Clint Eastwood isn’t just one of the greatest directors in film history, but one of the most versatile. Eastwood is most closely associated with the western genre, and for good reason; after starring in Sergio Leone’s beloved The Man With No Name trilogy of A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, he directed many iconic westerns. Pale Rider, High Plains Drifter, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and the Best Picture-winner Unforgiven were responsible for injecting a new sense of life into the genre, and ensured that Eastwood would forever be associated with his infamous outlaw persona. Of course, Eastwood has directed nearly 40 films, and not all of them are westerns.
Interestingly, he followed up his wins at the Academy Awards for Unforgivenwith a versatile series of projects that reflected his growth as a storyteller. His work over the course of the last two decades has signified that Eastwood’s filmography should be appreciated as not just the work of a great western director, but the output of a filmmaker capable of biopics, action films, comedies, dramas, and much more. Roger Ebert noted that Eastwood “has a supremely intelligent artistic sensibility,” and Eastwood himself has stated that he continues “working because I learn something new all the time.” Here are the best Clint Eastwood movies of the 21st century, ranked.
7 The Mule
The Mule was a somewhat unusual project for Eastwood, as he returned to acting to play the lead role of Earl Stone, who had been the subject of one of the most bizarre true stories set within the drug war that had hit headlines in recent memory. At the age of 87, the former veteran and horticulturalist Leo Sharp (whose name was changed in the film to Stone) became a drug mule for a Mexican cartel and helped to smuggle merchandise over the border.
Eastwood inserts a reflective element to the film that makes the film both funnier and more emotional as a result; similar to Robert Redford’s recent performance in The Old Man & The Gun, Eastwood’s role as Stone served as an amalgamation of some of the various characters that he had portrayed throughout his career, and reminded his fans why they fell in love with him in the first place. Stone is forced to prioritize spending time with his family when he realizes how little time he has left.
6 American Sniper
American Sniper became a game changing financial and cultural juggernaut that stands as one of Eastwood’s most commercially successful films ever; in an era dominated by superheroes and franchises, seeing an R-rated biographical film at the top of the box office for several weeks was a rarity. Only a director like Eastwood and a performer of Bradley Cooper’s caliber were capable of making the project as successful as it was.
American Sniper unpacks the life of the controversial military veteran Chris Kyle (Cooper), whose marksmanship overseas earned him the reputation of being one of the deadliest killers in American history. Eastwood does a great job at showing Kyle’s complex relationship with patriotism, post-traumatic stress disorder, and his familial responsibilities, and offers a surprisingly balanced perspective considering that he has been outspoken in his politically conservative views. While American Sniper received a Best Picture nomination alongside many other accolades, Eastwood was sadly snubbed for Best Director.
5 Gran Torino
Gran Torino is a refreshingly earnest examination of generational hatred, cultural awareness, racism, and redemption; anyone that has been a fan of Eastwood’s for a long time knows that he detests discrimination and xenophobia, so it was perfect for him to both direct and star in a film about modern race relations. Eastwood stars as Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran who becomes a mentor to the young Hmong American teenager Thao Vang Lor (Bee Vang). It was the first mainstream film to spotlight the Hmong American experience.
While Walt initially has a lot of bigoted beliefs that stem from his service in Korea, he learns about the challenges that Thao has faced and the violence that has impacted his community. It’s a great film about the power of cultural respect that shows that even the most cold-hearted individual is capable of making extraordinary changes in their outlook.
4 Sully
Sully recounts the incredible true story of Captain Sully Sullenberger (Tom Hanks), a U.S. commercial pilot who successfully landed a plane on the Hudson River after a flock of seagulls forced him to make a crash landing. Incredibly, all of Sully’s passengers survived the event, and he has been hailed as a modern American hero ever since. Eastwood took an interesting approach to chronicling Sully’s life story; he explores his post-traumatic stress disorder and struggles to live up to the reputation of being a hero in a nonlinear story that does not revert to the types of clichés that are common in biopics.
Hanks gives a very nuanced performance that perfectly fits Sully’s humble outlook and goals; he is unable to rest until he has ensured the safety of everyone on the flight. If there’s any Eastwood film in recent memory that deserves a serious critical reappraisal, its Sully.
3 Invictus
Invictus is inspired by the incredible true story of South Africa’s World Cup victory in the wake of Nelson Mandela’s (Morgan Freeman) election as President; Eastwood does a phenomenal job balancing the political tension within the context of an inspiring sports story.
2 Million Dollar Baby
Million Dollar Baby was the second Best Picture and Best Director win for Eastwood, who delivered one of the most heartbreaking sports movies ever made. He starred as a reclusive boxing trainer who takes on his first female student (Hillary Swank), only to become more attached to his protege than he had ever imagined.
1 Mystic River
Mystic River is one of the most nauseatingly intense crime thrillers of the 21st Century. The story of three lifelong friends united during childhood and adulthood by senseless tragedies looks at the ugliness of abuse and the unrewarding nature of revenge; Eastwood inspired all-time great performances out of his stars Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, and Tim Robbins.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb