Ryan Reynold is mostly known for his role as Deadpool and has become one of the most popular actors in the movie industry. Not only is he an actor, but he is also a producer, entrepreneur, and family man. To honor his acting career that dates back to the 1990s, TechTrends decided to make a list of the best Ryan Reynolds movies of all time.
“I don’t expect success. I prepare for it,” said a wise man who has established himself as one of the sweethearts of Canada. Ryan Reynolds was born in Vancouver, British Colombia, but he decided to leave and act elsewhere. He took the first step to making his dreams come true by going to Los Angeles. However, his car was rubbed the first night he was in LA. It did not stop the talented actor since he soon got many roles all over the town. After five years, he had a leading role in the movie Van Wilder: Party Liaison. Since then, he has gone on to make a variety of incredible movies that are definitely worth watching. We made a list of the best must-see Ryan Reynold performances. So, without further ado, let’s get to the list which ranks his movies from 14 to one. Here we go.
Best Ryan Reynolds Movies of All Time
It is hard to find an actor better than Ryan Reynolds when it comes to effortless charisma and wry wit. However, despite being unchallenged in those aspects, it took a while since he was able to become a movie star. He is widely known for his role in the MCU movie Deadpool. However, we decided to add all his great movies to the list; from rom-coms to action flicks, Reynolds can do it all. Here are the best Ryan Reynolds movies ever.
14. Finder’s Fee 2001
- Genre: Drama/Thriller
- Director: Jeff Probst
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, James Earl Jones, Matthew Lillard, Erik Palladino, Carly Pope
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 60%, IMDb 6.3
One of the best Ryan Reynolds films ever is Finder’s Fee, which is a tale of a man who sees a winning lottery ticket in a wallet on the street. His dilemma becomes worse when his crew for poker game arrives for their weekly game. Reynolds plays alongside top actors such as Matthew Lillard and James Earl Jones in this movie. Although the screenplay seemed creaky and questionable when it comes to poker logistics, it is a tensely staged character piece that has an entertaining twist at the end.
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13. The Nines 2007
- Genre: Drama/Mystery
- Director: John August
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Melissa McCarthy, Hope Davis, Elle Fanning, Octavia Spencer
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 64%, IMDb 6.2
Before Deadpool made him a superstar, Ryan Reynolds appeared in The Nines, where he stretched outside his comfort zone. The movie is a triptych featuring Reynolds in all three segments. First, he is an actor who is struggling. Then he became a TV writer, and finally, a video game designer. The Nine pushes sci-fi and try-fi boundary, going too far with the twists and turns. However, Reynolds was able to tie the characters to one another when they are twisting and turning in the confusing story. Therefore, he made it one of his best performances.
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12. The Voices 2014
- Genre: Thriller/Horror
- Director: Marjane Satrapi
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton, Adi Shankar, Alessa Kordeck
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 75%, IMDb 6.3
The next one on the list of the best Ryan Reynolds movies of all time is The Voices. His career has been going from one genre to the next for him to find his place in the movie industry. With this movie, he reached a pre-Deadpool career high point. The story follows an unhinged factory worker who has to opt between his talking cat’s advice to become a killer or his dog’s advice on keeping his life normal. Reynolds is a charismatic charmer, always at his best when it comes to the intersection of darkness and comedy. So, he proved that with this movie. it proves that he can be successful in horror movies if he decides to choose it once again.
11. Just Friends 2005
- Genre: Romance/Comedy
- Director: Roger Kumble
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Chris Marquette, Chris Klein
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 42%, IMDb 6.2
This movie has developed something of a cult following ever since it came out in 2005, particularly because of the performances. Just Friends showcases Ryan Reynolds’ easy charm, with the real standout being Anna Faris, with her display as Jessica Simpson stealing many scenes. After playing in this movie, Reynolds continued becoming more successful in his career. In this rom-com, Reynolds fears being friend-zoned after he had a scarring experience back in high-school that broke his heart, turning him cold. He became this womanizing, modern-day Reynolds. Just Friends is one of the best Ryan Reynolds movies of all time.
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10. The Proposal 2009
- Genre: Romance/Comedy
- Director: Anne Fletcher
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock, Betty White, Oscar Nunez, Malin Åkerman
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 45%, IMDb 6.7
In the movie The Proposal, Ryan Reynolds portrays Sandra Bullock’s assistant, who will turn into her fiancé. While there’s nothing fresh in this movie, there is a refreshing amount of fuzzy and warm feeling. Teaming up Reynolds and Bullock was dreamy, with their amazing chemistry. The movie is about a female executive who wrangles her assistant into acting like he is her fiancé, so she won’t get deported to Canada. The two played off one another incredibly with their impeccable comedic timing. The Proposal is one of the best Ryan Reynolds movies of all time.
9. Life 2017
- Genre: Sci-fi/Horror
- Director: Daniel Espinosa
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Olga Dihovichnaya, Hiroyuki Sanada
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 67%, IMDb 6.6
Being a bizarre entry into the genre of sci-fi, Life is close to the trapped-in-space mold. The movie follows a group of astronauts who come across a fast-evolving life form that starts to terrorize them. Ryan Reynolds’ role in this movie is a little more serious than before, but the good-looking actor was able to perform incredibly despite the new task at hand. The floating cinematography and textured production design were appreciated by the audience. This is one of the best Ryan Reynolds movies of all time. Make sure to add it to your watchlist.
