Every Benicio Del Toro Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

With dozens of complex characters and Oscar and BAFTA wins to his name, Benicio Del Toro has established himself as one of the most talented actors of his generation. After rising up the ranks by stealing scenes and standing out while playing small side characters, Del Toro eventually made a name for himself and began landing bigger and better parts. These days, whether he's cast in the starring role or as a complex supporting character, Del Toro seemingly never fails to leave a lasting impression.

Below, all of Del Toro's significant roles, from minor to major. Cameos — such as his brief appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as The Collector — are excluded from the ranking, as are vocal performances in animated films. With that in mind, here's a countdown of Benicio Del Toro's movies from best to worst, based on their aggregated critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Joyride" is a crime drama from 1997, not to be confused with the 1977 crime comedy "Joyride," the 2022 drama "Joyride," or the 2001 thriller "Joy Ride." This particular "Joyride" stars Tobey Maguire as a bored teenager who decides to steal a convertible in the hopes of impressing a woman he has a crush on, played by Amy Hathaway. This causes more trouble than expected when it turns out that the convertible's owner is a professional hit-woman, played by Christina Naify. Benicio Del Toro plays the detective who gets assigned to the case and caught up in the middle of things.

This critical failure was the directorial debut of writer/director Quinton Peeples. Though his directing career never took off (possibly with the poor reception of "Joyride" to blame), Peeples went on to lead a successful career as a television writer and producer, getting involved in shows like "13 Reasons Why," "11.22.63," and "Iron Fist." 1997 wasn't the best year for Benicio Del Toro's acting career, with his only other major role that year taking place in the poorly-received "Excess Baggage."

It may have been released when Del Toro was arguably at the peak of his powers as a box-office draw, and been directed by the legendary William Friedkin — director of classic movies like "The Exorcist," "Sorcerer" and "The French Connection" — but this mano-a-mano drama sounded better on paper than in practice. The film cast Tommy Lee Jones and Del Toro as former allies turned deadly rivals, but instead of telling its intended snarling tale of survival, it got lost in the woods.

Where "The Hunted" falls apart is primarily in the script, though a few of Friedkin's directorial choices may have missed the mark as well. The story is a familiar cat-and-mouse thriller with Tommy Lee Jones's character determined to track down and stop Del Toro's character, a military-trained assassin who went rogue after having a stressed-induced breakdown. It's essentially "First Blood," if Richard Crenna had been more hands-on. 

The only area where the film may impress to any degree is in the knife-fighting sequences, executed with high realism and making use of the seldom-seen Kali Eskrima fighting style, also known colloquially as Filipino knife fighting. Roger Ebert was one critic impressed by the attention to detail, giving "The Hunted" a 3.5/4-star review and calling it "a pure and rather inspired example of the one-on-one chase movie," comparing it kindly to the earlier Tommy Lee Jones movie "The Fugitive."

A big-budget remake/reboot of a classic monster story, this Joe Johnston film cast Del Toro in a role he seemed born to play. The actor also served as one of the film's producers — unfortunate since "The Wolfman" was a bomb, making back only around $60 million of its $150 million budget at the domestic box office, doing only slightly better overseas. 

Since the original Universal "The Wolfman" back in 1941, there have been countless lycanthrope-based wannabes; 2010's "The Wolfman" felt like a tired greatest hits collection of other, better werewolf movies that came before it. 

The movie was particularly hampered by weak CGI, odd since it was marketed as a Rick Baker-fueled return to old-school filmmaking. "When the beast finally bursts forth," wrote one critic, "the character becomes, for the most part, a digitally augmented blur — there's no room for a performance underneath all the 0s and 1s."

A mystery thriller starring Ed Harris, timed to capitalize on the same mid-'90s film noir renaissance that made hits out of "Red Rock West" and "The Last Seduction," this film wasn't written or directed by John Dahl, and unfortunately wasn't as good as either of his films. 

Harris plays a detective who begins an affair with a married woman (played by Madeleine Stowe); after she kills her husband (Charles Dance), Harris helps her hide the body and cover up the crime. Del Toro is the cop's detective on the homicide unit, who suspects his partner may be responsible.

The movie was directed by John Bailey, and it was the only big-budget, mainstream movie of his directorial career. Bailey is best known as a cinematographer, having shot dozens of acclaimed movies such as "The Big Chill," "Groundhog Day," and "As Good as It Gets." Though Bailey is a talented cinematographer, critics and audiences alike seemed to take issue with his directing chops on "China Moon."

It might come as something of a surprise that Terry Gilliam's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" adaptation has a rotten critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, given how frequently the movie is spoken of with reverence and how firmly implanted in the cultural zeitgeist it has remained. Displaying a massive gulf between critics (about 49%) and general audiences (about 90%), it does seem somewhat appropriate, however, that this trippy Hunter S. Thompson movie is all about perception.

