Best Mark Wahlberg Movies of All Time

Mark Wahlberg was a signer who got interested in acting and made a career for himself in the film industry over the last few decades. He has appeared in more than 30 films but TechTrends made a list of the best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time.

Mark Wahlberg has played in a wide range of movies, with more than 30 in total. He has been dazzling the viewers from the early 2000s. He started taking an interest in acting when he acted in music videos for his songs and his stage name was Marky Mark. However, his career has developed professionally since then. He had his breakout role when he performed in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Night back in 1997. Wahlberg then worked with great directors such as Martin Scorsese in the movie The Departed, in which he got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Other amazing directors he collaborated with are Peter Jackson, Tim Burton, Ridley Scott and David O. Russell. He has most recently appeared in Uncharted.

TechTrends decided to put together a list of the best must-see Mark Wahlberg performances, ranked based on their ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. Here we go.

Best Mark Wahlberg Movies of All Time

Although he had much of a troubled adolescence, he built one hell of a career. He started his acting career in 1994 when he played in Renaissance Man but his first impressive movie was Boogie Nights in 1997. Since then, he has gone on to play in a number of blockbuster movies such as Planet of the Apes and the Perfect Storm. Without further ado, let’s get to the list of the best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time.

12. Uncharted 2022

  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • Director: Ruben Fleischer
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Tom Holland, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, Rudy Pankow
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 41%, IMDb 6.3

Based on the best-selling video game series, Uncharted is one of the best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time. The movie focuses on young Nathan Darke, played by Tom Holland, before the first game’s events begin to happen, with Holland’s character being recruited by a treasure hunter to find the lost treasure of Ferdinand Magellan. He believes young Nathan is talented when it comes to theft. When he gets recruited as a hunter, he is allowed to experience a life larger than he has ever known before.

Mark Wahlberg plays the role of a popular character in the game, Victor Sullivan, who is like a father figure to Nathan, the protagonist of the film. Critics did not appreciate the movie a lot as it does not take up new ground, failing to showcase the grandeur of the video games it was made from. Despite all that, Wahlberg was able to perform amazingly well as always.

Read more: Best Tom Holland Movies of All Time

11. Ted 2 2015

  • Genre: Comedy
  • Director: Seth MacFarlane
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried, Seth MacFarlane, Jessica Barth, Tom Brady, Morgan Freeman
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 44%, IMDb 6.3

After the events of the first Ted movie which saw John, played by Mark Wahlberg, make a wish for his Teddy bear to come alive, the second film saw John as a bachelor and Ted as a married man. Ted and Jessica Barth’s character got married and when they want to adopt a child, they face some difficulties. The problems lead to Ted being named a property rather than a person. This obviously makes Ted quite angry and dejected, so he has to ask for legal help from a young lawyer, played by Amanda Seyfried as well as a legendary attorney, who is portrayed by Morgan Freeman. He is eager to get the justice he so badly craves. John accompanies Ted on this journey and starts to fall for the young lawyer. This is a very hilarious movie and one of the best Mark Wahlberg films of all time.

Read more: Best Morgan Freeman Movies of All Time

10. The Basketball Diaries 1995

  • Genre: Drama/Indie film
  • Director: Scott Kalvert
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jim Carroll, Lorraine Bracco, James Madio
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 47%, IMDb 7.3

The 10th one on the list of the best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time is The Basketball Diaries which marked his second full-length movie when he was 23 years old. The film revolves around a basketball player Jim Carroll, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. However, Wahlberg was able to steal the show in some scenes as Mickey, with his amazing talent in acting. The two are very good friends but they do not influence each other well as they do drugs together when they hang out. These all lead to their dealer dying and the two get arrested by the police.

9. Ted 2012

  • Genre: Comedy/Fantasy
  • Director: Seth MacFarlane
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Jessica Barth, Giovanni Ribisi, Patrick Warburton, Joel McHale
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 69%, IMDb 6.9

One of the most hilarious and best Mark Wahlberg movies ever, Ted, has so many iconic scenes and legendary moments. As for the storyline, when Mark Wahlberg, playing the role of John Bennet, was a little boy, he made a wish for his Teddy bear to be his real friend and come alive. So, he does come alive and thirty years later, foul-mouthed Ted and John are still friends and accompany each other all the time. This makes Lori, John’s girlfriend, played by Mila Kunis, annoyed when they are constantly drinking beer and smoking weed.

Read more: Best Mila Kunis Movies of All Time

8. Shooter 2007

  • Genre: Action/Thriller
  • Director: Antoine Fuqua
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Mara, Danny Glover, Michael Peña
  • Rating: IMDb 7.1

The movie Shooter is an adaptation of Stephan Hunter’s novel Point of Impact and it revolves around the tale of a U.S. marksman who returns to service in order to keep the president safe from a plot of assassination. Mark Wahlberg plays the role of Bob Lee Swagger, gets betrayed and they make him seem like the assassin. The talented actor was able to showcase a remarkable performance as ex-U.S. Army sniper Swagger. How Wahlberg puts details and precision into the character definitely contributed to the greatness of the film. Swagger finds the chance to clear his name at the end with Sara Fenn and FBI agent Memphis’ help. Shooter is indeed one of the best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time.

