Actor and producer Michael Douglas has grown in popularity as a result of several star-marking hits throughout this decades-long career. He typically avoided the heroic leading-man archetype, and focused more on creating smart, flawed, and sympathetically human characters. His early acting roles included film, stage, and television productions before achieving prominence for his performance in The Streets of San Francisco, for which he received three consecutive Emmy Award nominations. He also produced several films he starred in, including The China Syndrome and Romancing the Stone.
Douglas is known for taking on characters that were weak, culpable, compromised, and greedy, but without losing the ethical ground audiences look for in a hero. He also plays characters with powerful and dominating personalities equally well, making Douglas an ideal actor to play a variety of different types of characters. Without further ado, here are Michael Douglas’ best movies, ranked by their score on Rotten Tomatoes.
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10 Wonder Boys — 81%
Wonder Boys is a comedy-drama film released in 2000 as an international co-production between the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. It is based on Michael Chabon’s 1995 novel of the same name. The film stars Michael Douglas as Professor Grady Tripp, who is a novelist teaching creative writing at a university in Pennsylvania, but cannot finish his second novel. He has to deal with his third wife leaving him, his editor arriving after waiting seven years, and the various problems his friends and associates involve him in. On Rotten Tomatoes, Wonder Boys has a score of 81%, with an audience score of 83%.
Related: Gary Oldman's 10 Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
9 Ant-Man — 83%
The first in the franchise, Ant-Man is a 2015 superhero film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Paul Rudd stars as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, with Douglas starring as Hank Pym, the former Ant-Man. Dr. Pym worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. before quitting in 1989, when he discovered that they were trying to replicate his shrinking technology. Then, in the present time, he is forced out of his company by his daughter Hope and his former protégé Darren Cross. Cross is developing his own shrinking technology called Yellowjacket, so when Scott Lang joins a heist and gets arrested, Pym enlists him to save the world. Ant-Man received 83% score on the TomatoMeter and an 85% audience score.
8 The War of the Roses — 83%
The 1989 satirical black comedy film The War of the Roses stars Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito. Based upon Warren Adler’s 1981 novel of the same name, the film follows a wealthy couple’s seemingly perfect marriage that begins to fall apart. Amidst their bitter divorce battle, material possessions become the center of attention. Douglas and Turner star as Oliver and Barbara Rose, respectively, as they fight for everything they previously shared together. On Rotten Tomatoes, The War of the Roses received 83% with an audience score of 71%.
7 Romancing the Stone — 86%
Romancing the Stone is a 1984 action-adventure romantic comedy film produced by and starring Michael Douglas. Douglas stars alongside Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito — both of whom later joined him in The War of the Roses. The film follows Joan Wilder (Turner), a successful, lonely, romance novelist in New York City who must venture out to Colombia to save her sister from criminals holding her for ransom. Douglas plays Jack T. Colton, a rugged American bird hunter living in Colombia who assists Joan in saving her sister. On Rotten Tomatoes, Romancing the Stone received a score of 86% with an audience score of 69%.
6 Ant-Man and The Wasp — 87%
Douglas returns as Dr. Hank Pym in the 2018 Ant-Man sequel: Ant-Man and The Wasp. The film takes place two years after the events of Captain America: Civil War, where Scott Lang is placed under house arrest due to his involvement with the Avengers, thus violating the Sokovia Accords. While he’s under house arrest, Hank and Hope open a tunnel to the Quantum Realm looking for Hank’s wife, Janet. When Scott previously entered the Quantum Realm, he had unknowingly become entangled with Janet and now receives messages from her. The trio works together to build a stable quantum tunnel to reach her. Ant-Man and The Wasp did better on the TomatoMeter than its predecessor, receiving an 87% score with an audience rating of 80%.
