Every Steve McQueen Movie Ranked Worst To Best

Actor Steve McQueen, one of Hollywood's first and still best action stars, roared onto the scene in the late 1950s with rugged good looks, piercing blue eyes, and a mix of grizzled toughness and dashing charm that could make a nun blush. Always at his best when he was playing cold-hearted rebels, reckless free spirits, and arrogant tough guys, he was the star of some of his era's most memorable films, from war dramas to Westerns. He was no stranger to controversy either, with his public affair with Ali McGraw and his behind-the-scenes feud with superstar Paul Newman, which only seemed to enhance his bad boy image.

From his earliest films — classic monster movies and forgotten gangster flicks — all the way to his most famous thrillers and legendary actioneers, his talent and on-screen presence were unmatched. But later in his career, looking to get away from his image as an action hero, he branched out into some more serious dramas. Tragically though, his career was cut all too short after being diagnosed with inoperable cancer in 1980 (via Biography). Despite last ditch efforts to prolong his life that sent him to Mexico for risky procedures, McQueen lost his battle shortly after the release of his final film, "The Hunter."

With his catalog spanning more than two decades, let's look back at every film in Steve McQueen's career, and rank them from worst to best. 

In a supporting role, Steve McQueen co-starred in "Never So Few" alongside a broad ensemble cast that included Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, and Charles Bronson. Sinatra takes the lead role as Captain Tom Reynolds, a U.S. intelligence operative stationed in the Eastern front during World War II. Along with a British unit, Reynolds is there to help local revolutionaries in the region that borders China in their fight against the Japanese advance. McQueen plays Reynolds's right hand man, a resourceful and loyal corporal named Bill Ringa.

While Reynolds and much of the company leave the area to spend time away from the front, he proceeds to woo a young woman named Carla (Lollabrigida), girlfriend of a local merchant. When they, return however, they find that their camp has attacked and raided by a unit of renegade Chinese soldiers looking to protect their territory from incursion. A middling feature, it has some nice battle scenes and decent performances, but is held back by a weak romantic subplot. 

McQueen impressed, though, and it turned out to be an important film in his career. He was added to the film following a falling out between Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., who had originally been slated to play the role of Ringa. As it turns out, the film's director John Sturges would go on to cast McQueen in his next film, "The Magnificent Seven."

A dark drama from 1965, "Baby the Rain Must Fall" tells the story of Georgette Thomas (Lee Remick), a young single mother who returns to Tyler, Texas to reunite with her daughter's father Henry (Steve McQueen). Recently released from prison, Henry has lived a troubled life and continues to be haunted by his difficult youth. Now a struggling musician, he dreams of being a star, while Kate — the overbearing woman who raised him — threatens to make his life hell if he doesn't settle down and find a real job. She also does whatever she can to stop him from building a life with Georgette and his newly discovered daughter, who she views as a roadblock for him ever living a "normal" life.

But when Kate dies, Henry snaps, and is back in trouble with the law. Can Georgette bring him back to reality, and make the three of them a family? Or is Henry doomed to a life of poverty and crime? A compelling story with some intriguing developments, "Baby The Rain Must Fall" is ultimately about a young woman's fight to find a normal life, but it never quite lives up to its promise. Still, its two stars give good performances, and if you're a fan of either of them, it's more than worth a watch.

A gangster vehicle for John Barrymore, "Never Love A Stranger" was a crime drama based on the pulp novel of the same name by Harold Robbins that was briefly banned for indecent content. In the film adaptation, Barrymore stars as Frankie Kane, a young man raised in a Catholic orphanage who falls in love with the maid of his friend, Jewish attorney Martin Cabell (Steve McQueen). But when it's discovered that Frankie is actually Jewish, and is promptly sent packing from the Catholic home, he is left disenchanted and bitter. 

Striking out on his own, Frankie turns to crime, and the film chronicles his steady decade-long rise to the top of one of New York's biggest criminal syndicates. But this soon puts him directly in the path of his former friend, as Cabell is now the city's District Attorney and is determined to crack down on the notorious crook. A decent enough gangster flick, "Never Love A Stranger" begins the trend of McQueen being far too old to convincingly play a youthful character, though at least here it's confined to the first act set a decade earlier than the rest of the film. It is interesting to see McQueen cast against type as a scrupulous boy scout, but beyond that it's a fairly predictable pulp story, with few surprises and some by-the-numbers gangland action. 

A 1950s B-movie classic, "The Blob" starred the 28 year old Steve McQueen as high school teenager Steve Andrews, who, while parked at a lover's lane with his sweetheart Jane Martin, observe a meteorite crash nearby. When the "young" lovebirds go to investigate the scene, they crash into Barney, a neighbor who'd found the downed rock and been overtaken by a strange red ooze that he found within. After taking Barney to a doctor, Steve heads back to the mysterious space relic — but by the time he gets back, the alien goo has eaten Barney, the doctor, and his nurse, growing bigger and stronger as he consumes more victims.

