10 Best Tom Hardy Movies, According to Letterboxd

Across a career spanning more than 20 years, Tom Hardy has proven himself to be one of the modern era’s finest actors, one whose commitment, power, presence, and versatility has been displayed time and time again in a wide variety of roles. As such, the English actor has amassed an incredible filmography, one which consists of everything from major action blockbusters to independent dramas.

Utilizing a system of rating films from one star to five stars, users of the popular film review and curation website Letterboxd have had their say on Hardy’s greatest films to date (though note that Spider-Man: No Way Home has been excluded from this list as Hardy only appeared in the film’s post-credits sequence). Many of these films maximized Hardy’s presence by placing him in the leading role, while others used his impact as a supporting character or antagonist to great effect.

10 ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ (2011)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.6/5

Based on the John le Carré’s acclaimed novel of the same name, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, under astute direction from Tomas Alfredson, was an engaging and pulsating spy thriller set amid the Cold War. The British drama follows George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a retired spy summoned by the government to uncover a Soviet informant within MI6.

The film is an engrossing picture, one which effortlessly ratchets up the tension as the mystery grows increasingly convoluted. Amid its incredible ensemble cast, Hardy co-stars as Ricki Tarr, a field agent who supplies pivotal information about the mole and proves to be imperative to unraveling the puzzle. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is viewed by many to be one of the finest spy movies ever made, with the celebrated picture earning three Academy Award nominations for its brilliance.

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9 ‘Bronson’ (2008)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.6/5

As potentially the single most striking film of Tom Hardy’s career, Bronson is an awe-inspiring highlight of the actor as a commanding and committed performer. Based on the life of Michael Peterson, who came to be known as Charles Bronson (Hardy), the underrated biographical crime drama follows the English criminal through his incarceration as he spends much of his time in solitary confinement due to his violent outbursts.

Director Nicholas Winding Refn – whose films typically have an enigmatic allure to them – embraces the unexplainable aspects of its central figure with black comedy and stylish vibrance rather than exhibiting an endeavor to understand or sympathize. The end result is a viewing experience to behold with a spellbinding lead performance which, with its isolation and its power, dominates the film with an irresistible magnetism.

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8 ‘Marie Antoinette’ (2006)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7/5

The third film from Sofia Coppola, Marie Antoinette was a rollicking historical drama laced with a modern punk-rock soundtrack and a strong message about how femininity is used in a male-dominated world. While taking some historical liberties, it follows the life of an Austrian princess who marries into French royalty to become Queen Maria Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst) and lives a life of luxury and wealth until the onset of the French Revolution.

It was very well received based on its overwhelming stylistic flourishes, garnering mixed reviews as some critics praised Coppola for her conviction and dare, while others viewed the film to be an eye-catching albeit shallow recount of historical events. Thankfully, Marie Antoinette has steadily earned more favor as the years have elapsed. Tom Hardy has a minor appearance as Raumont in what was a significant role for the then relatively unknown actor.

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7 ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7/5

Tom Hardy has worked with Christopher Nolan on several occasions over the years, with their second collaboration producing the actor’s most iconic performance to date. As the major antagonist of The Dark Knight Rises, Hardy portrays Bane, a physically imposing outcast of the League of Shadows with an army of devoted soldiers striving to bring about the destruction of Gotham City.

With his intimidating strength, his violent ambitions, and that famous, unforgettable voice, Hardy did an outstanding job of creating a character who would live long in the mind, a particularly impressive achievement considering it was always going to draw comparisons to Heath Ledger’s Joker. The film itself is celebrated as one of the greatest superhero movies ever made and served as a fitting finale to The Dark Knight Trilogy.

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6 ‘Stuart: A Life Backwards’ (2007)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7/5

Mimicking the tone set by the biography of the same name on which the film was based, Stuart: A Life Backwards manages to be both heartbreakingly sad and terribly funny as it documents the tragic life of Stuart Clive Shorter (Hardy). Benedict Cumberbatch co-stars as Alexander Masters, a reclusive biographer who befriends Shorter and tells his life story in reverse order, from him being a homeless addict and alcoholic to his traumatic childhood.

