Sometimes known as The Man with No Name,Clint Eastwoodis also the Director Who Won’t Slow Down, even into his 90s. His career is fascinating, and plainly extends beyond just directing, of course. He rose to prominence back in the late 1950s, thanks to the TV showRawhide, and then became a film star by the time the 1960s came around. Indeed, that decade saw the release of what’s probably the best film he starred in without directing:The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Starting in the early 1970s, Clint Eastwood also began directing, sometimes starring in the movies he directed while also appearing in movies he didn’t direct (likeEscape from AlcatrazandIn the Line of Fire).To focus on his directorial credits, though, what stands out first of all is how consistently Eastwood’s worked as a director. Between 1971 and 2024, he made 40 feature films, which would be staggering if he just focused on directing… but as mentioned before, he’s also acted a whole bunch during this time, too. While not every film of his is a masterpiece, he’s certainly been behind some great ones, and surprisingly few total duds, too. What follows is a ranking of every film Eastwood has directed, starting with the not-so-great and ending with some genuine classics.
40’The 15:17 to Paris' (2018)
Starring: Ray Corasani, Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler
There was an attempt at something bold withThe 15:17 to Paris, butthe execution let it down. It dramatized a real-life story about three American men who thwarted a terrorist attack on board a train while vacationing in Europe. The boldness came from the fact that it got the three actual men to essentially play themselves, recreating the central event while also acting out moments from their lives leading up to it.
It’s a noble idea, but the three leads don’t appear particularly comfortable – or even natural – playing themselves. You can appreciate what they did, but it’s harder to be wowed by their performances here, as harsh as that might be to say. Elsewhere,The 15:17 to Parisis quite sloppily put together from a writing and editing perspective, andwhat should’ve been a stirring thrillerinstead becomes a very clunky melodrama.
The 15:17 to Paris
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39’The Rookie' (1990)
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Charlie Sheen, Raúl Juliá
As will become clear in a bit, Clint Eastwood hada pretty good decade in the 1990s, all things considered, especially because it saw him find considerable awards success (wins for Best Picture and Best Director the same year).But things didn’t kick off amazingly well in this decade, seeing as 1990 saw the release ofThe Rookie, a movie that feels as though it was directed by one.
It might sound enticing on paper, because the idea of a cop movie starring Eastwood andCharlie Sheenis, in concept, possibly too weird to be boring, but no…The Rookieis boring. It feels so much longer than the two hours it runs for, and seeing flat action sequences and continual scenes of Sheen and Eastwood clashing really gets old surprisingly fast.
The Rookie
A gritty crime thriller featuring Nick Pulovski, a seasoned detective who is paired with David Ackerman, a green and eager rookie. Tasked with dismantling a powerful car theft syndicate, the duo faces numerous obstacles, including internal conflicts and dangerous criminals. Nick’s tough-as-nails approach contrasts with David’s idealism, leading to tension and growth as they navigate the perilous assignment. When Nick is captured by the gang, David must rely on his training and instincts to rescue his partner and bring the criminals to justice.
38’Firefox' (1982)
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Freddie Jones, David Huffman
DescribingFirefoxwill make it sound more interesting than it is, perhaps even more so than was the case withThe Rookie. This is a Cold War movie that flirts with the sci-fi genre while (purportedly) being an action/thriller film, following Eastwood’s character, a skilled pilot, going tothe USSR to steal a top-secret jet fighterthat the Soviets are developing.
You’ve got paranoia, a clear objective, and Eastwood doing his usual stoic thing… it should all make for a fun movie, but outside a few brief moments of life here and there,Firefoxis a rather plodding flick to actually watch. There’s a common sentiment that mediocre movies should be remade more than already good movies, and that could be said aboutFirefox, perhaps, if the Cold War was still going.It’s sadly relegated to being a relic of its time, and a pretty underwhelming/disappointing one at that.
A daring American pilot embarks on a covert operation to seize an experimental Soviet jet that boasts invisibility to radar and is equipped with a revolutionary mind-controlled weapons system. His mission to outfly and outsmart the enemy in their own airspace becomes a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game, pushing his aerial skills to the brink and risking global consequences.
37’Hereafter' (2010)
Starring: Matt Damon, Cécile de France, Bryce Dallas Howard
Firefoxwas unusual for being an (almost) science fiction movie directed by Eastwood, whose films tend to be grounded more in reality, andHereafteris similarly novel forbeing kind of a fantasy movie; emphasis, maybe, on “kind of.” It’s mostly a drama, and it also plays out like a disaster movie, especially in its first act, thanks to one rather spectacular sequence early on that depicts the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The film follows a woman who miraculously survives said event, and the way she’s potentially mysteriously connected to two other people who have some kind of link to the afterlife. There are big ideas that are prodded at inHereafter, but it never dives as deep into such things as it could or should. Itcomes close to being moving at times, but it’s the kind of film that just doesn’t stick the landing, and it ultimately becomes regrettably tedious to watch, at a certain point.
36’J. Edgar' (2011)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer
J. Edgarfeels a little torn between being something subversive and unexpected, and something a littlemore by-the-numbers, as far as biopics go. Unsurprisingly, the central figure here isJ. Edgar Hoover, andthe film does what it can to capture a sizable chunk of his life, withLeonardo DiCaprioplaying Hoover over numerous decades, complete with some pretty unconvincing old-age make-up.