As the blob grows, it escapes the doctor's office and heads into town, feeding on more unsuspecting people along the way. But when Steve and Jane are dismissed by police as harmless teen pranksters, they take it upon themselves to warn the town about the alien menace. It's far too late, though, and it's not long before the slimy creature is completely out of control and invading the local movie theater, consuming dozens of new victims. Can the two teens find a way to stop it before it devours the entire town?

"The Blob" my not be a great film by empirical standards, but it's a thoroughly satisfying classic, leading to a sequel "Beware The Blob" in 1972 (without McQueen), and a remake from writer Frank Darabont in 1988.

After a four year absence from Hollywood, Steve McQueen would return to take a role that would be unlike any other he'd taken before, and a major departure from his action film roots. He'd also be nearly unrecognizable, with the normally clean-shaven, neatly groomed actor donning a big scruffy beard and long hair for the part of Thomas Stockmann in the big screen adaptation of Henry Ibsen's landmark play "An Enemy Of The People." In this rather faithful translation for the screen, he plays the doctor at a local spa who discovers that the town's water supply is being heavily polluted by the nearby tannery.

When Stockmann attempts to alert the town — including his brother, the mayor — of the danger, he's dismissed as a crackpot, worried that his claims will keep the much-needed tourist dollars away. As he continues his crusade to expose the deadly contaminated waters, the town's treatment turns vicious. He becomes the most hated man in town, and he and his family become outcasts. But he won't be bullied out of leaving, and is determined to prove his claims and clear his good name.

Possibly the least known of McQueen's films, it was never a hit, but remains perhaps his most underrated film. If you want to see McQueen tackle more thought-provoking material in a dramatic and cerebral role, this is the one to watch.

Steve McQueen had a real-life passion for racecar driving, and in the 1971 film "Le Mans," the star would get to live out what must have been a dream: participating in a recreation of The 24 Hours Of Le Mans, a race that's held every year not far from the famous French city. Starring in the film as Porsche driver Michael Delaney, the devil-may-care racer meets and falls in love with Lisa, the wife of another driver who was killed in a crash the prior year. That he had been involved in the fatal crash complicates their early courtship.

While Lisa is hesitant to get involved with another driver, who she is convinced could end up suffering the same fate as her former lover, Delaney is promoted when another driver is taken off the track. It all leads up to a thrilling race against Porsche's rival Ferrari that puts everything on the line. If he enters the race, he may lose his new love ... but if he wins, he'll be immortal. A film that the racing experts at Front Stretch called "quite possibly the best pure racing movie ever made," "Le Mans" was a personal project for the actor, which comes across in every aspect of the production and in his performance as a man for whom high octane speed is a way of life. 

A classic crime caper, "The Thomas Crown Affair" starred Steve McQueen in one of his most iconic roles, the titular Thomas Crown — a billionaire playboy with a thirst for danger. Looking for a challenge, Crown orchestrates a cunning robbery of more than $2.5 million, carefully arranging every detail so as to craft a flawless crime. Not only does he get away with the heist, but he ensures that he can never be caught. The bank's insurance company, however, hires a determined investigator, Vicky Anderson (Faye Dunaway), who is promised a large payout if she can recover the stolen funds. Her instincts quickly pinpoint Crown as the prime suspect, though she cannot prove it. 

The two then begin a back-and-forth cat-and-mouse game of wits and will, while also becoming romantically linked. While Vicky is set on proving he's guilty, Crown wants to prove just how good he is and plans a second, equally daring robbery. This time, though, he leaves Vicki with the choice of whether to aid him or turn him in. A clever psychological thriller bursting with style and charm, "The Thomas Crown Affair" was widely praised and went on to become one of the era's best heist movies. It was the subject of a remake in 1999, starring Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo, proving the film's strength and staying power.

Perhaps one of the most famous — and probably the best — disaster films from an era rife with similar pictures, the 1974 film "The Towering Inferno" adds one more Hollywood classic to Steve McQueen's filmography. Reuniting with Faye Dunaway, McQueen starred in the picture alongside Paul Newman, who he'd once feuded with over top billing for a co-starring role in "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" that he'd ultimately turn down. Here, though, there is seemingly no problem working together, after they cleverly devised a way of sharing credit on the film's theatrical poster.

Newman stars as Doug Roberts, the architect of an impressive new glass skyscraper that is supposed to be the pinnacle of modern technology. But during its opening gala, an unstoppable fire breaks out in the building, causing calamity as they are all trapped inside. He reveals that cost-cutting during construction is to blame. McQueen plays Michael O'Halloran, Chief of the San Francisco Fire Department, who arrives on scene but cannot get control of the blaze. Together with the office's engineer (Richard Chamberlain), the lead builder (William Holden), Roberts' fiancée (Dunaway), and a self-serving conman (Fred Astaire), Roberts and O'Hallaran must find a way to survive the destruction.

A crowd-pleasing blockbuster, "The Towering Inferno" remains a classic of the genre.

