The 40+ Best Movies Directed by Clint Eastwood

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Updated October 18, 2023 113.5K views 41 items
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Over 1,600 movie fans have come together to vote on this list of the best movies directed by Clint Eastwood. With a career spanning over six decades, Eastwood has cemented himself as one of the greatest filmmakers in Hollywood history. From gritty westerns to heart-wrenching dramas, his films have captivated audiences and won numerous awards.

What makes Eastwood's movies so special is his ability to tell stories that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. He has tackled tough subjects such as racism, war, and death with sensitivity and nuance, making us think deeply about the world around us.

On this list, you'll find some of Eastwood's most iconic works like Unforgiven, which won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. You'll also find lesser-known gems like The Bridges of Madison County, which explores love and regret in a way that only Eastwood can do.

So sit back, grab some popcorn, and get ready to discover or re-discover the brilliance of Clint Eastwood's filmmaking. And don't forget to vote up your favorites on this list.

Most divisive: Jersey Boys
Over 1.6K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 40+ Best Movies Directed by Clint Eastwood
  • Unforgiven
    1

    Unforgiven

    Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman
    437 votes
    Unforgiven, a multi-Oscar winning Western drama, showcases the final days of aging outlaw William Munny (Clint Eastwood). Once a notorious killer and robber, Munny is now a widowed pig farmer, living quietly with his two children. Persuaded by young gunslinger The Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett) to claim a bounty on two cowboys who disfigured a prostitute, he teams up with his old partner Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman). As they embark on their mission, Munny grapples with the violence of his past and the harsh realities of frontier justice. This film explores themes of morality, redemption, and the brutal nature of violence.
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  • The Outlaw Josey Wales
    2

    The Outlaw Josey Wales

    Clint Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke
    319 votes
    Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) watches helplessly as his wife and child are murdered, by Union men led by Capt. Terrill (Bill McKinney). Seeking revenge, Wales joins the Confederate Army. He refuses to surrender when the war ends, but his fellow soldiers go to hand over their weapons -- and are massacred by Terrill. Wales guns down some of Terrill's men and flees to Texas, where he tries to make a new life for himself, but the bounty on his head endangers him and his new surrogate family.
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  • Gran Torino
    3

    Gran Torino

    Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang
    459 votes
    In the gritty drama Gran Torino, Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is a cantankerous, retired auto worker and Korean War veteran. His life takes an unexpected turn when his young Hmong neighbor, Thao (Bee Vang), tries to steal his cherished car: a 1972 Gran Torino. Amidst neighborhood gang tensions and cultural clashes in the Detroit suburbs, Walt forms an unlikely bond with Thao. The film oscillates between moments of tension, humor, and unexpected camaraderie. A thought-provoking exploration of prejudice, redemption, and community, Gran Torino was directed by Eastwood himself, adding another notable credit to his illustrious career.
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  • Pale Rider
    4

    Pale Rider

    Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress
    238 votes
    When property owner Coy LaHood (Richard Dysart) starts using a band of hooligans to terrorize a group of small-town gold miners into giving up their territory, an enigmatic man named "Preacher" (Clint Eastwood) arrives in town. Preacher fends off the attacks, and then goes directly to LaHood to negotiate. When the miners, led by Hull Barret (Michael Moriarty), refuse the terms, LaHood sends in Marshall Stockburn (John Russell) to take down Preacher and the others.
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  • High Plains Drifter
    5

    High Plains Drifter

    Clint Eastwood, Verna Bloom, Marianna Hill
    249 votes
    In this Western, a drifter with no name (Clint Eastwood) wanders into a small town, where his gun-slinging abilities are in high demand. When the drifter rides into Lago, he is met with incredulity and disapproval by the townspeople. But once he shows his skills with a pistol, the locals realize he may be able to help them fend off a band of criminals who have been terrorizing the town. He agrees to help the townspeople, but does so with his own secret agenda.
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  • Million Dollar Baby
    6

