The 90+ Best Harvey Keitel Movies

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Updated April 30, 2024 27.7K views 93 items
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List of the best Harvey Keitel movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Harvey Keitel's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Harvey Keitel movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Harvey Keitel movies will be at the top of the list. Harvey Keitel has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Harvey Keitel movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Harvey Keitel films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Harvey Keitel role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Harvey Keitel performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

This is a list that features films like This Ain't Bebop and Saturn 3.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Harvey Keitel movies?" and "What are the greatest Harvey Keitel roles of all time?"

Brett Ratner and Quentin Tarantino are among those who have directed Harvey Keitel at one point or another during their careers in the film industry. Movie fans who love Harvey Keitel have also been known to enjoy films starring Willem Dafoe and Ed Harris.

Most divisive: Wise Guys
Over 400 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 90+ Best Harvey Keitel Movies
  • Bad Lieutenant
    1
    Harvey Keitel, Frankie Thorn, Zoë Lund
    78 votes
    The Lieutenant (Harvey Keitel) is a corrupt cop steeped in gambling debt who exploits his authority to sexually harass teenage girls, embezzle money and abuse drugs. His troubles come to a head when a mob lackey delivers an ultimatum: pay off his debt, or else. His fate appears sealed. But when The Lieutenant learns that a $50,000 reward is being offered to whoever catches a pair of thugs who raped a nun (Frankie Thorn), he jumps at the opportunity, hoping that he can still redeem himself.
  • Mean Streets
    2
    Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Richard Romanus
    68 votes
    A slice of street life in Little Italy among lower echelon Mafiosos, unbalanced punks, and petty criminals. A small-time hood gets in over his head with a vicious loan shark. In an attempt to free himself from the dangers of his debt, he gets help from a friend who is also involved in criminal activities.
  • Reservoir Dogs
    3
    Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen
    102 votes
    In the gritty world of Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, a group of seasoned criminals, including Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) and Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi), find themselves embroiled in a high-stakes diamond heist gone awry. Directed with Tarantino's signature blend of dark humor and visceral violence, the movie unfolds primarily in a warehouse, where the men grapple with trust issues and the looming threat of police capture. The film weaves a complex narrative web through flashbacks, revealing more about each character's backstory while keeping audiences on edge. A critical success, it helped establish Tarantino as a force to be reckoned with in cinema.
  • Pulp Fiction
    4
    John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman
    89 votes
    Pulp Fiction, a quintessential Quentin Tarantino piece, is a genre-defying blend of crime, drama, and black comedy. The film intricately weaves the lives of two hitmen - Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), with a washed-up boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), and a mob boss's wife Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman). Punctuated by Tarantino's signature non-linear storytelling, the movie explores themes of redemption and consequences. It bagged the prestigious Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1994, testifying to its cinematic brilliance.
  • Taxi Driver
    5
    Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
    82 votes
    Taxi Driver unfolds as a brooding psychological drama, tracing the slow descent into madness of a Vietnam War veteran turned New York City cabbie. The protagonist, Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), is a loner consumed by urban decay and societal corruption. His obsession with purifying the city spirals into violent intent, culminating in an explosive climax. Directed by Martin Scorsese, this classic film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival and earned four Academy Award nominations. It showcases compelling performances from Jodie Foster as Iris, a teenage prostitute, and Harvey Keitel as her exploitative pimp.
  • The Piano
    6
    Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill
    66 votes
    Set in mid-19th century New Zealand, The Piano spins a tale of Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter), a mute pianist and her daughter, Flora (Anna Paquin). Sold into marriage by her father, Ada's life is thrown into chaos when her new husband, Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neill) refuses to transport her beloved piano from the beach where it was left. George Baines (Harvey Keitel), an illiterate neighbor strikes a deal with Ada - the piano for lessons. A grim love triangle ensues, underpinned by the haunting melody of the neglected piano. This film won three Academy Awards including Best Actress for Holly Hunter.
  • Smoke
    7
    William Hurt, Harvey Keitel, Harold Perrineau
    45 votes
    Writer Paul Benjamin (William Hurt) is nearly hit by a bus when he leaves Auggie Wren's (Harvey Keitel) smoke shop. Stranger Rashid Cole (Harold Perrineau Jr.) saves his life, and soon middle-aged Paul tells homeless Rashid that he wouldn't mind a short-term housemate. Still grieving over his wife's murder, Paul is moved by both Rashid's quest to reconnect with his father (Forest Whitaker) and Auggie's discovery that a woman who might be his daughter is about to give birth.
  • Lulu on the Bridge
    8
    Willem Dafoe, Mira Sorvino, Vanessa Redgrave
    24 votes
    Lulu on the Bridge is a 1998 American romantic-mystery drama film written and directed by author Paul Auster and starring Harvey Keitel, Mira Sorvino, and Willem Dafoe. The film is about a jazz saxophone player whose life is transformed after being shot. After discovering a mysterious stone, he meets and falls in love with a beautiful aspiring actress, but their happiness is cut short by a series of strange, dreamlike events. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.
  • The Duellists
    9

