Bruce Willis is a Hollywood icon whose career spans decades and genres. From sci-fi epics to indie dramas, he’s left an indelible mark on film history. In 2022, Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, leading to his retirement from acting. The announcement was met with an outpouring of love from fans and fellow actors alike—proof of just how deeply his work has resonated over the years.
Yesterday, Emma Heming Willis shared a touching Father’s Day tribute to Bruce Willis, expressing feeling “profoundly sad” while honoring him and other dads living with disability or disease.
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“Happy Father’s Day to all the dads living with disability or disease, showing up in the ways they can and to the children who show up for them,” she wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of Bruce embracing one of their daughters.
As we celebrate his filmography, there’s no better time to look back at the roles that made Bruce Willis a legend. Here are the top 10 Bruce Willis movies, ranked.
The Top 10 Bruce Willis Movies, Ranked
10. The Fifth Element (1997)
A wild, visually stunning sci-fi cult classic. Bruce Willis plays Korben Dallas, a cab driver turned reluctant hero in a futuristic world. Directed by Luc Besson, this film is chaotic, colorful, and totally unforgettable.
9. Death Becomes Her (1992)
This dark comedy about vanity and immortality shows Willis’s underrated comedic timing. As a bumbling plastic surgeon caught between two undead women, he plays it perfectly straight amid the absurdity, making it one of the best Bruce Willis movies.
8. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
In Wes Anderson’s whimsical tale of young love and quirky adults, Willis softens into a gentle, melancholic role as a small-town police officer. It’s one of the most tender Bruce Willis performances in his filmography.
7. Unbreakable (2000)
This M. Night Shyamalan thriller pairs Willis with Samuel L. Jackson in a grounded superhero origin story. A slow burn that’s aged beautifully, it helped redefine the comic book genre.
6. Nobody’s Fool (1994)
In this underrated Paul Newman drama, Willis plays a small-town contractor in a supporting role that highlights his range. It’s a quieter performance but one that sticks with you.
5. Looper (2012)
Time travel, moral dilemmas, and action—Looper has it all. Willis plays the older version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character in a gritty, thought-provoking sci-fi thriller directed by Rian Johnson.
4. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Quentin Tarantino’s genre-bending masterpiece features Bruce Willis as Butch Coolidge, a boxer with a conscience. His story arc is one of the film’s most gripping, and that pawn shop scene? Iconic.
3. The Sixth Sense (1999)
Willis delivers one of the most restrained performances of his career as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist trying to help a boy who “sees dead people.” The twist ending made cinematic history—and so did his role.
2. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
A mind-bending time-travel epic from Terry Gilliam, Twelve Monkeys is gritty and surreal. Willis’s portrayal of a haunted, unstable convict sent back in time is emotionally intense and unforgettable.
1. Die Hard (1988)
The ultimate Bruce Willis movie. As John McClane, he redefined the action hero—tough, sarcastic, and human. Die Hard isn’t just the best Bruce Willis movie—it’s one of the best action movies of all time.
