2024-07-21 00:00:02
Director Clint Eastwood attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon at The Beverly … [+]
Getty ImagesIn 1971, Clint Eastwood directed a film called Play Misty for Me. In the 50 years that followed, one of Hollywood’s most prolific directors ever would go on to direct 39 total films, with several of them becoming bona fide classics, irreplaceable pieces of cinematic history. This stacked filmography included some of the best Westerns ever that would go on to define the genre, like Unforgiven, High Plains Drifter and The Outlaw Josey Wales, as well as important historical dramas that comment on societal issues, like Letters from Iwo Jima, American Sniper and Richard Jewell. The list goes on and on, to the point where it’s hard to pinpoint: Which movies were actually the best?
Well, this list aims to answer that question. In addition to recounting Eastwood’s life and venerated career, I will attempt to rank every single film Eastwood has directed. As a huge fan of his work, this certainly was not an easy task, and some of my choices will surprise people. But I hope that this list will provide new persepctive on his career, offering some insights about some of Eastwood’s unfortunately forgotten or unfairly maligned movies, as well as honor his works that are universally praised.
Clint Eastwood in a scene from the television series “Rawhide,” circa 1962.
Getty ImagesClint Eastwood was born on May 31, 1930, in San Francisco. The future Academy Award-winning director grew up during the Great Depression, meaning his family had to move frequently due to economic hardships before finally settling in Piedmont, California. Eastwood attended Piedmont High School before transferring to Oakland Technical High School, where he showed interest in mechanics and exhibited talent in both sports and music. Eastwood did not pursue a higher education and instead chose to work various jobs, including being a lifeguard, paper carrier and forest firefighter, which the director claims collectively instilled a strong work ethic.
Eastwood’s film career began in the mid-1950s with minor, uncredited roles, but his big breakthrough moment came with the television series Rawhide (which aired between 1959-1965), in which he played Rowdy Yates, a role that brought him national recognition and led to his casting in Sergio Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy” (the three movies that made up this series were A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly), where he portrayed the iconic “Man with No Name,” perhaps his most memorable role. (Fun fact: Eric Fleming, Eastwood’s co-star in Rawhide, turned down this lead role.) These films catapulted him to international stardom.
Over the years, Eastwood has acted in over 60 films (many of which he directed), including memorable roles in Dirty Harry, The Outlaw Josey Wales and Gran Torino. Eastwood’s coarse, no-nonsense, uncompromising personality made him a perfect fit for early Western roles that would go on to define his legendary on-screen persona—a commanding, stoic presence empowered by a gravelly voice, subtle expressions, minimalist body language, emotional restraint and nuanced toughness.
Eastwood would act in 22 films over the course of 15 years before transitioning to directing in 1971 with Play Misty for Me. Since, the actor-turned-director has overseen 39 films (and there’s another one in the works). His catalog has earned him critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for both Unforgiven (released in 1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004).
Eastwood (who famously shares a mutual appreciation for the work of Quentin Tarantino) owns a distinct, almost businesslike directorial style that favors efficient, economic storytelling, a minimalist approach that requires fewer takes and excessive rehearsal, and a penchant for natural lighting and practical effects over CGI. He exhibits a splendid ability to create a sense of time and place that are often integral to the story, and effectively uses sound and silence to create mood and tension (several times he has composed the scores of his own films). Above all, Eastwood places a strong emphasis on character development. His stories navigate morally ambiguous situations during significant moments for people grappling with philosophical questions that have implications for—and comment upon—society.
American actor Clint Eastwood on the set of the 1990 film “White Hunter Black Heart.”
Getty ImagesHere’s an chronologically ordered list of every single feature length movie Eastwood has directed:
Clint Eastwood, director for the 1995 film “The Bridges of Madison County.”
Getty ImagesWe’ve finally reached the section where I will rank every film Eastwood has directed. This list is based purely on my subjective tastes, with some historical significance taken into account. As a big fan of Eastwood’s acting and directing in Westerns, perhaps my favorite genre, you’ll notice I revere several of his early efforts. Then again, I believe he’s released some of his best material in the past decade. So you’ll find a healthy mix here that will likely diverge from your typical Eastwood rankings.
Before we start, let’s review the director’s most and least well known efforts. Without a doubt his most popular film purely from a box office perspective was American Sniper, which earned $350 million domestically and $548 million worldwide—a figure that more than doubles Eastwood’s other most lucrative flicks, such as Gran Torino ($270 million worldwide), Sully ($244 million), Million Dollar Baby ($217 million) and The Mule ($175 million).
Domestically, once adjusted for inflation, American Sniper currently ranks as the 162nd most successful film ever with $394 million in earnings (according to Box Office Mojo), followed by Unforgiven with $223 million (476th place), Gran Torino with $181 million (674th place), Space Cowboys with $153 million (866th place), and The Bridges of Madison County with $150 million (894th place).
From a critical perspective, his most revered works were Unforgiven (his highest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes), Letters from Iwo Jima, Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby. His most popular movies on Letterboxd that haven’t been discussed thus far are Richard Jewell, Invictus and Changeling.
