Best Clint Eastwood movies
Clint Eastwood ranks among the hardest-working men in show business. He's also one of Hollywood's longest-running icons. Despite celebrating his 94th birthday on May 31, 2024, the Oscar-winning actor has directed several movies in recent years; his latest film, "Juror #2," will open in select theaters on Nov. 1, 2024.
"Juror #2" could be the capstone to a career spanning more than six decades and counting. What began with bit parts in B-movies and TV shows led to a recurring role on the popular 1950s series "Rawhide," followed by his big-screen breakout in Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars." A spiritual successor to John Wayne, Eastwood's gritty, laconic swagger redefined machismo for a new Hollywood era. He eventually became equally as respected for his accomplishments as a producer, director, and occasional composer.
Eastwood's personal life and history are no less extraordinary. Before making it in Hollywood, he was a lumberjack, lifeguard, and firefighter. In his 20s, he survived an emergency plane landing by swimming ashore through shark-infested waters. He was the mayor of Carmel, California for two years in the mid-1980s. He talked to an empty chair at the 2012 Republican National Convention. Alongside his two marriages, eight (or more) children, and a slate of professional achievements, Eastwood has enjoyed a full life. And he's still cranking out good films.
One of Eastwood's late-career efforts, "The Mule," became a surprise hit in America's heartland. But is it one of his best? To find out, Stacker ranked all of Clint Eastwood's films according to their IMDb user rating, updated in July 2023. Ties were broken by the number of votes. Included on the list are all the films Eastwood has acted in and/or directed, while uncredited appearances and cameo roles were excluded. If Eastwood produced or wrote music for a movie, but didn't direct it or star in it, then it was likewise left off the list. Counting down from #68, here are the best Clint Eastwood films of all time.
#68. Ambush at Cimarron Pass (1958)
- Director: Jodie Copelan
- IMDb user rating: 5.2
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 73 minutes
Eastwood was paid just $750 for his role in this movie, which he would later describe as "probably the lousiest Western ever made." Set in 1867, it follows an army patrol carrying precious cargo through hostile Apache territory. When Eastwood became a star in the mid-60s, the film was rereleased with his name at the top.
#67. Pink Cadillac (1989)
- Director: Buddy Van Horn
- IMDb user rating: 5.3
- Metascore: 47
- Runtime: 122 minutes
Eastwood plays a crafty skip tracer named Tommy Nowak in this action comedy. While transporting his latest catch (Bernadette Peters), Nowak crosses paths with white supremacists, a kidnapping husband, counterfeit cash, and (as the title suggests) a pink Cadillac. Audiences can look forward to a brief appearance from a young Jim Carrey.
#66. The 15:17 to Paris (2018)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 5.3
- Metascore: 45
- Runtime: 94 minutes
While casting real-life heroes as themselves was a noble endeavor, the result was one of Eastwood's worst films to date, according to IMDb user data. It tells the true story of three U.S. friends who disrupted a terrorist plot aboard a Paris-bound train. Eastwood co-produced in addition to directing.
#65. The First Traveling Saleslady (1956)
- Director: Arthur Lubin
- IMDb user rating: 5.4
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 92 minutes
Eastwood was still a struggling actor when he landed a supporting role in this comedy Western. It takes place at the turn of the century, and it stars Ginger Rogers and Carol Channing as Miss Rose Gillray and Molly Wade, respectively. After their careers go bust, Gillray and Wade team up to peddle barbed wire to shady cowboys.
#64. Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
- Director: William A. Wellman
- IMDb user rating: 5.5
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 93 minutes
Based on the experiences of director William A. Wellman and his close friend, this romantic war drama chronicles the exploits of an aviator named Thad Walker (Tab Hunter). While flying for France during WWI, Walker falls in love with a Parisian woman. Eastwood appears in a supporting role, as does future TV star David Janssen of "The Fugitive."
