Law student turned actor and producerGerard Butlergot his professional start in the industry slightly later in life at the age of twenty-seven, and his career only went up from there. Since his first film appearance in the British dramaMrs Brown, Butler has gone on to work on fifty-nine movies, with seven in line for release over the next two years. He has also appeared in nine television shows and worked on multiple stage plays.
Gerard Butler has showcased his physical and voice talents in big-name productions such as the beloved DreamWorks franchiseHow to Train Your DragonandZack Snyder’s epic historical feature300. He has dabbled in a wide range of genres, from animation to action, disaster, and everything in between, effortlessly blending into whatever his new project may be with a chameleon-like ability to adapt to what the situation calls for.No matter what someone is in the mood for, they’ll likely find something in Butler’s extensive filmography, and these ten features are some of his best to date.
10’Law Abiding Citizen' (2009)
Directed by F. Gary Gray
Butler has gained a reputation for portraying tough, rugged, take-no-crap-thrown-their-way characters, and this brutal 2009 feature from directorF. Gary Grayis a perfect example.
Law Abiding Citizenis an R-rated movie about the path of a man whose wife and young daughter are murdered during a home invasion. Seeing the flaws and failures of the justice system firsthand, he takes matters into his own and decides to do something about it. A man who loses everything has nothing to lose, and Clyde Shelton stops at nothing to get his point across. Butler’s performance as Clyde deserved more praise than it received.Law Abiding Citizenisone of those films that has audiences rooting for the bad guy,though aware that what he’s doing isn’t necessarily the right thing to do.It may have been critically crucified, but audiences loved it, and it’s not hard to see why.
Law Abiding Citizen
9’Hunter Killer' (2018)
Directed by Donovan Marsh
Many say thatwhen critics dislike a movie, a general audience will probably love it. 2018’sHunter Killeris the very definition of one of these circumstances. It’s gripping, thrilling, and action-packed from beginning to end. What more could someone want in a feature that falls into those genres?
Hunter Killerstars Gerard Butler andGary Oldmanin a movie that centers on the crew of an American submarine that takes on the challenge of rescuing the abducted Russian president. It bombed financially at the box office, and, as mentioned, critics didn’t care for it at all. Butto those who watched and appreciated its ability to keep audiences on the edge of their seats with the suspense and excellent action scenes, it ticked all the right boxes of a great action movie.
Hunter Killer
8’Angel Has Fallen' (2019)
Directed by Ric Roman Waugh
TheHas Fallenseries may not be for everybody, but as action-centric movies, they’re undeniably entertaining to watch.Angel Has Fallenwas released in 2019 to close out the trilogy that began in 2013 withAntoine Fuqua’sOlympusinstallment. While the first may be a favorite for many, as it’s where the franchise began, the third was arguably the better executed.
Gerard Butler stars as the trilogy’s leadSecret Service agent, Mike Banning. He also co-produced all three features in the series.Angel Has Fallenfollows Banning after being framed for the attempted murder of the president of the United States (Morgan Freeman) via a drone attack. He is the sole survivor of the drone attack that left his whole team dead and the president in a coma. This movie and its predecessors may follow certain cliches, butthe suspense and action sequences are some of the best depicted in features of their kind.
Angel Has Fallen
7’Den of Thieves' (2018)
Directed by Christian Gudegast
“You’re not the bad guys. We are.” That’s one way to intrigue an audience.Den of Thievesis like a combination of a heist movie mixed with the task force fromHawaii Five 0.It follows a group of individuals who set their sights on the Federal Reserve in Los Angeles and the gang of sheriff’s department deputies who try to track them down before they get the chance.
Den of Thieveswas a financial success, but received mixed feedback from critics.For audiences, however,it was a success all around, with praise given for its action sequences and tribute to others of its kind that came before. Butler plays Detective Nick O’Brien, more commonly referred to as Big Nick, and he put in a hell of a lot of work to get ready for the role. It paid off and his performance as the gritty police detective is one of his most notable 2010s performances.
Den of Thieves
6’RocknRolla' (2008)
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Criminally underrated,Guy Ritchie’s 2008 comedy, crime, and action mashup is long overdue for a sequel in the eyes of many who loved this wacky rollercoaster of a movie. It’s chaotic in the best way possible, with an A-list cast that holds it all together to make the perfect mix of genres.