In terms of the box office, Eastwood’s least successful movies were Bird (which only earned $2.2 million worldwide), White Hunter Black Heart ($2.3 million), Honkytonk Man ($4.5 million), Play Misty for Me ($11 million) and The Eiger Sanction ($14 million). (The 1973 film Breezy likely earned less than all those films, but no box office data is available.) After accounting for inflation, however, it seems the director’s worst performing movie was his latest, Cry Macho, which netted just under $11 million domestically (its worldwide gross was just under $15 million).
Critically, Eastwood’s worst performing movies are The Rookie (which owns a score of 33% on Rotten Tomatoes), Firefox (41%), Blood Work (52%), True Crime (56%) and Absolute Power (56%). On Letterboxd, his least popular movies include several that have been mentioned, as well as Breezy, The Gauntlet and Heartbreak Ridge.
I will now rank every film Eastwood has directed.
Widely considered to be one of Eastwood’s worst movies, Firefox is a strange amalgamation of the director’s signature tense, deliberate pacing and technological, futuristic elements not commonly found in his work. Eastwood stars in this Cold War thriller as Mitchell Gant, a former Vietnam War pilot sent to the Soviet Union to steal a technologically advanced fighter jet. The movie co-stars Freddie Jones and David Huffman. While Eastwood’s movies were not known for their special effects, this 1982 techno-thriller was particularly innovative on that front, as special effects supervisor John Dykstra invented what’s known as “reverse bluescreen” for the film’s complex flying sequences. Critics were largely dismissive of the project, and it currently ranks as one of Eastwood’s lowest rated films on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here’s where you can stream Firefox.
Seemingly nothing went right with the release of Hereafter—an ensemble narrative interwoven between three characters across different continents that presented such a realistic depiction of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that many viewers found it difficult to watch just six years after. Before long, the movie was pulled from theaters early following a devastating tsunami in Japan. The film received generally unfavorable reviews from critics, as Hereafter is easily one of Eastwood’s least impactful projects from a story and character standpoint, often too lofty with its spiritual insights. The film stars Matt Damon as a reluctant psychic, Cécile de France as a French journalist and Frankie and George McLaren as British twins, and the story delves into their respective personal encounters with mortality. While the movie is certainly ambitious, it is ultimately uneven and thin in the moments that matter most.
Here’s where you can stream Hereafter.
As someone who is quite fond of music, Eastwood often composed the scores for his own films, as well as directed several music-heavy features—including Jersey Boys, based upon the 2004 Tony Award-winning jukebox musical of the same name. Keeping in line with his dedication to naturalistic performances and true-to-life environments, Eastwood casted less known actors like John Lloyd Young, who originated the role of Frankie Valli on Broadway, as opposed to more popular options the studio desired. Alas, this is a case where the rousing energy of the stage play doesn’t translate to the silver screen. Jersey Boys, which aims to offer a vibrant look into the rise and fall of the 1960s rock band The Four Seasons, suffers from languid pacing that sometimes makes it difficult to watch. Despite some great moments and superb acting, the movie never quite gels.
Here’s where you can stream Jersey Boys.
Space Cowboys is one of those bizarre experiences that you wish could be awesome given its stacked cast—which includes Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland and James Garner as aging astronauts who are called back t0 duty for a critical space mission—yet it never quite reaches the heights you’d expect given its deep pool of talent. As expected, such an eclectic grouping of acting styles results in an often entertaining combination of humor, camaraderie and drama, which allows the story of these seasoned pilots trying to prove their worth in old age to be genuinely interesting and entertaining at times. Yet, despite earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Editing, there’s not much else to write home about with this one. It’s not a terrible movie—more inoffensive than anything—but also doesn’t achieve the heights it should.
Here’s where you can stream Space Cowboys.
Of all Eastwood’s modern efforts, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil owns one of the more bizarre casts, starring the likes of John Cusack, Kevin Spacey and Jude Law. Based upon John Berendt’s 1994 book of the same name, this 1997 flick features Spacey as a wealthy art dealer accused of murder and Cusack as the journalist covering the trial. Set in the city of Savannah, Georgia, this lush, atmospheric story benefits from a blend of true crime and Southern Gothic drama, focusing heavily on eccentric and diverse characters that come to life thanks to some fantastic performances. The direction is the biggest problem here, with the film’s measured and deliberate pacing never allowing it to pick up necessary steam and constantly failing to build true intrigue. The movie received mixed reviews, and to this day remains one of Eastwood’s least popular efforts.
Here’s where you can stream Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Back in 2006, Eastwood ambitiously directed two films about World War II’s Battle of Iwo Jima. The much more revered film was Letters from Iwo Jima, which offered the Japanese perspective. But Flags of Our Fathers told a different tale, taking a profound look at the lives of the six American men who raised the flag during that famous fight. Featuring Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford and Adam Beach as the soldiers, the film launches us into the harsh realities of war and the impact such barbarism has on the soldiers’ mental well-being. While the film’s reflective and somber tone feels more forced and less impactful than the masterful Letters from Iwo Jima, the interconnected storytelling was certainly competent. Plus, the technical aspects of Flags of Our Fathers are undeniable, as it was rightfully nominated for the Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing Academy Awards. This is simply a case where one sister film outshines the other.
