10 Essential Brad Pitt Movies, Ranked

Only a handful of actors will have a career as iconic as Brad Pitt’s. Arguably, the last in a dying breed of movie stars who sells tickets to movies because his name is at the top of the poster. He broke free from the throwaway label of heartthrob to become an actor known for challenging roles and layered performances.

With Pitt’s latest movie, F1, due to arrive in theaters, now is a fantastic time to look back at the actor’s varied filmography. Ranging from blockbuster action comedies to timeless crime thrillers, the following essential movies best define Pitt’s legendary body of work.

10

’12 Monkeys’ (1995)

Directed by Terry Gilliam

A prisoner is sent from the future to stop a deadly virus before it ravages humanity in the sci-fi thriller 12 Monkeys. Bruce Willis stars as James Cole, a prisoner in the year 2035 who is tasked with finding the extremist group, the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, and stopping them from releasing the virus. Struggling to find anyone in the past who would believe him, Cole resorts to drastic measures before the doomed past can repeat itself.

Willis received critical praise for his performance as Cole, but it was the frantic turn of Pitt as the erratic and riveting Jeffrey Goines that earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Wide-eyed and jittery, Pitt brings a frantic energy to his scenes in the psychiatric hospital that were unlike anything he had done up to that point in his career. With his charisma focused on being a scene-stealing agent of chaos, critics began to take more notice of his talents.

12 Monkeys

Release Date

January 5, 1996

Runtime

129minutes

9

‘Interview with the Vampire’ (1994)

Directed by Neil Jordan

A vampire recounts his life as a vampire to an amazed reporter in Interview with the Vampire. Pitt stars as Louis de Pointe du Lac, a vampire who has walked the Earth since the late 1700s. Told in a series of flashbacks while speaking to reporter Daniel Molloy (Christian Slater) in the present day, Louis explains how he met the vampire who would turn him, Lestat de Lioncourt (Tom Cruise), and their complicated time together afterward.

Much like the vampires the story centers on, Interview with the Vampire has aged considerably well, thanks to the star power of Pitt and Cruise sharing screen time. Pitt’s soulful and melancholy presence anchors the film, demonstrating his ability to convey complicated emotions wordlessly in scenes. As Louis, Pitt showed his capabilities as a leading man while holding his own against one of the biggest movie stars of all time.

8

‘Moneyball’ (2011)

Directed by Bennett Miller

A baseball manager challenges the conventional wisdom of his peers by changing the way players are evaluated in Moneyball. Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics who faces an uphill battle for success with a limited budget for acquiring meaningful additions to his team. Following the advice of analyst Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), the two begin building a team using detailed statistics as their guide.

Moneyball continued to mark Pitt’s evolution into a more restrained but emotionally well-rounded actor. Pitt’s weary turn as Billy earned him his second Oscar nomination for Best Actor, and with good reason. On paper, the machinations of a baseball manager using stats to win games might not sound like a captivating film, but Pitt does some of his best work as a man who quietly works through the pain of personal failure and self-doubt as a decision maker.

Moneyball

Release Date

September 23, 2011

Runtime

133 minutes

7

‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991)

Directed by Ridley Scott

An innocent road trip becomes a doomed police chase in the drama Thelma & Louise. Friends Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) take some time for themselves with a weekend getaway, but an attack on Thelma at a roadhouse leaves the assailant murdered at the hands of Louise. In fear of legal repercussions, the women make a run for Mexico, resorting to desperate measures to ensure freedom that becomes less likely the longer they’re on the road.

Pitt may only be in a few scenes in Thelma & Louise, but that’s all that was needed to launch his career to the next level. Pitt had stiff competition to win the role of the charming but duplicitous J.D., including future pal George Clooney, after William Baldwin dropped out to give the future A-lister his big break. Pitt’s charm was undeniable, and after an audition with Davis that made her request the “blonde one,” film history was soon to be made.

6

‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ (2005)

Directed by Doug Liman

Every marriage has its secrets, but in the action comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the lies told have deadlier secrets. John Smith (Pitt) and his wife Jane (Angelina Jolie) are trapped in an emotionally detached marriage, unable to reignite the spark that was once present in their marriage. Unbeknownst to one another, they are both trained assassins who work for different secret organizations. When they learn of each other’s identities, John and Jane will have to determine if love conquers all or if death will do them part.

