60 Most Memorable Ray Liotta Movies Ranked Worst To Best

On May 26th, 2022, Ray Liotta died. Depending on which role he stepped into, a look from him could melt your heart or cause it to ice over for protection. The prolific actor was a staple of Hollywood for four decades and is arguably one of the most recognizable faces in cinema. Even if you haven't learned the intricacies of what it means to be a 'wise guy', you'll still feel a spark of familiarity when you see his face appear.

Liotta's presence was always cause for excitement and that presence has been felt in over 120 different film and TV show appearances. With that large of a sample pool, the odds of having no duds is rare; and while Liotta is a rare breed, he hasn't been immune to appearing in some bargain bin films. The actor's successes were numerous though, and they highlight a career wrought with a diverse amount of roles. What is your favorite Ray Liotta film? Find out where it ranks on our list of his most memorable films.

Casting well-known stars isn't always a recipe for success. Such is the case in "Every Last Secret," about a war veteran (Mark Kassen) with PTSD who befriends a teenager, played by Sophie Turner ("X-Men: Dark Phoenix", "Game of Thrones"). Ray Liotta plays the young girl's father and has a tendency to be overprotective, which doesn't mesh well with the blossoming relationship. 

The film itself was such a flop that few critics have even wasted their time writing a review for this bad boy.  "Every Last Secret" is a mess of a film and only manages to make Ray Liotta enjoyable to watch if you view it on mute. If you are a fan of any of the cast members here, we recommend avoiding this dud to help save face.

Even when Liotta was thrust into a supplemental role, he was able to make his presence felt. But the man couldn't do much to save this train wreck. "The Devil's in the Details" follows an ex-military soldier (Joel Mathews) and his struggles with PTSD. After his relationship with his wife crumbles, he decides to seek the help of a psychiatrist, also an ex-Navy SEAL, played by Ray Liotta.

The storyline itself is quite the muddled mess. "The Devil's in the Details" tries its best to make up for it with gratuitous violence, but fails spectacularly. It alludes to the film's lackluster storytelling abilities that they placed Ray Liotta front and center in any advertisements for the film, given that his screen time pales in comparison to his co-stars. They knew they didn't have much to go on here and needed to capitalize on the film's most reliable star.

This little disaster features another team-up with Liotta and Dominic Purcell. It stars Liotta as a criminal named Jack Malloy, who decides to put his sordid past behind him after a near-death experience. Unfortunately, his old partner (Purcell) isn't ready to quit the lifestyle just yet. When Malloy's partner is released from prison, he seeks his old friend out and forces him to join him for one more job.

The movie itself is a bit kitsch but one thing every single critic has in common is a love for Liotta. Even in the dimmest of spotlights, Liotta manages to steal the show. "Bad Karma" was by all means a flop, but it still shows off why we love Ray so much.

There isn't much to be said about this cliche filled blunderbuss from peak 90s' cinema camp. The greatest aspect of "Turbulence" is that Ray Liotta looks like he has an absolute ball performing in this one. He plays a serial killer named Ryan Weaver, known more infamously as the Lonely Hearts Strangler. Ryan must be transported from New York to Los Angeles for trial, because transporting a dangerous psychopath on a commercial flight across the nation was all the rage towards the end of the 20th century.

"Turbulence" wasn't the right movie for its time and it bombed, big time. On a healthy $55 million budget, it only managed to recoup about $11 million. Revisiting this plane wreck serves one purpose, and one purpose only: Ray Liotta. As the maniacal killer, the movie star is fun to watch, cackling and shouting through the skies while stewardesses scream in terror.

After dominating the world of mafiosos, it makes sense that Liotta charged forward into cartel territory. "The Line" features the actor playing an elite assassin who is hired to track down the head of a drug cartel. When the cartel leadership begins to shift hands, it creates a huge muddled mess that clashes with other assassin contract work.

"The Line" was improperly marketed. Any audience member who watches it expecting an action flick will be disappointed. The film is more of a nuanced character study than it is a thriller or action movie. Either way, not much could save "The Line" from bombing other than to put Liotta's face front and center on adverts, alongside co-star Andy Garcia.

This indie flick came and went without much notice. It's another fine display from Liotta in a role that reads on paper as if it is perfect for him. That said, the whole cinematic package didn't fully take form. "Comeback Season" is a clichéd tale about not appreciating what you have until it's gone. Ray Liotta plays a family man named Walter Pearce, who is suddenly attacked by his conscience and subsequently admits to an affair with his secretary. Understandably, his wife is enraged and kicks him out of the house, but every other aspect of his life also crumbles to the ground.

At his wits' end, Pearce is forced to move in next door to his old house with a high school football star who just lost his college scholarship due to injury. There always seems to be a fire blazing behind Liotta's eyes and all the circumstances that swirl around his character in "Comeback Season" allow it to burn bright. Keeping your emotions together through these circumstances would be difficult and Liotta's intensity really makes us feel it. It's too bad the rest of the film couldn't pull itself together around him.