Here’s where you can stream Flags of Our Fathers.
While Blood Work featured Eastwood coasting on some familiar turf, with its exploration of mortality and redemption feeling like lesser versions of his greater films, this 2002 mystery thriller found the director once again successfully transferring the Western formula into a modern setting. Based on the novel by Michael Connelly, Blood Work stars Eastwood as a retired FBI profiler who undergoes a heart transplant and subsequently investigates the murder of his donor. The movie failed at the box office and ultimately received mixed reviews for its lack of vitality, but in my opinion the film is very watchable thanks to a string of strong performances from the likes of Jeff Daniels and Anjelica Huston. To boot, Eastwood’s efficient storytelling and lack of flashy visual choices are right up my alley, which allow the actors room to work and breathe.
Here’s where you can stream Blood Work.
Leonardo DiCaprio has spent his career rotating between Hollywood’s biggest and most legendary directors. And that included Eastwood for the pair’s one and only collaboration, J. Edgar, which delves into the complex life of the long-serving director of the FBI. Starring DiCaprio in the titular role, the film takes a peak behind the curtain of J. Edgar Hoover’s career, recounting his personal struggles and controversial legacy. While DiCaprio’s performance was widely praised, the film received mostly negative reviews, with critics claiming the biopic suffered from pedestrian storytelling and a confusing nonlinear narrative. But DiCaprio’s Golden Globe-nominated performance is the star of the show here, as he, alongside a stellar cast that includes Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas and Judi Dench, turns what could have felt routine into a powerful character study.
Here’s where you can stream J. Edgar.
Eastwood’s final film of the 20th century might have been a box office bomb that received middling reviews, but there’s more to love here than you may have been led to believe. Based on Andrew Klavan’s novel, True Crime features Eastwood, alongside co-stars Isaiah Washington and Denis Leary, as a journalist racing against time to prove the innocence of a death row inmate. Eastwood’s trademark understated direction gives the characters to room to take shape, and thanks to some grounded, realistic writing that allows the multiple personal stories making up the film to gain emotional resonance, True Crime hits more than it misses. In addition, the cinematography from Jack. N. Green lends a naturalistic aesthetic to the surroundings that gives the story a realistic and immersive feel, ultimately benefitting Eastwood’s commitment to authenticity with such a delicate and familiar narrative.
Here’s where you can stream True Crime.
Eastwood became more and more fascinated with recounting historical moments as his career carried on, priding himself on validity and truthfulness to the emotion of a real-life situation above all else. With this dedication came Invictus, which chronicles the inspiring story of how Nelson Mandela, played by Morgan Freeman, used the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite post-apartheid South Africa. The movie also features Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, the team captain who leads the Springboks to victory. Both Freeman and Damon earned Academy Award nominations for their performances. Where the film’s inspirational, unifying themes might feel cheesy under another director, Eastwood imbues Mandela’s efforts to bridge a painstaking racial divide with a sense of hope and optimism that never feels forced. All the usual hallmarks of an Eastwood film, from subtle-yet-effective music to mesmeric cinematography to competent pacing and structure, are all on display in this quality flick.
Here’s where you can stream Invictus.
This is a case where I have no issue diverging from the critics, who rewarded Eastwood’s unconventional 2018 film with a measly 23% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Based on the real-life 2015 Thalys train attack, The 15:17 to Paris stars the actual heroes from this event—Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos—as themselves, recounting their courageous actions in documentary-esque form. The film follows their lives leading up to the event, emphasizing themes of friendship and heroism in an honest, affecting manner. The decision to cast the real individuals marks another moment for Eastwood’s winning dedication to authenticity, which is further empowered by docu-style realism from handheld cameras and natural lighting that adds undeniable immediacy to these horrific events. Eastwood’s unpretentious exploration of fate and destiny suggests these men’s life experiences and choices led them to that critical moment on the train. It’s a very powerful approach to filmmaking that was unjustifiably rejected by critics.
Here’s where you can stream The 15:17 to Paris.
This is Eastwood’s earliest and most successful attempt at creating a military-centered narrative. In Heartbreak Ridge, the director stars as the tough Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Thomas “Tom” Highway, who is tasked with preparing a group of undisciplined recruits for the invasion of Grenada. The film, which also stars Mario Van Peebles and Marsha Mason, emphasizes military realism, portraying the life of the Marines with intense attention to detail. The script features some robust character development, with Eastwood delivering one of his more underrated performances as the tough, resilient Highway, who is littered with personal struggles with which he wrestles during throughout in the film. While the movie received mixed reviews, Heartbreak Ridge was undoubtedly a commercial success, earning $42 million domestically (which stands at $122 million after adjusted for inflation), making it the 18th-most successful movie released in 1986.