In addition to his lead role in "The Getaway" in 1972, Steve McQueen also starred in the neo-Western "Junior Bonner" that same year, a movie that was also directed by Sam Peckinpah. As the titular Bonner, McQueen plays a veteran rodeo competitor who is well past his prime when he sets out to enter a major bull-riding event in his old hometown. In doing so, Bonner must come face to face with his past back home, including his estranged family. This includes his ambitious brother who is planning to build a trailer park where his childhood home stands, and his divorced parents: father Ace, who holds unattainable dreams of retiring to Australia, and mother Elvira, who struggles to hold everything together.

Back in the saddle once again, Bonner must convince the rodeo owner Buck to let him ride his old bull named Sunshine one more time. Skeptical that the aging rider can pull off the feat, but promised a cut of the considerable winnings, he agrees. But if Bonner is to come out on top in the rodeo and surviving his insufferable family, it will take everything he has. Part of a curious trend of rodeo movies that hit screens all around the same time (including "J.W. Coop" with Cliff Robertson), "Junior Bonner" is arguably the best of them, and features the biggest star of them all.

In one of the most dramatic and intense war films you're likely to see from the era, Steve McQueen starred in "Hell Is For Heroes." Set during the closing days of the Second World War, it introduces the US 95th Infantry Division — and in particular, Private Reese (McQueen), a beleaguered officer who'd been bumped all the way down from Master Sergeant following a court martial. He finds the prospect of being rotated out of combat dispiriting. A true loner, Reese is a man the rest of the division — including its leader Larkin — avoids for his anti-social behavior and reckless actions.

But just when they think they are due for leave, the division is sent back to the front ... only to discover that their lines spread thin and are vulnerable to a terrifying German pillbox. Now the ragtag group of soldiers must use their unique talents and skills to improvise a defense against an overpowering enemy. In the face of impossible odds, they'll have to survive 48 hours of non-stop German attacks while they wait for expected reinforcements. A gripping war story, it's McQueen in a role he was made for: a disgruntled rebel and heroic soldier.

The acclaimed film "Papillon" is not about a dog, but tells the story of Henri "Papillon" Charrière, a convicted French felon serving years in a brutal forced labor camp in the 1930s. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner ("The Planet Of The Apes") and written by Dalton Trumbo ("Spartacus"), it starred Steve McQueen in the title role of Papillon, a safe-cracker and thief. Dustin Hoffman co-starred as his fellow prisoner and loyal friend Dega, convicted of forgery and embezzlement, and the film recounts the two's blossoming friendship while imprisoned. 

As Papillon vows to escape, Dega isn't so sure, but reluctantly goes along with his many schemes to free himself. The film chronicles their many harrowing attempts at escape, as well as the torture they endured the hands of oppressive guards. Through years of mistreatment, in vile conditions, Papillon never loses hope, and never stops trying to be free.

A story of one man's search for justice and liberty, it earned McQueen a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor, and is still remembered as one of the best prison movies ever made. An all-time classic, it was the subject of a 2017 remake starring Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek.

In 1960, a year after action star Steve McQueen and director John Sturges made "Never So Few," the two reunited for what has since become one of the most iconic Westerns ever made: "The Magnificent Seven." Adapted from the legendary Japanese movie "The Seven Samurai" by Akira Kurosawa, the film features one of the best ensembles ever assembled, including — in addition to McQueen — Yul Brynner, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Eli Wallach. 

The adventure begins when a gang of vicious outlaws led by a man named Calbera (Wallach) brutally harasses a poor Mexican village, essentially making them prisoners in their own town. But the townspeople pool their resources and hire the services of a mysterious gunslinger in black named Chris Adams (Brynner). He in turn recruits six more gunman — a ragtag group of renegades and rogues — that includes a skilled gunman and drifter (McQueen) an Irish-Mexican outlaw (Bronson), and a nasty knife-wielder named Britt (Coburn). Together, the seven hired guns team up to fight Calvera and save the village from total ruin.

With unforgettable Western action an impeccable ensemble cast, "The Magnificent Seven" has become in some ways even more famous than the story that inspired it. It even spawned three sequels (none of which featured McQueen), a short-lived TV adaptation in the 1990s, and a big budget remake in 2016, with Chris Pratt in the role played by McQueen.

Three years after "The Magnificent Seven," Steve McQueen would re-team with actors James Coburn and Charles Bronson in the ensemble prison war film, "The Great Escape." Oft-imitated, the film has become a Hollywood classic, with its eclectic, rag-tag group of misfit prisoners teaming up to escape a German POW camp. Inspired by a true story, McQueen plays Captain Virgil Hilts, who is regularly put in solitary confinement for his repeated escape attempts. He soon joins forces with a number of other Allied POWs to plot an elaborate escape, including British RAF officer Roger Bartlett (Richard Attenborough), a Polish soldier nicknamed "The Tunnel King" (Bronson), and Australian Louis (Coburn), a man who can make almost any tool they need for the job.

Digging a tunnel beneath the camp walls, the group plan to set free more than 200 men out of the camp — not just to escape, but to lure German forces out and keep them occupied while Allied forces advance. With each man having their own unique set of skills, they combine their efforts into a cunning scheme to break out of their prison and wreak havoc on their Nazi pursuers. "The Great Escape" was easily the best — and most beloved — film of the actor's extraordinary career.