Gilliam employed wild camerawork and an unrestrained visual style for this film about a Thompson-esque stand-in (Johnny Depp) and his volatile friend/personal attorney/enabler Dr. Gonzo (Del Toro), bound together on a psychedelic excursion to Sin City in 1971. Employing a constant onslaught of noise and drug-fueled paranoia, the film presented a tall order for Del Toro, as he was tasked with playing a character who is constantly under the influence of all manner of drugs. 

"Years from now, it will be reappraised as a misunderstood masterpiece," wrote one review. Another said: "Visually incredible and blessed with great performances from Depp and Del Toro, this is destined for cult classic status — but the plot and symbolism are less impressive."

Set in the 1940s, "Jimmy P." tells the story of a Native American war veteran (Del Toro) who suffers from an unknown psychological ailment, causing him to black out and experience excruciating headaches. A French psychoanalyst (Mathieu Amalric) commits himself to diagnosing and curing this mysterious condition, and the two form a bond. 

Based on a true story, the film is adapted from the non-fiction book "Reality and Dream: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian" (written by Georges Devereux, a renowned psychoanalyst), a first-hand account of the treatment for a Blackfoot Indian beginning in the late '40s. Via lengthy analysis, the psychoanalyst attempts to get to the bottom of a medical mystery that has the patient suffering headaches and dizzy spells, yet seemingly normal in his brain activities. 

The film received a mixed-reaction from critics and general audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, with both groups landing on the rotten end of the score spectrum by narrow margins. In general, critics were impressed by the performances of Del Toro and Amalric while finding the film around them rather dull. 

"The fine lead performances by Benicio del Toro and Mathieu Amalric are the highlights of the artfully crafted, fact-based drama 'Jimmy P.,' which tries (sometimes in vain) to make psychotherapy cinematically intriguing," wrote one review. "There's an energy to be captured when entering darkest reaches of the mind. In the hands of two gifted actors like Del Toro and Amalric, even analysis sounds like poetry."

A Blunt-less sequel to the well-performing drug drama "Sicario" from three years prior, which had become one of Del Toro's most acclaimed films,  "Day of the Soldado" wasn't nearly as successful, but did manage to be generally well-received. 

With her storyline having come to a conclusion by the end of the first film, Emily Blunt's protagonist character did not return for this "Sicario" sequel. Instead, Del Toro reprised his standout role as Alejandro, upgraded from supporting character to protagonist for the sequel. Josh Brolin similarly reprised his role, and Taylor Sheridan returned as screenwriter.

The sequel continues to explore the drug war on the frontlines of the US-Mexico border, now advanced to the point where Brolin's character must re-team with Del Toro's Alejandro to stop the trafficking of terrorists.

The original film's director, Denis Villeneuve, did not return and was replaced by Stefano Sollima of "Suburra" and "Gomorra" fame. "The actors, especially Del Toro, really carry this film while director Stefano Sollima has delivered an engrossing drama," said one review. "Story-wise, it may not be as mind-blowing as the original but this sequel has its appeal."

This Julian Schnabel-directed biopic was both a hot ticket for big names (David Bowie, Dennis Hopper, Courtney Love, Tatum O'Neal, Gary Oldman and Parker Posey were among those lining up to pay tribute to beloved painter Jean-Michel Basquiat) and the film that put Jeffrey Wright on the map to stay.

Wright stars as Basquiat, the expressionist graffiti artist who made a name for himself in the art world while battling poverty and a crippling heroin addiction. Wright impresses in the first starring role of his career, while Del Toro plays one of the key supporting roles of Benny, a close friend of the artist.

The film marked the directorial debut of Schnabel, who rose to prominence as an acclaimed painter and sculptor himself, making him the perfect fit for telling the story. Schnabel's painting abilities can be seen directly on screen within "Basquiat"; since the production was not allowed to include any of Jean-Michel Basquiat's actual paintings, Schnabel and a small team recreated a number of them.

Set in the Balkans in the midst of an armed conflict, "A Perfect Day" follows Del Toro, Olga Kurylenko, and Tim Robbins as a trio of aid workers tasked with saving the drinking water of a village from contamination by removing a dead body from a well. The film uses dark comedy to bring levity to its heavy themes and dramatic exploration of war.

Fernando León de Aranoa directed "A Perfect Day" as his English-language directorial debut after making a name for himself in Spain with movies like the Javier Bardem-starring "Los lunes al sol." Most Rotten Tomatoes critics praised "A Perfect Day" for approaching the war movie genre from a unique, unexpected perspective and finding success with a smaller scope than its peers. Critic Liz Braun of the Toronto Sun called the movie "all the more powerful for its subtlety," going on to praise it as "meandering, sweet-natured and quietly heartbreaking."

