The 25 Best Bruce Willis Movies

Few actors have such a dominant and storied career in action movies as Bruce Willis. He's one of the most incredible actors of all time and the reason for so many copycat movies attempting to do what he started in the 1980s and 90s.

With nearly 100 movies under his belt, there is a lot to unpack regarding his career. From easy picks like Die Hard and The Fifth Element to more underrated films like 12 Monkeys and Moonrise Kingdom, here are the 25 best Bruce Willis movies you need to know about.

1. The Sixth Sense (1999)

Regarded by many as the best Shyamalan movie and a masterpiece of drama and mystery, Bruce Willis stars as the psychologist trying to help a young man haunted by ghosts. Thrilling, traumatic, and surprising, this movie will captivate you, even if you know its final twists.

2. Sin City (2005)

Regarding movie adaptations, it is hard to beat this recreation of beloved graphic novels. Taking a unique storytelling approach with a visual style that is unmatched to this day, Bruce Willis plays a single thrilling character in a cast of unforgettable people.

3. Looper (2012)

In this futuristic action thriller, Bruce Willis plays the older version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character, an assassin who time travels to take out his targets. When Willis and Levitt’s characters find themselves as the next hit, it’s time to fight back in one of the best action-packed movies of Willis’ career.

4. The Fifth Element (1997)

Bruce Willis’ seminal sci-fi movie is also one of his best. In the 23rd century, Willis is caught up in an adventure to find the other four elements and save the futuristic world. A little unhinged and visually striking, this is one of the most memorable Bruce Willis movies.

5. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

This tells the story of a tiny, tight-knit community in the 1960s that has nothing to do with the outside world. After two kids go missing, it is up to Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, and Bill Murray to find them. This is a good movie from Willis' recent outings with a solid mix of comedy, action, and drama.

6. Pulp Fiction (1994)

For a good reason, many consider the beloved action classic a masterpiece. Though the story is a bit bonkers and Bruce Willis doesn’t play the most prominent role in the movie, it’s worth checking out for a one-of-a-kind film, unlike anything you've seen before.

7. Nobody’s Fool (1994)

Bruce Willis plays a supporting role in this fantastic drama film starring Paul Newman in one of his best works yet. While Willis doesn’t have much to do in the story, this is a serious movie worth checking out for the characters and their relationships.

8. 12 Monkeys (1995)

Bruce Willis travels to the past to save humanity from an impending plague. The cast alone is fantastic, but there are a lot of intriguing action and sci-fi thriller moments that put Willis in a setting different than his usual places.

9. Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Bruce Willis returned to the beloved franchise that set him on the map many years after the fact. With a modern threat and all of its tech, John McClane lets his conventional weapons do the talking in the second-best entry in the series.

10. Over the Hedge (2006)

Bruce Willis once again returns to the animated screen for easily his best attempt in the genre. Starring as a shady raccoon, he tries to encourage another group of woodland creatures to do whatever they want.

11. Red (2010)

Bruce Willis plays a retired CIA agent targeted by a mysterious force and nearly killed. Bringing together some of his old friends, including some welcome stars like Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren, he takes on a seemingly impossible threat with a fresh dose of goofs and action.

12. Die Hard (1988)

It’s hard to beat the movie that put Bruce Willis on the map and started his lifelong action thriller career. Die Hard, despite its age, shows how to do an action movie right. Grounded, constantly shifting, and full of tense drama, there is a reason that so many movies have tried to copy what John McClane first accomplished on Christmas Eve.

13. Unbreakable (2000)

Bruce Willis stars as David Dunn, the sole survivor of a train crash. In the process, he learns the truth about himself with the help of Samuel L. Jackson’s Elijah. A true classic from M. Night Shyamalan, there is a reason that this action-packed thriller spawned two (mixed) sequels.

14. Planet Terror (2007)

This is one of the more bizarre zombie horror movies about a small Texas town trying to survive against the zombie hordes. Bruce Willis might not be the star here, but the action and thrills of the disgusting threat make this an underrated ride.

15. Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996)

In one of the oddest performances for Bruce Willis, he stars as the man who sends these two chaotic cartoon characters on a journey across America to murder his wife. Funny and irreverent, this is one of the more unique Willis roles.

16. Die Hard 2 (1990)

The original sequel to the beloved Bruce Willis movie is mostly more of the same, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. This time, John McClane has to take down some terrorists threatening Washington Dulles International Airport in this action-packed thriller.

17. The Expendables 2 (2012)

Bruce Willis reassembles Sylvester Stallone’s star-studded group of action heroes once more. This time, the premise is much more emotional and intriguing, as a revenge story for the death of one of the group and the unexpected threat they have to take on.

18. In Country (1989)

In this movie, Bruce Willis begins to show his acting chops as a Vietnam War veteran who struggles with mental and physical health. The script pushes him to his limits, even if the movie could have benefited from faster pacing.

19. Motherless Brooklyn (2019)

With a fantastic cast and a gripping mystery, a struggling private eye tries to find the murderer behind his only friend. Willis, Willem Dafoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and more nail this intriguing murder mystery. While not Willis’ best mystery role, it certainly engrosses the viewer if you can keep it around until the end.

20. Bandits (2001)

Honestly, this premise of two no-good criminals trying to finesse their way to success is nothing too special. Instead, what makes this movie one of the Bruce Willis greats is the chemistry between him, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett.

21. Armageddon (1998)

A true classic and one of the best Michael Bay movies, Bruce Willis stars as the one man who can stop an asteroid from creating the titular armageddon on Earth. Together with an excellent cast, this otherwise predictable story is elevated by the characters.

22. Mortal Thoughts (1991)

In this odd, dramatic, action-packed murder mystery, Bruce Willis isn’t the action hero or antagonist but the murder victim. Who took his terrible character out, and what was its motivation? That is for you to find it out in this thrilling mystery.

23. Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995)

There is an argument to be made for this franchise to be growing stale by this point. Even still, the unique premise of Willis’ John McClane, now down and out as a divorced alcoholic, is intriguing enough on its own. Thankfully, saved by its action, it sadly doesn’t do much with its otherwise brilliant idea.

24. Look Who’s Talking (1989)

If you want to find one of the oddest but most iconic Bruce Willis roles, look no further than this family comedy. Willis plays Mikey, a talking newborn baby who comments on everything going on with his mother, played by Kirstie Alley. This is a strange but hilariously memorable movie.

25. The Expendables (2010)

Led by Sylvester Stallone’s Barney, the ultimate cast of action heroes, including Bruce Willis, are assembled to go on a deadly mission that could very well mean the end of their lives. Again, the action is top-notch, even if it doesn’t fully use its terrific cast.