Bruce Willismay be a Hollywood legend with some classic films in his acting resume, but he’s also a self-professed fan of the movies. There was a time, back in the 2000s, when Willis was actively interacting with fans online, including on his own (now defunct) website message board and movie sites likeAin’t It Cool News. During a 2007 chat session, Willis revealed his favorite films, and fans of theDie Hardactor likely won’t be surprised by many of his choices.
Interest in Willis' favorite films has renewed as fans celebrate his storied career, after his familyannounced his retirement from actingin March 2022 due to aphasia, a debilitating disease that affects cognitive functions and made it impossible for Willis to continue to work.
Many of Willis' favorite movies released in his youth, and are much like the films he starred in as an adult. Ten of his film choices are from the 1960s and 1970s, and every film could be considered a “guy’s movie,” with action flicks and crime thrillers dominating the list. Willis said he watches these films at least “three to five times a year,” and even though he was asked to name his top five films, he provided 16, as he couldn’t narrow the list further. We’ve ranked them, however, although the number of undisputed classics in the list will likely cause some disagreements to our seeding.
16300 (2006)
Critics weren’t particularly kind to300upon its release in 2006 (it currently rates at 61% on Rotten Tomatoes), but audiences still love Zack Snyder’s stylized take on the legendary battle. It may not be the most accurate depiction of The Battle of Thermopylae, but it’s highly entertaining, although some argue that300is merely a glorification of fascism.
As a leading actor, Gerard Butler has never been better, and the film that spawned so many action scene imitators still stands as a unique cinematic vision. Snyder’s visual style may have worn thin since then, but that doesn’t make this testosterone-fueled, fantasy-themed roller coaster any less watchable.
15Patton (1970)
George C. Scott’s iconic performance is the backbone ofPatton, the reverential yet compelling look at thelegendary World War IIgeneral. It also boasts fantastic cinematography and an Oscar-nominated Jerry Goldsmith score. Released in the midst of the Vietnam War, Franklin J. Schaffner’s film is at times both a condemnation of war and a celebration of it.
ThePlanet of the Apesdirector allowed Scott to give an unapologetic, bombastic performance, and it won him an Oscar for Best Actor. However, Scott considered himself unworthy of a nomination or an award, and refused to accept it. He didn’t attend the Oscar ceremony, and even though a producer accepted the award for him, it was later returned to the Academy.
14Bullitt (1968)
This is one of two Steve McQueen films Bruce Willis listed among his favorites, and one might argue that Willis himself is this generation’s McQueen.Bullittmanaged to capture the spirit of the late 1960s, and that’s thanks to director Peter Yates' grounded direction, which captured the grit and grime of San Francisco in that era.
Although famous for its iconic chase sequence — one ofthe best car chases everput to film —Bullittis first and foremost a crime thriller, anchored by McQueen’s no-nonsense performance as a determined cop out for justice, and a little revenge.
13The Great Escape (1963)
If it’s not clear by now, Willis is a Steve McQueen fan. John Sturges' action masterpieceThe Great Escapeis a must-watch for its suspense-filled third act, in which members of the all-star cast break out of their World War II POW camp and attempt to elude their Nazi captors. McQueen is in top form, playing an American POW who relishes making things difficult for the Germans holding him.
Related:The Best Bruce Willis Comedy Movies, Ranked
The cast is filled with movie icons: Charles Bronson (Death Wish), James Garner (The Rockford Files), Sir Richard Attenborough (Jurassic Park), and James Coburn (The Magnificent Seven),who all make the most out of their limited screen time thanks to James Clavell’s sharp screenplay, adapted from the Paul Brickhill book. Elmer Bernstein’s score is absolutely perfect.
12Alien (1979)
To this day,Alienremains an unparalleled viewing experience, a claustrophobic horror film without equal. In retrospect, many may consider Ridley Scott’s film a bit of a slow-burn compared to modern films, but it makes theactual scenes showing the alienall the more horrific and shocking.
Amazingly, the alien has less than four minutes of actual screen time in this film, yet its presence looms large in every frame, a testament to Scott’s atmospheric direction. Scott’s film madeSigourney Weaver an action/horror icon, although much of the credit for that should go to Weaver herself.
11Spartacus (1960)
It’s been over 60 years sinceSpartacusfirst premiered in theaters, and yet, Stanley Kubrick’s allegorical sword-and-sandal spectacle holds up to today’s standards. It has an old Hollywood feel, but an emotional depth and political complexity that many films of that era didn’t have.
For perhaps the only time in his career, the success of the film can’t be totally credited to Kubrick, as the young director virtually disowned the film. Upset that he didn’t have full creative control, Kubrick often clashed with the cinematographer as well as Dalton Trumbo, the legendary screenwriter who penned the script while blacklisted. Star and producer Kirk Douglas reportedly had a hand in giving the film its epic scope, but either way, the troubled production gave us one of the greatest film epics of all.
10The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
David Lean may forever be known forLawrence of Arabia, but five years before he lensed that masterpiece, he directedThe Bridge on the River Kwai, a far more accessible (and arguably, more entertaining) epic. Based on the book by Pierre Boulle, the film tells the story of British POWs forced to build a bridge in the jungles of Burma by their Japanese captors. Their superior officer, Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), is obsessed with finishing the bridge, even as a group of Allied commandos plan to blow it up and cut off Japanese supply lines.
The Academy Award-winner for Best Picture of 1957 may be known for its famous “whistle tune,” but the film also offers fantastic performances from William Holden and Guinness, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role,his only win from five Oscar nominationsover a stellar career.
9On the Waterfront (1954)
Almost 20 years before winning an Oscar forThe Godfather, Marlon Brando took home his first Academy Award for Best Actor forOn the Waterfront, Elia Kazan’s masterful tale about a former boxer who stands up against union corruption. The film capped an incredible run for Brando, in which he was nominated for Best Actor for four straight years, utilizing a form of method actingthat changed how films were made.
8The Last Picture Show (1971)
It’s interesting that Bruce Willis included this film in his list of favorites, as it featured the acting debut of Cybill Shepherd, hisMoonlightingco-star that he so famously clashed with on set. She gives a fantastic performance inThe Last Picture Show, standing toe-to-toe with Jeff Bridges and Timothy Bottoms in this romantic drama about life in a sleepy little Texas town. The film remains thegreatest achievement of director Peter Bogdanovich, withPaper Moon(1973) a close runner-up.
7Reservoir Dogs (1992)
The film that convinced Bruce Willis to star inPulp Fiction,Reservoir Dogshas seen its standing grow in recent years, as more film fans give it the respect it deserves. The film about a heist gone wrong is masterfully done, with Quentin Tarantino’s script elevated by some outstanding performances.
Tarantino may have perfected his craft withPulp Fiction, butReservoir Dogsdeserves every accolade heaped upon it. Fans can easily name thefilm’s signature scenesand quote the iconic lines, a testament to the impact the film has to this day. The film’s recent release on 4K UHD Blu-ray should win it a new generation of fans.
