Gary Busey's Best Movies

Ranker Film
Updated April 1, 2024 91.2K views 91 items
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Voting Rules
Vote for your favorite Gary Busey movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

Over 600 movie fans have voted to shape these rankings of the best Gary Busey movies ever. His wild, unpredictable performances and memorable characters have earned him a place in the hearts of many film buffs around the world.

From his breakout role as Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story to his intimidating performance in Lethal Weapon, Gary Busey has delivered some iconic performances over the years. In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, he played a Highway Patrolman with manic energy and intensity that helped bring Hunter S Thompson's famous novel to life onscreen. He also starred in Point Break opposite Keanu Reeves, providing an unforgettable performance for one of the most celebrated action movies ever made.

Whether you're a fan of action movies such as Under Siege or high stakes thrillers like Predator 2, this list is sure to have something for everyone who loves Gary Busey's unique brand of acting magic. So why not take a look at our list and cast your vote for your favorite movies starring the talented actor?

Most divisive: Hot Boyz
Over 600 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Gary Busey's Best Movies
  • Lethal Weapon
    1

    Lethal Weapon

    Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey
    136 votes
    In Lethal Weapon, we're thrust into the high-stakes world of two Los Angeles police detectives. Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), a volatile maverick reeling from his wife's death, pairs up with seasoned detective Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover). As they navigate the city's gritty underbelly, their contrasting styles and personalities create an undeniable dynamic. The movie, a blend of action and crime genres, is punctuated by thrilling car chases, explosive confrontations, and compelling character development. Directed by Richard Donner, Lethal Weapon has become a quintessential buddy cop film. Despite its intense action sequences, it remains grounded in the reality of its characters' lives.
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  • Point Break
    2

    Point Break

    Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey
    131 votes
    In Point Break, adrenaline-charged action meets the thrilling world of crime. Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), a young FBI agent, infiltrates a cunning team of thrill-seeking elite athletes led by the charismatic Bodhi (Patrick Swayze). The athletes are suspected of carrying out unprecedented corporate heists under the veil of extreme sports. As Utah ventures deeper into Bodhi's lifestyle, his own loyalties are tested. This electrifying blend of action and crime, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, keeps viewers on the edge with its stunning stunts and high-stakes drama.
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  • The Buddy Holly Story
    3

    The Buddy Holly Story

    Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith
    108 votes
    A chronicle of the rise and brief career of rock 'n' roll star Buddy Holly (Gary Busey), who aspires to play music the way he wants it to sound. Holly and his band, the Crickets, are first invited to record in Nashville, where they encounter creative differences with the producing staff. Later they play a major booking at the Apollo Theater, scheduled there under the mistaken assumption that they're a black band. Holly's career eventually goes solo -- until the tragic day the music dies.
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  • Under Siege
    4

    Under Siege

    Steven Seagal, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Busey
    114 votes
    A heroic loner takes on a group of nuclear terrorists in this seagoing tale. Posing as a rock band, the terrorists get themselves hired for a party aboard the USS Missouri, a battleship en route to Pearl Harbor for decommissioning. They plan to steal the ship's nuclear arsenal but haven't reckoned on the intervention of the ship's chef, a decorated former Navy SEAL.
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  • Silver Bullet
    5

    Silver Bullet

    Gary Busey, Corey Haim, Megan Follows
    76 votes
    When a series of unexplained murders occurs in the normally quiet town of Tarker's Mill, the residents decide to hunt down the killer. However, many of these vigilantes end up dead, and those who don't are no closer to finding an assailant. But, when a young wheelchair-using boy named Marty (Corey Haim) encounters a werewolf one night, the pieces begin to come together. Along with his sister and Uncle Red (Gary Busey), Marty begins a mission to capture the werewolf once and for all.
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  • The Firm
    6

    The Firm

    Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman
    81 votes
    In The Firm, Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise), a bright law graduate, is lured into the prosperous world of Bendini, Lambert, & Locke, a secretive Memphis law firm. As he ascends in his career, he learns that the firm's wealth is built upon dark secrets and illegal activities. His life takes a perilous turn when he gets entangled with the FBI. A suspenseful thriller based on John Grisham's novel, this film masterfully explores corporate corruption and moral dilemmas. The movie earned two Oscar nominations, underscoring its cinematic prowess.
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  • Predator 2
    7