#63. City Heat (1984)
- Director: Richard Benjamin
- IMDb user rating: 5.5
- Metascore: 39
- Runtime: 97 minutes
The same year he finalized his divorce from Maggie Johnson, Eastwood starred alongside Burt Reynolds in this critically lambasted action comedy. In the film, a straitlaced police lieutenant (Eastwood) and rebellious private eye (Reynolds) put aside their differences to team up to prevent a mob war. The story goes down in 1930s Kansas City and finds both actors playing off their public personas.
#62. Francis in the Navy (1955)
- Director: Arthur Lubin
- IMDb user rating: 5.7
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 80 minutes
Eastwood's first credited film role was as a naval officer named Jonesy in this poorly rated comedy, which was the sixth in a series. It follows Francis the Talking Mule and his friend Peter Stirling (Donald O'Connor) as they bungle their way into the Navy. Unfortunately, Eastwood doesn't get to banter with the mule.
#61. Cry Macho (2021)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 5.7
- Metascore: 58
- Runtime: 104 minutes
Former rodeo star Mike Milo (Eastwood) brings a young Mexican boy (Eduardo Minett) across the American border in this neo-Western drama. Eastwood was 90 years old when he tackled the project, which takes place in the late 1970s. It finds him riding a horse for the first time on the big screen since 1992's "Unforgiven."
#60. The Rookie (1990)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 5.9
- Metascore: 41
- Runtime: 120 minutes
Eastwood plays a veteran detective to Charlie Sheen's rookie in this police thriller with comedic elements. As the veteran hunts for the man who killed his previous partner, the rookie must decide whether to play by the rules or break them. Eastwood directed the film and cast his son Kyle in an uncredited role.
#59. Firefox (1982)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 5.9
- Metascore: 44
- Runtime: 136 minutes
Eastwood directed, co-produced, and starred in this high-flying adaptation of a bestselling Cold War novel. It sends a fearless pilot (Eastwood) into the Soviet Union to steal the prototype for an advanced jet fighter. The movie was a big hit at the box office, even if most critics weren't impressed.
#58. The Witches (1967)
- Directors: Mauro Bolognini, Vittorio De Sica, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Franco Rossi, Luchino Visconti
- IMDb user rating: 6.0
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 105 minutes
This Italian anthology film consists of five comedic vignettes, each of which deals with the role of women in society. Eastwood appears in the final segment as a Western movie lover named Charlie, who dresses up like one of his heroes in an effort to entertain his wife. He accepted a brand-new Ferrari as part of his payment.
#57. Bronco Billy (1980)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.1
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 116 minutes
Eastwood plays a modern-day cowboy named Bronco Billy in this comedy, which he also directed. Facing obstacles on all fronts, Bronco Billy struggles to keep his Wild West show afloat. Two of Eastwood's children, Alison and Kyle, make uncredited appearances as orphans.
#56. Any Which Way You Can (1980)
- Director: Buddy Van Horn
- IMDb user rating: 6.1
- Metascore: 51
- Runtime: 116 minutes
Eastwood reprised his role as trucker-turned-prize fighter Philo Beddoe for this lucrative sequel to 1978's "Every Which Way But Loose." With a pet orangutan named Clyde by his side, Beddoe gets drawn back into the world of bare-knuckle boxing. Eastwood's daughter Alison makes an uncredited appearance.
#55. Tightrope (1984)
- Directors: Richard Tuggle, Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.3
- Metascore: 61
- Runtime: 114 minutes
After launching his career as a Western star, Eastwood headlined various police thrillers. This one finds him playing New Orleans detective Wes Block, who's on the trail of a vicious serial killer. Eastwood co-produced the film and cast his daughter Alison as Block's daughter.
#54. Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
- Director: James Fargo
- IMDb user rating: 6.3
- Metascore: 41
- Runtime: 114 minutes
Audiences first met bare-knuckle brawler Philo Beddoe and his pet orangutan Clyde in this popular action comedy. Despite a fair amount of negative reviews, the movie earned over $100 million at the worldwide box office. That was enough to make it the fourth highest-grossing film of 1978.