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8. The Adam Project 2022
- Genre: Sci-fi/Drama
- Director: Shawn Levy
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Zoe Saldaña, Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 67%, IMDb 6.7
One of the best Ryan Reynolds movies of all time is The Adam Project which was released in 2022. While critics gave the movie mixed reviews, the audience received it well. Moreover, there is a stellar cast, including Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener, Zoe Saldana, and for sure Ryan Reynolds. The story revolves around a time-travelling fighter pilot who is called Adam Reed. He crashes into the past when he was 12 years old. When the old and young Adam unite, they start their mission to save the world. The banter between the two was the highlight of the movie, with the remainder of the film lacking authenticity in some scenes.
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7. Definitely, Maybe 2008
- Genre: Romance/Comedy
- Director: Adam Brooks
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 70%, IMDb 7.1
The handsome actor has appeared in many different genres of movies, but this one is among one of the best Ryan Reynolds movies of all time. He plays the role of Will Hayes with a lot of charm. Moreover, his storytelling near bedtime to his daughter is very impressive. There are not only brains but also hearts in this screenplay and direction, making this worth watching. This touching story explores the love life of Reynold’s almost-divorced character, with him explaining to his daughter how he met her mother, not using their real names. There is a lot of emotion, intimacy, and vulnerability involved, with the cast having been chosen perfectly.
6. Deadpool 2 2018
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: David Leitch
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Zazie Beetz, Julian Dennison, Morena Baccarin
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 84%, IMDb 7.7
After Deadpool came out in 2016, the second sequel was a revival of a unique superhero movie adaptation that leaves no stones unturned. There are many laugh-out-loud moments, making this one of the greatest achievements in Reynold’s career. It appears as though he was made for this role and no one could have portrayed this comic character better than him. the movie’s opening is quite shocking with a Celine Dion-sung main titles song, with a lot of violence, humor, and proof that Ryan Reynolds is the best talent out there for this role. Deadpool 2 is one of the best Ryan Reynolds movies of all time. We strongly recommend it if you are up for a lot of laughs.
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5. Free Guy 2021
- Genre: Comedy/Action
- Director: Shawn Levy
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Joe Keery, Jodie Comer, Dwayne Johnson, Taika Waititi
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 80%, IMDb 7.1
One of the best Ryan Reynolds movies of all time that came out in 2021 is Free Guy. The story revolves around a man who is unknowingly trapped in a virtual world. This movie takes on this concept more lightheartedly than The Matrix Resurrections, but it beats it to the punch. Reynolds has the titular role in this movie and has a mundane life as a bank teller. He then finds out that he is an NPC inside a big multiplayer online video game. Not liking the idea of being trapped, Guy decides to change things and start to be the commander of his own life. Reynolds, as an effortlessly charming actor, lets the viewers feel this charm in full force. His character is funny, loyal, and so easy to root for.
4. Adventureland 2009
- Genre: Romance/Comedy
- Director: Greg Mottola
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 89%, IMDb 6.8
Another one of the best Ryan Reynolds films ever is Greg Mottola’s underrated coming-of-age story about a college graduate that finds love working at an amusement park. In this interesting romance, Ryan Reynolds’ role was smaller, and he played Fun Zone’s good-looking maintenance man. However, he used his charm and got a peek into how his career might have been if he had chosen more low-key routes. This comedy is about summertime park workers in 1987.
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3. Mississippi Grind 2015
- Genre: Drama/Indie Film
- Directors: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn, Sienna Miller, Lio Tipton, Robin Weigert
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 91%, IMDb 6.4
In another one of the best Ryan Reynolds movies of all time, he teams up with Ben Mendelsohn in the story of a gambling addict who takes his good-luck-charm of a friend to a poker game, which is a high stake. Of all the buddy movies he played in, this one is the most rewarding, as they experience the highs and lows of the nights in the casino. The two actors create a masterpiece and make this movie very entertaining. We highly recommend it.
2. Buried 2010
- Genre: Thriller/Drama
- Director: Rodrigo Cortés
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Robert Paterson, Cade Dundish, Abdelilah Ben Massou
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 87%, IMDb 7.1
Undoubtedly one of the best Ryan Reynolds movies of all time, Buried, shows the actor being imprisoned in a coffin. The movie was also entirely shot inside a coffin, too. He only has a lighter and a cell phone, so he has to use every tool there. He uses all his charm, good looks, disarming sense of humor, and serious chops in this horror show. Although it was a risky movie, it paid off as he had little to work with but there was a lot of tension. He was a driver in Iraq. Then, he gets kidnapped and buried alive. He showcased a nerve-wracking performance, and made this one of his greatest movies.
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1. Deadpool 2016
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: Tim Miller
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Brianna Hildebrand, Ed Skrein
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 85%, IMDb 8
Ryan Reynolds found his role of a lifetime after decades of trying when he played in the movie Deadpool in 2016. This MCU movie is by far his best movie, as his sense of humor is extraordinary. This role was, without a doubt, the perfect match for Reynolds’ charm and sarcasm. Although it took a long time for him to get ready for it, upon release, it became a box office win and proved that the actor is really hard-working, deserving the title “star”. You don’t want to miss this one for sure; we strongly recommend this amazing movie.