George Clooney is one of the most beloved actors in the movie industry, starting from a hit TV drama named ER before he had his breakout role in From Dusk till Dawn 1996. He has been nominated for many awards over the course of his career. TechTrends put together a list of the best George Clooney movies of all time, so keep reading to find out what they are.
Some of the movies George Clooney played in have been among the most prestigious ones in theaters in the last twenty years. The talented actor is one of the most recognizable people in the movie industry and one of the highest-profile stars, too. Due to his activism, he gains lots of attention on and off screen. Moreover, he and his wife, human right attorney Amal Alamuddin, are often the subject of gossip in Hollywood inner circles. He is one of the actors that rose to stardom in motion picture after appearing on TV and gaining fame there. Clooney portrayed the role of Dr. Doug Ross in the series ER.
While doing the series, he played in a couple of successful movies and made a name for himself. Over the years, Clooney has won two Oscars and four Golden Globes. Moreover, he won the Kennedy Center Honors in 2022. Here are the best George Clooney movies of all time. Let’s jump into the list.
Best George Clooney Movies of All Time
Double Oscar winner George Clooney is one of the most successful actors in Hollywood. Notwithstanding having family connections, at the beginning of his career, he struggled to make it. However, he found a part in ER in 1984, which was the beginning of something great for him. Keep reading this article to see the top George Clooney movies of all time, ranked.
11. Syriana 2005
- Genre: Drama/Political Thriller
- Director: Stephen Gaghan
- Stars: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Amanda Peet, Jeffrey Wright, William Hurt
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 73%, IMDb 6.9
Syriana is one of the best George Clooney movies ever that brough him his Oscar for Best Actor. This is one of his most successful movies and it is based on a true story. He portrays the role of a veteran CIA officer named Rob Barnes who is eager to stop arms trafficking in the Middle East. However, once he realizes that things are not what they appear to be, his actions make his superiors nervous with the US having a lot of Skeletons to hide. In addition to his Oscar award, Clooney grabbed a Golden Globe award for Best Actor.
10. The Ides of March 2011
- Genre: Drama/Political Drama
- Director: George Clooney
- Stars: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 83%, IMDb 7.1
George Clooney directed the movie The Ides of March in 2011 and it is a political drama. The star of the film is Ryan Gosling who is a junior campaign manager for the Pennsylvania Governor, setting up a campaign for the United States president. Once he found out that the governor slept with a woman and got her pregnant in an affair, everyone aims to keep his picture clean. George Clooney plays the role of the presidential candidate and he was able to add his charisma and charm to the character. The movie earned Clooney an Oscar nomination for screenplay as well as a Golden Globe nomination for his direction. This is yet another one of the best George Clooney movies of all time. Add it to your watch list.
9. Out of Sight 1998
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Steven Soderbergh
- Stars: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Ving Rhames
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 94%, IMDb 7
One of the best George Clooney movies of all time that came out in 1998 is Out of Sight. The story revolves around a romance between a bank robber who falls for a Federal Marshal when he escapes from jail. Jennifer Lopez plays the role of Karen Sisco while George Clooney portrays Jack Foley. Among the other amazing stars are Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Catherine Keener, and Albert Brooks. This movie got a lot of critical acclaim, with Lopez’s portrayal of the character receiving praise and positive reviews. Critics also hailed Clooney’s chemistry with Lopez. Although the movie received Oscar nominations for editing and screenplay, it did not win.
8. Three Kings 1999
- Genre: War/Action
- Director: David O. Russell
- Stars: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Spike Jonze, Ice Cube, Cliff Curtis, Judy Greer
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 94%, IMDb 7.1
In the movie Three Kings, George Clooney plays the role of Sgt. Major Archie Gates, who is a man teaming up with another two soldiers looking for Iraqi gold that is hidden in the Saudi desert at the end of the 1991 Gulf War. During their pursuit, they come across refugees that escaped from Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guard. They make a deal to escort them in exchange for their help to save Troy from Iraqi intelligence. The movie earned a lot of critical acclaim and is among the best George Clooney movies of all time.
Read more: Best Mark Wahlberg Movies of All Time
7. Michael Clayton 2007
- Genre: Drama/Thriller
- Director: Tony Gilroy
- Stars: George Clooney, Sydney Pollack, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Michael O’Keefe, Merritt Wever
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 91%, IMDb 7.2
George Clooney plays the role of an ex-prosecutor named Michael Clayton, who worked for the prestigious law firm Kenner, Bach, and Ledeen. During a deposition, one of their senior attorneys starts to have a meltdown. It is then that Clooney’s character is called to handle the situation. He is informed that their client, a chemical company whom they are defending for 3 billion dollars, is keen on winning the case in any way he can. George Clooney was nominated for Best Actor for this movie. The film earned seven Oscar nominations itself. Michael Clayton is another one of the best George Clooney movies of all time that we highly recommend.