#53. The Dead Pool (1988)
- Director: Buddy Van Horn
- IMDb user rating: 6.3
- Metascore: 46
- Runtime: 91 minutes
Next to "The Man with No Name," Clint Eastwood's most iconic character remains a tough-as-nails San Francisco police inspector known as "Dirty" Harry Callahan. In the franchise's final installment, celebrities are being killed off as part of a twisted betting game. When Harry investigates, he discovers his own name on the list of potential targets.
#52. Coogan's Bluff (1968)
- Director: Don Siegel
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 93 minutes
Representing the first of Eastwood's many collaborations with director Don Siegel, this 1968 action comedy stars Eastwood as an Arizona sheriff named Walt Coogan. Walking tall and choosing his words carefully, country boy Coogan heads to New York City to extradite a fugitive. All sorts of conflicts ensue in this fish-out-of-water thriller.
#51. Joe Kidd (1972)
- Director: John Sturges
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- Metascore: 52
- Runtime: 88 minutes
Legendary author Elmore Leonard penned the script for this 1972 Western about an ex-bounty hunter named Joe Kidd (Eastwood). When a Mexican revolutionary sparks a land dispute, Kidd begrudgingly comes out of retirement to hunt the man down. Critic Roger Ebert wasn't impressed with Eastwood's character, suggesting it's never clear "whose side he's on, or why."
#50. The Eiger Sanction (1975)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- Metascore: 61
- Runtime: 129 minutes
Eastwood directed and starred in this 1975 thriller, an adaptation of a Trevanian novel of the same name. It centers on a classical arts professor named Jonathan Hemlock, who's secretly an ex-government assassin. After a former acquaintance is murdered, Hemlock gets forced out of retirement for one last job.
#49. The Gauntlet (1977)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- Metascore: 59
- Runtime: 109 minutes
Directing himself, Eastwood plays an alcoholic Phoenix cop named Ben Shockley in this 1977 thriller. Tasked with escorting a murder witness across state lines, Shockley discovers there are multiple parties who want both him and the witness dead. Can they survive the gauntlet of violent enemies?
#48. Blood Work (2002)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- Metascore: 64
- Runtime: 110 minutes
Based on the bestselling novel by Michael Connelly, this 2002 thriller sends a weak and retired FBI profiler (Eastwood) on the trail of a serial killer. During the investigation, the profiler realizes his target may be the very same killer who eluded him years ago. Eastwood directed and co-produced the film, casting his then-wife Dina as a reporter.
#47. White Hunter Black Heart (1990)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 112 minutes
In this adaptation of a Peter Viertel novel, Eastwood plays a larger-than-life movie director named John Wilson (a version of real-life filmmaker John Huston). While shooting a film in Africa, Wilson's obsession with hunting threatens to derail the entire production. Despite relatively positive reviews, "White Hunter Black Heart" tanked at the box office.
#46. Space Cowboys (2000)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: 73
- Runtime: 130 minutes
A satellite has veered off course and only a retired engineer (Eastwood) knows how to fix it. That brings him and his former colleagues (Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner) into space, fulfilling a dream they once shared long ago. Eastwood co-produced and directed this 2000 adventure film, which received an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Editing.
#45. Hereafter (2010)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: 56
- Runtime: 129 minutes
Eastwood not only co-produced and directed this 2010 fantasy drama, but he also provided the music. It centers on three people, all of whom are haunted by mortality in a unique way. Matt Damon, Cécile de France, and twins Frankie McLaren and George McLaren star.
#44. J. Edgar (2011)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: 59
- Runtime: 137 minutes
Leonardo DiCaprio plays FBI director J. Edgar Hoover in this biopic, which critics largely regarded as a disappointment. Eastwood provided the music for the film in addition to co-producing and directing. His son Kyle appears as one of the band members in a Manhattan nightclub.
