10 Most Rewatchable Gene Hackman Movies, Ranked

Gene Hackman is one of the few living legends of the film industry, even if he hasn’t acted since Welcome to Mooseport almost two decades ago. Hackman is certainly deserving of a good retirement, as he is one of the rare movie stars that helped transition the industry from the “New Hollywood” era into the modernist movement that exists today.

Chronicling Hackman’s best work is certainly not an easy task, as he was a highly prolific actor who starred in dozens of films throughout the 21st century, including many underrated gems that are not always given the respect and admiration that they deserve. However, some of Hackman’s finest work stands out because they simply get better with each subsequent rewatch, indicating what a truly unique screen presence he was. Here are the top ten most rewatchable Gene Hackman movies, ranked.

10 ‘Downhill Racer’ (1969)

Directed by Michael Ritchie

Downhill Racer is a unique spin on the inspirational sports movie genre because it is one of the few to put an equal emphasis on the coach and athletes. While Robert Redford turns in one of his best performances as an ambitious young skier who looks no further than victory, Hackman is equally as compelling as a compassionate coach who wants to see every member of his team succeed on their own terms. Hackman is able to play a mentor character who also has some learning of his own to do.

Downhill Racer features extraordinary skiing scenes that hold up very well today, making it a great film to rewatch during an Olympic season. Perhaps even more important is the integral message about the merits of teamwork and empathy, which hold value for professionals in any field that requires an intense level of commitment.

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9 ‘Scarecrow’ (1973)

Directed by Jerry Schatzberg

Scarecrow is among the most underrated films that Hackman ever starred in, and united him with a young Al Pacino whose popularity was peaking in the era following the release of the first The Godfather film. The two star as mismatched acquaintances that team up on a road trip adventure, only to find themselves drawn into a seedy world of crime and corruption.

Although the premise would seemingly suggest something that was far more uplifting, Scarecrow explores the dark side of the American dream and the ways in which society takes advantage of the disadvantaged. It’s a rewatchable film because it shows just how vulnerable and empathetic Hackman and Pacino could be in a story that is relatively straightforward and simple. The film has become such a beloved cult classic that director Jerry Schatzberg briefly considered developing a sequel before Hackman officially retired from giving screen performances.

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8 ‘Get Shorty’ (1995)

Directed by Barry Sonnenfield

Get Shorty is one of the funniest movies of the 1990s because it was able to satirize both the oppressive nature of film production and the cliches about gangsters that are perpetrated by crime movies. While John Travolta gives one of his best performances as a criminal who ventures into the film industry, Hackman is the film’s real scene-stealer as an incentivized Hollywood producer desperate to greenlight a new crime epic.

Get Shorty proved just how terrific Hackman could be in a supporting role, and showed a comedic side to an actor who was often best regarded for his more serious work. The film is packed with references to classic Hollywood films, including a few niche homages to Hackman’s older work. Unsurprisingly, the sequel Be Cool that co-starred Dwayne Johnson was not nearly as successful because Hackman was not involved with it.

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7 ‘Crimson Tide’ (1995)

Directed by Tony Scott

Crimson Tide is the ultimate film about military procedures and submarine combat that showed just how suspenseful it could be to be trapped in a contained environment with limited communication to the authorities on the surface. Hackman has co-starred with many great actors, but seeing him team up with Denzel Washington at the height of his powers felt like a “passing of the torch” moment from one iconic movie star to another.

Crimson Tide is the rare film about military combat where there aren’t any clearly defined heroes and villains, as the viewer has to determine for themselves which characters are morally righteous. Although special effects and computer generated imagery have both certainly evolved since 1995, it would be hard to find a modern action film that is as utterly captivating as what Tony Scott managed to pull off with Crimson Tide.

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6 ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ (1967)

Directed by Arthur Penn

Bonnie and Clyde is the film that changed Hollywood forever, as it ushered in a new wave of anti-authoritarian films that challenged the way that the industry approached controversial issues relating to sex and violence. The performances by Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the titular duo have become iconic for a good reason, but Hackman is equally compelling as a young gang member that gets swept up in their adventures.