It’s a movie that’s at its most interesting when exploring sexual repression, given that’s the kind of surprising part of what otherwise seems like a standard biopic about a noteworthy American individual from the 20th century. The engaging/striking stuff gets a little lost in the overall film, though, which can sometimes be overwrought and a bit dull. There are both things to admire and dislike inJ. Edgar, in starkly equal measure, really.
J. Edgar Hoover, powerful head of the F.B.I. for nearly fifty years, looks back on his professional and personal life.
35’Blood Work' (2002)
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Jeff Daniels, Anjelica Huston
Not quitea legendary thriller by any means, but a more or less competent one,Blood Workcontains one of Eastwood’s final lead performances; indeed, he only had prominent roles in five movies since 2002. He’s been more focused on directing as he’s gotten older, it seems, and that’s resulted in some great movies. NotBlood Work, though. Not really. This one’s just okay.
It’s expected stuff as far as cop movies go, with Eastwood playing an FBI profiler who comes out of retirement to work on a case that involves tracking down a serial killer.It’s not very successful as a mystery movie, but provides some fun bursts of action here and there, and seeing an older Eastwood be gruff and sarcastic is always, at the very least, a little bit entertaining.
Blood Work
Blood Work follows retired FBI profiler Terry McCaleb, who is recovering from a heart transplant and drawn back into investigation when his donor’s murder remains unsolved. As McCaleb pursues the case with determination, he unravels a complex web of connections, all while balancing the constraints of his fragile health.
34’The Gauntlet' (1977)
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle
Long stretches ofThe Gauntletare unfortunately a bit dull, but the movie comes alive at certain points at least, mainlywhen it focuses on delivering action. It’s got the sort of simple premise that fits well with that genre, being about a cop who’s tasked with escorting a high-profile witness out of Las Vegas, contending with the various people who want her dead.
It’s one of several movies Eastwood starred in withSondra Locke, but not one of the pair’s better ones.The Gauntletdoes admittedly avoid overstaying its welcome too much, clocking in, mercifully, at under two hours, and it’s generally put together in a competent enough way.Things drag at certain points, though, and the overall film can feel surprisingly lifeless at times, even with the high stakes that seem inherent to its central story.
The Gauntlet
A hard but mediocre cop is assigned to escort a prostitute into custody from Las Vegas to Phoenix, so that she can testify in a mob trial. But a lot of people are literally betting that they won’t make it into town alive.
33’Bronco Billy' (1980)
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis
It might sound like sacrilege, but Eastwood’s work as a director was far moreinconsistent in the 1970s and 1980sthan it was in the 1990s and 2000s, the latter two decades being when the filmmaker was generally at his best. Hell, you could even argue that the 2010s saw the release of generally better Eastwood films compared to his first two decades spent behind the camera. That sense of Eastwood bettering his craft can be appreciated if you’re willing to do a deep dive into his filmography.
But you will come across films likeBronco Billy, which just don’t really stand out or excel. ToBronco Billyand the credit of similar films, though, at least they don’t stand out in bad ways, either. This is just a very standard and perhaps overly loose-feeling romantic dramedy with a bit of a modern Western vibe.It comes and then it goes, all in just under two hours, and that’s that.
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32’Heartbreak Ridge' (1986)
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Marsha Mason, Everett McGill
Clint Eastwood hasdirected a handful of great war moviesin his time, thoughHeartbreak Ridgeisn’t quite one of them. It’s tonally odd, not to mention a bit plodding, like many other less-than-great or generally mediocre Eastwood-directed flicks. The focus here is more on training than combat, which isn’t the problem; after all, consider how captivating something likeFull Metal Jacketis while exploring that area of military life.
The problem is more thanHeartbreak Ridgeisn’t hugely engaging on an emotional front, nor particularly insightful in what it has to say about war. One could praise it for being neutral or seeming well-balanced, sure, but there’s still the problem of it not being entirely engaging.That might sound overly negative for a film that’s still admittedly competent, butHeartbreak Ridgejust falls a bit short, and it’s kind of a disappointment, rather than a true hidden gem within Eastwood’s sizable filmography.
Heartbreak Ridge
A tough Marine Corps sergeant, Tom Highway, faces a changing military world as he trains a platoon of misfits and prepares them for the invasion of Grenada. His unorthodox methods clash with modern military standards, but his dedication to his men remains unwavering.
31’The Eiger Sanction' (1975)
Starring: Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy, Vonetta McGee
Once again, the word “competence” rears its not quite ugly head. Its underwhelming head? Disappointing head? That came out wrong. Um, yeah,The Eiger Sanctionis sort ofcompetent for an action/adventure movie. Nothing more, nothing less. The story is about an assassin out for revenge, and there is also a lot of snow, meaning it’s one of Eastwood’s chilliest movies.
Nothing more of any real note can be said here.The Eiger Sanctionexists.Eastwood broods, comes out of retirement, and gets tangled up in some fairly ho-hum action set pieces. It might be easier to recommend if it was a little more brisk, but the film feels regrettably flabby thanks to its runtime, which exceeds two hours. Big Eastwood fans might find some enjoyable elements here, but otherwise, it’s hard to get too enthusiastic about this one.
The Eiger Sanction
Art professor and former government assassin Jonathan Hemlock is reluctantly pulled back into action by a mysterious agency. Tasked with identifying and eliminating a killer responsible for the death of a fellow agent, Hemlock joins an international climbing team on a treacherous ascent of the Eiger mountain. The mission is complicated by his suspicion that one of his teammates is the target.