#43. Honkytonk Man (1982)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- Metascore: 50
- Runtime: 122 minutes
A dying country singer named Red Stovall (Eastwood) gets one last shot at glory in this 1982 comedy-drama. The story follows Stovall and his nephew Whit as they travel to Nashville for the Grand Ole Opry, getting into trouble along the way. Playing Whit is Eastwood's real-life son Kyle, who happens to be a musician.
#42. Paint Your Wagon (1969)
- Director: Joshua Logan
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- Metascore: 50
- Runtime: 164 minutes
This poorly reviewed adaptation of a Broadway musical was among the biggest bombs of the 1960s. It stars Eastwood and Lee Marvin as two gold prospectors in love with the same woman (Jean Seberg). The movie later got the parody treatment on "The Simpsons."
#41. True Crime (1999)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- Metascore: 65
- Runtime: 127 minutes
This tense crime drama is another family affair for Eastwood, featuring daughter Francesca and then-wife Dina in supporting roles. Francesca's mother (and Eastwood's former partner) Frances Fisher also stars as a district attorney. Based on a popular novel, the film pits a veteran journalist (Eastwood) against the clock as he tries to clear an innocent death row inmate before the hour of execution.
#40. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- Metascore: 57
- Runtime: 155 minutes
A record-breaking bestseller leapt onto the big screen with this atmospheric adaptation, directed and co-produced by Eastwood. It follows a city reporter (John Cusack) to Savannah, Georgia, where he befriends a suspected murderer. Kevin Spacey, Jude Law, and Alison Eastwood also star.
#39. Sudden Impact (1983)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- Metascore: 52
- Runtime: 117 minutes
The fourth Dirty Harry movie is the only one in the franchise directed by Eastwood, who also co-produced. Harry is on the case after a vigilante victim of sexual assault starts killing off her assaulters one by one. This is the film that introduced the famous phrase: "Go ahead, make my day."
#38. The Enforcer (1976)
- Director: James Fargo
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Metascore: 58
- Runtime: 96 minutes
Dirty Harry is back for the third installment of the popular franchise. This time around, he and a rookie partner must foil a terrorist plot enacted by a group of disgruntled war veterans. When legendary critic Pauline Kael panned the film, Eastwood claimed she was obsessed with him and writing negative reviews out of spite.
#37. Absolute Power (1997)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Metascore: 52
- Runtime: 121 minutes
Working off a script from Hollywood legend William Goldman, Eastwood co-produced, directed, and starred in this political thriller. It centers on a career jewel thief named Luther Whitney (Eastwood), who witnesses a ruthless crime involving the president of the United States (Gene Hackman). Eastwood's daughters Alison and Kimber both appear in small roles.
#36. Jersey Boys (2014)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 54
- Runtime: 134 minutes
While the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons made for a wildly successful Broadway musical, this big-screen adaptation opened to lukewarm reception and disappointing box office numbers. Some critics said that Eastwood simply wasn't the right fit as director. To make matters worse, he was going through a prolonged divorce and bitter custody battle at the time.
#35. Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 53
- Runtime: 130 minutes
Eastwood plays a no-nonsense gunnery sergeant named Thomas Highway in this 1986 drama. Nearing retirement and grappling with an alcohol problem, Highway is enlisted to train a new platoon. The role caused some controversy with the Department of Defense, which withdrew its support from the film.
#34. Trouble with the Curve (2012)
- Director: Robert Lorenz
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 58
- Runtime: 111 minutes
An aging baseball scout (Eastwood) and his estranged daughter (Amy Adams) reunite for a recruiting trip in this 2012 sports drama. It marked the first time in 19 years that Eastwood played a major role in a film he wasn't directing. His son Scott also stars.
#33. Play Misty for Me (1971)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 78
- Runtime: 102 minutes
Eastwood's directorial debut finds him playing a disc jockey named Dave, whose relationship with a female fan becomes a textbook case of fatal attraction. Running a tight operation, Eastwood finished the shoot four days early and $50,000 under budget. This workmanlike approach would continue throughout his career, earning him a reputation as one of Hollywood's most efficient directors.
