10 Greatest Performances in Guy Ritchie Movies, Ranked (2024)

Guy Ritchie is a director hailed as being one of the greats. His recent series, The Gentlemen (which came after his film of the same name), has reminded fans of the engaging thrill that Ritchie's work always provides. Over the decades, he has honed his craft and delivered a style that no one can replicate.

The director and writer has gone on to produce big-screen hits with some huge stars, as well as fledgling actors. There have been a few regulars along the way, including Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones, appearing in more than one of his films. However, there are only a couple of acting greats who worked with Ritchie to deliver some iconic performances.

10 Naomi Scott Made Herself a Magical Part of Disney's Aladdin

Aladdin (2019)

PG

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

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A kind-hearted street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.

Director

Guy Ritchie

Release Date

May 8, 2019

Cast

Will Smith , Alan Tudyk , Navid Negahban , Numan Acar , Marwan Kenzari , Naomi Scott , Mena Massoud

Writers

John August , Guy Ritchie

Runtime

2 hours 8 minutes

Main Genre

Adventure

Production Company

Walt Disney Pictures, Lin Pictures, Rideback, Marc Platt Productions

Not only was Aladdin given great original Disney songs, but the cast was expert enough to uphold the magic of the much-loved animated movie. Playing Jasmine, Naomi Scott was a wonderful addition to the live-action remake. Fans of the original film know the characters in depth, and Scott ensured that she gave viewers the Jasmine they knew while also making the character her own.

The film itself was breathtaking and really brought to life what was once in animation. Scott was integral to making the film work, as she was both Aladdin's love interest and had her own narrative that was unfolding. She was gentle but strong and brought a fresh vision of what it means to be a fantasy heroine. She captured the hearts of the film's young audience and stands out as a Disney princess.

9 Ray Liotta Delivered a Chilling Performance in Revolver

Revolver

R

Crime

Drama

Gambler Jake Green enters into a game with potentially deadly consequences.

See Also

Avis sur le film The CovenantGuy Ritchie's The Covenant | Rotten Tomatoes‘The Gentlemen’ Series: Cast, Plot, and Everything We Know About the Guy Ritchie Sequel‘Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant’ Review: Jake Gyllenhaal Plays a Man Determined to Honor a Debt in Gripping Afghan War Drama

Director

Guy Ritchie

Release Date

September 22, 2005

Cast

Jason Statham , Ray Liotta , Andre Benjamin , Vincent Pastore , Terence Maynard

Writers

Guy Ritchie , Luc Besson

Runtime

1 hour 51 minutes

Main Genre

Action

Production Company

EuropaCorp, Revolver Pictures, Toff Guy Films

Revolver isn't the highest-ranking Ritchie film among his other movies, but Ray Liotta's acting deserves praise. The late actor is famous for his jarring, unmatched performance in the gangster epic Goodfellas, and he was able to apply the same unhinged qualities to Dorothy Macha.

Dorothy gets embarrassed by Jake Green at a casino game, which was held after Jake was released from prison for a crime that was actually committed by Dorothy. This premise allowed Liotta to shine as an unhinged villain knowing that his time was coming. Liotta had proven time and again that he was the go-to actor for turbulent, unruly characters in the organized crime setting, and Revolver was no exception.

8 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Highlighted a World War 2 Story With Henry Cavill at the Helm

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Drama

War

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a World War II film following a top-secret combat unit who were formed by Winston Churchill to hunt down Nazis. The film is directed by Guy Ritchie and based on the book The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops by Damien Lewis.

Director

Guy Ritchie

Cast

Henry Cavill , Alan Ritchson , Eiza Gonzalez , Cary Elwes

Main Genre

Drama

Henry Cavill put his stamp on the Superman franchise, but it's this Ritchie film that gave a clear indication that he has the potential to be the next James Bond. In The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Cavill played the real-life character Gus March-Phillipps, who has been talked of as being the inspiration for Ian Fleming's secret agent character.

Based on a true story from World War 2, a group were sent to neutralize Hitler's U-boats in the North Atlantic, and, as the title suggests, they used unconventional methods. Cavill secured the impression that Gus enjoyed being the leader of a rebellious mission. His ruthless energy underlined Churchill's wish for the group to be a little mad and willing to break the rules. It's another interesting story to come out of WW2, and Cavill was the right lead to take viewers back in time.