7. Lone Survivor 2013

  • Genre: War/Action
  • Director: Peter Berg
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Dan Bilzerian, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch, Eric Bana, Alexander Ludwig
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 75%, IMDb 7.5

This movie is like the next one on our list and it shows Wahlberg as the main character of the movie which is based on a true story. Lone Survivor has Wahlberg playing the role of Marcus Luttrell, who is the leader of the SEAL team, which includes four men. The teams attempt to complete the mission, which is to capture and kill Ahmad Shah, the Taliban leader responsible for the killing of 20 U.S. Marines. Luttrell, as well as his team, do some heroic deeds in Lone Survivor that results in the mission being complete. Wahlberg performs remarkable well with emotion and intensity, particularly when in the scene where he does not want to kill the people of an Afghan village. Although the team does an amazing job and is strong, Wahlberg’s character is the only survivor. This is one of the Mark Wahlberg’s greatest movie roles.

6. Patriots Day 2016

  • Genre: Thriller/Crime
  • Director: Peter Berg
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Peter Berg, Kevin Bacon, Alex Wolff, Melissa Benoist
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 80%, IMDb 7.3

Not only did Mark Wahlberg star in the movie Patriots Day, but he also helped in the production. This film is also based on true events and it took place at the 2013 Boston Marathon and shows the manhunt that came after the bombing. Wahlberg portrays the role of the lead protagonist, Officer Tommy Saunders. However, the were many other heroes in the real attack such as Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, portrayed by John Goodman. Some scenes of the movie are hard to watch as it depicts what had actually occurred, but Patriots Day honors those who selflessly put their lives forward in order to save other people.

5. Instant Family 2018

  • Genre: Comedy/Drama
  • Director: Sean Anders
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Isabela Merced, Octavia Spencer, Julianna Gamiz, Gustavo Escobar
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 81%, IMDb 7.3

Another one of the best Mark Wahlberg films ever is Instant Family, where he portrays the role of Pete. Although Wahlberg appeared in many family-friendly movies, this one is considered to be his best. He and Ellie, played by rose Byrne, are prospective parents who adopt three kids from foster care. All the moments of this long movie are interesting and necessary ones. This movie shows the real situation of adopting more honest and understandable. Wahlberg as the great new dad in the movie does a great job of connecting with the kids, particularly his son. However, some things happen like Pete accidentally hitting his son in the face when playing baseball or basketball. This is one of the best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time.

4. Deepwater Horizon 2016

  • Genre: Action/Thriller
  • Director: Peter Berg
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Dylan O’Brien, Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson, John Malkovich
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 82%, IMDb 7.1

Although Deepwater Horizon was one of the biggest box office bombs ever, it was nominated for a few main awards, with two Oscars. It follows the tale of the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon and oil leaking in the Gulf of Mexico. Some argue that it is one of the most terrifying motion pictures out there since the devastation was portrayed quite viscerally. It shows how tousled big companies are and what a large role they have in destroying the planet. This real story revolves around Mike Williams, the Chief Electrical Technician, portrayed by Wahlberg. He does his best to defend and save his crew when things take a turn.

Although his character is underappreciated in this film, Deepwater Horizon is still one of the best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time. Dylan O’Brien plays the role of Caleb Holloway, who is one of the staff members at the time of the incident.

Read more: Best Dylan O’Brien Movies of All Time

3. The Departed 2006

  • Genre: Crime/Drama
  • Director: Martin Scorsese
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Vera Farmiga, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 90%, IMDb 8.5

Wahlberg featured in Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning Best Picture as a Massachusetts cop. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the role of Billy Costigan, he is tasked to go undercover to infiltrate a group of Irish-American mob, with Frank Costello, played by Jack Nicholson, as their leader gangster. DiCaprio urges the audience to sympathize with him and get worried when he encounters Nicholson as he may slip up. He juggles the dangers of his work undercover because he could get caught and murdered. As for Wahlberg, although he got nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, he did not win the award.

Wahlberg portrays the role of Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam, who is an intense policeman. In the second half of the movie, he is the main protagonist and he kills Billy Costigan, who infiltrated the department of police. Moreover, the Departed is considered as one of the best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time.

Read more: Best Leonardo DiCaprio Movies of All Time

2. The Fighter 2010

  • Genre: Drama/Sport
  • Director: David O. Russell
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Dicky Eklund, Melissa Leo, Jill Quigg
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 91%, IMDb 7.8

The title of the movie is about the boxing career Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg, had held. Christian Bale plays the part of Micky’s brother Dicky. The film revolves around Micky’s career and relationships. While trying to succeed in his job, he has to deal with his family problems. Moreover, it refers to the battle Dicky was enduring with addiction to crack. In order to feature as Dicky, Bale lost 30 pounds and became the heart. He also showed a lot of dedication when it came to learning the rhythms and mannerisms of Eklund as he spent hours with the real Eklund for that purpose. Wahlberg, on the other hand, laid down a mean left hook of emotions and a nasty right hook of determination to become victorious in this film. The Fighter is one of the best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time.

Read more: Best Christian Bale Movies of All Time

1. Boogie Nights 1997

  • Genre: Drama/Indie films
  • Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 93%, IMDb 7.9

The first one on our list of the best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time is also the one that marked his breakthrough. Moreover, it was one of the earliest movies Wahlberg acted in. The story revolves around a porn movie producer named Jack Horner and his attempts to make the industry grow with a young actor, Eddie Adams, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. He is a kind and humble kid at the beginning but turns to a lost and egocentric star. His incredible performance in this movie made it one of the best Mark Wahlberg movies of all time.

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