#32. Breezy (1973)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 68
- Runtime: 106 minutes
Eastwood makes a brief and uncredited appearance in his third directorial effort, about a hippie girl named Breezy (Kay Lenz). On the run from a pervert, Breezy shacks up and falls in love with a middle-aged man (William Holden). This romantic drama represented a thematic departure for Eastwood, and it remains something of an outlier in his oeuvre.
#31. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
- Director: Michael Cimino
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 62
- Runtime: 115 minutes
Before making 1978's "The Deer Hunter," Michael Cimino wrote and directed this semi-comedic crime caper. It chronicles the misadventures of two robbers named Thunderbolt (Eastwood) and Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges). Working with Thunderbolt's old gang, the men enact a dangerous bank heist.
#30. Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)
- Director: Don Siegel
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 62
- Runtime: 116 minutes
Before they collaborated on "Dirty Harry," Clint Eastwood and Don Siegel teamed up for this 1970 Western. Eastwood plays a Civil War veteran named Hogan, who saves Sister Sara (Shirley MacLaine) from bandits and then escorts her to a Mexican camp. While forging a potential romance, Hogan and Sara help Mexican revolutionaries attack a French garrison.
#29. Hang 'Em High (1968)
- Director: Ted Post
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 62
- Runtime: 114 minutes
On the heels of the groundbreaking "Dollars" trilogy came this gritty Western, in which Marshal Jed Cooper (Eastwood) enacts vengeance on the men who tried to lynch him. This was the first feature produced by The Malpaso Company (now known as Malpaso Productions), Eastwood's own production house.
#28. The Mule (2018)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 58
- Runtime: 116 minutes
Eastwood directs, co-produces, and stars in this drama, which was the first film in 21 years to feature his daughter Alison. Based on true events, the story follows a cantankerous 90-year-old veteran (Eastwood) as he smuggles drugs to make ends meet. Screenwriter Nick Schenk also wrote 2008's "Gran Torino," in which Eastwood played a similar character.
#27. Bird (1988)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 78
- Runtime: 161 minutes
A well-known jazz buff, Eastwood directed this biopic of music legend Charlie "Bird" Parker (played by Forest Whitaker). It was the first movie helmed by Eastwood to take home major awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Director. According to cinephiles, this film is also where he hit his stride as a distinctive filmmaker.
#26. Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 79
- Runtime: 135 minutes
This WWII drama depicts the Battle of Iwo Jima from the U.S. side. It was quickly followed by a companion movie, "Letters from Iwo Jima." Eastwood directed, co-produced, and scored the film, which marks the big-screen debut of his son Scott.
#25. The Beguiled (1971)
- Director: Don Siegel
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 105 minutes
This gothic thriller marks the third of five collaborations between Eastwood and director Don Siegel, and it takes place during the U.S. Civil War. While recuperating at an all-woman seminary, a wounded Union soldier (Eastwood) finds himself in the eye of an amorous storm. Sofia Coppola helmed a 2017 remake starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell.
#24. Magnum Force (1973)
- Director: Ted Post
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 58
- Runtime: 124 minutes
The second film of the "Dirty Harry" franchise sends its protagonist on the trail of vigilante cops. Each installment features a catchphrase, and the one here was: "A man's got to know his limitations."
#23. In the Line of Fire (1993)
- Director: Wolfgang Petersen
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 74
- Runtime: 128 minutes
Clint Eastwood plays a Secret Service agent named Frank Horrigan. Still haunted by his failure to protect former President John F. Kennedy from a sniper's bullet, Horrigan squares off against a new would-be assassin (John Malkovich). Horrigan's character was based on real-life Secret Service agent Clint Hill, who was present during JFK's assassination.