This is an intriguing tale about how your environment can truly shape who you are. In "The Identical," a set of identical twins (both played by Blake Rayne) are separated at birth and go on to live two truly different lives. One of them goes on to become a rock star, while the other is stuck trying to nurture his love for music while dealing with their stern father (played by Ray Liotta). The cast is rounded out by Ashley Judd and Seth Green in a story that has a lot of promise.

Unfortunately, the premise never really blossoms into much. We get Ray Liotta in prime form as the heavy handed father who just doesn't get it, but the man can only do so much to rescue a poor story. For a movie centered around a love for music, there isn't enough of it. We'd gladly take more Liotta on the screen, but this film could use some more tunes.

This crime drama was directed by Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo, and mostly played overseas. Unfortunately this caused it to escape most audiences in the States, where it was largely relegated to VOD. It follows an immigrant named Sonny (played by Justin Chon) as he moves his way up through the ranks of a gang on the streets of New York. 

The creators obviously tried to emulate "Goodfellas" while creating "Revenge of the Green Dragons." Imagine their fervor when Ray Liotta jumped on board. It just tries a bit too hard, and we'd have to say our primary complaint is that there just isn't enough Liotta in it.

Ray Liotta is fantastic as a member of the supporting cast and all, but if you have a hankering for the spotlight shining solely on him, here's a movie for you. "Pilgrim" stars Ray Liotta as Jack, a man who battles an intense case of amnesia after waking up in the middle of the desert. 

The whole time he is grappling with putting the pieces of his mind back together and dealing with violent flashbacks, associates from his past are trying to track him down — most likely to get their grubby hands on the big cache of money that Jack just remembered he has.

This direct-to-video drama was penned by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and places the beloved rapper into the starring role. Liotta plays a pivotal role as Dr. Brintall, alongside an emaciated Jackson's character, Deon. Deon is a football player who is battling cancer alongside his loving mother, a jealous brother, and a conniving father seeking to cash paychecks. 

It's a heartfelt film that mostly centers Jackson, but we get a rare tenderness from Ray Liotta in this one.

In one of his most vulnerable roles, Ray Liotta plays the father of an aspiring dancer in this indie film written and directed by Amanda Sharp. The story centers around Athena (played by Rose Leslie) and her desire for dancing stardom when she is called home to help care for her estranged father. 

As the girl's father, Liotta is insufferably enjoyable. He embodies a withering, chain smoking cynic wonderfully. The charm causes us to almost feel sorry for him in the moments when he is a horrible father figure. "Sticky Notes" didn't get much of a release, but if you manage to track it down, it's a unique display from Ray Liotta that you need to check out.

This romance story is a tough one to unpack. All we will say is Ray Liotta slides into this role beautifully. 

Liotta plays a Mark Brice, an intimidating businessman on vacation at a beach resort when his wife begins having an affair with a local cabana boy named Alan (Joseph Fiennes). When he learns of the affair, he responds by framing Alan and having him thrown in jail. Liotta isn't without remorse though, he offers to free Alan in exchange for never seeing his wife again. That doesn't sit well with Alan, and "Forever Mine" devolves into a sort of deranged "Count of Monte Cristo" revenge story.

This is first and foremost an Adam Sandler vehicle, but Ray Liotta's presence is felt nonetheless and plays a crucial role in the film's tone. The titular character (Hubie) is played by Sandler, and the movie follows his love for Halloween and the subsequent torment he receives for his implied simplicity. One of the tormentors he faces is Pete Landolfa (Liotta). When Pete falls prey to the evil entity roaming the town on Halloween, the tables are suddenly turned. Seeing Liotta dance between tormentor and hapless victim is a wonderful juxtaposition. 

"Hubie Halloween" may not be logged as a holiday classic, but you will definitely have a fun time laughing at the demise of all Hubie's tormentors.

"Observe and Report" follows a mall security guard named Ronnie (Seth Rogen) on his quest for glory and to win over the girl behind the make-up counter, Brandi (played by Anna Faris). When a serial flasher targets the witless Brandi, Ronnie calls in the cavalry. The detective assigned to the case is Detective Harrison Jones (Ray Liotta). 

The hijinks that follows would be a bit more hilarious if they weren't so awkward. Ronnie believes that the investigation is being stolen from him and the detective believes (rightly so) that this hapless mall security guard is interfering with his investigation. It's an interesting journey, and Liotta was the perfect man for the job.

Keeping himself in the realm of the law, but donning scrubs instead of a badge this time, Liotta plays Dr. David Krane, a Seattle Medical Examiner in "Unforgettable." When he arrives at the scene of a robbery, he discovers evidence that he believes belongs to the same man who killed his wife. 