    Predator 2

    Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Rubén Blades
    87 votes
    In the heart of Los Angeles, a new kind of terror lurks. Predator 2, a pulse-pounding sequel to the original Predator movie, introduces Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) as a tough-as-nails cop battling an invisible and deadly enemy. The city's ruthless gangs are falling prey to an unseen predator, leaving behind mutilated bodies and utter chaos. As Harrigan delves deeper into these gruesome murders, he stumbles upon a horrifying truth - an extraterrestrial hunter (Kevin Peter Hall), more formidable and lethal than any foe he has ever faced. This atmospheric sci-fi thriller, brimming with suspense and intense action sequences, offers a riveting exploration of urban warfare against an alien menace.
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  • Rookie of the Year
    8

    Rookie of the Year

    Thomas Ian Nicholas, Gary Busey, Albert Hall
    55 votes
    A freak accident causes 12-year-old Little League player Henry (Thomas Ian Nicholas) to become such a powerful and accurate pitcher that the Chicago Cubs sign the junior high student to a contract. Unprepared for such a high-pressure environment, Henry falters until aging fastballer Chet Steadman (Gary Busey) takes him under his wing and teaches him how to play in the big leagues. Meanwhile, his mother's venal boyfriend (Bruce Altman) tries to sell Henry's contract to a hated opposing team.
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  • Foolin' Around
    9

    Foolin' Around

    Gary Busey, William H. Macy, Cloris Leachman
    33 votes
    Foolin' Around is a 1980 film directed by Richard T. Heffron and starring Gary Busey and Annette O'Toole. The film was shot on location in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The theme music was performed by Seals and Crofts.
  • Black Sheep
    10

    Black Sheep

    Chris Farley, David Spade, Tim Matheson
    39 votes
    Mike (Chris Farley), a slovenly gym teacher, has a terrible habit of showing up at the wrong time and embarrassing his brother, Al (Tim Matheson), who happens to be running for governor. Hoping to save his campaign, Al assigns his aide, Steve (David Spade), to take Mike to a remote cabin and hide out there for the remainder of the campaign. In the woods, the two men discover dangers that make them long for the sleazy political operatives back in the big city.
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  • Drop Zone
    11

    Drop Zone

    Wesley Snipes, Gary Busey, Yancy Butler
    48 votes
    A daring prison break from an airliner at 30,000 feet leaves U.S. Marshal Pete Nessip (Wesley Snipes) mourning a brother and gunning for revenge. After being ordered to turn in his badge, he seeks out Jessie Crossman (Yancy Butler), a noted skydiver, and offers to sponsor her crew for the annual Independence Day parachuting show in Washington, D.C., if she trains him. Meanwhile, the mastermind behind the mid-air jailbreak (Gary Busey) is planning a daring computer theft on Independence Day.
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  • Surviving the Game
    12

    Surviving the Game

    Ice-T, Rutger Hauer, Charles S. Dutton
    50 votes
    When Mason (Ice-T), homeless and living on the streets of Seattle, hears about a job as a hunting guide for a group of wealthy clients, he gladly signs on and is taken to a cabin in the middle of a Pacific Northwest forest. There he meets psychiatrist Doc Hawkins (Gary Busey), oil baron John Griffin (John C. McGinley) and Wall Street investor Derek Wolfe (F. Murray Abraham). The next morning, however, Mason is awakened to learn that he's the prey the men will be hunting.
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  • Eye of the Tiger
    13

    Eye of the Tiger

    Gary Busey, Yaphet Kotto, Seymour Cassel
    35 votes
    Buck Matthews (Gary Busey) is a former convict trying to live a peaceful life with his wife and daughter in his hometown. When it becomes clear that a vicious motorcycle gang, led by the sadistic Blade (William Smith), now rules the area, Buck fights back, but his defiance makes his family a target. After things take a violent turn for the worse, Buck recruits his old Vietnam-vet buddy J.B. Deveraux (Yaphet Kotto) to do what the local cops won't do, and stop Blade's reign of terror.
  • Soldier
    14