#22. Pale Rider (1985)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 61
- Runtime: 115 minutes
Eastwood revisited the Western genre just once in the 1980s, and the result was this critically acclaimed film. It finds him playing a mysterious preacher who rolls into town and gets caught up in a land dispute. Culling inspiration from Eastwood's previous work, the movie explores the theme of brutal justice in the face of corruption.
#21. Invictus (2009)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 74
- Runtime: 134 minutes
Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela in this biographical drama, which takes place during the leader's first term as South Africa's president. In an effort to unite his divided populace, Mandela drums up support for the national rugby team. Directed and co-produced by Eastwood, the film stars his son Scott as a rugby player and features music from his son Kyle.
#20. American Sniper (2014)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 72
- Runtime: 133 minutes
With more than $500 million in worldwide grosses, this 2014 war drama remains Eastwood's highest-grossing film to date. Based on a book by Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle (played by Bradley Cooper), the movie chronicles Kyle's experiences during the Iraq War. In addition to directing and co-producing, Eastwood makes an uncredited appearance as a churchgoer.
#19. High Plains Drifter (1973)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 105 minutes
The first Western directed by Clint Eastwood sees him playing a man known only as "The Stranger," who must protect a small town from invading outlaws. As per the norm, the shoot came in under budget and ahead of schedule. Critics adored the film, but John Wayne hated it.
#18. Sully (2016)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 74
- Runtime: 96 minutes
The true story of the so-called "Miracle on the Hudson" inspired one of Eastwood's most commercially successful efforts. Screen legend Tom Hanks tackles the role of Captain Chesley Sullenberger, who safely landed U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River. As director and co-producer, Eastwood sticks closely to the landing and its aftermath.
#17. A Perfect World (1993)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 71
- Runtime: 138 minutes
Eastwood was in the midst of a major comeback when he helmed this 1993 crime drama about the friendship between a kidnapped boy and his abductor (Kevin Costner). Hot on the kidnapper's tail is a Texas Ranger named Red Garnett, played by Eastwood himself. It was a role originally intended for Denzel Washington.
#16. Richard Jewell (2019)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 68
- Runtime: 131 minutes
Eastwood spotlights the danger of an irresponsible press with his depiction of the 1996 media storm that followed security guard Richard Jewell's (Paul Walter Hauser) finding of a bomb at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. A film largely concerned with the ethics of media consumption, "Richard Jewell" is Eastwood at peak empathy. It says a lot about Eastwood's persistence at the end of his career that one of his most recent films (directed at age 89) lands in the top third of the list.
#15. Kelly's Heroes (1970)
- Director: Brian G. Hutton
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 50
- Runtime: 144 minutes
Eastwood and a group of WWII soldiers sneak across enemy lines in this acclaimed action comedy. Should the soldiers succeed, they'll be walking out with a small fortune in Nazi treasure. As zany as the premise and execution might be, it's reportedly based on a true story.
#14. Where Eagles Dare (1968)
- Director: Brian G. Hutton
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 63
- Runtime: 158 minutes
Before stealing the Nazis' treasure in "Kelly's Heroes," Eastwood stormed their castle in this 1968 action flick. It's all part of an outrageous mission to free a U.S. general from German captivity. But as the soldiers soon discover, a traitor is in their midst.
#13. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 135 minutes
Robert James Waller's bestselling novel inspired this drama, which largely takes place in the 1960s. When Francesca Johnson's (Meryl Streep) family is away, she and photographer Robert Kincaid (Eastwood) engage in a bittersweet romance. As the characters dance to the music inside a local pub, Kyle Eastwood can be seen playing in the band.
#12. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
- Director: Don Siegel
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 76
- Runtime: 112 minutes
The final collaboration between Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood retells one of the country's most famous prison escapes. Along with two fellow inmates, bank robber Frank Morris (Eastwood) maneuvers his way out of Alcatraz. While the mission itself was a success, experts still disagree as to whether or not the real-life escapees actually survived.
