(Photo by Everett Collection)
Chinatown celebrates its 50th anniversary!
We’re ranking the movies of legendary actor Jack Nicholson! We start with the list with his Certified Fresh films, which are some of the “best” movies out there, like Best Picture winners (The Departed, Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), arguably the best horror movie ever (The Shining), best counterculture movie (Easy Rider), and, of course, some best acting Oscar winners, like As Good As It Gets and Terms on Endearment. Then move on to his Fresh movies, like Hal Ashby’s raucous The Last Detail, later period rom-com Something’s Gotta Give, and the superhero landmark Batman. Some of his Rotten films with high audience marks include Anger Management, The Bucket List, and The Evening Star.
#1
Adjusted Score: 115253%
Critics Consensus: As bruised and cynical as the decade that produced it, this noir classic benefits from Robert Towne’s brilliant screenplay, director Roman Polanski’s steady hand, and wonderful performances from Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.
#2
Adjusted Score: 102931%
Critics Consensus: Blockbuster dramatist James L. Brooks delivers with Broadcast News, fully entertaining with deft, deep characterization.
#3
Adjusted Score: 107411%
Critics Consensus: Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher are worthy adversaries in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, with Miloš Forman’s more grounded and morally ambiguous approach to Ken Kesey’s surrealistic novel yielding a film of outsized power.
#4
Adjusted Score: 103188%
Critics Consensus: Featuring outstanding work from an excellent cast, The Departed is a thoroughly engrossing gangster drama with the gritty authenticity and soupy morality we come to expect from Martin Scorsese.
#5
Adjusted Score: 94363%
Critics Consensus: Brawny in both intellect and scope, Reds is an intimate epic that captures the tumult of revolutionary change and the passion of those navigating through it.
#6
Adjusted Score: 96311%
Critics Consensus: An important touchstone of the New Hollywood era, Five Easy Pieces is a haunting portrait of alienation that features one of Jack Nicholson’s greatest performances.
#7
Adjusted Score: 97017%
Critics Consensus: Antonioni’s classic, a tale of lonely, estranged characters on a journey though the mysterious landscapes of identity, shimmers with beauty and uncertainty.
#8
Adjusted Score: 91621%
Critics Consensus: James L. Brooks and Jack Nicholson, doing what they do best, combine smart dialogue and flawless acting to squeeze fresh entertainment value out of the romantic-comedy genre.
#9
Adjusted Score: 91982%
Critics Consensus: In this funny, touching character study, Nicholson gives one of the best performances of his career.
#10
Adjusted Score: 88350%
Critics Consensus: Disturbing and sardonic, Prizzi’s Honor excels at black comedy because director John Huston and his game ensemble take the farce deadly seriously.
#11
Adjusted Score: 89875%
Critics Consensus: An old-fashioned courtroom drama with a contemporary edge, A Few Good Men succeeds on the strength of its stars, with Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and especially Jack Nicholson delivering powerful performances that more than compensate for the predictable plot.
#12
Adjusted Score: 91780%
Critics Consensus: Edgy and seminal, Easy Rider encapsulates the dreams, hopes, and hopelessness of 1960s counterculture.
#13
Adjusted Score: 94549%
Critics Consensus: Though it deviates from Stephen King’s novel, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is a chilling, often baroque journey into madness — exemplified by an unforgettable turn from Jack Nicholson.
#14
Adjusted Score: 93763%
Critics Consensus: A classic tearjerker, Terms of Endearment isn’t shy about reaching for the heartstrings — but is so well-acted and smartly scripted that it’s almost impossible to resist.
#15
Adjusted Score: 82192%
Critics Consensus: Though its subject matter is grim and may make viewers queasy, The Pledge features an excellent, subtle performance by Jack Nicholson.
#16
Adjusted Score: 90441%
Critics Consensus: An eerie, haunting spectacle, Batman succeeds as dark entertainment, even if Jack Nicholson’s Joker too often overshadows the title character.
