The 60+ Best Peter Boyle Movies

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Updated October 18, 2023 67 items
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List of the best Peter Boyle movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Peter Boyle'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 Peter Boyle movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Peter Boyle movies will be at the top of the list. Peter Boyle has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Peter Boyle movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Peter Boyle films to end the squabble once and for all.

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

Everything from Yellowbeard to Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story is included on this list.

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

Notable directors that worked with Peter Boyle include names like Martin Scorsese, Marc Forster and Raja Gosnell. Movie fans who love Peter Boyle have also been known to enjoy films starring Rod Steiger and Leonard Nimoy.

Most divisive: The Santa Clause
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 60+ Best Peter Boyle Movies
  • Young Frankenstein
    1

    Young Frankenstein

    Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Cloris Leachman
    30 votes
    In the comedic film, Young Frankenstein, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) inherits his infamous grandfather's estate in Transylvania. Accompanied by his loyal assistant Igor (Marty Feldman) and his lab assistant Inga (Teri Garr), he finds himself drawn into the family business of reanimating the dead. He creates a monster (Peter Boyle) with unintended hilarity ensuing. Directed with a deft hand by Mel Brooks, this spoof of classic horror films won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The movie is renowned for its comedic elements mixed with classic horror tropes, providing a unique twist on the Frankenstein lore.
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  • Taxi Driver
    2

    Taxi Driver

    Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
    20 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.
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  • Malcolm X
    3

    Malcolm X

    Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Albert Hall
    12 votes
    Malcolm X, a biographical drama, chronicles the life of one of America's most influential African American leaders. Malcolm X (Denzel Washington), born Malcolm Little, evolves from a petty criminal to a fervent advocate for the rights of blacks. Director Spike Lee depicts Malcolm's transformation through his experiences - including his conversion to Islam during imprisonment, his subsequent rise to power within the Nation of Islam, and his eventual break with the organization. Culminating with his assassination in 1965, the film provides an intense exploration of Malcolm X's personal development and ideological journey. The movie received numerous accolades, including an Oscar nomination for Denzel Washington's powerful performance.
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  • Joe
    4

    Joe

    Peter Boyle, Dennis Patrick, Susan Sarandon
    18 votes
    When executive Bill Compton's (Dennis Patrick) daughter, Melissa (Susan Sarandon), overdoses at the house of her drug-dealer boyfriend, Compton flies into a rage and kills the dealer. He tries to make it look like a robbery gone wrong but, in a bar afterward, confesses his crime to a stranger named Joe (Peter Boyle). Joe is a hippie-hater and approves of Compton's actions. Moreover, when Melissa goes missing, he helps Compton track her down in the hope of killing a few hippies himself.
  • The Dream Team
    5

    The Dream Team

    Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle
    19 votes
    Psychiatrist Dr. Weitzman (Dennis Boutsikaris) takes four mental patients on an outing to Yankee Stadium. Billy (Michael Keaton) is a nihilistic author, Henry (Christopher Lloyd) lost his bearings while working as a mailman, Jack (Peter Boyle) thinks he is the world's scapegoat and the childlike Albert (Stephen Furst) is obsessed with baseball broadcasts. When two corrupt cops incapacitate Dr. Weitzman, the four troubled men must fend for themselves amid the lunacy of New York City.
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  • Monster's Ball
    6

    Monster's Ball

    Halle Berry, Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger
    9 votes
    Hank, an embittered racist prison guard working on death row, begins an unlikely, emotionally charged sexual relationship with Leticia, a Black woman and wife of a man sentenced to death. The affair begins just after Hank oversees the capital punishment of Leticia's husband.
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  • The Friends of Eddie Coyle
    7

    The Friends of Eddie Coyle

    Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle, Richard Jordan
    9 votes
    Aging Boston gunrunner Eddie Coyle (Robert Mitchum) is looking at several years of jail time for a hold-up if he doesn't funnel information to Dave Foley (Richard Jordan), an ATF agent. Eddie buys some guns from another gunrunner, Jackie Brown (Steven Keats), then gives him up to Foley, but the agent isn't satisfied. Conflicted, Eddie decides to also give up the gang of bank robbers he's been supplying, only to find that Foley already knows about them, and the mob believes Eddie snitched.
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  • Outland
    8