Here’s where you can stream Heartbreak Ridge.
Angelina Jolie won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress back in 1999 for her role as a sociopath in Girl, Interrupted. But for the rest of her legendary career, she would only receive one more nomination, Best Actress, for her portrayal of Christine Collins in the historical crime drama Changeling. The film follows Collins as she fights against corrupt police officials to find her missing son in 1928 Los Angeles. While critics complained about the movie’s runtime of 142 minutes, they were nonetheless complimentary of Jolie’s powerhouse performance, as well as the strong showings from John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan and Amy Ryan. The Academy also recognized the art direction of Changeling, with its meticulous recreation of Los Angeles in the late 1920s and early 1930s, as well as Tom Stern’s cinematography, which imbued the story with a strikingly somber tone thanks to a muted color palette and careful lighting choices throughout.
Here’s where you can stream Changeling.
You want a powerhouse cast? I’ll give you a powerhouse cast: Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Judy Davis and Scott Glenn. Those are the legends that chose to accompany Eastwood for his starring role as Luther Whitney in the criminally forgotten political thriller Absolute Power. The film centers on Luther, a master thief who witnesses a murder involving the President of the United States. When Luther flees the scene, he becomes the target of a cover-up orchestrated by the Secret Service and must fight to reveal the truth. While most critics found the plot completely implausible, the film was largely a success, grossing $50 million domestically and $93 million worldwide. The movie’s success was driven by its character-driven narrative, which featured a complicated protagonist and several dynamic performances, especially from Hackman as President Richmond. This one is a compelling watch throughout.
Here’s where you can stream Absolute Power.
In this section of the list, you’ll find several Eastwood films that suffered from a profound lack of much-deserved appreciation. And none have been more criminally forgotten than what many consider (including Eastwood) to be the director’s most self-referential work, Bronco Billy. What might be the biggest outlier of Eastwood’s dramatic output, this modest 1980 commercial hit is a heartwarming comedy about a man named Billy McCoy (played by the director), who, alongside his ragtag group of performers, leads a struggling Wild West show. Along the way, he forms a deep bond with a woman named Antoinette Lily (Sondra Locke), a wealthy heiress who joins the troupe after being abandoned by her husband. Bronco Billy was perhaps too affable and humorous to gain a reverent reputation amongst Eastwood’s gritty, hard-nosed output, but make no mistake: This is about as charming as an Eastwood performance gets. It showcases just how versatile he was a both an actor and director.
Here’s where you can stream Bronco Billy.
Eastwood’s early films, especially the ones he acted in, were largely Westerns. But within his first six directorial features, he had three non-Westerns sprinkled throughout, with The Gauntlet considered by many to be his weakest effort. This underrated flick stars Eastwood as Ben Shockley, a down-and-out cop tasked with escorting a key witness, played by Sondra Locke, across the country to testify against the mob. Known for its high-octane action sequences, including a memorable bus shootout, the film was Eastwood’s second chance to drift outside the confines of Westerns to showcase his action sensibilities. While this crowd-pleasing action flick doesn’t quite live up to his 1975 assassin vehicle The Eiger Sanction, The Gauntlet nonetheless embraces a raw and unpolished aesthetic that grittily captures the harshness of both its urban environments and desert landscapes, all complemented by Jerry Fielding’s sparing but impactful score that greatly heightens the suspense.
Here’s where you can stream The Gauntlet.
After several films outside his most comfortable genre, Pale Rider marked Eastwood’s return to shoot-em-up Westerns. In this homage to classic Westerns, full of mythic imagery and themes of justice and revenge, Eastwood stars as a mysterious preacher who arrives in a small mining town to protect its residents from a ruthless land baron. The film, co-starring Michael Moriarty and Carrie Snodgress, marked Eastwood’s most overt embracement of spiritual and religious themes to date. While its certainly not Eastwood’s best Western, critics generally praised the film, rightfully acknowledging the visually striking cinematography that included beautiful wide shots of the expansive terrain, Eastwood’s signature dramatic-yet-understated lighting, and carefully composed scenes that previewed what he’d later perfect with projects like Unforgiven. In the end, this was a great entry into the Western canon for Eastwood.
Here’s where you can stream Pale Rider.
I have vivid memories of watching Mystic River on my small living room television back in 2003. It was a movie that was far too brutal and hefty for my young mind to comprehend, but years later I’ve come to appreciate this largely forgotten neo-noir crime thriller. The film centers on three childhood friends—Jimmy (played by Sean Penn), Sean (Kevin Bacon) and Dave (Tim Robbins)—who are reunited by a tragedy when Jimmy’s daughter, Katie, is found murdered. Sean, now a homicide detective, is assigned to the case, while Dave becomes a prime suspect and Jimmy pursues his own form of justice. One of Eastwood’s more brooding and somber features, channeled dramatically through cinematographer Tom Stern’s brilliant cinematography, this incredibly heavy film rewarded two of its stars, Penn and Robbins, with Oscars for their performances. While the movie’s theme of confronting childhood trauma is difficult to consume, it’s undoubtedly powerfully conveyed to anybody watching.
