film getting past this event.

Helping Cole is vital to Crowe's work in overcoming his issues, and he presents himself as an amiable psychologist. With his guidance, Crowe convinces Cole to confront the ghosts he sees and try to help them. This works, and before long, Cole is able to help several spirits move on from whatever kept them tethered to the living world.

Ultimately, this unravels a massive plot twist, which won't be spoiled here if you've yet to see the film. "The Sixth Sense" was a big movie in Willis' career, but it was even bigger for its director. Shyamalan would continue incorporating twists into his films, for good and bad, and it all started with the blockbuster success of "The Sixth Sense."

"Die Hard" introduced the world to detective John McClane, but more than that, the 1988 thriller launched a hugely successful franchise and Bruce Willis' movie career. While he had some film work prior to playing McClane, this was the movie that made him a star. "Die Hard" follows McClane as he travels to Los Angeles to meet his estranged wife during her office Christmas party.

Just after he arrives, terrorists seize the building and threaten everyone inside. Their goal is to steal $640 million in bearer bonds from the building's vault, and they nearly succeed. Unfortunately for them, McClane is trapped inside with them, and he's not about to let a bunch of European terrorists ruin everyone's good time. 

McClane makes his way through the bad guys, one by one, until he faces off against the film's big bad: Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman in his first film). "Die Hard" is one of those movies that's been homaged to death, and it holds a special place in popular culture as an indelible highlight of the 1980s zeitgeist.

Unlike most Bruce Willis movies, "Nobody's Fool" isn't centered around his character. The film instead focuses on Paul Newman's Donald "Sully" Sullivan, and Willis is one of many members of a cast that includes Jessica Tandy, Melanie Griffith, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and others. Willis plays Carl Roebuck, a contractor who is often at odds with Sully.

Their issues are mainly due to Carl's penchant for suing Sully whenever he gets an opportunity to do so. Conversely, Sully flirts with Carl's wife, Toby (Griffith), whenever he gets a chance. The film's primary story centers on Sully's son (Dylan Walsh) returning after his failed marriage with a son of his own, leading Sully to act more like a grandfather and father than to serve his own interests.

Everyone in the cast, from Newman down to Willis, delivers amazing performances in "Nobody's Fool." The film was a smash hit with critics, and while audiences enjoyed it, few saw it when it was released. "Nobody's Fool" made just shy of $40 million off a $20 million budget, not quite enough to turn a profit.

In "Looper," Bruce Willis plays Old Joe, the future version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Joe. The 2012 film is a time-travel thriller based on the premise that mobsters from 2074 ship their hits back to 2044. Joe is an assassin, or "looper," who kills and gets rid of the bodies sent to the past — which comes back to bite him when Old Joe arrives for disposal.

What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse as Joe hunts down his older self. It's hardly a simple affair, and before long, Joe must save a woman named Sara (Emily Blunt) and her son Cid (Pierce Gagnon) from Old Joe. Doing so requires a sacrifice and an understanding that life doesn't get better for Joe, no matter what he does in the present.

"Looper" embraces its relatively unique time travel mechanic, featuring some interesting scenes of how actions in the past affect people in the present or future. It also boasts powerful performances from its two leads, and though Willis plays a major role in the film, it's more of a Gordon-Levitt movie with a spectacular ending.

Writer-director Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" isn't your typical Bruce Willis film. The movie is set on a fictional island called New Penzance, where an orphaned boy, Sam (Jared Gilman), escapes from a scout camp to meet his pen pal and love interest, Suzy (Kara Hayward). The two connect and run off together to a beach, leaving the adults to frantically search for them.

The leader of that search is the island's police captain, Duffy Sharp (Willis), who makes progress while learning more about the missing children. Eventually, Sharp locates the kids during a terrible hurricane, and he saves them both after lightning strikes a church steeple. After this, Sharp becomes Sam's legal guardian, and the children's' stories end happily.

Willis plays a central role in the film, though the main characters are Suzy and Sam. "Moonrise Kingdom" isn't without controversy, given the young ages of the so-called summer lovers, but overall, critics and audiences adored the movie. The film was also a financial success, costing only $16 million to produce while making just shy of $70 million at the box office.

Writer-director Quentin Tarantino's talent was already on full display before he released 1994's "Pulp Fiction," but this film is what made the world take notice. "Pulp Fiction" is a crime comedy that tells several intertwining stories about a group of thugs, hitmen, and low-level drug dealers, and how their lives cross paths. Bruce Willis plays Butch Coolidge, a boxer who agrees to take a dive in his upcoming fight.

Instead, he lays out numerous bets against his opponent, scoring big when he wins the fight. Of course, he also angers local crime boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), who sets out to kill Butch alongside his hitman underling, Vincent Vega (John Travolta). Butch has several classic scenes in the film, including one involving a pawn shop and its very shady owners.

"Pulp Fiction" is objectively one of the most important and successful independent movies ever made. It didn't hurt Willis' career in any way to go indie — quite the contrary, in fact. While Willis was only one part of this interconnected anthology of crime and violence, his role is vital to the story, making "Pulp Fiction" easily the best movie he's ever starred in.