5 The China Syndrome — 88%
The China Syndrome is a 1979 disaster thriller film starring Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and Michael Douglas. The film follows television news reporter Kimberly Wells (Fonda) and her cameraman, Richard Adams (Douglas), who discover safety coverups at a nuclear power plant after witnessing an accident. She becomes determined to report the incident but finds herself in a sinister conspiracy to keep the full impact a secret. The film received 88% on Rotten Tomatoes with an audience score of 80%.
Related: Ridley Scott's Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
4 The American President — 91%
Starring Douglas as U.S. President Andrew Shepherd and Annette Bening as environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade, The American President is a rom-com drama film released in 1995. The film follows President Shepherd, a widower, who pursues a relationship with Sydney Ellen Wade – who has just moved to D.C. At the same time, Shepherd is trying to get a crime control bill passed during reelection year. The American President received a 91% score on the Tomatometer and an audience score of 77%.
3 Traffic — 92%
Released in 2000, Traffic is a crime drama film featuring an international ensemble cast of Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Erika Christensen, Luis Guzman, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jacob Vargas, Tomas Milian, Topher Grace, James Brolin, Steven Bauer, and Benjamin Bratt. The film follows an illegal drug trade from multiple perspectives: users, enforcers, politicians, and traffickers.
While some of the characters do not meet each other at all, the stories are edited together throughout the film. Douglas plays Robert Wakefield, a conservative Ohio Judge, who is appointed to lead the President’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. At the same time, he is facing his teenage daughter as she becomes a drug addict. The film received a 92% on the Tomatometer with an audience score of 85%.
2 Behind the Candelabra — 94%
Starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra is a 2013 biographical comedy-drama film, per Slate, following the last 10 years in the life of pianist Liberace (Douglas) and his relationship with Scott Thorson (Damon). It is based upon Thorson’s 1988 memoir, Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace.
Thorson is a young bisexual man who finds himself in a romantic relationship with the flamboyant legendary pianist Liberace. They have a long affair, which Scott eventually finds suffocating. When Scott rebels, Liberace finds himself a new lover and kicks him to the street. Throughout the film, the bond between the two never completely tears apart. The film received a 94% on the Tomatometer and an audience score of 71%.
1 Downwind — 100%
Michael Douglas’s highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes is the 2023 documentary Downwind. While there is no audience score yet, the film ranks 100% on the Tomatometer. The documentary, narrated by Martin Sheen, chronicles the nuclear testing that occurred in Mercury, Nevada between 1951 and 1992. During this time, 928 nuclear weapons were detonated. Downwind features members of the Shoshone Nation and individuals who were affected from the radioactive fallout of those tests and the United States blatant disregard for everyone living downwind.
FAQs
Michael Douglas’ Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes Score? ›
To date, Leave No Trace holds the site's record, with a rating of 100% and 252 positive reviews.
What is the best scored movie on Rotten Tomatoes? ›To date, Leave No Trace holds the site's record, with a rating of 100% and 252 positive reviews.
What movie did Michael Douglas win an Oscar for? ›Douglas received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's Wall Street (1987), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor (a role he reprised in the sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps in 2010).
What does red tomatoes mean? ›When at least 60% of reviews for a movie or TV show are positive, a red tomato is displayed to indicate its Fresh status. Green splat tomato.
What movies did Michael Douglas play in? › What is regarded as the best movie of all time? ›1. Citizen Kane (1941)
What movies have 98 percent Rotten Tomatoes? ›The Wizard of Oz (1939)
It's hard to believe but The Wizard of Oz only has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes! Who could possibly dislike the most charming, fun, sweet movie to ever exist?
As of 2022, Katharine Hepburn maintained her lead as the actor with the most Oscar wins of all time. While the "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" star scored four acting accolades during her career, six fellow actors tied for the second spot with three wins each.
What movie won 11 Oscars? ›- Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - 11. Photo : ©New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection. ...
- Titanic - 11. ...
- Ben-Hur - 11. ...
- West Side Story - 10. ...
- The English Patient - 9. ...