Bonnie and Clyde is an interesting film to view within the context of Hackman’s career, as it was made before he began taking on lead roles, and effectively became the definitive star of his generation. Of course, anyone that wants to learn about the ways in which Hollywood changed after the 1960s opened the doors to a new generation of filmmakers should consider watching Bonnie and Clyde to be their sacred duty.

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5 ‘Mississippi Burning’ (1988)

Directed by Alan Parker

Mississippi Burning is a masterful slow burn crime thriller that sadly holds more relevance today than it has ever before. Hackman and Willem Dafoe co-star as two FBI agents that investigate the disappearance of several Civil Rights activists in the deep south, only to discover that the entire local police force is involved in a corruption scandal linked to the systematic murder of many people of color.

Mississippi Burning is a straightforward procedural that never collapses under the weight of its importance, and does a great job at calling out the systems of oppression that still exist. Hackman is terrific as a defiant, authoritative figure who is unafraid to confront evil that is hiding in plain sight; it’s an empowering role that makes the film even more essential to rewatch as a means of providing clarity in a time of political and social divisiveness.

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4 ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ (2001)

Directed by Wes Anderson

The Royal Tenenbaums is both the funniest film that Hackman has ever appeared in and one of the best examples of Wes Anderson deconstructing the “bad dad” cliche. Hackman is perfectly cast as the haughty patriarch Royal Tenenbaum, whose decision to push his three children to become geniuses at a young age led them all to have severe social development issues.

Hackman is amazing at playing a character who the audience both loves and hates, as all his best intentions can be undercut anytime he lies or takes advantage of his children’s affection for him. Although it wasn’t the last major film he appeared in, The Royal Tenenbaums did feel like a nice closing chapter to Hackman’s career that allowed him to give one of his most reflective and endearing performances ever. Few actors have mastered Anderson’s signature quirky dialogue quite as well.

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3 ‘Unforgiven’ (1992)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Unforgiven was a highly disturbing revisionist western that examined what a lonesome gunslinger would do at the end of his career. While the former cowboy William Munny (Clint Eastwood) is by no means a hero, Hackman’s performance as the ruthless Sheriff Little Bill is perhaps the greatest villain in the history of the western genre.

Hackman captured the essence of a cowardly figure of authority who abused his power simply because he could, and had no fear of facing consequences for the terror that he inflicted among others. It was a role that won Hackman the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, a deserving prize for helping to elevate a film that is already cited as one of the most rewatchable (albeit darkest) westerns in the history of the genre. Unforgiven is both a reflection on America’s past and a chilling reminder of the cliches that western cinema has elevated.

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2 ‘The Conversation’ (1974)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

The Conversation was the perfect embodiment of American anxieties in the 1970s, as the film was released when the Watergate scandal and backlash to the Vietnam War made citizens more skeptical than ever before that they were involved in a malicious conspiracy. Hackman gave one of his most sympathetic and vulnerable performances as a surveillance expert that begins to suspect that he has just been a witness to an attempted murder.

The Conversation flips the paranoia thriller genre on its head by indicating that the creeping anxieties that its characters cope with are legitimate, and not the subject of their imagination running wild. The craftsmanship that Francis Ford Coppola created for the film is simply unrivaled by any other director, but the emotion that Hackman brings to his tragic performance is the reason why The Conversation is still a rewatchable classic.

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1 ‘The French Connection’ (1971)

Directed by William Friedkin

The French Connection is the gold standard of cop movies and essentially proved why Hackman was such a compelling screen presence whose influence has never been topped by any modern actor. Popeye Doyle is simply an amazing character that won Hackman his first Academy Award for Best Actor; it’s a role that he perfected so well that it is impossible to imagine anyone else in the part.

The French Connection is both an exciting crime thriller with amazing action scenes and a brilliant study in obsession, as Hackman shows how commitment can lead to a mischaracterization of reality. Although the original film is a Best Picture winning masterpiece that essentially created the modern car chase sequence, the underrated sequel from director John Frankenheimer is also worth watching to see Hackman return to his most famous role in another compelling investigative adventure.

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