Here’s where you can stream Mystic River.
There are some unfairly maligned movies that one must defend until their dying day. And, by God, The Rookie is one of those films for me. This action-packed thriller stars Eastwood as a seasoned detective Nick Pulovski who teams up with young rookie David Ackerman (played by Charlie Sheen) to take down a car theft ring headed by the ruthless Ulrich Sigmund Strom (Raul Julia). While initially dismissive of Ackerman, Pulovski warms up to his new partner as they are consumed by high-speed car chases and shootouts amidst their dive into the criminal underworld. The standout commodity for The Rookie, and what went unfortunately unappreciated at the time, is the film’s precise, intense action sequences, which were filmed almost exclusively at night without miniatures or blue screens. Add to the mix Eastwood and Sheen’s dynamite witty-yet-tense chemistry, and you’ve got yourself a relic of early 1990s cinema that’s more entertaining than most thought it deserved to be.
Here’s where you can stream The Rookie.
We’ve now reached what might be the biggest commercial failure of Eastwood’s career. Despite just a low budget around $10 million, Bird only pulled in $2 million at the box office—but that doesn’t mean you should skip it. On the contrary, it deserves some overdue love. This biographical drama about the life of jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker chronicles the “Bird” and his rise to fame in the 1940s and 1950s jazz scene, detailing both his innovative contributions to music and his struggles with addiction and personal demons. Eastwood’s respect for music legends is highly on display here, as Bird transports us back to the early years of jazz through lively performances and realized settings that take you back to the period. And let us not forget Forest Whitaker’s amazing performance as Parker, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a dramatic motion picture. Anybody interested in the history of music owes it to themselves to watch Eastwood’s forgotten biopic.
Here’s where you can stream Bird.
No Eastwood picture received a more unexpectedly resounding reception than American Sniper, a biographical war drama about Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle. Mostly because this portrayal of both combat and homefront experiences for those embroiled in war isn’t too far removed from several of Eastwood’s less successful efforts. Bradley Cooper takes on the role of Kyle, who earned the title of deadliest sniper in U.S. military history during the Iraq War. Meanwhile, his personal life deteriorates as he struggles with the psychological toll of war and struggles to maintain a healthy relationship with his family. The film connected with audiences thanks to its focus on the moral and psychological dilemmas faced by soldiers, commenting on the broader implications of war and how fighters reintegrate into civilian life. American Sniper was met with six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, but only took home one for Best Sound Editing.
Here’s where you can stream American Sniper.
It’s always fun to watch distinguished directors in their most absolute nascent form: the debut film. And while Play Misty for Me didn’t go on to become one of Eastwood’s best works, a la how Duel did for Steven Spielberg, it remains an intriguing entry into the director’s canon that showcases some traits—naturalistic cinematography, atmospheric tension, the haunting use of music and sound—that he’d later perfect. This psychological thriller features Eastwood as Dave Garver, a California radio DJ who has a brief fling with an obsessive fan named Evelyn Draper (played by Jessica Walter). But to Dave’s surprise, Evelyn becomes increasingly unstable and violent (and eventually deadly) as she intrudes oes in his life, jeopardizing both his career and his relationships. This exploration of obsession and control showcases the blurred lines that exist between affection and danger in a manner that feels assured and disciplined—a marvel of a feat for a first-time director.
Here’s where you can stream Play Misty for Me.
Leading up to 1973, Eastwood was almost exclusively known for Westerns and thrillers, in both his acting and short directing career. That likely made Breezy, which didn’t do well at the box office and to this day remains his least known picture, a surprise to fans of his work. This romantic drama tells the story of a free-spirited young woman named Breezy (played by Kay Lenz) who forms an unlikely romantic relationship with a middle-aged divorcé named Frank Harmon (Oscar winner William Holden). After Breezy escapes from a dangerous encounter, she finds shelter with Frank, and despite their age difference and strikingly conflicting lifestyles, they develop a deep connection that is challenged by their friends and family. Eastwood’s sensitive and nuanced approach to his protagonists’ controversial age difference, which Eastwood described as “big risk at the time,” is handled with sensitivity, avoiding sensationalism and focusing instead on the genuine bond formed between such an unlikely pair.
Here’s where you can stream Breezy.
While Eastwood had several esteemed roles prior to 1971, from Where Eagles Dare to the renowned Dollars Trilogy, you could argue that he didn’t become a household name until Dirty Harry. The commercial success of that film (which amounts to more than $235 million once adjusted for inflation) paved the road for a five-film series. Believe it or not, Eastwood only directed one of those five: the fourth film, Sudden Impact. In this entry, Dirty Harry Callahan comes back to investigate a series of vigilante murders committed by Jennifer Spencer (played by Sondra Locke) in San Francisco. Before long, however, Harry becomes embroiled in the killer’s quest for justice after learning she is avenging the gang rape of she and her sister years earlier. The film maintains a taut pacing while balancing the franchise’s signature dramatic action sequences with robust character development, all while progressing Jennifer’s vigilante story with care and realism.