This Paul Thomas Anderson adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel defies categorization, much like its source material. The results can be polarizing, but it's hard to argue that the film isn't a mood unto itself.

Straddling  various lines between the drama, mystery, comedy, thriller, and noir, the film is a psychedelic romp that casts Joaquin Phoenix as Doc, a stoner private detective attempting to unravel the mysterious disappearance of an old flame (Katherine Waterston). An expansive supporting cast includes big names like Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Michael K. Williams, Reese Witherspoon — and Del Toro as Doc's attorney.

"At 148 minutes, this isn't a taut thriller. It often seems as wayward and easily distracted as Doc is in his investigations," wrote one reviewer. "But like its central character, the film never loses its thread entirely. Thanks to Anderson's bravura editing style and use of music, the storytelling becomes ever more beguiling. He is the first US director to make a fully fledged feature adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel. He has also delivered a film that, in its own Cheech and Chong fashion, fully lives up to the best traditions of classical Hollywood noir."

The least-seen but no less critical component of a 1994/1995 triad that made Kevin Spacey a superstar (alongside "Se7en" and "The Usual Suspects"), this film was decades ahead of the #MeToo movement and films like "The Devil Wears Prada," but presaged an oncoming workplace shift in power dynamics.

Written and directed by George Huang, a former assistant for a Sony Pictures executive, "Swimming With Sharks" stars Frank Whaley as a young assistant determined to make a name for himself in Hollywood. Kevin Spacey is Whaley's high-maintenance movie-producer boss, prone to throwing coffee mugs and launching into tirades over the differences between Sweet & Low and Equal. Featuring a Tarantino-like comeuppance (pal Robert Rodriguez helped get the film made), Whaley's hapless assistant eventually kidnaps and tortures his oppressor. In a small but humorous role, Del Toro plays the outgoing assistant, promoted upwards to greener pastures.

While most of the acclaim for "Swimming With Sharks" went towards Spacey's spitfire performance, viewed through the modern post-#MeToo prism (particularly because Spacey has become one of its faces), the film hasn't aged particularly well. While some of the film's humor may be a bit dampened for modern audiences, it remains an underrated '90s classic.

The third directorial effort for Sean Penn, "The Pledge" ranks among his best; it's a surprisingly cynical spin on the typical detective thriller formula, and one of the last great Jack Nicholson performances anchors the film as a retiring detective who makes a pledge to the parents of a murdered child that he will find her real killer.  

Del Toro has a brief but memorable supporting role at the beginning of the film as the accused killer, mentally challenged and manipulated into confessing by another detective (Aaron Eckhart) before committing suicide. Nicholson's character, convinced Del Toro was actually innocent, becomes obsessed with investigating the murder, even after his retirement.

Penn lined up a solid supporting cast with names like Patricia Clarkson, Mickey Rourke, Helen Mirren and Harry Dean Stanton. "Penn's serious-mindedness pays a compliment to the audience. Here, he takes a genre film, the police thriller, and mines it for psychological complexity," wrote one review. "Most remarkable of all are Benicio Del Toro and Aaron Eckhart in a scene where a determined detective extracts a dubious confession from a mentally unsound suspect. As the detective, Eckhart treats the confused, long-haired Indian suspect (Del Toro) like a child."

Del Toro got an early career when he joined the long-running James Bond franchise with 1989's "License to Kill," during the Timothy Dalton 007 era. Del Toro was cast in the role of Dario, the top henchman of the main villain, a drug kingpin played by Robert Davi. "License to Kill" was Del Toro's first major movie role and his second altogether after a small, unglamorous part in "Big Top Pee-wee" just one year earlier. 

Though his Bond run was brief, Timothy Dalton's second at-bat in the iconic role fared well with critics; nonetheless, it was the lowest-grossing entry at the box office in the entire canonical franchise. 

"'Licence to Kill' ends, as all the Bond films do, with an extended chase and stunt sequence," wrote Roger Ebert in his review. "This one involves some truly amazing stunt work, as three giant gasoline trucks speed down a twisting mountain road, while a helicopter and a light aircraft also join in the chase. There were moments when I was straining to spot the trickery, as a big semi-rig spun along tilted to one side, to miss a missile aimed by the bad guys. But the stunts all look convincing, and the effect of the closing sequence is exhilarating."

This Alejandro Inarritu drama employs a non-linear structure to great effect, exploring intense conflicts between several disparately connected characters with their own interwoven storylines. 

Del Toro shines as a reformed convict trying to replace his life of crime with one of religion, still battling a darkness inside and around him. In the film's other lead roles are Naomi Watts, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Danny Huston, Eddie Marsan, Melissa Leo, and Sean Penn. Watts and Del Toro were the marquee actors to emerge from the film, however, both nominated for Oscars for their impressive work. It was Del Toro's second Oscar nomination, and to this day he (somewhat shockingly) hasn't had one since.