- The Last Emperor - 9. ...
- Gigi - 9. ...
- Slumdog Millionaire - 8.
The three movies to hold the Guinness World Record of winning 11 Oscars — the highest by a film — are The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Titanic and Ben-Hur. On the other hand, Titanic is one of the three films which has received the most number of nominations at 14.
Is 100% Rotten Tomatoes good? ›
100% is the best. Like getting a perfect score. For instance, the movie Moonlight is currently rated 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, as it is getting excellent reviews from all the critics and may be nominated for Oscars.
Is 90 Rotten Tomatoes good? ›Scores of over 60 percent are considered fresh, and scores of 59 percent and under are rotten.
What does popcorn mean on Rotten Tomatoes? ›The score is the percentage of users who have rated the movie or show positively. There is also a section for Verified Ratings which includes those that have actually bought tickets. To receive a full popcorn bucket, at least 60% of users give a film or show a star rating of 3.5 or higher.
Did Michael Douglas and Kirk Douglas get along? ›Kirk Douglas was a legendary star beloved by moviegoers around the world. But one of his biggest fans was his son, Michael, 75, and the two shared a special bond throughout Kirk's life.
How rich is Michael Douglas the actor? ›Michael Douglas is an American actor who has a net worth of $360 million. Michael Douglas was considered one of the most successful producers in Hollywood during the 90s. He is a famous actor too who has done many movies in his life.
How much did Michael Douglas inherit from Kirk Douglas? ›Did Michael Douglas Inherit Kirk Douglas' Net Worth? According to Fox News, legendary actor, Kirk Douglas was worth $61 million when he passed away. However, none of the money ended up going to Michael or Catherine upon his death.
What is the #1 movie in US history? ›What is the highest grossing movie adjusted for inflation? The highest grossing film at the global box office adjusted for inflation is "Gone With the Wind," making a total gross of $3.44 billion, according to Guinness World Records.
What is the number 1 movie in history? ›'Avatar' is still the highest-grossing film of all time, and it seems that the sprawling James Cameron epic will continue to hold the top spot despite recent fierce competition. In total Avatar grossed over $2.8 billion at the box office, carving out its place in film history.
What movie has a 0% Rotten Tomatoes? ›| Film | Year | No. of reviews |
|---|---|---|
| National Lampoon's Gold Diggers | 2003 | 44 |
| Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 | 2004 | 46 |
| Constellation | 2005 | 20 |
| Redline | 2007 | 28 |
1 'Ballistic: Ecks vs.
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever holds the record for the highest number of reviews that a film with 0% on Rotten Tomatoes has received, with a whopping 119 reviews all saying to avoid this film.
Do any movies have 0 on Rotten Tomatoes? ›
Sever (2002) Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever was arguably the first high-profile zero-percent whiff in Rotten Tomatoes' then four-year history—and rightfully so. Even today, it's hard to imagine how a studio actually put $70 million into a convoluted, far-fetched spy thriller starring Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu.
Who has 0 Oscars? ›Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Laura Linney, Edward Norton, Michelle Pfeiffer and Sigourney Weaver have all been nominated three times but have never received a golden statuette.
What movies won all 5 Oscars? ›Only three films have won all five of these major awards: It Happened One Night (1934), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
Who was the youngest Oscar winner? ›Anthony Hopkins and Tatum O'Neal are the oldest and youngest winners of acting Oscars, winning at age 83 and age 10 respectively.
Who got Oscar 36 times? ›Walt Disney was an American motion-picture and television producer and showman, famous as a pioneer of cartoon films and as the creator of Disneyland. Disney was an innovative animator and created the cartoon character Mickey Mouse. Was this answer helpful?
What are the only 3 films to win the Big 5 Oscars? ›In the past 90 years, only three films, It Happened One Night (1934), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) have won all five Oscars from the forty-three films that secured nominations in all five prestige Academy Award categories.
