The 21 Best Sigma Movies of All Time
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- 1Brad Pitt, Ed Norton, Helena Bonham Carter
Sigma movies have been described in two radically different ways. Movies starring deranged, psychologically damaged male protagonists, or, uber-popular and self-reliant alpha males showcasing their power through work ethic and success. Oddly enough, David Fincher's Fight Club manages to beautifully showcase both of these ideologies simultaneously in a film that pushes boundaries while also laughing at the changes it's made.
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- 2Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto
All the money, power, women, and suaveness in the world aren't enough to mask the insecurities and vileness inside of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, a film that perfectly embodies both the great and terrible aspects of Sigma movies. While most see Bateman as the horrific monster that he is, many have pointed out the tendencies, ideologies, and alpha status that make him idyllic in their eyes. A film that is guaranteed to get people talking and a performance from Christian Bale that could be argued to be the best in his magnificent career, American Psycho elevates the typical “sigma male” movie into a wonderfully controversial and much-debated work of art.
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- 3Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston
There is arguably no better film that perfectly encapsulates that Sigma movie mentality than Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive. A film about a Holywood stuntman by day and a getaway driver by night, Ryan Gosling delivers arguably the best performance of his career as a dark, brooding loner who is as down on his luck as he can be, but still manages to look mighty suave in each and every scene he is in. With fantastic directing, some remarkable stuntwork, and a gripping and compelling story of isolation and heartbreak, Drive is a stellar film that every film bro undoubtedly has in their top 5 of all time.
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- 4Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas
While the original Blade Runner was a pristine example of 80s Sigma male moviemaking, Blade Runner 2049 turns the subgenres dial up to eleven, delivering one of the most powerful, incredible, and resonant Sigma movies in decades. Following the tragic and heartbreaking tale of two men desperate to find answers and willing to risk their lives in order to get them, the film hits every beat of the growing subgenre but does so in brilliant and artistic ways that helps the film feel as though it is breaking the mold, as opposed to firmly settling into it.
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- 5Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer
Al Pacino's portrayal of Tony Montana in Scarface almost immediately blew up to become one of the biggest and most bombastic performances in the history of cinema, and with his wit, charm, power, and alpha status, it was only a matter of time before this superb film became a classic Sigma movie. Unlike certain other films in the growing subgenre, there are no signs of weakness or cowardice in the protagonist, he is simply a gangster who scratches and claws his way to the top of power, and audiences are forced to watch his new empire fall.
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- 6Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz
A beaten down and broken man who finds power through violent actions and praise from those who aspire to be just like him, Joker is the Sigma movie for a new generation of moviegoing fans. A dark, twisted, and sadistically realistic look at the male ego, the trials and tribulations of popularity and power, and the inevitability of it all coming crumbling down, Joaquin Phoenix delivers a powerhouse performance as the titular character in a film that is guaranteed to ruffle some feathers, simultaneously instill an odd sense of hope and belief in one's self, and burn down society as we know it.
More Joker - 7Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
Sigma movies and director Martin Scorsese go together like peanut butter and jelly, and there is arguably no better Sigma male movie in his illustrious catalog than 1976s Taxi Driver. All the tropes of this evergrowing genre were birthed right here in this film. A loner male protagonist who wants to take society down a peg, fantasies of violence and power, a struggle with one's own self but a feeling of superiority, and an alpha persona that inevitably explodes into a bombastic fit of rage and expressionism. Taxi Driver is a dark, melancholic, and powerful film that perfectly encapsulates the newfound Sigma movie genre.
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- 8Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton
Nightcrawler is, ironically, a film almost guaranteed to make audiences' skins crawl as they watch a sadistic, masochistic, and utterly deranged man fight tooth and nail to get what he believes is his time in the sun by muscling his way into the world of Los Angeles crime journalism. Jake Gyllenhaal has become a staple of the Sigma movie's evergrowing subgenre, as he perfectly encapsulates a man so close to teetering over the edge that one small push will cause more chaos then the world has ever known.
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- 9Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan
Not every Sigma movie needs to be a deep and psychologically tormenting look at the male psyche, some dive deep into one's craving for power, and no film more elegantly and brilliantly showcases what true power looks like better than The Godfather. The mafia crime movie to end all mafia crime movies, this devastating, heartfelt, and powerful film showcases all the traits that make Sigma males who they want to be. Power, self-reliance, hard work, and alpha status reign supreme in a film that takes a remarkable look at the Italian mob throughout the 40s and 50s.
- 10Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie
Seemingly every 20 years or so, director Martic Scorsese returns to the well of Sigma movies he perfected, and polishes it off for one more fantastic and fabulous ride, this time in The Wolf of Wall Street. An over-the-top thrill ride filled to the brim with excess, sex, drugs, and parties, the film is a masterclass in showing the rise and subsequent fall of power to a man, and the chaos he brings to his life in the process. While the film is incredibly fun on the surface, there is an underlying dread and sorrow that fills the atmosphere in this wickedly entertaining film.
