There Are Only Two Perfect Jack Nicholson Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

With 12 Oscar nominations and three wins under his belt, Jack Nicholson is one of the most celebrated actors in history. We don't hear from Nicholson much these days, but even the most casual cinephiles have probably seen his pictures like "The Shining" and "Chinatown." Known for his dynamic range and weighty screen presence, his filmography is filled with widely loved titles, but his two perfect films (at least according to Rotten Tomatoes) are relatively low-key productions. Rotten Tomatoes has awarded 1967's "The Shooting" and 1970's "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" the coveted 100% fresh score. 

When compared to some of Nicholson's most prominent films, these two releases are fairly under the radar and might be missed by fans. A Western, "The Shooting" features Nicholson as villain Billy Spear, eager to eliminate the heroes who are on a mysterious adventure. Nicholson produced the picture alongside director Monte Hellman, who he previously worked with on "Fight to Fury." "The Shooting" is described by New Yorker critic Richard Brody as an "existential journey" that features "primal violence with a modernist chill." 

"On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" is a musical romantic comedy and features genre heavyweight Barbara Streisand in the lead. It follows Yves Montand as hypnotherapist Marc Chabot who falls for Streisand's Daisy Gamble. Nicholson plays Daisy's ex-stepbrother Tad and has only a brief role in the critically acclaimed film.

In addition to critical acclaim, "The Shooting" and "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" have extremely positive fan receipts. On the film-centric social media site Letterboxd, "The Shooting" has a solid 3.5-star rating, while "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" has a 3.3-star rating. Though Nicholson fans love both, they're less prominent than the actor's other movies. Taking on Nicholson's filmography is difficult, but is certainly worth doing, as cinephiles can come across some of the greatest films ever made. 

Some of the actor's other highest-rated films on Rotten Tomatoes include the beloved romantic comedy "Broadcast News," which features Nicholson in a supporting role, and "One Flew Over a Cuckoo's Nest," winner of five Oscars(including best picture and best actor). Another prestigious film Nicholson starred in is Martin Scorsese's crime thriller "The Departed." All three films have ratings north of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

In addition to starring and producing pictures, Nicholson is a director, known for helming the Western comedy "Goin' South." During production, Nicholson bizarrely feuded with John Belushi. While fans like to remember the actor's best films, he's got his fair share of duds, with the most pronounced being 2010's "How Do You Know" (it has a 31% on Rotten Tomatoes) — the last film he starred in. 

Want to dive deep into the actor's body of work? Check out Looper's ranking of Nicholson's films from worst to best.