Here’s where you can stream Sudden Impact.
Based on Peter Viertel’s 1953 book of the same name, White Hunter Black Heart details the author’s experience of working on the 1951 John Huston adventure film The African Queen. Set in Africa, where foreign films were rarely shot at the time, filmmaker John Wilson (played by Eastwood) becomes obsessed with hunting elephants while on location for his film—an obsession that jeopardizes the production and creates conflict with the cast and crew. As the story unfolds, Wilson’s relentless pursuit leads to a deeper understanding of his own nature and the impact his actions have on others. This introspective and contemplative narrative ultimately casts a meta shadow back on the actor-turned-director-playing-director, as Eastwood inhabits a morally complex figure that must balance his stubborn passions with his artistic integrity and his humanity. The film also features great supporting performances from Marisa Berenson and Jeff Fahey as Pete Verrill, Wilson’s friend and screenwriter.
Here’s where you can stream White Hunter Black Heart.
As a man who was obsessed with music and the story of musicians, it was a surprise that it took Eastwood until 1982 to make his first true musical—the incredibly underrated Western comedy Honkytonk Man. The film, which is arguably the director’s best work of the 1980s, follows the journey of Red Stovall (played by Eastwood), a struggling country singer in the 1930s who embarks on a road trip to Nashville with his young nephew, Whit (played by none other than the director’s own son, Kyle Eastwood), in hopes of finally making his name known. As Red battles tuberculosis and his health deteriorates, he touchingly attempts to pass on his passion to Whit. Honkytonk Man marked Eastwood’s most dramatically trying role to date, as he was forced to channel a cavalcade of charm, determination and vulnerability for a type of character distinctly different from what had made him so popular. Red’s ambition for music greatly mirrors Eastwood’s affection for the art, which in turn produces the greatest soundtrack of the director’s filmography.
Here’s where you can stream Honkytonk Man.
In the history of the Academy Awards, a select list of 21 filmmakers have taken home the Oscar for Best Director more than once. This esteemed list includes the likes of John Ford, David Lean, Alejandro G. Iñárritu—and, of course, Clint Eastwood. One Oscar for a film to be named later in this list, and another for Million Dollar Baby, which tells the tragic tale of Maggie Fitzgerald (played by Hilary Swank), an aspiring boxer who convinces a reluctant trainer, Frankie Dunn (Eastwood), to help her achieve her dreams. But tragedy strikes after Maggie suffers a devastating injury during a fight, leaving her paralyzed and forcing Frankie to make an impossible decision. This confrontation with euthanasia and the preciousness of life is penetratingly heavy, rife with moral dilemmas that leave characters riddled with anxiety. Not only did the film win Best Picture in 2005, but both Swank and Morgan Freeman took home acting Oscars. To boot, Eastwood delivered one of his all-time great performances.
Here’s where you can stream Million Dollar Baby.
If there’s anything that sets apart The Eiger Sanction from the rest of Eastwood’s filmography, it the picture’s pure sense of adventure. Combining espionage tropes like secret missions, coded messages and double-crosses allows Eastwood’s fourth feature from the director’s chair to contain some of the more exhilarating action sequences of his career. This tale follows Jonathan Hemlock (played by Eastwood), a retired assassin turned art professor who is blackmailed into performing one last job: to kill an enemy operative during a dangerous climb on the Eiger mountain in the Swiss Alps. This means Hemlock must identify and eliminate the target among a group of climbers all while facing perilously icy mountain conditions. The visually immersive cinematography from Frank Stanley allows the stunning alpine landscapes to feel superbly perilous as Hemlock wrestles with his sense of identity. You don’t just watch The Eiger Sanction—you feel the tension of this one throughout.
Here’s where you can stream The Eiger Sanction.
Despite all of Eastwood’s success in Hollywood, as both an actor and director, few of his features had juggernaut weekends at the box office. And while The Mule’s $17.5 million three-day was nothing compared to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’s competing opening weekend gross of $35.4 million, it did unexpectedly become the third-highest grossing opening of Eastwood’s entire career. In total, The Mule made $174 million worldwide, the fifth-best showing of his directing career. This crime drama stars Eastwood as Earl Stone, a 90-year-old horticulturist who becomes a drug courier for a Mexican cartel to make ends meet. As Earl is investigated for transporting cocaine across state lines, he struggles to reconcile his criminal activities with a desire to reconnect with his estranged family. Eastwood’s reflective tone as an 88-year-old director at the time is heavily felt, making The Mule one of his more heartrending and affecting experiences.
Here’s where you can stream The Mule.