    Million Dollar Baby

    Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman
    373 votes
    Million Dollar Baby is a riveting drama, skillfully directed by Clint Eastwood. The film revolves around the life of Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), an amateur boxer who is determined to rise above her hardscrabble beginnings. Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood), a grizzled boxing trainer, reluctantly takes her under his wing after initial resistance. Morgan Freeman delivers a compelling performance as Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris, an ex-boxer and Frankie's long-time friend. As Maggie's career takes off, unforeseen circumstances test their bond in profound ways. This critically acclaimed movie won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Eastwood.
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  • Mystic River
    7

    Mystic River

    Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon
    344 votes
    In Mystic River, childhood friends Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn), Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins), and Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) are drawn back together after a horrifying incident shakes their Boston neighborhood. Directed by Clint Eastwood, this gripping drama examines the lasting impact of trauma on friendship and family. It's a tale woven with threads of suspicion, grief, and loss - all underpinned by an unyielding quest for justice. The film won two Academy Awards: Best Actor for Penn and Best Supporting Actor for Robbins. A complex narrative unfolds against the gritty backdrop of working-class Boston, where past demons refuse to rest.
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  • Letters from Iwo Jima
    8

    Letters from Iwo Jima

    Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara
    243 votes
    Letters from Iwo Jima, a war drama directed by Clint Eastwood, peers into the battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective. The narrative pivots around the experiences of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) and Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya), a low-ranking soldier. Their lives intertwine in the heat of conflict, offering an intimate glimpse into wartime struggles. The film's stark portrayal of human resilience against overwhelming odds garnered it an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing in 2007. Eastwood's directorial prowess, combined with the poignant performances of Watanabe and Ninomiya, make Letters from Iwo Jima a compelling cinematic experience.
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  • Heartbreak Ridge
    9

    Heartbreak Ridge

    Clint Eastwood, Marsha Mason, Everett McGill
    207 votes
    Marine Sgt. Thomas Highway (Clint Eastwood) is a decorated veteran of two wars. On his last posting before retirement, he is surrounded by officers with no combat experience who view him as an odd, even dangerous, holdover. Highway is assigned to train a group of undisciplined recruits including Cpl. Stitch Jones (Mario Van Peebles), a slick hustler who has previously encountered Highway. As the old soldier prepares his men for a war they don't believe will come, the U.S. invades Grenada.
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  • American Sniper
    10

    American Sniper

    Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Jake McDorman
    231 votes
    American Sniper, a gripping war film, unravels the story of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), an esteemed Navy SEAL sniper. The narrative tracks his military service in Iraq, showcasing the professional feats that earned him the title of deadliest marksman in U.S. history. Sienna Miller plays Taya, Kyle's wife, grappling with his long absences and dangerous missions. Clint Eastwood's direction brings to life this true story, striking a balance between intense combat scenes and emotional homefront struggles. The film nabbed six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, underscoring its cinematic impact.
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  • Flags of Our Fathers
    11

    Flags of Our Fathers

    Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach
    199 votes
    In Flags of Our Fathers, director Clint Eastwood delves into the gritty realities of war. The film, based on a true story, follows the lives of six soldiers - John Doc Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), and Ira Hayes (Adam Beach) among them - thrust into fame as the men who raised the flag on Iwo Jima, a potent symbol of victory during World War II. However, their experiences on the battlefield tell a different tale. This historical drama explores themes of heroism and the harsh truths behind glorified images of war.
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  • A Perfect World
    12

    A Perfect World

    Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, Laura Dern
    182 votes
    Butch (Kevin Costner), a escaped state prisoner from a Texas jail, kidnaps Philip (T.J. Lowther), a young, impressionable boy. As they embark on a trip across the American Southwest together, a surprising bond grows between the convict and his captive, even as law enforcement forces slowly catch up with them. An honorable Texas Ranger, Red Garnett (Clint Eastwood), understands Butch has a heart of gold, but must pursue him anyway out of duty to the law and a desire to protect the child.
  • Absolute Power
    13

