15 Best Paul Newman Movies (According To Rotten Tomatoes)

15 Best Paul Newman Movies (According To Rotten Tomatoes)

Looking back on Paul Newman’s filmography is like revisiting some of the most important movies ever made. He changed Hollywood. He was the best.

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It’s hard to imagine what Hollywood would have been like without Paul Newman. He emerged as a new kind of leading man, one who was effortlessly cool and charming yet still willing to poke fun at himself. Though he passed away in 2008, his incredible body of work remains for us all to remember him by.

Newman continued to give iconic performances in amazing movies throughout his long career. He was nominated for ten Oscars, winning one along with two honorary awards, and remained a favorite among film critics for his entire career. Looking back on his filmography is like revisiting some of the most important movies ever made.

Updated on December 10th, 2021 by Colin McCormick: It has been more than a decade since the movie world lost one of its most cherished stars. Though Paul Newman is certainly missed in movies, his long and acclaimed career left so many classics for fans to revisit and discover for the first time. From light-hearted comedies to intense dramas to exciting Western adventures, there was no genre or role Newman couldn’t step into and still remain his charismatic and compelling self.

15 Hud (1963) – 83%

• Available to stream on Prime Video and Kanopy

Though Newman was one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, he was never afraid of more complicated and flawed characters such as in Hud. The movie tells the story of Newman’s titular character the alcoholic son of a hardworking rancher who struggles with guilt over a past accident.

Newman created one of his most ruthless characters while also making Hud a character who audiences were fascinated by. It made for an engrossing Western drama that showcased the actor’s darker side with an Oscar-nominated performance.

14 Slap Shot (1977) – 85%

• Available to stream on fubo TV, Showtime, DIRECTV and Spectrum On Demand

There is a perception of Newman as a revered Hollywood legend, but he was also known to take on some sillier roles. Slap Shot is perhaps his funniest movie where he really embraces his funny side in a movie that ranks among the most hilarious sports comedies of all time.

Newman plays the captain of a failing hockey team who realizes that they can find success in brawling their way through their games. It is a classic in the eyes of hockey fans and it is so much fun seeing Newman take on a role like this.

13 Fort Apache The Bronx (1981) – 86%

• No streaming options available

Newman’s reputation in classic Western movies was put to good use in this modern crime story that took inspiration from that genre. Fort Apache the Bronx tells the story of a police precinct in the New York neighborhood nicknamed Fort Apache as it seemed like an outpost in enemy territory.

Newman plays a hardened and cynical detective who nevertheless has a strong sense of justice. It made for a gritty and grounded police story that has gone under the radar for most fans.

12 The Verdict (1982) – 88%

• Available to rent on Apple iTunes

Newman teamed with another iconic Hollywood figure, Sidney Lumet, for this riveting courtroom drama. In The Verdict, Newman plays an alcoholic, washed-up lawyer who is brought in to settle a big case but finds himself willing to fight for seeing real justice delivered.

The role is a perfect one for Newman, with shades of good and bad to this complex character the actor carefully builds. Newman’s performance, the sharp and intelligent script, and Lumet’s tense direction made this a classic courtroom thriller in the eyes of many critics.

11 The Color Of Money (1986) – 89%

• Available to rent on Apple iTunes

Newman reprised one of his most famous roles in The Color of Money, returning as Fast Eddie in this Martin Scorsese sequel years after the original. Now older and not the best anymore, Eddie sets his sights on training a talented yet arrogant young pool player (Tom Cruise) how to be a pool hall hustler.

It’s interesting to see Newman back in a role that kick-started his career as a leading man and bringing years of experience with him. Critics were quick to point out that the film doesn’t live up to the original, but the fun performances from Newman and Cruise and Scorsese’s direction make it an enjoyable sequel.

10 Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969) – 89%

• Available to stream on Prime Video, The Roku Channel and Criterion Channel

While the Western genre was still going strong at the time with classic stars like John Wayne, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid changed the genre forever. This rollicking adventure film finds the two titular outlaws looking for their next big scores while trying to evade the law.

Newman and Robert Redford made an instantly iconic on-screen duo who audiences fell in love with. Critics were equally charmed by their partnership as well as the film’s fun energy. They pointed to the humor, the antiheroes, and the film’s light approach as helping to make it a masterpiece.