Amongst Eastwood’s timeless work, only one has featured a collaboration with whom many consider to be the greatest actor of the past 30 years: the one and only Tom Hanks. And that role came in the form Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger for the aptly titled Sully. This biographical drama recounts the true story of the famous pilot, who successfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River after both engines failed. The film focuses on the aftermath of the emergency landing, with Sully facing an intense investigation that forces him to justify his actions and decisions. The film was nominated for just one Oscar, which it won, for Best Sound Editing, an element that plays a crucial role in enhancing the authenticity of a film which aims to recreate such a dire situation. To no surprise, Hanks delivers an impeccable, emotionally complex performance that attempts to reflect Sully’s tortured psyche after being thrust into the spotlight.
Here’s where you can stream Sully.
The year 1995 marked the tail-end of what could have been the greatest stretch of Eastwood’s directorial career. Both 1992 and 1993 contained two of the filmmaker’s best features (both of which are amongst the Top 10 on this list), but the final entry has been universally praised as Eastwood’s most timeless romance: The Bridges of Madison County. When National Geographic photographer Robert (played by Eastwood) visits Madison County, Iowa, to photograph its iconic covered bridges, he meets housewife Francesca (Meryl Streep), whose family is away for the weekend. Their connection grows as they spend four days together, sharing deep conversations and experiences. Of all the Eastwood movies, this is by far the most romantically tender, with Streep stealing the show in her Oscar-nominated performance. Eastwood’s direction is lyrical and understated, allowing the beauty of the story and the performances to shine through without any unnecessary embellishment.
Here’s where you can stream The Bridges of Madison County.
Based on the 1997 Vanity Fair article “American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell” by Marie Brenner, Richard Jewell marks yet another modern film from Eastwood (in addition to Sully and The 15: 17 to Paris) about heroes performing their jobs in the line of duty, which unexpectedly places them in the public spotlight. This story centers on security guard Richard Jewell, who famously discovered a bomb at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics—and was wrongfully accused of planting it. Jewell, played by Paul Walter Hauser, was initially hailed as a hero, but quickly found himself the subject of an intense FBI investigation and media frenzy. As somewhat of a no-name actor compared to his powerhouse counterparts, Hauser convincingly goes toe to toe with Oscar winners like Kathy Bates and Sam Rockwell with his grounded, vulnerable performance. With Richard Jewell, Eastwood scrutinizes media narratives and lawful integrity, both of which continue to speak volumes given our current political climate.
Here’s where you can stream Richard Jewell.
Up until 1992 and the release of Unforgiven, many considered The Outlaw Josey Wales to be Eastwood’s greatest Western from the director’s chair. Grossing the equivalent of $161 million at the domestic box office when adjusted for inflation back in 1976, this classic film follows Josey Wales (played by Eastwood), a Missouri farmer who vengefully becomes a Confederate guerrilla fighter after soldiers from the Union murder his family. While running from rival forces, Wales forms a makeshift family with a Cherokee warrior and a group of settlers, all of whom band together to defend themselves from numerous threats. The Outlaw Josey Wales is famously filled with iconic one-liners, like “Dyin’ ain’t much of a living, boy,” delivered with the sort of grizzled bravado expected of early-career Eastwood. And like much of Eastwood’s Western outputs, the technical aspects of the film are unmatched, with cinematographer Bruce Surtees pairing Wales’ plight with the harsh, expansive landscapes of the American frontier.
Here’s where you can stream The Outlaw Josey Wales.
Cahiers du Cinéma, the famous French film magazine that was founded by André Bazin and served as a writing home to future filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, produces a Top 10 list each year. Throughout the print publication’s legendary run, several directors have appeared multiple times, from Ingmar Bergman to Éric Rohmer. Eastwood is one of six directors to make the list at least ten times, with A Perfect World being one of two Eastwood films to achieve the #1 position (with Unforgiven being the other to earn the top spot). In this 1993 crime drama, Kevin Costner plays Butch Haynes, an escaped convict who forms an unlikely father-son-esque bond with a young boy named Phillip (played by T. J. Lowther) he kidnaps while on the run from the law. Eastwood portrays Texas Ranger Red Garnett, who leads the pursuit. Eastwood’s direction is understated and effective in handling the emotional delicacy of the situation, allowing the story and characters to take center stage.
Here’s where you can stream A Perfect World.
Outside of Dirty Harry, the “Man with No Name,” and Josey Wales—all of which fall within the Western canon—Eastwood hasn’t created an absolutely timeless character you’d recognize by name. Well, perhaps other than Walt Kowalski, the gruff and grizzled Korean War veteran who serves as the centerpiece of Gran Torino. Living in an ever-changing Detroit neighborhood, Walt’s initial racist attitudes harbored towards his Hmong neighbors are challenged after he prevents a gang from harassing a young Hmong teenager named Thao. Walt becomes a reluctant mentor to Thao, helping him navigate life and protecting him from gang violence. The humor and empathy of Gran Torino ranks among Eastwood’s most humanizing works, allowing for Walt to experience a sort of redemption and transformation that clearly serves as Eastwood’s grand call for compassion and camaraderie in our melting pot of a country. While the film didn’t receive any Academy Award nominations, it stands today as one of Eastwood’s most revered modern works.