Who has the most Oscar nominations of all time? ›As of March 2022, Meryl Streep was the person with the most Oscar nominations of all time, with an impressive 21 nominations and three wins. Katherine Hepburn (1907-2003) received 12 nominations but took home one more Academy Award than Streep throughout her acting career.
Which Hollywood actor has won the most Oscars? ›Katharine Hepburn won four Academy Awards (all for Best Actress), more than any other actor or actress in the history of the award.
Has any film won all four acting Oscars? ›No film has won all four awards; however, there are two films that hold the distinction of winning three out of the four categories they were nominated in: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Who has the most Oscars in one night? ›Who won the most awards in one night? Bong Joon Ho won four Oscars for “Parasite" in 2020, tying with a record Walt Disney set in 1954. The South Korean director picked up best director, best international film, best original screenplay and best picture.
Is 100% a good Rotten Tomatoes score? ›
On the film review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, films that have exclusively positive reviews and have been reviewed by at least five critics have a 100% approval rating.
What is the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score ever? ›- 1 'Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever' (2002)
- 2 'One Missed Call' (2008) ...
- 3 'Left Behind' (2014) ...
- 4 'A Thousand Words' (2012) ...
- 5 'Gotti' (2018) ...
- 6 'Pinocchio' (2002) ...
- 7 'Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2' (2004) ...
- 8 'Gold Diggers' (2003) ...
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Is there a movie rated 10 on IMDB? ›1. Extraction 2 (2023)
Are there any movies with 0 on Rotten Tomatoes? ›1 'Ballistic: Ecks vs.
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever holds the record for the highest number of reviews that a film with 0% on Rotten Tomatoes has received, with a whopping 119 reviews all saying to avoid this film.
Scores of over 60 percent are considered fresh, and scores of 59 percent and under are rotten.
What movie has made the most money? ›| Rank | Title | Lifetime Gross |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avatar | $2,923,706,026 |
| 2 | Avengers: Endgame | $2,799,439,100 |
| 3 | Avatar: The Way of Water | $2,320,250,281 |
| 4 | Titanic | $2,264,743,305 |
What is the longest Hollywood movie ever made? Cleopatra remains the longest Hollywood movie ever made, with a runtime of four hours and eight minutes (248 minutes). This is closely followed by Gone with the Wind, which comes in just 10 minutes behind.
Is 75 on Rotten Tomatoes good? ›The “Tomatoemeter” itself takes into consideration the number of reviews for a given film when determining whether the film can be “certified fresh.” A wide-release film receives a “certified fresh” rating if it scores an average between 75% and 100% positive ratings based and has at least 80 reviews; limited-release ...
Is 50% Rotten Tomatoes bad? ›If more than 60% of critics liked the film then it will have an overall positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If less than 60% of critics liked the film then it will have an overall negative rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is the #1 movie on Netflix? ›
| # | Films (English) | Weeks in Top 10 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Mother | 4 |
| 2 | The Boss Baby | 6 |
| 3 | Missing | 3 |
| 4 | 2 Hearts | 2 |
The movie that has a 9. 5 rating is “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994). Directed and written by Frank Darabont, it is an iconic classic and widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all-time.
What is the most popular movie today? ›- The Little Mermaid.
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.
- Fast X.
- The Machine.
- John Wick: Chapter 4.
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
Which movie is highest rated in IMDb 2023? ›- The Little Mermaid (I) (2023) PG | 135 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy. ...
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) ...
- FUBAR (2023– ) ...
- Silo (2023– ) ...
- John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) ...
- Barbie (2023) ...
- Fast X (2023) ...
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
- Disaster Movie (2008) 2.1.
- Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) 2.2.
- Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010) 2.3.
- Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004) 2.3.
- The Hottie & the Nottie (2008) 2.4.
- House of the Dead (2003) 2.5.
- Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas (2014) 2.5.
- Son of the Mask (2005) 2.5.