    Soldier

    Kurt Russell, Jason Scott Lee, Connie Nielsen
    33 votes
    Todd (Kurt Russell) has been trained since birth, through brutal conditioning, to be an emotionless killing machine. After 40 years, Todd and his comrades are deemed obsolete when Col. Mekum (Jason Isaacs) promotes a new breed of genetically flawless soldiers. Discarded on the trash-covered planet of Arcadia 234, Todd is rescued by colonists Mace (Sean Pertwee) and Sandra (Connie Nielsen) -- but he's soon forced to face his stronger replacements when the military seeks to wipe out the colony.
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  • Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
    15

    Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

    Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy
    48 votes
    While stealing a car, free-spirited drifter Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) crosses paths with legendary thief Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood) in the midst of his own escape. Thunderbolt's old partners in crime, Red (George Kennedy) and Eddie (Geoffrey Lewis), believe he double-crossed them after they robbed a Montana bank vault several years ago. After Thunderbolt successfully pleads his innocence and is let off the hook, Lightfoot rallies them together as a group to rob the very same bank again.
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  • D.C. Cab
    16

    D.C. Cab

    Adam Baldwin, Mr. T, Gary Busey
    31 votes
    Aspiring taxi driver Albert Hockenberry (Adam Baldwin) arrives in Washington, D.C., to work for a service run by family friend Harold Oswelt (Max Gail), whose uniformly eccentric employees drive ancient cabs. When a priceless violin is found in one of the cars, the $10,000 reward money needed to keep the business afloat is stolen by Harold's bitter wife, Myrna (Anne De Salvo). Determined to save the company, Harold pledges his life's savings toward the business.
  • The Magnificent Seven Ride
    17

    The Magnificent Seven Ride

    Lee Van Cleef, Stefanie Powers, Mariette Hartley
    35 votes
    Erstwhile gunslinger Chris Adams (Lee Van Cleef) has put his rowdy days behind him, settling down with a wife (Mariette Hartley) and serving as the sheriff of his town in the Arizona territory. So when his old pal Jim Mackay (Ralph Waite) asks for help defending the border town of Magdalena, Mexico, from a marauding bandit named De Toro, Chris refuses. It's only after De Toro's gang kidnaps Chris's wife that he changes his mind, enlisting a cutthroat gang of prisoners to help him.
  • Big Wednesday
    18

    Big Wednesday

    Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey
    30 votes
    Three 1960s California surfers (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey) fool around, drift apart and reunite years later to ride epic waves.
  • The Gumball Rally
    19

    The Gumball Rally

    Michael Sarrazin, Tim McIntire, Raul Julia
    26 votes
    A businessman (Michael Sarrazin), his rival (Tim McIntire) and other speed lovers enter an outlaw coast-to-coast car race.
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  • Bulletproof
    20

    Bulletproof

    Gary Busey, Darlanne Fluegel, Henry Silva
    39 votes
    When a top-secret tank falls into the hands of terrorists, there's only one person to call: Frank McBain (Gary Busey). His nickname is "Bulletproof," due to his uncanny ability to survive gunshot wounds that would have been fatal for anyone else. McBain will need whatever luck he can muster as he journeys to the Mexican border to recover the super-tank, put legions of well-armed opponents into the ground and rescue his ex-girlfriend, Devon (Darlanne Fluegel).
  • Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
    21

    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Craig Bierko
    51 votes
    In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, journalist Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) embarks on a wild, drug-fueled trip to Las Vegas with his eccentric lawyer, Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro). Ostensibly there to cover a motorcycle race for a magazine, the duo instead dive deep into the heart of the American Dream, fueled by a suitcase full of mind-altering substances. This psychedelic adventure, directed by Terry Gilliam, is an adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's classic 1971 novel. It's a darkly comedic exploration of excess and escapism, capturing the spirit of its source material with surreal visuals and chaotic narrative twists.
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  • A Star Is Born
    22

    A Star Is Born

    Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson, Gary Busey
    41 votes
    A rock star on the decline, John Norman Howard has given in to drugs and excessive drinking, and his music has suffered as a result. Wandering into a club one night, John watches singer Esther Hoffman perform and is smitten. The two begin dating, and soon John lets Esther take the spotlight during his concerts. However, even as Esther finds fame and success with her singing, John continues his downward spiral.
  • Barbarosa
    23