The lens the made-for-TV film casts on its core issues of addiction, disability, and childhood abuse is one of tastefulness and maturity which remains refreshing to watch even to this day. Retrospectively, it also has a certain charm to it as it shows two of the modern era’s biggest Hollywood stars working together on the cusp of their major breakouts.

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5 ‘Dunkirk’ (2017)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5

Sharp and concise, with a snappy runtime of just 106 minutes, Dunkirk is a modern war classic that is both incredibly efficient and strikingly impactful. The film covers the evacuation of British forces from Dunkirk as the Nazis drew nearer to the French beach, following the troops on the beach, the civilians who sailed their boats to aid the operation and the pilots who guarded the evacuees from German air attacks.

In true Christopher Nolan fashion, the film mixes its timelines and leans heavily on its sound design, with Hardy appearing as Farrier during the air sequences which take place over an hour. Winning three Academy Awards from eight nominations, Dunkirk was a critical and commercial success that features some of the greatest air combat sequences ever put to film and, in the eyes of many, is one of the best war films in cinematic history.

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4 ‘The Revenant’ (2015)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.9/5

The Revenant will always go down as the movie that saw Leonardo DiCaprio finally secure an elusive Oscar, and while his starring performance was one of unwavering dedication, many would argue Tom Hardy stole the show as the main antagonist, John Fitzgerald. The historical epic follows Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), a legendary frontiersman who, after surviving a bear attack, uses his survival skills to take revenge on the man who killed his son and left him for dead.

The revenge drama runs with a captivating brutality that clashes against its natural beauty quite extravagantly, making it an arresting watch even if it was a difficult and, at times, hostile filming experience. In addition to DiCaprio’s Oscar win, the film also won Best Picture and Best Director for Alejandro G. Iñarritu from 12 nominations, which included the only nomination of Tom Hardy’s career thus far.

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3 ‘Warrior’ (2011)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.0/5

A quiet accomplishment in the realm of modern sporting dramas, Warrior has garnered more recognition in the years following its release, coming to be regarded as a compelling combat sports film with a powerful focus on character. With the story revolving around a major MMA tournament with a monumental cash prize, the film follows two estranged brothers, Brendan (Joel Edgerton), a struggling schoolteacher with a young family, and Tommy (Hardy), an ex-marine who enlists the help of his father, a recovering alcoholic, to train for the event.

While the film leans into genre clichés and features some contrived plot beats, it is difficult to resist as a rousing and effective picture, both for its family drama and its bruising fight sequences. The three leads, Hardy, Edgerton, and Nick Nolte, were all exceptional in their performances, which were poignant and tragic yet inspirational.

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2 ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.2/5

George Miller’s return to the post-apocalyptic world which he first brought to the screen in 1979 has come to be revered as arguably the definitive action movie of the 21st century thus far. Serving as both a hard reboot and a legacy successor, Mad Max: Fury Road became an instant sensation as it followed Max (Hardy) as he teams up with Furiosa (Charlize Theron) to help her guide an oppressive tyrant’s wives to safety.

With Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and his savage herd of war boys in pursuit every step of the way, Mad Max: Fury Road excelled as an all-out action spectacle rich with awe-inspiring set pieces and no small amount of vibrant style. Refusing to be dismissed as a run-of-the-mill action blockbuster, the film earned six Academy Awards from 10 nominations to secure its legacy as one of the best action films ever made and one of the best movies released this century.

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1 ‘Inception’ (2010)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.2/5

Inception marked the very first collaboration between Tom Hardy and Christopher Nolan and, in the eyes of many, it remains the best film of both of the Hollywood stars’ careers. A breathtaking sci-fi heist movie, it follows Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a thief who infiltrates his targets’ dreams to steal their ideas from their subconscious as he is hired by a Japanese businessman to plant an idea in the mind of a business rival.

While the premise was an entirely new idea, it was made all the more mesmerizing by the stunning visual effects that were constantly on display throughout the movie and helped familiarize audiences with the rules and consequences of the dream world. Additionally, Inception was propped up by a phenomenal ensemble cast which included Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, and Ken Watanabe as well as Tom Hardy.

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