Pitt had done such a great job proving himself as a dramatic actor that it was often overlooked how naturally funny he could be in a role. Mr. & Mrs. Smith will be most remembered for the development of the much-publicized romance and relationship with his co-star, but the film was also a commercial success for its light, crowd-pleasing premise. Based on the ease with which he slips into delivering witticisms while performing in action scenes, it’s easy to imagine a world where Pitt was a successful action star instead of the route he chose.

5

‘Ocean’s Eleven’ (2001)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Pitt’s star power contributed to the old Hollywood spectacle needed for the remake of Ocean’s Eleven. After Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is released from an extended stay in prison, he immediately sets to work on a new score that will require a crew of diverse professionals. With the help of his best friend Rusty (Pitt), Danny will do the impossible and rob a series of Las Vegas casinos in a meticulously laid-out plan.

Pitt’s timeless style and cool demeanor help establish the tone that makes Ocean’s Eleven work so well. He may not be the leading star of Ocean’s Eleven, but the film wouldn’t have so easily evoked the spirit of old Hollywood without Pitt standing next to Clooney for much of the film. Pitt could have not spoken a line of dialogue, instead eating copious amounts of shrimp, and his magnetic presence would have continued to give the caper film its unique charm.

4

‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ (2008)

Directed by David Fincher

In The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Pitt plays the titular Benjamin, a person who is miraculously born an old man and ages backwards. From birth to death, the film chronicles Benjamin’s life as he experiences wonder and heartache through a body that grows younger while his mind becomes wiser with experience. Through it all, Benjamin’s one constant is Daisy Fuller (Cate Blanchett), the love of his life.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button offered Pitt one of his most challenging roles, and his efforts earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Pitt could have easily fallen into a trap where his performance became bigger to differentiate his age, but thankfully, his work is masterfully retrained. The concept of someone approaching life through a different cycle gave Pitt enormous opportunities to play a wide range of emotions, and he did so memorably.

3

‘Fight Club’ (1999)

Directed by David Fincher

Pitt took on one of his most iconic roles as the charismatic and dangerous anarchist Tyler Durden in the cult classic Fight Club. Crippled by insomnia and an increasing distaste for his life, an office drone finds a break from the monotony in the form of mysterious stranger Tyler Durden. Forming a fast friendship, the two men unwittingly create an underground fighting ring that turns into an organized attempt at disrupting the trappings of modern society.

Tyler Durden is one of those larger-than-life characters who can only truly leap off the screen if a bona fide movie star plays it. Pitt’s imprint on the character is so strong that it’s impossible to think of anyone else playing him, and his chaotic charm is felt in every scene of Fight Club. As Durden, Pitt bears multiple duplicitous natures at any given time, being both playful and menacing, or charming while always looking like he’s ready to violently strike if the moment is right.

Fight Club

Release Date

October 15, 1999

Runtime

139 minutes

2

‘Se7en’ (1995)

Directed by David Fincher

A killer terrorizes a city by claiming his victims based on the seven deadly sins in the thriller Se7en. Detective Lieutenant William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) glumly prepares for retirement just as a sadistic serial killer begins leaving a theatrical trail of bodies. When his replacement, David Mills (Pitt), seems overwhelmed by the magnitude of the case, Somerset agrees to help him catch the killer before he turns in his badge to live a quiet life.

Pitt’s impulsive and brash Mills brings a subtle emotional depth to a genre that generally doesn’t require the character to do more than follow the clues. Mills is proud of what he’s accomplished in his career so far, but there’s a nagging insecurity that motivates him to take on more challenging work, even if it frustrates him when he feels intellectually roadblocked. Pitt’s acting when faced with the much-memed about box at the end of the movie is rageful and heartbreaking at the same time, leaving the conclusion inevitable for a man who struggles to keep his emotions in check.

Se7en

Release Date

September 22, 1995

Runtime

127 minutes

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1

‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ (2019)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

A love letter to the golden years of Hollywood, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood follows a group of seemingly unrelated people as they navigate fame or the pursuit of it in the late 60s. While deeply insecure television actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) attempts a comeback with his best bud and stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt), Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) is enjoying the ride as her star rises in Tinseltown. In a series of unpredictable events, the three will cross paths in an alternate reality with only happy endings in mind.

Pitt’s work in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is what happens when movie star charm meets an acting ability informed by a lifetime of experience. Cliff has weathered enough highs and lows to understand when to fight or when to blow off the egos that run rampant around him. Pitt plays Cliff calm and seemingly good-natured, but there is an ever-present aura of danger surrounding him that makes him captivating to watch. Pitt deservedly won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and it’s hard not to be excited to see him return in a sequel.

NEXT: The 10 Best Characters in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,’ Ranked