    Barbarosa

    Willie Nelson, Gary Busey, Gilbert Roland
    35 votes
    In pre-Civil War Texas, naïve Karl Westover (Gary Busey) accidentally kills his brother-in-law, and heads to Mexico to escape the consequences. Along the way, he encounters Barbarosa (Willie Nelson), who is also on the run. Barbarosa teaches Karl survival skills for the desert -- and how to rob. In their journey from Texas to Mexico and back again, the two men are captured by outlaw Angel Morales, and pursued by Don Braulito (Gilbert Roland), who wants Barbarosa dead.
  • The Gingerdead Man
    24

    The Gingerdead Man

    Gary Busey, Robin Sydney, Ryan Locke
    26 votes
    Blood and an ancient curse allow an executed killer (Gary Busey) to return as a murderous gingerbread man.
  • Carny
    25

    Carny

    Gary Busey, Jodie Foster, Robbie Robertson
    17 votes
    Frankie (Gary Busey) and Patch (Robbie Robertson) are partners in a traveling carnival who scam customers into wasting money on their dunk-tank act. At one of its small-town destinations, the carnival attracts 18-year-old Donna (Jodie Foster), a teenager bored with her annoying boyfriend and her job as a waitress. Donna joins the carnival as an exotic dancer and learns the ins and outs of carny life, but the developing love triangle between her, Frankie and Patch threatens to destroy their show.
  • The Last American Hero
    26

    The Last American Hero

    Jeff Bridges, Valerie Perrine, Geraldine Fitzgerald
    19 votes
    Junior Jackson (Jeff Bridges) is a Southern boy with a penchant for driving too fast along his native North Carolina backroads. But when his father, Elroy (Art Lund), is jailed for moonshining, Junior decides to go pro, if only to be able to buy Elroy a few prison privileges. With the help of his brother, Wayne (Gary Busey), he slowly climbs the ranks of the various racing circuits. Often at odds with corporate sponsors, Jackson nevertheless becomes one of the first celebrities of NASCAR.
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  • Quigley
    27

    Quigley

    Gary Busey, Christopher Atkins, Bill Fagerbakke
    19 votes
    Archie is a wealthy business man who has it out for the animals of the world, especially dogs. He is a practical joker with an evil streak to him. He is one week away from playing a CD to announce the future of his company putting his trusted manager, Dexter, in charge and leaving the employees working like slaves without any benefits or fun. Then suddenly, he is in a deadly car accident. Archie realizes that he is not heading for heaven and that, instead, he is being sent to Earth to clean up the mess he made. There is one catch to returning to life; he comes back as a dog named Quigley. As a little dog, Archie must stop those announcements from being heard and to help his brother.
  • Hider in the House
    28

    Hider in the House

    Gary Busey, Mimi Rogers, Michael McKean
    27 votes
    Hider in the House is a 1989 psychological thriller directed by Matthew Patrick and starring Gary Busey and Mimi Rogers. A recently released psychiatric patient named Tom Sykes creates a home for himself in the attic of the Dreyer family's newly built house.
  • Suspicious Minds
    29

    Suspicious Minds

    Gary Busey, Patrick Bergin, Daniel Pilon
    13 votes
  • Apocalypse III: Tribulation
    30

    Apocalypse III: Tribulation

    Gary Busey, Howie Mandel, Margot Kidder
    19 votes
    Apocalypse III: Tribulation is a 2000 thriller film by Cloud Ten Pictures, starring Gary Busey, Howie Mandel, Nick Mancuso, and Margot Kidder. The film is the second sequel to Apocalypse, although its first half is set prior to the events of the previous film. The film tells the story of Tom Camboro, a police detective who finds himself battling a mysterious group with psychic powers. When his wife, sister, and brother-in-law become the target of this dark society, he rushes to their aid, but is incapicated before he can intervene. Tom awakens from a coma two years later to discover a transformed world. All Christians have vanished in the Rapture, and most of the world worships the Antichrist. A subplot continues the tale of Helen Hannah, one of the leading members of the Resistance to the Antichrist.