"As you watch this film you are absorbed and involved, sometimes deeply moved; acting does not get much better than the work done here by Penn, Del Toro and Watts, and their individual moments have astonishing impact," Ebert said in his somewhat mixed review. "But in the closing passages, as the shape of the underlying structure becomes clear, a vague dissatisfaction sets in. You wonder if Inarritu took you the long way around, running up mileage on his storyteller's taxi meter. Imagining how heartbreaking the conclusion would have been if we had arrived at it in the ordinary way by starting at the beginning, I felt as if an unnecessary screen of technique had been placed between the story and the audience."

Though they don't share any of the same characters or continue the same plot, the films "Amorres Perros," "21 Grams," and "Babel" collectively make up what is known as Innaritu's "Trilogy of Life," somewhat confusingly also known by the inverted title of "The Death Trilogy." The films all explore similar themes, utilize similar tones, make use of a non-chronological story structure, and all feature large casts of unconnected but overlapping characters.

Until this '90s classic came along, Del Toro remained under-the-radar for many, something of a "that guy" whose face might look familiar if not the name. But it was the relatively small role of Fenster — a marble-mouthed small-time gangster — that first made Del Toro a household name.

Like any smart up-and-comer, Del Toro stole the handful of scenes he had, an impressive task alongside a cast that included such heavyweights as Chazz Palminteri, Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Dan Hedaya, Giancarlo Esposito, Pete Postlethwaite, Kevin Pollack — and Kevin Spacey, in the role that would bring him his first Oscar. 

Another Oscar winner was writer Christopher McQuarrie, who later recalled needing desperately to devise a scene where all the criminals in the film could come together for a bit of male bonding. Del Toro came to the rescue not with a great line delivery, but with something from the other end.

"This solved a major script issue: I was constantly being asked to include a scene of the suspects bonding (the sort of scene that stops the story cold)," McQuarrie tweeted. "The line-up became the bonding scene. Since then I've held to the belief that sometimes you're good, sometimes someone farts."

As Pollack said on the film's DVD commentary, Del Toro's gas cracked the cast up in take after take, giving the scene what it needed. 

While the legacy of "The Usual Suspects" might be a bit tarnished these days thanks to the presence of Spacey and director Bryan Singer, that shouldn't take away from the performances of the rest of the cast and McQuarrie's excellent, Oscar-winning screenplay. 

Reuniting once again with Soderbergh, Del Toro continues to make some of his finest work with the filmmaker. This noir flick was shot with stylized, fish-eye-type lenses that made for a unique distortion effect; in every other way, however, it felt like a nice, old-fashioned potboiler. 

Don Cheadle and Del Toro form two-thirds of a low-level criminal trio hired for a seemingly simple job, with the third-wheel being played by Keiran Culkin. When things go south, Del Toro and Cheadle form an uneasy alliance in the hopes of striking it rich in the face of opposing criminal forces. The film is set in Detroit in 1954 and uses a real-life scandal within the automotive industry as the basis for its fictionalized, complex crime-thriller plot.

"No Sudden Move" paired Del Toro and Cheadle with the likes of Matt Damon, Brendan Fraser, Jon Hamm, David Harbour, Ray Liotta, and more. Made for HBO, it premiered on the network as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to wreak havoc on movie theaters.

"'No Sudden Move' is a remarkably effervescent affair: not so much frothy as high-spirited, even when the story seems to be moving with the studied grace of a mime," said one critic. "[It's] a piece of entertainment that feels like watching, say, 'Ocean's 11,' but with a social conscience."

Benicio Del Toro's highest-rated movie, according to Rotten Tomatoes critics, is the 2000 crime drama "Traffic." This should come as no surprise, considering it was a favorite at the Academy Awards during the year of its release, with Del Toro taking home both the Oscar and the BAFTA for his performance; the only wins of his career despite subsequent nominations. 

Director Steven Soderbergh won an Oscar for best director, Stephen Gaghan won best adapted screenplay, and Stephen Mirrione won best film editing. Additionally, the overall film was nominated for best picture, but lost to Ridley Scott's "Gladiator."

"Traffic" takes a macroscopic look at the war on drugs from numerous vantage points. Jumping back and forth between Mexico and the United States, the ensemble cast of characters offers the perspectives of drug dealers, distributors, politicians, police officers, government agents, corrupt officials, and private citizens all connected through the drug trade in one way or another.  

Del Toro is featured in one of the film's numerous plotlines as a Mexican cop  pushed further and further into corruption by the broken system around him. Joining Del Toro on the cast is a large array of actors including Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Topher Grace, Catherine Zeta-Jones and more. Del Toro's Oscar win would play a key role in his career, helping him land increasingly higher-profile roles in the future.