    The Duellists

    Keith Carradine, Harvey Keitel, Albert Finney
    35 votes
    Armand d'Hubert (Keith Carradine) and Gabriel Féraud (Harvey Keitel) are French soldiers under Napoleon. A trivial quarrel between d'Hubert and Féraud escalates into a lifelong grudge, and, as war rages on, the officers repeatedly challenge one another to violent sword and pistol duels. After 15 years, both men have distinguished themselves through their service and become generals, however, their mutual hatred never ceases, even when the initial cause of their rivalry is forgotten.
  • Fingers
    10
    Harvey Keitel, Tisa Farrow, Jim Brown
    20 votes
    Jimmy (Harvey Keitel) wants nothing more than to play Carnegie Hall. He has talent, and the ambition is definitely there. But Jimmy is the son of a mob boss (Michael V. Gazzo) and when he's not practicing piano, he's roughing up guys unable to pay their debts to his father. To ease the pressure he feels between his family obligations and his artistic ambitions, Jimmy indulges in sex and drugs. But the stress is getting too much, and Jimmy may ruin everything as his life spins out of control.
  • Who's That Knocking at My Door
    11
    Martin Scorsese, Harvey Keitel, Merissa Mathes
    29 votes
    Who's That Knocking at My Door, originally titled I Call First, is a 1967 drama film, which marked Martin Scorsese's debut as a director and Harvey Keitel's debut as an actor. Exploring themes of Catholic guilt similar to those in his later film Mean Streets, the story follows Italian-American J.R. as he struggles to accept the secret hidden by his independent and free-spirited girlfriend. This film was the winner of the 1968 Chicago Film Festival.
  • Thelma & Louise
    12
    Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel
    49 votes
    In the engaging road film Thelma & Louise, friends Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) embark on an impromptu road trip. Their journey spirals into a chaotic flight from law after an unexpected incident, evolving from a simple getaway to a symbol of rebellion against societal norms. Directed by Ridley Scott, this movie is lauded for its strong female leads and won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1992. As the plot unveils, viewers witness the transformation of Thelma and Louise as they navigate through their unforeseen predicament.
  • Dangerous Game
    13
    Madonna, Harvey Keitel, Richard Belzer
    11 votes
    Dangerous Game is a 1993 film directed by Abel Ferrara starring Madonna, Harvey Keitel and James Russo.
  • The Bridge of San Luis Rey
    14
    Robert De Niro, F. Murray Abraham, Kathy Bates
    14 votes
    During the Spanish Inquisition, Franciscan monk Brother Juniper (Gabriel Byrne) witnesses the collapse of a bridge in Lima, Peru, and wonders why God has chosen to let five people perish. At a tribunal led by the imperious archbishop of Peru (Robert De Niro), the monk gives evidence about the tragedy's victims, including a marquesa (Kathy Bates) rejected by her daughter (Émilie Dequenne) and the beautiful mistress (Pilar López de Ayala) of a local nobleman (F. Murray Abraham).
  • The Grey Zone
    15
    David Arquette, Daniel Benzali, Steve Buscemi
    24 votes
    Based on actual events, "The Grey Zone" is the staggeringly powerful story of the Auschwitz's twelfth Sonderkommando -- one of the thirteen consecutive "Special Squads" of Jewish prisoners placed by the Nazis in the excruciating moral dilemma of helping to exterminate fellow Jews in exchange for a few more months of life. From inside the working organs of the infamous Auschwitz death camp, this film asks to what terrible lengths we are willing to go to save our own lives.
  • A Crime
    16
    Harvey Keitel, Emmanuelle Béart, Norman Reedus
    14 votes
    Returning home from work, blue-collar New Yorker Vincent (Norman Reedus) unwittingly stumbles onto the crime scene of his murdered wife. Three years later, he is still inconsolable -- so much so that he is utterly oblivious to his neighbor, Alice (Emmanuelle Béart), and her obsessive affection for him. Wishing to force closure and bring an end to his vigilante murder investigation, Alice uses her allure to snare Roger (Harvey Keitel), a lonely cab driver and the perfect patsy.
  • Clockers
    17
    Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, Delroy Lindo
    30 votes
    Nineteen-year-old "Strike" Dunham (Mekhi Phifer) is a small-time street drug dealer for Rodney Little (Delroy Lindo), who wants Strike to kill a former dealer who stole from him. When the man turns up dead, Strike is suspected. But before homicide detective Rocco Klein (Harvey Keitel) has a chance to investigate, Strike's brother, Victor (Isaiah Washington), confesses to the crime -- and Klein suspects that Victor, a virtuous family man, is trying to cover up for Strike.