    Outland

    Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, Frances Sternhagen
    8 votes
    Thriller about an honest marshal in a corrupt mining colony on Io, Jupiter's sunless third moon, who is determined to confront a violent drug ring even though it may cost him his life. After his wife angrily deserts him, he waits alone for the arrival of killers hired by the company to eliminate him. Futuristic remake of "High Noon".
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  • Johnny Dangerously
    9

    Johnny Dangerously

    Michael Keaton, Joe Piscopo, Marilu Henner
    8 votes
    Johnny Kelly (Michael Keaton) lives a double life: at home, he's the good apple, looking after his ailing mother (Maureen Stapleton) and sexually obsessed brother, Tommy (Griffin Dunne). But his not-so-secret life is as Johnny Dangerously, an up-and-coming criminal being groomed by local gangster Jocko Dundee (Peter Boyle). Johnny's crime money puts Tommy through law school, but, when his brother becomes district attorney, Johnny must protect him from the murderous Danny Vermin (Joe Piscopo).
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  • While You Were Sleeping
    10

    While You Were Sleeping

    Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher
    10 votes
    In While You Were Sleeping, Lucy Moderatz (Sandra Bullock) is a lonely token collector for the Chicago Transit Authority. Secretly admiring a handsome commuter, Peter Callaghan (Peter Gallagher), she saves him from an oncoming train after he falls onto the tracks. Unconscious in the hospital, Peter's family mistakenly believes Lucy to be his fiancée. Jack Callaghan (Bill Pullman), Peter's brother, is skeptical yet drawn towards Lucy. As Peter recovers, Lucy finds herself entangled in a comical and unexpected romantic dilemma. This charming 1995 rom-com won the hearts of many, earning Bullock a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress.
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  • Honeymoon in Vegas
    11

    Honeymoon in Vegas

    James Caan, Nicolas Cage, Sarah Jessica Parker
    5 votes
    After losing $65,000 to professional gambler and con man Tommy Korman (James Caan), penniless private investigator Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) agrees to let Korman borrow his beautiful fiancée, Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker), for a Hawaiian getaway to pay off his debts. But when Betsy -- who looks just like Korman's late wife -- begins to fall for her charismatic captor, the commitment-phobic Singer must race against the clock to track them down and win her back.
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  • The Candidate
    12

    The Candidate

    Robert Redford, Peter Boyle, Melvyn Douglas
    7 votes
    Without a candidate to run for the senate seat against admired Republican Crocker Jarmon (Don Porter), campaign manager Marvin Lucas (Peter Boyle) recruits leftist lawyer Bill McKay (Robert Redford). McKay's appearance piques the public's interest, and gradually Lucas pushes McKay toward a more centrist message. As McKay's original and honest platform gets watered down, his popularity increases so much that he is running even with Jarmon as Election Day approaches.
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  • Red Heat
    13

    Red Heat

    Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Belushi, Peter Boyle
    6 votes
    A Moscow detective (Arnold Schwarzenegger) shows his local police escort (James Belushi) how to hunt a Soviet drug smuggler in Chicago.
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  • Beyond the Poseidon Adventure
    14

    Beyond the Poseidon Adventure

    Michael Caine, Sally Field, Telly Savalas
    6 votes
    Disaster movie sequel following two groups of adventurers as they race to salvage a doomed ship's treasure hours after it has been crippled by a tidal wave. When the gold-diggers enter the overturned liner through a hole cut by the coastguard they discover more survivors still trapped on board and struggle to carry out their plans before the ocean finally claims the wrecked vessel.
  • Where the Buffalo Roam
    15