6. The Descendants 2011
- Genre: Drama/Comedy
- Director: Alexander Payne
- Stars: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 87%, IMDb 7.3
One of the best George Clooney movies of all time is the Descendants, where he shares the screen with Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Nick Krause, and many other amazing actors. Clooney plays the role of Matt King, and Shailene performs as Alexandra King. The story follows the two as some unexpected events happen in Matt King’s life. There is drama as well as laughter in this movie. Although it was not easy to play next to Clooney, Woodley held her own at that age and stole the scene in this Oscar-winning movie.
When Matt King becomes a widow, he has to take care of a substantial amount of Hawaiian real state that the family has in trust. He gets lots of opinions regarding selling or keeping the property. His portrayal of the father is cold and authentic as he cannot guide them in moving on with the tragedy their family faced. Clooney was nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Award for this role.
Read more: Best Shailene Woodley Movies of All Time
5. Up in the Air 2009
- Genre: Drama/Comedy
- Director: Jason Reitman
- Stars: George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, Jason Reitman, Jason Bateman, J.K. Simmons, Zach Galifianakis
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 90%, IMDb 7.4
The fifth one on the list of the best George Clooney movies of all time is Up in the Air, which tells the tale of a young employee who works at a human resources consultancy firm. In order to show how important it is to fire someone face-to-face, Ryan Bingham, played by George Clooney, takes the employee with him. When he falls for a woman he meets, however, he starts to reconsider his hard ways. Anna Kendrick plays the role of Vera Farmiga, who is Clooney’s love interest. The two actors have charisma, humor, and a lot of emotion which attracts the audience. We strongly recommend this wonderful film.
Read more: Best Anna Kendrick Movies of All Time
4. Good Night and Good Luck 2005
- Genre: Drama/History
- Director: George Clooney
- Stars: George Clooney, David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, Grant Heslov, Robert Downey Jr.
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 93%, IMDb 7.4
The fourth one on the list of the best George Clooney movies of all time is Good Night and Good Luck. When Clooney won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2005, he made a joke that it meant that he was not going to win Best Director. 2005 was a great year for Clooney as he got nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for this film. The movie tells the story of famous CBS broadcaster Edward R. Murrow and his battle with Senator Joseph McCarthy from the McCarthey trials. We highly recommend this as one of the best George Clooney films of all time.
Read more: Best History Movies of All Time
3. O’ Brother Where Art Thou 2000
- Genre: Musical/Drama
- Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
- Stars: George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson, John Turturro, John Goodman
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 79%, IMDb 7.7
This movie is a modern adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey directed by the Coen brothers. George Clooney features as Ulysses Everett McGill, who is an escaped convict in Mississippi in the events of The Great Depression. With two other prisoners, Ulysses tried to escape a chain gang and came across a lot of threats when pretending to be a traveling musical trio with the other two. They get encountered with a number of mysterious and shady characters and find themselves in strange situations. Despite being a native of Kentucky, Clooney had to work on his accent and get a deeper southern accent that would match with the 30s. His performance won him a Golden Globe and the movie also won a Grammy for the music. O’ Brother Where Art Thou is another one of the best George Clooney movies of all time.
2. Ocean’s Eleven 2001
- Genre: Crime/Comedy
- Director: Steven Soderbergh
- Stars: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Andy Gracia, Bernie Mac
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 83%, IMDb 7.7
Another one of the best George Clooney movies of all time is Ocean’s Eleven where he portrays the role of master thief Danny Ocean. He makes plans for a high-stakes robbery of three casinos in Las Vegas in one night. After losing his wife Tess to gambling mogul Terry Benedict, he is keen on getting revenge. Terry is the owner of all the casinos he plans to rob. Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon made an unofficial modern Rat Pack. Moreover, he led the cast in two more sequels that came after. Don’t miss Ocean’s Eleven as it is one of George Clooney’s greatest movie roles.
Read more: Best Crime Movies of All Time
1. Gravity 2013
- Genre: Sci-fi/Thriller
- Director: Alfonso Cuarón
- Stars: George Clooney, Sandra Bullock, Ed Harris
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 96%, IMDb 7.7
One of the best George Clooney movies of all time and the top one on the list is Gravity. This outer space masterpiece shows his talent playing the role of Lt. Matt Kowalski. The veteran commander was going to retire soon. Clooney features alongside great Sandra Bullock, who featured as Dr. Ryan Stone, who is a medical engineer. She is on the verge of experiencing her first ever space mission. While the first half of the movie is handled by these two actors, the second half is a one-woman show for Bullock. She was able to rise to the occasion and nail it. Her character is trapped in space following an incident and has to find a way to get back to Earth.
Despite the movie mostly being for Bullock, Clooney’s role was quite strong. Clooney’s character ends up dying in their attempts to get back to Earth when their space shuttle gets destroyed. It is definitely worth watching and the top one on our list of the best must-see George Clooney performances.
Read more: Best Sandra Bullock Movies of All Time