  • Point of No Return
    18
    Bridget Fonda, Gabriel Byrne, Dermot Mulroney
    10 votes
    A strung-out junkie named Maggie (Bridget Fonda) kills a police officer during the botched robbery of a drug store. After being sentenced to die at her trial, she is given a mysterious second chance. She can either become an elite assassin for the government or face the death penalty. Choosing life, she is trained and becomes the best assassin in the business. But her life gets complicated when she falls in love with an everyday guy named J.P. (Dermot Mulroney).
  • The Last Temptation of Christ
    19
    Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey
    29 votes
    Jesus (Willem Dafoe), a humble Judean carpenter beginning to see that he is the son of God, is drawn into revolutionary action against the Roman occupiers by Judas (Harvey Keitel) -- despite his protestations that love, not violence, is the path to salvation. The burden of being the savior of mankind torments Jesus throughout his life, leading him to doubt. As he is put to death on the cross, Jesus is tempted by visions of an ordinary life married to Mary Magdalene (Barbara Hershey).
  • Cop Land
    20
    Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta
    39 votes
    When hotheaded Superboy (Michael Rapaport) accidentally gets involved in an ugly racially-motivated incident, his uncle Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel), a corrupt New York City cop, attempts to sweep it under the rug by helping fake his nephew's death. The bungled cover-up leads to investigations by idealistic Internal Affairs officer Moe Tilden (Robert De Niro) and Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone), sheriff of the suburban New Jersey town where Donlan and his fellow crooked policemen live.
  • Death Watch
    21
    Harvey Keitel, Max von Sydow, Bill Nighy
    11 votes
    Death Watch is a 1980 science fiction film directed by Bertrand Tavernier. It is based on the novel The Unsleeping Eye by David G. Compton, also known as The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe. The film was entered into the 30th Berlin International Film Festival. The film had 1,013,842 Admissions in France and was the 35th most attended film of the year.
  • The Two Jakes
    22
    Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Meg Tilly
    12 votes
    Private investigator and war veteran Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by real estate developer Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel) for some run-of-the-mill matrimonial work. After Berman shoots his wife's lover, who happens to be his own business partner, Gittes is drawn into a web of conspiracy and deceit involving the oil reserves beneath Los Angeles. While investigating, Gittes hears a voice from his past that causes him to revisit a traumatic case in Chinatown.
  • Holy Smoke!
    23
    Kate Winslet, Harvey Keitel, Pam Grier
    12 votes
    While on a journey of discovery in exotic India, beautiful young Ruth Barron (Kate Winslet) falls under the influence of a charismatic religious guru. Her desperate parents then hire PJ Waters (Harvey Keitel), a macho cult de-programmer who confronts Ruth in a remote desert hideaway. But PJ quickly learns that he's met his match in the sexy, intelligent and iron-willed Ruth!
  • Blue in the Face
    24
    Madonna, Michael J. Fox, Roseanne Barr
    10 votes
    Blue in the Face is a 1995 comedy directed by Wayne Wang and Paul Auster. It stars Harvey Keitel, Victor Argo, Giancarlo Esposito, Roseanne Barr, Michael J. Fox, Lily Tomlin, Mira Sorvino, Lou Reed, Mel Gorham, Jim Jarmusch,and Malik Yoba. Blue in the Face was filmed over a five-day period as a follow-up to Wang's 1995 movie Smoke. During production of Smoke, Keitel and the others ad-libbed scenes in-character between takes and a sequel was made using this improvised material. Lily Tomlin was nominated for an American Comedy Award as "Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture" for her performance in this picture. Blue in the Face features songs by late slain Tejano Queen, Selena. The bilingual duet with David Byrne, "God's Child" is used as sound track.
  • Bugsy
    25
    Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel
    33 votes
    New York mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (Warren Beatty) leaves New York City to dip into the glamour of Hollywood, Calif., and to build up syndicate gambling rackets. Bowled over by actress Virginia Hill (Annette Bening), the dapper Siegel courts her, despite having a wife and children. Obsessed with creating a gambling haven, Siegel takes racketeering to the Nevada desert and helps develop Las Vegas, only to find himself in deep water over his reckless construction of the Flamingo Hotel.
  • Ulysses' Gaze
    26