    Absolute Power

    Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris
    159 votes
    While robbing the home of aging billionaire Walter Sullivan (E.G. Marshall), Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood) is interrupted by an amorous couple entering the building. As Whitney hides, he sees Sullivan's young wife, Christy (Melora Hardin), and the U.S. President, Alan Richmond (Gene Hackman). When their affection turns violent, Christy is killed by the Secret Service. Although Whitney flees, he is framed for the murder. Now, he seeks justice with the help of detective Seth Frank (Ed Harris).
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  • Sudden Impact
    14

    Sudden Impact

    Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle
    149 votes
    Jennifer Spencer (Sondra Locke) was gang raped, but the crime went unpunished. Now she demands revenge, killing off the men that attacked her years before. The murders attract the attention of Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood), who is on a forced vacation due to his violent approach to police work. The case gets complicated when Harry develops a relationship with Jennifer, and it's up to Harry to make the right decision when Jennifer's life is threatened for a second time.
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  • Play Misty for Me
    15

    Play Misty for Me

    Clint Eastwood, Jessica Walter, Donna Mills
    181 votes
    Popular radio show host Dave Garver (Clint Eastwood) becomes restless in his relationship with his girlfriend (Donna Mills). Impulsively, he goes out and sleeps with a woman (Jessica Walter) he meets at a nightclub. After the fact, he finds out she was not an anonymous hookup, but an obsessive fan who has called in repeatedly to request he play the song "Misty." Garver soon discovers extricating himself from the woman will be no easy feat as she becomes increasingly psychotic.
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  • Space Cowboys
    16

    Space Cowboys

    Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland
    188 votes
    Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland and James Garner star as a group of pilots whose time has come to serve their country and fulfill their dream of going to space. In 1958, the members of Team Daedalus, a group of top Air Force test pilots, were ready to serve their country as the first Americans in space. When NASA replaced the Air Force for outer atmospheric testing, they were pushed aside for a chimpanzee. The team retired, but the dream of going into space never died.
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  • Sully
    17

    Sully

    Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Valerie Mahaffey
    89 votes
    On Jan. 15, 2009, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) tries to make an emergency landing in New York's Hudson River after US Airways Flight 1549 strikes a flock of geese. Miraculously, all of the 155 passengers and crew survive the harrowing ordeal, and Sullenberger becomes a national hero in the eyes of the public and the media. Despite the accolades, the famed pilot now faces an investigation that threatens to destroy his career and reputation.
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  • The Bridges of Madison County
    18

    The Bridges of Madison County

    Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Annie Corley
    205 votes
    A moving love story about a photographer on assignment to shoot the historic bridges of Madison County. He meets a housewife, whose husband and children are away on a trip, and the film traces a brief affair that is never sordid but instead one of two soul mates who have met too late.
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  • Invictus
    19

    Invictus

    Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge
    143 votes
    Following the fall of apartheid, newly elected President Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) faces a South Africa that is racially and economically divided. Believing he can unite his countrymen through the universal language of sport, Mandela joins forces with Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), captain of the rugby team, to rally South Africans behind a bid for the 1995 World Cup Championship.
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  • Changeling
    20

    Changeling

    Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan
    160 votes
    In 1928 Los Angeles, single mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) arrives home to find her son, Walter, gone. Five months later her prayers are answered when Walter is found in Illinois. But to Christine's horror, the boy who steps off the train is not her son. Authorities vehemently dispute Christine's claim, and her one ally is a clergyman (John Malkovich) who sees the case as his chance to expose corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department and government.
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  • The Gauntlet
    21

    The Gauntlet

    Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle
    123 votes
    A cop who has seen better days, hard-living Ben Shockley (Clint Eastwood) is recruited to escort Augustina "Gus" Mally (Sondra Locke), a key witness in a mob trial, from Las Vegas to Phoenix. Gus is a beautiful but coarse call girl who claims to have information that makes the two highly expendable targets. Ben starts to believe her after numerous attempts are made to kill them as they travel across the unforgiving desert, pursued by angry bikers and corrupt police officers.
  • Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
    22