9 The Left Handed Gun (1958) – 90%

• Available to rent on Apple iTunes

While Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid might be a classic Western in Newman’s filmography, fans might not be as familiar with another of his acclaimed Western outings. The Left Handed Gun is directed by Hollywood legend Arthur Penn and starring Newman as the infamous outlaw, Billy the Kid.

The movie certainly buys into the folk hero persona of Billy the Kid, making him a sympathetic anti-hero out to avenge the death of his friend. But it made for a great starring role for Newman’s early career.

8 Nobody’s Fool (1994) – 91%

• Available to stream on Max Go, DIRECTV and Cinemax Amazon Channel

Given how charming and likable Newman is off-screen, it can be fun to see him play characters of questionable moral fiber. In Nobody’s Fool, Newman stars as a reckless and irresponsible older man with no real connections in life whose long-lost son suddenly comes back into his life.

The film is a simple and charming story with a superb cast which included Bruce Willis, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Melanie Griffith. But the real thing that impressed critics was how the film served as a perfect vehicle for one of Newman’s best performances.

7 Hombre (1967) – 93%

• Available to rent on Apple iTunes

Newman made another splash in the Western genre with this adventure film based on the novel by Elmore Leonard. Hombre finds Newman playing John Russell, a man raised by Native Americans and thus an outsider in the white community. When a stagecoach of strangers is attacked by outlaws, he is the only one who can save them.

Newman made for a dashing and intense hero, while the sharp writing set the film apart in the genre. It was one of the Westerns that ushered in a new era of revisionist Western films.

6 The Sting (93%)

• Available to stream on Tubi TV

In 1973, Newman and Redford realigned their immense star power for another incredibly fun film. In The Sting, Redford stars as a con artist who gets on the wrong side of a deadly gangster. After facing deadly repercussions, the young conman teams with a seasoned pro (Newman) to pull a long con on the gangster.

Once again, Newman and Redford made for an immensely likable team, playing perfectly off one another. The film was praised for its humor as well as a few very fun twists that kept the audience on their toes for this clever romp.

5 The Hustler (1961) – 96%

• Available to stream on IndieFlix and FlixFling

The Hustler marked one of Newman’s key roles that allowed him to really step into the spotlight as a big Hollywood player. He stars as Fast Eddie, a young skilled pool player who attempts to prove himself by taking on the long-time champion in a high-stakes game.

Though the story sounds simple on its surface, critics acknowledged that it sets up a dark and complex morality tale. Newman was captivating in this early role while Jackie Gleason made for a great foil as the champ he takes on.

4 Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958) – 97%

• Available to rent on Apple iTunes

Newman scored his first Oscar nomination for this searing adaptation of the play by Tennessee Williams. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof stars Newman as an ex-football player nursing an injury and resisting the affections of his wife (Elizabeth Taylor). When his father comes to town, he falls into a drunken depression while reliving his past.

The movie was hailed as electric by critics, thanks largely to the unforgettable performances from Newman and Taylor. The tension of their relationship builds throughout the story making for riveting scenes of their back-and-forth.

3 Sometimes A Great Notion (1971) – 100%

• No streaming options available

Though Newman’s directing career wasn’t extensive, he did helm a number of notable projects that received considerable acclaim. One of these movies was Sometimes a Great Notion which Newman also starred in alongside fellow legend Henry Fonda.

Newman and Fonda play father and son loggers operating independently in Oregon. When the other loggers in the area go on strike, the family angers everyone by continuing to work. It is a stirring family drama with high stakes.

2 Harper (1966) – 100%

• Available to rent on Apple iTunes

Newman had the rare ability to bring depth and intrigue to characters that might have otherwise been fairly straightforward. In Harper, Newman plays Lew Harper, a smooth private detective who takes a job searching for a wealthy woman’s missing husband.

Critics acknowledged that the film fell short of some other well-known private detective films, but still managed to be its own fun adventure. Newman was given special notice for a compelling performance and there was praise for the script by William Goldman in one of his first credits.

1 Cool Hand Luke (1967) – 100%

• Available to rent on Apple iTunes

Newman created one of the most iconic movie rebels with his role in Cool Hand Luke. Newman plays the titular man, a laidback troublemaker serving out two years in a harsh Southern prison. Though he earns respect and admiration from his fellow prisoners, he refuses to conform to the authority of the prison.

Newman’s charisma owns the movie, making him feel like a larger than life character in the best way possible. George Kennedy has a solid supporting role while the script is sharp and strong.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/best-paul-newman-movies-ranked-rotten-tomatoes/

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