Old-school mobsters meet new in the film as they comedically clash to come out on top, and it makes foran enjoyable watch all the way through.Almost two decades afterRocknRolla’s release in the Fall of 2008,this underappreciated feature with Gerard Butler,Tom Hardy,Idris Elba,Tom Wilkinson, andMark Strong, to name a few, is still considered one of the best of its kind. Who knows? Maybe one day, there’ll be a sequel.
RocknRolla
5’Greenland' (2020)
Greenlandis one of those rare circumstances where a disaster movie doesn’t completely crash and burn in the eyes of critics. In fact, it did quite the opposite.
Greenlandfollows a family as they trek to a supposedly secure location after a planet-killing comet sets its collision course straight for Earth. A fight for survival ensues as John Garrity (Butler) and his family make their way across a land that’s about to cease to exist. Unlike many disaster movies where everything works out in the end,Greenlandtakes the stakes one step further and sees the comet achieve its destructive goal,ending the world as they know it. It’sthrilling, action-packed, and will have audiences on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
4’Dear Frankie' (2004)
Directed by Shona Auerbach
Dear Frankieis Butler’s second and final film of 2004. He stars as The Stranger, a man who takes on the role of a young boy’s father after his mother hires him to help keep the truth from bubbling to the surface. As deceptive and cruel as that brief description may sound, this movie is nothing but a pure, heartfelt viewing experience for anybody who gives it the time of day it deserves.
Shona Auerbach’s meaningful twenty-year-old feature serves as a story of a mother’s love and protection as she tries to keep the truth of her son’s aggressive father out of his innocent life.Dear Frankiebecame an acclaimed film,earning numerous accolades and acknowledgmentfor its emotional writing and relatable material. All kids just want to be loved. It’s that simple.Dear Frankiemay be a lesser-known addition to Butler’s filmography, but it’s one of his most powerful.
3’Plane' (2023)
Directed by Jean-François Richet
Planeis Butler’s fourth film to be released in the 2020s and is one of his best to date. It’s a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat action feature capable of keeping its audience’s attention from the moment they press play. However, be warned,it’s not one for the nervous flyersout there.
Planefollows the passengers, crew, and pilots of an airplane that must make an emergency landing in a notoriously dangerous part of the Philippines known as Jolo Island after a lightning strike blows the craft’s avionics. It is a place the Philippino army will not travel to, given its precarious territory, and Brodie Torrance’s (Butler) plane crashes right into it. He must work together with a suspected murderer, played by Mike Colter, to save the survivors of the crash and get as many people home safely as possible.It is one of the most entertaining action movies of recent years but is sure to reignite that fear of flying buried deep within.
Gerard Butler stars as a pilot who must save his passengers after an emergency landing on a remote jungle island where they are taken hostage by militants. He teams up with an accused murderer being transported on the flight to navigate the dangerous terrain and outwit their captors.
2’How to Train Your Dragon' (2010)
Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
It’s hard to believe theHow to Train Your Dragonfranchise is fifteen years old this year. Look how far it’s come in the decade-and-a-half since its acclaimed release. This movie and its subsequent continuations have become such a beloved series to kids and adults all around the world. Toothless and Hiccup are two of the most loved animated duos ever created, and this Night Fury remainsone of the most adorable, making us all want a dragon of our own.
Gerard Butler stars as Stoick the Vast in this groundbreaking animated tale from directorsChris SandersandDean DeBlois. He’s the father of Hiccup and the chieftain of the Isle of Berk, a Viking village in which the movie predominantly takes place.How to Train Your Dragonis one of the most successful animated features of recent years, andthe characters are a big part of what makes it continue to hold a cherished place in the hearts of fans.
How to Train Your Dragon
1'300' (2006)
Directed by Zack Snyder
“This is Sparta” is arguably one of the most famous movie lines ever spoken. It comes from the classic 2006 historical action movie from directorZack Snyderand tells the story of King Leonidas (Butler) as heleads his Spartan soldiers into battle.300takes its inspiration from the titular 1988 comic book series but has become one of the most referenced movies of all time.
300has influenced a globally used internet meme, is referenced in episodes of TV shows likeSouth Park, and has been spoofed more times than one can count. It may have some historical inaccuracies and received some criticism for such, but it remains one of the most popular movies to come from the 2000s. It is also the feature that earned Gerard Butler further recognition following his early 2000s work and helped spiral his career to where it is today.300will always be one of his most popular performances.
NEXT:10 Movies to Watch if You Love ‘Den of Thieves’