    Ulysses' Gaze

    Harvey Keitel, Maia Morgenstern, Erland Josephson
    19 votes
    A (Harvey Keitel) is a Greek filmmaker living in the United States who returns to his native land. There he begins searching for the legendary lost reels of footage shot by film pioneers the Manakia brothers, who journeyed throughout the Balkans documenting its culture. As A's search continues, he travels to various places that stir memories from his youth. He fantasizes about his mother (Maia Morgenstern) and the women from his films, unsure of his own ability to see things clearly.
  • Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
    27
    Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson, Billy Green Bush
    21 votes
    After her husband dies, Alice (Ellen Burstyn) and her son, Tommy, leave their small New Mexico town for California, where Alice hopes to make it as a singer. Money problems force them to settle in Arizona instead, where Alice takes a job as waitress in a small diner. She intends to stay in Arizona just long enough to make the money needed to head back out on the road, but her plans change when she begins to fall for a rancher named David (Kris Kristofferson).
  • From Dusk till Dawn
    28
    Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino
    45 votes
    In the gritty movie From Dusk till Dawn, two criminal brothers, Seth (George Clooney) and Richard Gecko (Quentin Tarantino), find themselves on the run from law enforcement. A hostage situation turns into a desperate cross-border escape to Mexico. Unexpectedly, their refuge, a seedy bar named the Titty Twister, morphs into a nightmarish realm as dusk falls. The patrons aren't what they seem - bloodthirsty vampires emerge, ensnaring everyone inside. The brothers, along with an unconventional group that includes their hostages, a pastor (Harvey Keitel) and his family, must band together to survive until dawn in this uniquely twisted horror-action flick.
  • The Border
    29
    Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Valerie Perrine
    21 votes
    Charlie Smith (Jack Nicholson) barely scrapes by on his low salary, but his hectoring wife, Marcy (Valerie Perrine), is anxious to move up in the world, so he takes a new position as a border patrol agent alongside the hair-trigger Cat (Harvey Keitel). Soon, Charlie is a reluctant party to Cat's smuggling and other petty criminal actions, but when the corrupt agent sets his avaricious sights on a poor illegal immigrant (Elpidia Carrillo) and her newborn baby, Charlie's moral code returns.
  • U-571
    30
    Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel
    21 votes
    When a German U-571 submarine with a sophisticated encryption machine onboard is sunk during a World War II battle at sea, the Allies send an American Navy force led by Lieutenant Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) to retrieve it for study. Boarding the German ship, the Americans' cover as a rescue force is quickly blown. Forced to take the crew hostage, the Americans lay their explosives and prepare to destroy the German vessel before the Nazis can send naval backup.