#17
Adjusted Score: 101630%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#18
Adjusted Score: 100511%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#19
Adjusted Score: 95267%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#20
Adjusted Score: 91460%
Critics Consensus: Although it comes lopsidedly from the male gaze, Carnal Knowledge is a sexually frank and ferociously well-acted battle between the sexes.
#21
Adjusted Score: 90443%
Critics Consensus: Very profane, very funny, very ’70s: Director Hal Ashby lets Jack Nicholson and the cast run loose, creating a unique dramedy that’s far out to sea.
#22
Adjusted Score: 87074%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#23
Adjusted Score: 81916%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#24
Adjusted Score: 79532%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#25
Adjusted Score: 76377%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#26
Adjusted Score: 69920%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#27
Adjusted Score: 77858%
Critics Consensus: Though it occasionally stumbles into sitcom territory, Something’s Gotta Give is mostly a smart, funny romantic comedy, with sharp performances from Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, and Keanu Reeves.
#28
Adjusted Score: 72961%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#29
Adjusted Score: 74495%
Critics Consensus: Tommy is as erratic and propulsive as a game of pinball, incorporating The Who’s songs into an irreverent odyssey with the visual imagination that only director Ken Russell can conjure.
#30
Adjusted Score: 74118%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#31
Adjusted Score: 75678%
Critics Consensus: While devotees of John Updike’s novel may want to put a hex on George Miller’s cartoonish and effects-laden adaptation, Jack Nicholson lends enough decadent devilry to make this high-concept comedy sizzle.
#32
Adjusted Score: 66947%
Critics Consensus: It makes frustratingly facile work of its thorny premise, but Jack Nicholson’s gritty lead performance keeps The Border worth watching.
#33
Adjusted Score: 64815%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#34
Adjusted Score: 64572%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#35
Adjusted Score: 66002%
Critics Consensus: Wolf misses the jugular after showing flashes of killer instinct early on, but engaging stars and deft direction make this a unique horror-romance worth watching.
#36
Adjusted Score: 42724%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#37
Adjusted Score: 59500%
Critics Consensus: Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep play masterfully off each, but Ironweed‘s unrelenting bleakness proves to be more monotonous than compelling.
#38
Adjusted Score: 57837%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#39
Adjusted Score: 61913%
Critics Consensus: Tim Burton’s alien invasion spoof faithfully recreates the wooden characters and schlocky story of cheesy ’50s sci-fi and Ed Wood movies — perhaps a little too faithfully for audiences.
#40
Adjusted Score: 53527%
Critics Consensus: Jack Nicholson embodies Hoffa with malevolent relish, but a dearth of meaningful insight knocks this crime epic off the mark by a nose.
#41
Adjusted Score: 46540%
Critics Consensus: Despite an astonishing collection of talent across the board, Heartburn‘s aimless plot inspires mild indigestion instead of romantic ardor.
#42
Adjusted Score: 48615%
Critics Consensus: Thought not without its funny moments, Anger Management is ultimately stale and disappointingly one-note, especially considering its capable cast.
#43
Adjusted Score: 42663%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#44
Adjusted Score: 47871%
Critics Consensus: Not even the earnest performances of the two leads can rescue The Bucket List from its schmaltzy script.
#45
Adjusted Score: 41024%
Critics Consensus: The Trip‘s groovy effects and compelling message can’t overcome the rough acting, long meandering stretches, and pedestrian plot.
#46
Adjusted Score: 36413%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#47
Adjusted Score: 35776%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#48
Adjusted Score: 36726%
Critics Consensus: How Do You Know boasts a quartet of likeable leads — and they deserve better than this glib, overlong misfire from writer/director James L. Brooks.
#49
Adjusted Score: 26565%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#50
Adjusted Score: 21814%
Critics Consensus: Even taken on its own terms, there’s nothing terribly endearing about this belated sequel.
#51
Adjusted Score: 9033%
Critics Consensus: Man Trouble has brilliant stars and the germ of an interesting idea in its favor, which makes the scattered, unfunny results even more of a disappointment.