#11. Dirty Harry (1971)
- Directors: Don Siegel, Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 102 minutes
Audiences first met a no-holds-barred cop named Dirty Harry (Eastwood) in this 1971 thriller of the same name. Armed with a .44 Magnum and quiet disposition, Harry hunts down the Scorpio Killer on the streets of San Francisco. The movie stirred up some controversy upon its release, as certain viewers and critics felt it promoted a fascist viewpoint of law and order.
#10. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 135 minutes
Trying to capture the gritty spirit of the Westerns that made him famous, Eastwood directed himself in this revisionist classic. Set during and after the U.S. Civil War, the story follows wanted outlaw Josey Wales (Eastwood) as he drops bodies and flees from the Union soldiers who murdered his family. Making a brief and uncredited appearance as Wales' son is Eastwood's real-life son Kyle, in his big-screen debut.
#9. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 89
- Runtime: 141 minutes
Depicting the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of Japanese soldiers, this 2006 war film served as a companion to "Flags of Our Fathers." The movie fared better among viewers and critics, and it performed particularly well in Japan. It was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
#8. Changeling (2008)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 63
- Runtime: 141 minutes
Eastwood directed, co-produced, and scored this eerie mystery, which takes place in 1928. Based on actual events, the movie finds a single mother (Angelina Jolie) grappling with the loss of her missing son. After the son is found and returned, the mother swears it's not her boy.
#7. A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
- Director: Sergio Leone
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 65
- Runtime: 99 minutes
Sergio Leone's "Dollars" trilogy kicked off with this 1964 Western, which redefined the genre and made Clint Eastwood a big star. Wearing his signature poncho and brown hat, an opportunistic gunslinger (Eastwood) gets enmeshed in a battle between two warring clans. Loosely based on Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo," the film takes an unsparingly rugged approach toward character and style.
#6. Mystic River (2003)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 84
- Runtime: 138 minutes
Eastwood co-produced, directed, and wrote the score for this Oscar-winning adaptation of a bestselling novel. It takes place in Boston and centers on three men (Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon) who were once childhood friends. When one becomes a suspect after another's daughter is killed, it sends each of them to a point of no return.
#5. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 86
- Runtime: 132 minutes
One of Eastwood's simplest films is also one of his best, winning four Academy Awards. It chronicles the rise of an ambitious female boxer (Hilary Swank), who seeks wisdom and guidance from her experienced trainer (Eastwood). In addition to starring and directing, Eastwood co-produced and provided the music.
#4. Gran Torino (2008)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 72
- Runtime: 116 minutes
Eastwood launched yet another major comeback with this drama, which depicts the relationship between a disgruntled veteran (Eastwood) and his Hmong American neighbors. What starts as contention evolves into respect, as the veteran realizes he has more in common with the neighbors than he does with his own family. This film is the second highest-grossing movie of Eastwood's career.
#3. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
- Director: Sergio Leone
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 74
- Runtime: 132 minutes
Italian director Sergio Leone fine-tuned his craft for the second installment in the "Dollars" trilogy. This time around, two bounty hunters (Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef) team up to track down a dangerous bandit. Though he calls himself Monco in the film, Eastwood's character is better known as "The Man with No Name."
#2. Unforgiven (1992)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 85
- Runtime: 130 minutes
This acclaimed Western might very well be Clint Eastwood's most quintessential film. It finds him playing a retired gunslinger named William Munny, who saddles up for one last job. Winner of four Academy Awards, the movie highlights all of Eastwood's strengths and essentially none of his weaknesses.
#1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
- Director: Sergio Leone
- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- Metascore: 90
- Runtime: 178 minutes
Sergio Leone's iconic "Dollars" trilogy capped off with Clint Eastwood's best film, according to IMDb voters. Pairing Ennio Morricone's unforgettable score with a tapestry of violence, the movie follows three bounty hunters (Eastwood, Eli Wallach, and Lee Van Cleef) as they square off over a fortune in buried gold. Eastwood once reportedly claimed the movie was "bloated," but his loyal fans disagree.
Data reporting by Luke Hicks.