    Where the Buffalo Roam

    Bill Murray, Peter Boyle, Rene Auberjonois
    8 votes
    In 1968, drug-addled journalist Hunter S. Thompson (Bill Murray) covers the drug possession trial of a group of young people defended by Thompson's old friend Carl Lazlo (Peter Boyle). After Lazlo loses the case, the idealistic lawyer and the cynical writer go their separate ways, but meet again five years later while Thompson is covering the Super Bowl. Now a revolutionary who has abandoned the legal system, Lazlo attempts to get Thompson to join his cause.
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  • Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
    16

    Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed

    Freddie Prinze, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard
    9 votes
    In this live-action sequel, the lovable dog Scooby-Doo once again joins his pals Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), Velma (Linda Cardellini), Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar) as they stumble into another seemingly supernatural mystery. In addition to facing off against various monsters that are tormenting their town, the gang must deal with television journalist Heather Jasper-Howe (Alicia Silverstone), who is out to discredit their investigations.
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  • The Cat Returns
    17

    The Cat Returns

    Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Kumiko Okae
    5 votes
    High school student Haru (Chizuru Ikewaki) rescues a cat that was about to be run over by a truck and discovers the cat is actually a prince named Lune. Out of gratitude, Lune's father, the Cat King, asks her to marry Lune. Haru is brought to the Cat Kingdom, where she starts to develop feline features. When she is prevented from leaving, the Baron (Yoshihiko Hakamada) and Toto, two statues that have magically been given life, provide assistance in gaining her freedom.
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  • That Darn Cat
    18

    That Darn Cat

    Christina Ricci, Doug E. Doug, Dean Jones
    5 votes
    Bored with her quiet suburban Massachusetts town, bratty Patti Randall (Christina Ricci) is excited when her beloved cat, D.C., comes back to the house with a watch around his neck. After seeing that the timepiece has an appeal for help scratched on the back, Patti realizes it belongs to a recently kidnapped maid. She takes it it to FBI Agent Zeke Kelso (Doug E. Doug), who agrees to try and follow D.C.'s path to the missing woman, despite his skepticism.
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  • Born to Be Wild
    19

    Born to Be Wild

    Will Horneff, Helen Shaver, Peter Boyle
    5 votes
    A young female gorilla is captured in the mountains of Africa and flown to California, where behavioral researcher Margaret Heller (Helen Shaver) begins teaching her sign language. Heller's moody teenage son, Rick (Will Horneff), bonds with the primate, now nicknamed Katie. When cynical circus owner Gus (Peter Boyle) claims Katie to replace the now-dead star of his centerpiece gorilla act, Rick runs away with the gorilla in an attempt to keep her out of Gus' abusive clutches.
  • Slither
    20

    Slither

    James Caan, Peter Boyle, Sally Kellerman
    5 votes
    Fresh out of prison for car theft, Dick Kanipsia (James Caan) goes to visit a fellow ex-con, Harry Moss (Richard B. Shull), and arrives just in time to see him gunned down by faceless assassins. Dick tracks down Harry's friend Barry (Peter Boyle), who reveals that he and Harry had a small fortune they entrusted to a shady investment expert years ago. Dick and Barry form an uneasy partnership and, with the help of a sexy drifter named Kitty (Sally Kellerman), try to trace the money.
  • The Santa Clause
    21

    The Santa Clause

    Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson
    12 votes
    In the family-comedy film The Santa Clause, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) inadvertently becomes Santa Claus. A regular father and business executive, Calvin stumbles upon a peculiar situation on Christmas Eve involving the real Santa. After donning the red suit and delivering gifts worldwide, he wakes up to find it wasn't a dream. The transformation begins gradually, and as the reality sinks in, he must juggle his everyday life with his newfound responsibilities at the North Pole. The movie cleverly weaves humor and fantasy, providing a fresh spin on holiday lore.
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  • Yellowbeard
    22

