Some iconic actors find their best work in roles that are critically acclaimed, despite commercial box office success. Films like "Titanic" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" stand as testaments to the transformative power of cinema, with stars like DiCaprio, Mortensen, and Gadot achieving widespread recognition through their leading roles in blockbusters that received critical acclaim.
Despite being commercially successful, many filmmakers find themselves struggling to achieve critical acclaim. Films like Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King are rare exceptions, as they have consistently garnered both commercial and critical recognition.
Some of the best movies of all time have been box office hits, but many flew relatively under the radar upon their release, innovating the film medium and only receiving due recognition years later. The division between commercial and critical success is apparent in the movie industry, and many stars are known for doing their best work in lower-budget films. Actors whose highest-grossing films are also their best have typically centered their careers around blockbuster movies or starred in a commercial and critical success like The Shining.
While Leonardo DiCaprio has significant competition for his best film, he arguably hasn't starred in anything as culturally impactful as Titanic. All of his films with Martin Scorsese are exceptional, as are movies like Inception and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but Titanic was so monumental to his career that it's hard to overlook. DiCaprio has consistently starred in great films and given award-worthy performances, yet he's never been as famously celebrated as he was in James Cameron's multi-billion dollar Best Picture winner.
Release Date: April 26, 2019
Director: Joe Russo and Anthony Russo
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Evangeline Lilly, Sebastian Stan, Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Holland, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Brie Larson, Paul Bettany, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman
Availability in US streamrentbuyRelease Date December 18, 2009 Director James Cameron Cast Sam Worthington , Zoe Saldana , Sigourney Weaver , Stephen Lang , Joel David Moore , Giovanni Ribisi Runtime 162 minutes
Tom Cruise's best movie is highly debatable, though it's not much of a stretch to pick Top Gun: Maverick, given its overwhelming success critically and commercially. From Magnolia to the Mission: Impossible series to Collateral, Cruise has had one of the most impactful movie star careers ever, and after over forty years of work, the long-awaited Top Gun sequel was his first hit to pass $1 billion at the box office. It's one of five of his films to be nominated for Best Picture, but the only one for which he was nominated as a producer, making it an outstanding achievement in his career.
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Release Date: July 21, 2023
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast:
- Cillian Murphy
- Emily Blunt
- Matt Damon
- Robert Downey Jr.
- Rami Malek
- Florence Pugh
Release Date: June 2, 2017 Director: Patty Jenkins Cast: Elena Anaya, Robin Wright, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Connie Nielsen, Lucy Davis, Gal Gadot, Danny Huston, Chris Pine, David Thewlis, Mayling Ng Runtime: 141 Mins 2017's Wonder Woman was a groundbreaking superhero movie and enormous success, seemingly shifting the direction of the DCEU for the better. However, the movie is still Gal Gadot's best release as Wonder Woman, and she's yet to top the film with any other projects. She's appeared in commercial blockbusters like the Fast franchise and Death on the Nile, yet none of her films have been particularly well-received critically.
Release Date: February 16, 1940
Director: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood
Cast: Thomas Mitchell, Barbara O'Neil, Vivien Leigh, Evelyn Keyes, Ann Rutherford, George Reeves, Hattie McDaniel
Runtime: 238 minutes
Release Date: November 9, 2012 Director: Sam Mendes Cast: Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Helen McCrory, Javier Bardem, Daniel Craig, Ben Whishaw Runtime: 2h 23m
Michael J. Fox was one of the most beloved movie stars of the 1980s, starring in one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. Decades later, Back to the Future was still Michael J. Fox's best movie and biggest commercial hit. It's hard to top such an endearing, timeless classic.