Brad Pitt has long been delivering acclaimed performances in great movies during his career. He is utterly charming and dazzled viewers by accepting diverse roles across genres. TechTrends made a list of the best Brad Pitt movies of all time.
Brad Pitt is one of the most popular and well-known actors in Hollywood. He started his career in acting when he was 24 years old, with his early appearances in films and TV shows being uncredited parts. Then, he had his breakthrough in the movie Thelma & Louise back in 1991 directed by Ridley Scott. Pitt’s career swung between hits and misses. It is not common for a mainstream star to be as versatile as Pitt. He usually picks great filmmakers to work with and acts in many various types of movies and characters. Not only was he handsome and popular at the earliest stages of his career, but he also proved that he is quite talented with his impressive performances. As his career began to grow, he began to take more risks than ever and it paid off well. TechTrends had put together a list of the best Brad Pitt Movies of All Time. So, without further ado, let’s jump to it.
Best Brad Pitt Movies of All Time
As he entered the fourth decade of his career, Brad Pitt has proven many times that he is more than just a pretty face. He has overcome many obstacles over the years but his increased power helped him thrive. He has established himself as one of the best superstars of the highest caliber. So, TechTrends decided to make a list of the best Brad Pitt movies of all time, although it was not an easy task. Here are the best must see Brad Pitt performances listed in chronological order.
Thelma & Louise 1991
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 85%, IMDb 7.5
One of Brad Pitt greatest movie roles and the one that it all started with was in Thelma & Louise. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon perform spectacularly as the doomed heroines, with their girls’ weekend turning out to be a nightmare when Louise kills a person who wanted to rape Thelma (Davis). There is a touchstone of third-wave feminism in the move and it was controversial due to its unapologetic depiction of put-upon women marginalized and criminalized by men’s cruel buffoonery behavior. However, as time passed by its message just grows more poignant. During this role, Brad Pitt had a breakthrough, playing J.D, a sweet drifter who seduces Thelma. Unsurprisingly, like the other men in the movie, he proves to be an asshole, too. This unintentionally pushes them closer to their fated drive across the Grand Canyon. Using this movie on the list is more reflective of Pitt’s brief appearance than the quality of the movie.
Legends of the Fall 1994
- Genre: Drama/Western
- Director: Edward Zwick
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Anthon Hopkins, Julia Ormond, Aidan Quinn, Karina Lombard
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 58%, IMDb 7.5
Brad Pitt rarely phones it in and is always committed to the movies he is given, no matter the film’s overall quality. The Legends of the Fall movie is a mixed bag. Despite the incredible production design and visuals, it is somehow doll, with a reasonable runtime that feels like a lifetime. As one of the best must see Brad Pitt performances, the movie plays Pitt as Tristan. He is one of the three brothers of a single father, who lives in the Montana wilderness in the 1900s. They go through heavy losses, deep love emotions, terrible betrayal, and war. Brad Pitt’s performance in this movie made any unprepared viewer fall victim to his charm and beauty. He plays wonderfully well as a brother in pain. However, he insists that although being attractive helps, you have to work hard for it as well. He fit into the role quite easily as though the role was written especially for him. Aside from the overall quality of the movie, this was indeed one of the best Brad Pitt movies of all time.
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12 Monkeys 1995
- Genre: Sci-fi/Thriller
- Director: Terry Gilliam
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Amanda Schull, Madeleine Stowe
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 88%, IMDb 8
Although it may be coincident, Brad Pitt features in yet another mind-bender movie that has a twist. Terry Gilliam directs a sci-fi mystery in which convict James Cole, played by Bruce Willis, is sent to the past in order to find out the cause of a virus that destroyed a lot of human lives. This is indeed one of the best Brad Pitt movies of all time as the actor’s role, Jeffrey Goines, plays an instrumental role in the greatness of the movie. Pitt was keen on demonstrating an authentic reality to his character in the film and trained with a psychiatric coach. He did that to be able to make a difference between patients who are mentally ill and the ones who suffer from a mood disorder. Either way, the audience is made to question reality, which shows Pitt’s commitment to the role. For this performance, Pitt was nominated for Oscar and won a Golden Globe Award.
Seven 1995
- Genre: Crime/Mystery
- Director: David Fincher
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 82%, IMDb 8.6
One of the best Brad Pitt movies of all time is Seven directed by David Fincher. The movie shows a classic young buck who becomes a partner of a veteran who is on the verge of retiring. Brad Pitt plays the role of a hardheaded rookie who has recently joined the homicide department as a detective. He then starts to track a serial killer who is obsessed with the seven deadly sins with the help of Somerset (Morgan Freeman). The two come across horrors that even Somerset, with that level of experience, has never faced. Pitt’s performance was remarkably great, giving a genuinely flawed and rough nature. The end climax is indeed one of Pitt’s most dramatic and greatest performances, masterfully showing what one might feel like in such a situation.