The good doctor then decides to confiscate an experimental injection that facilitates memory transfers. He traverses the town assembling crime scene information and injecting himself with the serum, in order to try and piece together his wife's murder. Did we mention the serum is experimental?

"Chasing 3000" is a passion project about two brothers traveling from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles to witness a baseball player's 3000th hit. It was a modest film made for less than $3 million and originally set to premiere at the 2006 Major League All Star game. The script for the film happened across the desk of Liotta's agent and the story appealed to him and decided to jump on board. Liotta's participation created more buzz for the film and brought other actors on board to lend it support. The film was released on a wider scale to modest reviews.

We always wondered how pharmaceutical companies test some of their drugs. "Control" gives us an intense (and hopefully fictional) answer to that question. The film stars Ray Liotta as Lee Ray Oliver, a death row inmate who lies on a slab in front of a room full of witnesses to receive a lethal injection. After his injection, he wakes in a morgue to be informed he was only given an anesthetic. Dr. Michael Copeland (Willem Dafoe) gives him a tough decision: Either receive the actual lethal injection, or take part in his experimental drug trial. It's tough to tell whether or not the injections are beneficial in dampening his sociopathic tendencies, but that's all part of the journey. 

Liotta is the perfect man for this role, both menacing in his past life faults and sympathetic in his newfound torment.

In the distant year of 2022, highly-trained ex-marine John Robbins (Ray Liotta) is imprisoned in a maximum security prison for the murder of his commanding officer. A ghastly crime, but a little redeeming when you learn he was unwilling to execute an order from command to kill innocent civilians. In the dystopian prison system he winds up in, there is an island known as "Absolom" where they send the worst of the worst and his escape attempts give him a one way ticket. Think "Escape From LA", just with fewer eye patches. 

"No Escape" is no cinematic masterpiece, but we get a different kind of Liotta and time has made the film's temporal setting all the more enjoyable.

In "Phoenix", Ray Liotta plays a cop named Harry Collins, a man with a compulsive gambling problem. Like any would-be thrill seeker who chooses to roll the dice for a rush, his losses begin to mount up over time. After befriending the mother of a young woman he extorted into helping him hustle a poker table, he winds up befriending the woman's mother. Around the same time, his bookies give him 48 hours to pay up or go out and complete a kill contract. 

It's a gritty morality tale that could have used some more production power. The best part about it is we get a big, heaping scoop of Liotta.

While Ray Liotta isn't this film's primary star, he is certainly pivotal to the entire film's story. "Heartbreakers" features Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt as a mother-daughter con team. The mother (Weaver) marries men and then the daughter (Hewitt) seduces them into a situation that leads to inevitable divorce and a payday. 

They duo fix their sights on a man named Dean Cumanno (Ray Liotta) in the film's opening moments. The grift goes off flawlessly, but inevitably, Dean learns of their scheme and taps into his criminal past to wreak vengeance.

Film audiences were severely conflicted on "Killing Them Softly." Its box office pull was modest enough, but it garners lackluster love. Every actor involved is undeniably coo, and in prime form, from the heroin-hazed Ben Mendelsohn to the suave hitman played by Brad Pitt. 

"Killing Them Softly" is about two drugged-out wise guys who decide to rip off a local poker game run by a mafia affiliate named Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta). The surprising brilliance behind their plan is that Markie has paid two men to rip off his own poker game before. So, anyone who gets robbed would obviously assume that Markie was at it again.

Ray Liotta may have had his first brush with being typecast in this 1992 film. 

"Unlawful Entry" has the actor playing police officer Pete Davis, who is called to the home of Michael and Karen Carr (Kurt Russell and Madeleine Stowe) after an intruder breaks into their house. Officer Davis seems intrigued by the couple, and helps them install a new security system and goes so far as to take Michael on a ride-along. He goes so far as to track down the man who broke into their house and beats him with his nightstick. When Michael requests that Davis stay away from them, it leads to a stalker situation from everyone's nightmares.

"Corrina, Corrina" is 1994 film filled with an almost unbearable amount of sap. You can't hate on it all too much, though, mostly because of the performances. While the script itself doesn't offer up much, Ray Liotta and Whoopi Goldberg are wonderful together and carry the entire film through all the melancholy. 

Liotta plays a widowed husband in 1950s Los Angeles, who is desperately seeking help caring for his daughter (Tina Majorino), who has stopped speaking since the death of her mother. They hire a woman named Corrina Washington (Goldberg) and all the heart melting begins. It's likely the most tender version of Liotta ever put on screen.

This sequel to "The Silence of the Lambs" came a decade after the release of its predecessor. Clarice Starling was recast (to audience's dismay) and Julianne Moore stepped into her shoes. We were able to get Anthony Hopkins back as our favorite flesh-gobbling psychiatrist though. Added to the roster was the great Ray Liotta as a member of the Justice Department named Paul Krendler, who makes life difficult for Starling. When attempts to draw Lecter out of hiding don't produce results, he creates circumstances that lead to her suspension. 