Here’s where you can stream Gran Torino.
Cry Macho has a crazy history, as it was pitched and rejected several times back in the 1970s and 1980s, before being offered in 1988 to Eastwood—who also rejected it. For the lead role, actors like Robert Mitchum, Burt Lancaster, Pierce Brosnan and Arnold Schwarzenegger were considered in the decades that followed. All until, wouldn’t you believe it, the film came all the way back to Eastwood in October 2020. Eastwood not only starred in it but directed it as well—at the age of 90. In this neo-Western, Eastwood plays a former rodeo star and horse breeder named Mike Milo, who is hired by his ex-boss to retrieve the man’s young son, Rafo, from Mexico. After Mike finds Rafo involved in cockfighting and reluctantly agrees to take him back to the United States, the rest of the film details their developing, affectionate friendship. Eastwood’s reflective, introspective tone pulsates through both his measured direction and what might just be the greatest performance of his career, full of weariness, resilience and underlying kindness. Cry Macho’s abysmally low score of 57% on Rotten Tomatoes is one of the biggest sin committed by critics in years.
Here’s where you can stream Cry Macho.
After starring in several well-respected Westerns, namely the Dollars Trilogy featuring his mythical “Man with No Name” character, there was much hype surrounding Eastwood’s first stab at directing the genre—and boy did he ever deliver. High Plains Drifter features Eastwood as a mysterious stranger (who is quite literally referred to as “The Stranger” in the film) who rides into the corrupt frontier town of Lago. There, the townspeople hire him to protect them from three just-released-from-prison outlaws, whom The Stranger eventually confronts in a violent showdown as he exacts his own brand of justice. The rejection of loquacious dialogue marks Eastwood’s first true foray into strong visual storytelling, with Bruce Surtees’ insightful camerawork capturing Lago as a harsh, unforgiving place that becomes the perfect setting for the townsfolk’s reckoning with their own guilt and complicity in past crimes. Ultimately, the film questions the true nature of justice and whether vengeance can ever be justified. This is absolutely one of Eastwood’s best Westerns.
Here’s where you can stream High Plains Drifter.
While Flags of Our Fathers certainly isn’t a bad movie, it simply never matches the humanistic approach, the contemplative tone, the bleak, desolate, harsh aesethetic of Letters from Iwo Jima—which is, simply put, one of the greatest war movies ever made. As the sister film to Flags of Our Fathers, this Academy Award winner for Best Sound Editing (it would also be nominated for Best Picture and Best Director) depicts the Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective, focusing on the experiences of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Ken Watanabe) and his soldiers. This amazing war film continues to stand as a technical marvel, featuring monochromatic cinematography from Tom Stern that properly reflects the aridity of war, masterful sound design that immerses the audience in such trying and unfathomable battle, and a moving score from Michael Stevens and Eastwood’s own son, Kyle Eastwood. This is by far Eastwood’s most nuanced and empathetic observation of historical events.
Here’s where you can stream Letters from Iwo Jima.
By 1992, the “Western” as we knew it for decades had effectively been rejected by Hollywood. Once the premiere genre of cinema, and perhaps the most American of all genres—one that would go on to influence filmmakers from around the world—Westerns were at both their height and their downfall during Eastwood’s career. It’s strange, then, that Eastwood’s greatest Western (and his greatest movie period, in my opinion) came years after that genre was believed to be dead. Unforgiven, without a doubt one of the best films of the 1990s, follows William Munny, a retired gunslinger who reluctantly takes on one last job to avenge a group of abused prostitutes. Joined by his old partner, Ned Logan (played by Morgan Freeman), and a young gunslinger named the Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett), Munny confronts the brutal sheriff, Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman in an Oscar-nominated performance). As a sort of goodbye to the genre that gave Eastwood his start, Unforgiven uses a revisionist approach to challenge and subvert what had been expected of Westerns for years, presenting a more nuanced depiction of frontier life and the consequences of violence. This movie has it all, from stark cinematography to immaculate lighting to all-time great performances. It’s the movie Eastwood should be most remembered for as a director.
Here’s where you can stream Unforgiven.
Believe it or not, age is not slowing Eastwood down. The now-94-year-old man who directed 39 movies in a 50-year span will add at least one more to his résumé: a thriller called Juror No. 2. Eastwood announced his involvement with the script from Jonathan Abrams back in April 2023. After a brief hiatus due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Eastwood completed post-production on the film in April 2024.
Not much is known about the plot of the movie, other than it centers on a murder trial juror who believes he may be at fault for the victim’s death. Juror No. 2 hosts a stacked cast, with Nicholas Hoult in the leading role and Justin Kemp, Toni Collette, Zoey Deutch, J.K. Simmons and Kiefer Sutherland starring alongside.
Bottom Line
The quality of Clint Eastwood’s career is nearly unmatched. With over 70 years in television and film, he has generated some of the most cherished works in movie history. This article aims to pay tribute to his best films and revered legacy.
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