The 15 Best George Clooney Movies, Ranked

Clooney's 2002 directorial debut "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" was an immediate blast of originality thanks to the idiosyncratic tone and mix of comedy, crime, and nonlinear narrative structure. It's hard for a first-time director to announce themselves in such a prominent way, but Clooney had learned from working with first-rate filmmakers and proved he had a unique voice of his own behind the camera. Clooney gets one of the best performances out of Sam Rockwell's career and also plays a pivotal role in the story.

Aspiring television writer Chuck Barris (Rockwell) travels to Manhattan after a heartbreak and gains a job working as a page at NBC. As he rises through the ranks of the television industry, Barris is recruited by the CIA handler Jim Byrd (Clooney), who finds him brawling in a bar. Byrd hires him to be an assassin, but Barris doesn't give up his dreams of a television career.

There's always a danger with remaking a beloved classic, as it can be hard for a remake to stand alongside an iconic original film. Steven Soderbergh boldly remade the Russian science fiction classic "Solaris" from director Andrei Tarkovsky, one of the most influential arthouse sci-fi films of the '70s. Thankfully, Soderbergh's 2002 film is unique while still possessing a meditative quality and reflects on human existence. Clooney delivers a strong performance as the clinical psychologist Dr. Chris Kelvin.

Kelvin is recruited for a mission to a remote space station orbiting the Solaris solar system in order to look into a mysterious phenomenon that DBA scientists can't understand. The details of the mission are secretive, and as Kelvin and the small crew venture further into space their memories begin to be affected. Kelvin sees visions of the enigmatic Rhea (Natascha McElhone), and he's unable to recognize what is real and what is part of his imagination.

Clooney is more than comfortable lampooning himself and giving self-aware performances, and the Coen Brothers have gotten some of the funniest work out of Clooney's entire filmography. "Hail, Caesar!" is a hilarious satire of the Golden Age of Hollywood with over-the-top depictions of famous figures within the film industry. It's an insightful look at the era that features a great ensemble of stars as wonderfully ridiculous characters.

Clooney has a critical role as Baird Whitlock, a famous star of biblical epics similar to Robert Taylor or Charlton Heston, but he's winking at the bloat and ego of movie stars because Baird is completely clueless. He's managed by the Hollywood fixer Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), and when Baird goes missing during the filming of his new historical epic Eddie has to find him. Although Baird is the central driving point of the plot, he seems to never know what's actually going on or why he's been abducted.

Clooney's inherent charm makes him perfect to star in caper films, and he's starred in many heist films throughout his career such as "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Three Kings," and the "Ocean's" trilogy, and "Out of Sight" is another fun classic that stands alongside those great films. It began one of the most significant partnerships of Clooney's career, as it was his first collaboration with the brilliant Steven Soderbergh. 

Based on the acclaimed Elmore Leonard novel, "Out of Sight" follows bank robber Jack Foley (Clooney), who is pitted against U.S Marshal Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez). Jack manages a heist team with Buddy Bragg (Ving Rhames) and Glenn Michaels (Steve Zahn) that Sisco is pursuing, but against their better judgment, Karen and Jack begin to work together and form a romance. The film tracks their relationship in a nonlinear fashion, and Clooney and Lopez have terrific chemistry.

Clooney's gripping 2011 political drama "The Ides of March" is one of the most painfully realistic depictions of the modern American election cycle in modern film history, and Clooney once again proves himself as a filmmaker with his incredible direction and screenplay. He co-stars as the Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania Mike Morris, who is in serious contention to win the primary nomination to be elected President of the United States.

Morris's campaign manager Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) manages a difficult press cycle with the help of his junior manager Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), a highly intelligent young analyst who believes in Morris' cause. Morris is optimistic about Meyers's abilities and their chance of victory, but Meyers learns that Morris has secretly been having an affair with the intern Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood), with who he is also romantically involved. After Molly is shockingly killed in a car accident, Meyers is forced to reassess his perspective of Morris and considers joining the rival campaign manager Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti).

Clooney certainly has taken bold swings with his performances, particularly in his comedic roles. He's unafraid to take on roles that make him look foolish or silly, and the Coen Brothers' unique brand of humor has often given him the chance to do so. Clooney sings and does challenging physical gags in the Coens' uproarious 2000 comedy "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" A loose retelling of the story of the Odyssey and figures from Greek mythology, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" reimagines the narrative within the American South during the Great Depression.

Ulysses Everett McGill is a serial robber who recruits fellow criminals Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) to form a gang in search of a mysterious treasure. They are betrayed by Everett's cousin, Washington Bartholomew Hogwallop (Frank Collision), who turns them into local law enforcement. In order to escape and disguise their identities from authorities, the trio meets the talented blues musician Tommy Johnson (Chris Thomas King) and forms the band the Soggy Bottom Boys. Although the musician personas are only meant to be a disguise, their records surprisingly become hits. Clooney makes the musical numbers hilarious while also showing genuine talent, which is not an easy task. John Goodman has a hilarious performance as Big Dan Teague, a traveling one-eyed Bible salesman who secretly is a swindler.

Clooney has never been quite as vulnerable on screen as he is in Alexander Payne's emotional 2011 drama "The Descendants." Clooney stars as Matthew King, a highly successful attorney who owns an expensive house in Honolulu, Hawaii. King's life is changed by two major occurrences: His wife Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) gets into a dangerous motorboat accident and is put into a medically induced coma, and he discovers that she's been secretly having an affair.

In order to deal with Elizabeth's state, King has to reconnect with his teenage daughter, Alex (Shailene Woodley), and adolescent daughter, Scottie (Amara Miller). Both girls are distant from their father and view him as unconnected, pretentious, and spoiled. He tries to form a bond with them while also preparing for the eventuality that Elizabeth's state could worsen. He reluctantly takes along Alex's boyfriend, Sid (Nick Krause), and the four search for Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard), the man Elizabeth was having an affair with.

At the same time, King is considering the future of his family trust which grants his extended relatives a large batch of land. The land would be highly lucrative if the Kings were to sell it, but it's also a place that has belonged to their family for generations.

No role personifies Clooney's endearing charisma quite like Danny Ocean. While it's possible that Clooney is as slick and charming as his iconic character, Danny is a fully formed character who shows true depth. It's not obvious, but he's inherently vulnerable. Danny has made his career through charming everyone around him and uses dramatic irony as a humorous deflection from any concerns about his psyche. However, he's forced to be completely sincere as he vies for his ex-wife Tess (Julia Roberts).

"Ocean's Eleven" reunited Clooney and director Steven Soderbergh, and is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name. Ironically, the original film is a rather dull film that didn't develop a real story outside of the performances, but Soderbergh's version actually engages with the characters and takes time to set up its meticulous heist sequences. The film follows Danny, who has been recently released from prison but immediately returns to his old ways by planning the robbery of several Las Vegas casinos alongside his best friend, Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt). They assemble nine heist experts who work to orchestrate the complex scheme, but Danny hides his true motivation, which is winning back Tess from the casino's owner, Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Danny bonds with his team early on, but they gradually begin to question his leadership.