Don't you worry, though. In "Hannibal," everyone gets their just desserts.

This 2021 prequel film to mega-hit series "The Sopranos" placed Ray Liotta in a primary role as both "Hollywood Dick" Moltisanti and Salvatore "Sally" Moltisanti. Those who are fans of Liotta's most famous roles were likely delighted to see him slip back into the part of a mobster. The story follows the man who would eventually become Tony Soprano, and watching a Liotta character play a role in shaping the man he would inevitably become is a real treat. 

"Many Saints of Newark" maybe didn't ascend to the glory of "The Sopranos" that everyone had hoped for, but you have to admit that the bar was set pretty high. We couldn't be happier with getting good ol' mafioso Liotta back on our screens.

Master director Steven Soderbergh has an incredible ability to assemble phenomenal actors in one place. In the cast of "No Sudden Move" is Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Brendan Fraser, and Ray Liotta, among many more. The film is set in 1950s Detroit, where gangster Curt Goynes (Don Cheadle) is piecing together a plan to cash out. He takes a job involving the heist of an important document, but the whole ordeal goes belly up. The entire scheme is orchestrated by a mob leader named Frank Capelli (played by Ray Liotta). 

There are other intricate webs of deceit at play that turn Liotta's character into a powderkeg. We couldn't be more excited to see it explode.

One of Liotta's finest roles before he was truly elevated to stardom was that of Dominick in the 1988 film "Dominick and Eugene". He stars alongside Tom Hulce as two brothers living together. Dominick is a medical student who receives an invitation to complete his education at Stanford. Unfortunately, it is a tough decision to make, as his brother has a learning disability and tends to need backup. The story itself is a product of its time and didn't exactly age gracefully, but the performances from Liotta and the surrounding cast are worth viewing.

It's always fun watching a suit-clad jester tumble down a rabbit hole of unfortunate events. That man happens to be Jeff Daniels in "Something Wild", but have no fear, Ray Liotta is near. Daniels plays an investment banker named Charlie who gets taken on a wild ride when he accepts a ride back into town from a wily woman named Lulu, played by Melanie Griffith. She robs liquor stores, throws his beeper out of the car (did we mention this was released in 1986?), and even prank calls Charlie's boss. The mayhem winds its way back to a confrontation with Lulu's ex-husband, played by Ray Liotta.

"Something Wild" is a truly unique piece of 1980s cinema. What begins as a cute scenario between two unlikely lovers eventually leads to an engrossingly violent end. In between all the craziness is slapstick fun and schtick that is unique to its time. Ray Liotta had yet to slip into his iconic 90s roles at this point and seeing his emotional raw performance here shows you why he was destined for stardom.

There were a few years of masculine melancholy that defined the career of Ryan Gosling. "The Place Beyond The Pines" followed this trend and had him accompanied by the simmering Ray Liotta. Stepping into the role of a detective once again, Liotta is a corrupt detective who capitalizes on the emotional turmoil behind a recent bank robbery. The role of detective Peter Deluca is tailor-made for Liotta and each time he appears on the screen, the temperature drops several degrees. When Luke (Gosling) is killed during a failed bank robbery by a rookie cop (played by Bradley Cooper), there is a mad scramble for the missing cash from

The story in "The Place Beyond The Pines" centers more closely on that of Bradley Cooper's conflicted police officer, but each time Liotta steps onto the screen, there is a sense of terror that follows in his wake. The film is a bit slow paced but undeniably engaging, and Liotta being on the cast is one of its greatest assets.

Regularly recognized as one of the great cinematic classics is the 1990 Ray Liotta film "Goodfellas." For the uninitiated, it follows the life story of Henry Hill –- from a kid running errands for a local fence on the streets of Brooklyn to the upper ranks of the local mafia. It is not only a benchmark for storytelling from legendary director Martin Scorsese, it is also a career defining role for Liotta. It is hard to argue against "Goodfellas" being placed at the top of the list for Ray Liotta's greatest film achievement. Liotta's youthful charm and rugged looks helps create an allure to the mafia lifestyle. He disarms us, making the more intense scenes hit harder. The actor's range was put on full display; we saw him be tender and loving, menacing and unhinged, paranoid and vulnerable, and everything in between.

The nuances of being a wise guy are accentuated beautifully by the all-star cast in "Goodfellas." Alongside Ray Liotta are the acting titans Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, as well as a slew of recognizable talent now synonymous with anything mafioso. Liotta's role as Henry Hill is a pinnacle of stardom that many thespians hope to one day achieve. Every time we view "Goodfellas," we thank the cinema gods for blessing us with this immortalization of greatness.