Ever since the debut of his 20-minute short film The Hard Case, Guy Ritchie has proven to be an immensely stylistic filmmaker with an uncanny knack for developing pictures that become cultural phenomenons. From his crime-comedy movies that make use of arresting visual grit and exceptional characters and dialogue, to his many forays into other genres like fantasy, war, and even romantic-comedy, Ritchie's career manages to be both easily identifiable and impressively eclectic.

At his best, Guy Ritchie presents films that are genre-mixing masterpieces capable of being revisited countless times, with the electrifying, entertaining experience never waning and something new being picked up on each viewing. However, he also has some cataclysmic misfires that are difficult to endure even once. With 14 feature films that stretch across that vast chasm, Guy Ritchie's filmography includes many films that can be enjoyed multiple times.

15 'Swept Away' (2002)

Cast: Madonna, Adriano Giannini, Bruce Greenwood

Hot off the back of two monumental successes to launch his career, Guy Ritchie put forth what is undoubtedly his worst picture thus far in Swept Away. A remake of a 1974 Italian film of the same name, it follows a wealthy and spoiled socialite as she and a deckhand on a private cruise find themselves stranded on a deserted island. As the power dynamic between the two hostile castaways begins to shift, a romance starts to blossom.

The romantic comedy was critically derided and became a significant box office flop, with fans and critics alike viewing it as a shallow vehicle for Madonna to transition to acting. Her lead performance was met with widespread disapproval, and the film itself was considered to be a complete and utter disaster. While it may gain some traction as a cult so-bad-it’s-good flick, Swept Away is Ritchie’s worst film and is an easy candidate as his least rewatchable movie.

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14 'Revolver' (2005)

Cast: Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Vincent Pastore

Guy Ritchie’s fourth film definitely far surpassed his third, but that is probably more damning of Swept Away than it is celebratory of the 2005 action-crime flick, Revolver. Seeing Ritchie pair with Jason Statham for a third time, it follows a recently released con who served seven years for a crime he didn’t commit and tries to get even with his boss, Dorothy Macha (Ray Liotta). When he humiliates Macha in his own casino, a vicious manhunt ensues as the ex-con strives to settle the score.

While there are shades of the brilliance of Ritchie’s earliest successes throughout, Revolver struggles as an overly convoluted thriller defined, sadly, by its incoherent rambling. Admittedly, it does see Ritchie make use of Jason Statham’s physical and combative assets while still offering a heavily stylized and even occasionally comedic foray into organized crime, but Revolver ultimately falls flat.

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13 'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword' (2017)

Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Eric Bana

The legend of King Arthur has been adapted to the screen many times before, from 1982’s fantasy classic Excalibur to the exploration of the myth in 2004’s King Arthur. However, few have been as unique or as stylistically bold as Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, which sees Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) retrieve Excalibur and stand against the evil and powerful king who usurped his father’s throne.

The film is a medley of interesting mixes, some working better than others. The balance of fantasy and revenge drama was enthralling enough though, and the marriage of the great mythic characters with Ritchie’s grittier interests worked a treat. Admittedly, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is far from the best take on the Arthurian legend, but as an extravagant blockbuster with plenty of fantasy and action, it offers harmless fun on at least one viewing.

12 'Aladdin' (2019)

Cast: Mena Massoud, Will Smith, Naomi Scott

A Disney live-action remake that split audiences and critics, Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin was revered by general fans as a refreshing and engaging re-imagining of the classic animated film from the early 1990s. It follows the titular street urchin and petty thief as he pursues a romance with Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) with the help of Genie (Will Smith). When it is revealed that the evil grand vizier, Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) is hatching a scheme to usurp the throne, Aladdin (Mena Massoud) and his friends fight to stop the plot from succeeding.

The film went on to become an enormous box office success, grossing $1.05 billion and coming to be viewed among the best of Disney’s live-action remakes in recent years. With its fantasy allure, musical moments, romantic intrigue, and its lovely sense of adventure that makes good use of comedy, Aladdin is certainly rewatchable in its own right, but it is difficult to deny it still falls short of its animated predecessor.

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11 'Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre' (2023)

Cast: Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett

Of all of Ritchie's collaborators, his relationship with Jason Statham may be his most important. With his snarky attitude and ability to perform elaborate stunts, Statham proved to be a perfect fit to lead Ritchie's ambitious spy thriller Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. Although the old-fashioned espionage caper features some memorable turns from both Aubrey Plaza and Carey Elwes, it's the effortless charisma of Statham and Ritchie's sly commentary on Hollywood cynicism that makes Operation Fortune so rewatchable.

Although there are more than enough comic hijinks involving side characters played by Josh Hartnett and Hugh Grant to keep the viewer entertained, the ending of Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre suggests that Ritchie might have another original franchise on his hands. While the film's critical and commercial performance may have been a bit muted, it would certainly be interesting to see him reunite the cast for another installment that could get even wackier.

10 'RocknRolla' (2008)

Cast: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Idris Elba

The critical and financial disappointments of Swept Away and Revolver suggested that audiences may have fallen out of favor with Ritchie, as his style no longer felt as exciting as it had been in the immediate aftermath of his debut. However, Ritchie secured a major comeback with his action-packed thriller RocknRolla, solidifying his mastery of intricately told crime stories.

A brooding performance by Gerard Butler and memorable side performances from Idris Elba and the late great Tom Wilkinson gave even more great actors the chance to deliver Ritchie's snappy dialogue. It's a particularly rewatchable film for both hardcore and casual Ritchie fans because of how significantly it diverges tonally from his other projects. Indeed, and while it certainly contains the dark humor that's ever-present in all of his projects, RocknRolla is a slightly darker film for Ritchie that reflects the realities of the criminal lifestyle.

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9 'Wrath of Man' (2021)

Cast: Jason Statham, Josh Hartnett, Holt McCallany

Many filmmakers struggled to launch new crowdpleasers in the post-COVID era. However, Wrath of Man proved there is still a place for intimate and subversive action pieces from reliable directors as the film became an unexpected box office triumph. It also shows Ritchie's willingness to step outside his comfort zone; Wrath of Man is a more oblique revenge thriller that felt directly influenced by classics like Death Wish and Point Blank.

One of the most interesting films in Ritchie's catalog, Wrath of Man is uncompromisingly bleak and contains some truly shocking moments of violence. Anchoring it all is Statham in one of his best performances as a heartbroken security guard who goes on a dark path of vengeance after his son is killed by gangsters. The surprisingly emotional storyline certainly elevates Wrath of Man, proving Ritchie to be much more than just a superfluous stylist.

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