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Fight Club 1999
- Genre: Thriller/Drama
- Director: David Fincher
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Jared Leto, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 79%, IMDb 8.8
Pitt’s most culturally defining role in Fight Club was a “woop” that was short-lived for critics when released. However, it then got a huge cult after and it was not in a good way. The movie is an adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, in which some aggravated and young men think that the best way to solve a problem is to kick each other and not accept social standards. Pitt pulls off a charming, disgusting, sexy and terrifying performance all at once. This shows the social expectations and outlooks of young men in a very meta way. This is one of the best Brad Pitt movies of all time; whether you like it or not, it will be referenced to for a long time yet.
Babel 2006
- Genre: Drama/Indie film
- Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Alejandro Gonzalez, Cate Blanchett, Rinko Kikuchi, Gael Garcia Bernal
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 69%, IMDb 7.5
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu directed an ambitious drama in which Pitt has a role that is outside the scope of his stardom. Richard Jones, played by Pitt, does everything he can to save his marriage from failing when he takes a vacation to Morocco with his wife. However, on the journey, tragic things happen in the Moroccan desert. The actor shows the emotional turmoil and terror one can go through when in unusually grave circumstances. The central theme of the movie concentrates on human disconnection because of grim social realities. Pitt’s character only faces uncertainties while the viewers are the ones aware of the events as they unfold. It is devastating to watch Jones’ inability to process the sheer randomness of the tragedy. Brad Pitt was nominated for a Golden Globe award for this movie which is one of the best Brad Pitt movies of all time. However, the fact that there were many strong performers like Cate Blanchett and Rinko Kikuchi, his performance might have been overshadowed.
Troy 2004
- Genre: War/Adventure
- Director: Wolfgang Petersen
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Diane Kruger, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean, Rose Byrne, Brian Cox
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 54%, IMDb 7.3
It is not easy to bring to the screen the story of the Trojan War but director Wolfgang Peterson has successfully done so. It is a tale of love, war, gods, and men. Moreover, TechTrends highly recommends you watch Troy, one of the best Brad Pitt movies of all time. The fact that Pitt plays apex warrior slash demigod Achilles is pretty great. Moreover, he had a remarkable dedication to the role as he went on a diet and exercised for six to eight months before filming started. After he made his go-like shape, he lived in a centuries-old hut alone for a while in order to understand the character’s loneliness. Another interesting thing about this performance is that Depp and his co-star Eric Bana declined stunt doubles for their epic face-off. However, they instead agreed to pay one another every time they hit each other accidentally.
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The Assassination of Jesse James by Coward Robert Ford 2007
- Genre: Western/Drama
- Director: Andrew Dominik
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell, Nick Cave, Brooklynn Proulx
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 76%, IMDb 7.5
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is yet another one of the best Brad Pitt movies of all time. It depicts the nature of celebrity culture and fixation. In many aspects, Jesse James is like a contemporary movie star as there are many stories, rumors and legends told about him. therefore, it is difficult to know what he is truly like. The movie shows the life of Robert Ford, played by Casey Affleck. He is a spineless young outlaw who is seeking fame and fortune. James, played by Pitt, is Robert’s idol and he finally gets to meet him. Although he agrees to bring Robert on his team, he rarely talks to him. His frustration is portrayed in the movie as he tries to convince James he is worthy. However, he fails to get his approval. Then, he starts to question the decisions of James. This is indeed one of the best Brad Pitt movies of all time.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2008
- Genre: Romance/Fantasy
- Director: David Fincher
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 71%, IMDb 7.8
This is a movie loosely based on Scott Fitzgerald’s 1922 short story. This romantic fantasy concentrates on the impressive performance of Brad Pitt. The story is about a man, whose aging happens in reverse. He is born as an arthritic, an infant with wrinkles and is called Benjamin Button. He grows younger as time goes buy and a novel motion-capture process used was the technical wizardry. The old look of Brad Pitt was not make-up but it was CGI. The seamless display captured was key to the immersive experience. Aside from the brilliance they showed in the technical aspects, the way Pitt portrayed the character’s demeanour is remarkable. This is one of the best Brad Pitt films ever and although his life is reversed, he showed the feeling of having experienced a life lived fully.
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The Tree of Life 2011
- Genre: Drama/Experimental
- Director: Terrence Malick
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn, Hunter McCracken, Tye Sheridan
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 84%, IMDb 6.8
Another one of the best must see Brad Pitt performances is in the movie The Tree of Life directed by Terrence Malick. This movie is a meditation on the good and evil nature. Pitt portrays a character with both strength and paternal love. Moreover, it has elaborated the concept of the human existence. However, most of the movie happens in a town in Texas in the 1960s. He performs the life of a young boy, Jack O’Brien (Hunter McCracken) who is dealing with the two different perspectives of his parents. His father wants him to be aggressive when his mother does her best to help him remain innocent.
One Upon a Time… In Hollywood 2019
- Genre: Drama/Comedy
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsch
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 85%, IMDb 7.6
One of the best must see Brad Pitt performances is in the movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He plays the role of a dedicated actor and he didn’t have to stretch his personality in order to portray Cliff Booth’s charisma. Cliff, however, is more than a pretty face, being the heart of Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood. The director depicts how movie stars have started to fade in the supposed golden era of Hollywood. Rick Dalton, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is a Western television star, who is worried about his career going downhill, concerned that he may be forgotten. The two rely on each other for support.