    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    Kevin Spacey, John Cusack, Jack Thompson
    132 votes
    In this adaptation of John Berendt's book, a young journalist, John Kelso (John Cusack), travels to Savannah, Ga., to cover the city's Christmas celebration amid a backdrop of eccentric characters. He becomes intrigued by a sultry singer, Mandy (Alison Eastwood), and engrossed by a murder trial. Wealthy society figure Jim Williams (Kevin Spacey) is accused of shooting his male lover, and the question is whether it was in self-defense as he claims.
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  • Richard Jewell
    23

    Richard Jewell

    Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates
    67 votes
    During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, security guard Richard Jewell discovers a suspicious backpack under a bench in Centennial Park. With little time to spare, he helps to evacuate the area until the incendiary device inside the bag explodes. Hailed as a hero who saved lives, Jewell's own life starts to unravel when the FBI names him the prime suspect in the bombing.
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  • The Eiger Sanction
    24

    The Eiger Sanction

    Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy, Vonetta McGee
    123 votes
    Former government assassin Jonathan Hemlock (Clint Eastwood) now devotes his time to teaching and collecting paintings, but his quiet life is interrupted when he is persuaded by his former employers work for them again. Hemlock has to join a crew of explorers (George Kennedy, Jack Cassidy) on a trip up the Eiger, a treacherous Swiss mountain. Hemlock must simultaneously determine which of his fellow climbers is a Soviet spy, kill his target and scale the deadly peak.
  • Blood Work
    25

    Blood Work

    Clint Eastwood, Jeff Daniels, Anjelica Huston
    95 votes
    FBI profiler Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood) was hot on the trail of "The Code Killer" when a heart attack put him out of commission. A heart transplant later, Terry spends his time in the harbor on his houseboat -- that is, until he starts to investigate the facts surrounding his transplant. His donor was a murder victim, and the murder is still unsolved. With the help of his seaside neighbor, Buddy (Jeff Daniels), and over the protests of his doctor, Terry reopens the case.
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  • Tightrope
    26

    Tightrope

    Clint Eastwood, Geneviève Bujold, Dan Hedaya
    114 votes
    A New Orleans police detective (Clint Eastwood) finds he has some of the same traits as a serial killer of prostitutes.
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  • Firefox
    27

    Firefox

    Clint Eastwood, Freddie Jones, David Huffman
    114 votes
    Mitchell Gant (Clint Eastwood) is a veteran American pilot who becomes involved in a top-secret mission to steal a high-tech Russian fighter plane known as "Firefox." Covertly entering the Soviet Union, Gant receives help from dissidents within the country, most notably a group of scientists who have been working on the plane. As Gant reaches his goal of heisting the aircraft, enemy pilots are quick to follow, leading to a sequence of soaring dogfights as he attempts to elude Soviet jets.
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  • J. Edgar
    28

    J. Edgar

    Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer
    115 votes
    As head of the FBI for nearly 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) becomes one of America's most-powerful men. Serving through eight presidents and three wars, Hoover utilizes methods both ruthless and heroic to keep his country safe. Projecting a guarded persona in public and in private, he lets few into his inner circle. Among those closest to him are his protege and constant companion, Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer), and Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts), his loyal secretary.
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  • White Hunter, Black Heart
    29

    White Hunter, Black Heart

    Clint Eastwood, Jeff Fahey, George Dzundza
    88 votes
    Hard-living, macho movie director John Wilson (Clint Eastwood) arrives in 1950s Zimbabwe to prepare for his next film. Accompanied by screenwriter Pete Verrill (Jeff Fahey), Wilson becomes far more interested in shooting an elephant than getting ready for the shoot. Determined, Wilson moves production to a village where a native hunter helps him in his quest. Obsessed with this goal even as filming grows ever more chaotic, the director begins to question the ethics and origins of his fixation.
  • Jersey Boys
    30

    Jersey Boys

    John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda
    129 votes
    In the 1960s, four scrappy young men from New Jersey -- Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young), Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen), Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda) and Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) -- have the magic sound that propels them from singing under streetlights to singing in spotlights. With songs like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Walk Like a Man," the quartet finds itself at the top of the charts. However, personal and professional problems threaten to tear the group apart.