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- 11Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci
Nearly 20 years after his male fantasy power trip in Taxi Driver, director Martin Scorsese delivers a Sigma movie for a new generation, this one showcasing power in a brand new light in Goodfellas. Arguably one of the greatest mafia movies of all time, this deep dive into the true story of Henry Hill is a fun, energetic, and ultimately tragic story of power and the struggle to keep it, and the mindset of a man who will do whatever it takes to survive, even if that means throwing his people under the bus. A fascinating look at a man's psyche, Goodfellas is the surprise sigma male movie for a new generation.
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- 12Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist
To be the best, you have to eat, sleep, train, and think like the best, and no film cements these ideologies better than Whiplash. A tense, aggravating, manipulative, and incredible film about a young man who will stop at nothing to be the best drummer in the world and the teacher who will push him to his limit to see that come true, Whiplash is a masterpiece and a film for the ages. The Sigma male mentality is on full blast here, as nothing is as important as being the best, and nothing will stop our protagonist from showcasing the fact that he is, even in the guidance of a vitriolic teacher. Stunning, anxiety-inducing, and a glorious achievement in moviemaking, Whiplash breaks all barriers and creates an epic tale for the ages.
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- 13Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis
While on the surface it seems a bit odd placing a film about a kidnapping on a list of powerful Sigma movies, but what truly helps Prisoners solidify itself as an alpha movie is the masterful performances of Hugh Jackman as a parent hellbent on finding their child and Jake Gyllenhaal as a detective who will do anything to solve the case. Powerful and terrifying cannot begin to describe these two actors giving it their all in a tense, atmospheric, and heartbreaking film about love, loss, and the lengths to which a parent will go to save their child.
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- 14Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore
There is arguably no more psychologically damaged, depressed, harmful, and melancholic male leads in Sigma movies more recognizable or adored than the titular Donnie Darko. A character who questions everything, is assured but also afraid of himself with a warped and arguably broken mind, Jake Gyllenhaal broke onto the scene in this fascinating film and delivered a performance that many in the film community saw themselves within.
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- 15Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young
A dark brooding protagonist who is phenomenal at his job, loves a hard drink, and gets all the ladies, Blade Runner is the Sigma male movie set in the distant future, which now just so happens to be the past. Harrison Ford delivers an outstanding performance as Rick Deckard, a detective with the title of the titular Blade Runner who is on a mission to seek and destroy renegade replicants who are causing havoc in the world. This dark, mysterious, and brooding masterpiece from Ridley Scott may be one of the greatest works in science fiction history, but it also is the Sigma male's wildest fantasies all wrapped into a neat 2-hour epic.
- 16John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman
While some Sigma movies are beloved because of the deep and psychological look they take in the male psyche, some are loved because of the power and alpha status they portray. Pulp Fiction is one of the rare Sigma movies that seemingly doesn't have either, but is still adored by the community. The ultimate film bro movie, Pulp Fiction has withstood the test of time and is arguably even better today than when it was released back in 1994 thanks to stellar writing, superb acting, and some of the best directing of all time thanks to the magnificent Quentin Tarantino.
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- 17Ed Norton, Edward Furlong, Fairuza Balk
Strong male performances that question authority, are deeply psychologically troubled, and break the mold of normalcy are beloved by the Sigma community, and no film does all of these things more radically than Edward Norton's performance in American History X. A film with dark, sadistic, and horrible themes that challenge individuals to view the protagonist for the monster that he is and force him to go through a powerful change, the film is a gutwrenching and heartstopping portrayal of a deeply psychologically broken man.
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- 18Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer
Michael Mann's Heat is one of the most popular movies of all time, and while it may not fit snugly into the description of a Sigma movie, it has been warmly welcomed by its audiences thanks to its litany of remarkable male leads, a powerful and gripping story, and some of the best action of all time. Alpha doesn't even begin to describe Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Val Kilmer's performances in this stellar film that will have audiences on the edge of their seat from start to finish.
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- 19Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey
Seemingly everything that can go wrong for Michael Douglas's D-Fens in Falling Down does go wrong, as he portrays a man who is having the absolute worst day of his life, and finally snaps. Like so many Sigma movies before, Falling Down takes a deep and psychological dive into the male psyche, the ups and downs of everyday life, and the pressures inflicted with simply living. When pushed to the furthest his leash will go, eventually, D-Fens snaps and unleashes hell onto society in a violent, physical, and gripping drama that perfectly encapsulates sigma male rage.
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- 20Adam Sandler, LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox
Anxiety-inducing doesn't even begin to describe the events that transpire throughout Uncut Gems, a superb Sigma movie that will have audiences hanging on the edge of their seats. A struggle for power and a craving for popularity and attention permeate this film as Adam Sandler delivers what can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime performance as a man desperate to climb to the top of the food chain by gambling with his life, no matter what it costs him.
- 21Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake
There has arguably been no greater rise to astronomical power than Mark Zuckerberg's in The Social Network. Widely regarded by every film bro as one of the greatest films of the 21st century, The Social Network is a fascinating, albeit fabricated, look at the creation of Facebook, the life and mind of its creator, and his incredible rise to power and the toll it takes on him. Hard work is key to creation, but it also leads to a brash, cocky, and wild lifestyle, perfectly showcased in this phenomenal film from the mind of David Fincher.
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