    Yellowbeard

    Graham Chapman, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman
    4 votes
    After doing time for two decades, infamous pirate Yellowbeard (Graham Chapman) breaks out of prison determined to recover the treasure he buried so long ago. Trouble is, the map has been tattooed onto the head of his effete son, Dan (Martin Hewitt), who has little appetite for plundering the high seas. Even worse, a number of rivals aim to beat Yellowbeard to his fortune, including an old shipmate (Peter Boyle), a secret agent (Eric Idle) and a pair of conquistadors (Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong).
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  • Walker
    23

    Walker

    Ed Harris, Richard Masur, Rene Auberjonois
    6 votes
    The life of American lawyer and journalist William Walker, who named himself president of Nicaragua during the 1850s.
  • The Shadow
    24

    The Shadow

    Alec Baldwin, John Lone, Penelope Ann Miller
    6 votes
    Set in 1930s New York, a reformed criminal becomes a superhero. With the aid of a beautiful female friend, a playboy millionaire with a dark past sets out to bring the evil Shiwan Khan to justice. His quarry, who is determined to attain world domination, is a deadly descendant of Genghis Khan and will not surrender without a fight.
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  • F.I.S.T
    25

    F.I.S.T

    Sylvester Stallone, Rod Steiger, Peter Boyle
    4 votes
    Johnny Kovak (Sylvester Stallone) works in a warehouse and grows tired of the unfair policies in place, leading him to start a riot. Though Kovak is fired, his spirit wins him the admiration of others, and he becomes a new recruit for a labor union known as the Federation of Interstate Truckers. As the union becomes more powerful, Kovak's influence grows and eventually his ambitions result in a partnership with the mob. However, as Kovak deepens his criminal ties, his life grows more dangerous.
  • Dr. Dolittle
    26

    Dr. Dolittle

    Eddie Murphy, Ossie Davis, Oliver Platt
    11 votes
    In the whimsical family film, Dr. Dolittle, Eddie Murphy portrays the titular character Dr. John Dolittle. Blessed - or cursed - with an unusual ability, Dolittle can converse with animals in their own languages. A skill he discovered as a child but suppressed due to societal pressure, it resurfaces unexpectedly, turning his world upside down. As he adapts to this renewed peculiarity, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and redemption, using his power to help both humans and animals alike. Despite its comic undertones, Dr. Dolittle explores deeper themes of acceptance and empathy against the backdrop of a bustling San Francisco cityscape.
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  • The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
    27

    The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause

    Tim Allen, Martin Short, Elizabeth Mitchell
    11 votes
    Christmas cheer turns into holiday chaos when Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), aka Santa, invites his in-laws (Ann-Margret, Alan Arkin) for a visit and must, simultaneously, contend with Jack Frost's (Martin Short) scheme to take over the North Pole. Scott, his family and Head Elf Curtis must join forces to foil the nefarious plot.
  • The Adventures of Pluto Nash
    28

    The Adventures of Pluto Nash

    Eddie Murphy, Alec Baldwin, Rosario Dawson
    11 votes
    The Adventures of Pluto Nash is a 2002 Australian-American science fiction comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Eddie Murphy.
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  • The Santa Clause 2
    29

    The Santa Clause 2

    Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, David Krumholtz
    7 votes
    Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) has been in the role of Santa for the past eight years, and his loyal elves consider him the best one ever. But the world of the "Merry Old Soul" turns upside down when he's dealt a double whammy of news: Not only has his son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), landed on this year's naughty list, but Scott discovers that he must marry by Christmas Eve -- just a month away! -- or he will stop being Santa Claus forever.
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  • Turk 182!
    30

    Turk 182!

    Timothy Hutton, Robert Urich, Kim Cattrall
    5 votes
    After New York City firefighter Terry Lynch (Robert Urich) is unable to receive any compensation for an injury incurred during the off-duty rescue of a young girl, he grows suicidal. Furious, his brother Jimmy (Timothy Hutton) attempts to have Mayor Tyler (Robert Culp) intervene, but the corrupt politician instead denounces Terry as a drunk. Determined to get justice, Terry begins a graffiti campaign of embarrassing slogans mocking the mayor, which soon captivates the city.