7 Robert Downey Jr. Gave His Exciting Interpretation of Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

PG-13

Adventure

Mystery

Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

Director

Guy Ritchie

Release Date

December 25, 2009

Cast

Robert Downey Jr. , Jude Law , Rachel McAdams

Writers

Michael Robert Johnson , Anthony Peckham , Simon Kinberg

Runtime

2 Hours 8 Minutes

Main Genre

Action

Producer

Susan Downey, Dan Lin, Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram

Production Company

Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Silver Pictures, Wigram Productions, Internationale Filmproduktion Blackbird Dritte, Lin Pictures

Sherlock Holmes is a widely known character that began in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book, A Study in Scarlet. Since then, a number of actors have played the detective, each with their own take. Robert Downey Jr.'s adaptation came in 2009 in Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes.

Downey Jr. gave a noteworthy performance, keeping in line with Sherlock's famously quirky traits. Nothing was too shocking for him, nor did he balk at Watson's confrontations. The depiction was slightly larger than life, conveying the idea that Sherlock's eccentricity came with the very nature of his highly intelligent mind. Up until 2009, it felt as if there couldn't possibly be any more reinventions of the character. As it turns out, there was a Downey Jr.-sized space waiting to be filled at 221B Baker Street.

6 Jake Gyllenhaal Conveyed Intense Emotion in The Covenant

The Covenant (2006)

R

Crime

Thriller

During the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of grueling terrain.

Director

Guy Ritchie

Release Date

April 21, 2023

See Also

‘Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant’ Review: The Director Gets Serious — and Ups His Game — in a Stirring Afghanistan War Drama Starring Jake Gyllenhaal

Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal , Dar Salim

Writers

Guy Ritchie , Ivan Atkinson , Marn Davies

Runtime

2 hours 3 minutes

Main Genre

Action

Production Company

Fresco Film Services, STX Films, Toff Guy Films

Though The Covenant is a fictional narrative, everything from the cast to the script gave this film an air of truth. Set during the Afghanistan War, an interpreter puts his own life on the line to save a sergeant who had become unable to get himself to safety. Jake Gyllenhaal played Master Sergeant John Kinley.

The film has a range of emotions and it wasn't just the immense worry of war that arose, but also the sense of duty and feeling of owing someone your life that exuded Gyllenhaal's presentation. Ahmed (Dar Salim) had shown his sergeant the utmost loyalty, and Gyllenhaal was able to capture the intensity that came with being the recipient of such dedication and the urgency in his desire to save his life.

5 Hugh Grant Played a Strange, Unsettling Character in The Gentlemen

The Gentlemen

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Mickey Pearson, an American expatriate, has established a highly profitable marijuana business in London. When he decides to retire and sell off his empire, it triggers a series of plots and schemes from those eager to take over his lucrative operation. Among the interested parties are a mix of dangerous criminals and ambitious upstarts, each with their own plans to outmaneuver the others. The film weaves together a complex narrative of deception, power struggles, and dark humor, highlighting Mickey's efforts to protect his interests and navigate the treacherous underworld.

Hugh Grant has been acknowledged as a regular rom-com actor, but his acting skills don't stop there. In one of the best British crime movies, The Gentlemen, Grant portrayed the unnerving private detective Fletcher. On the surface, he could almost come across as pleasant, but it doesn't take long to see that Fletcher had ulterior motives and was the kind of person that most wanted to keep at arm's length.

His best form of attack was to startle people with his words. He wasn't conveyed as a fighter, but his sneaky, manipulative persona was the reason he made a fairly good private detective. Grant took a big leap away from the likes of William Thacker in Notting Hill, and fitted in seamlessly among the Ritchie film success.

4 Jason Statham Took a Main Role in Ritchie's First Feature: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

R

Comedy

Crime

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Eddy persuades his three pals to pool money for a vital poker game against a powerful local mobster, Hatchet Harry. Eddy loses, after which Harry gives him a week to pay back 500,000 pounds.

Director

Guy Ritchie

Release Date

August 28, 1998

Cast

Jason Flemyng , Dexter Fletcher , Nick Moran , sting , Jason Statham , Vinnie Jones

Writers

Guy Ritchie

Runtime

1 hour 47 minutes

Main Genre

Action

Production Company

Summit Entertainment, The Steve Tisch Company, SKA Films, HandMade Films, Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Ritchie's first feature film was Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and it set the tone for the rest of his work and was the perfect predecessor to Snatch. Jason Statham played Bacon, a co*ckney criminal who had a pretty level-headed demeanor compared to the other main villains.

That's not to say he wasn't intimidating, as Statham had the knack for giving the sense his character was well acquainted with his outlawed lifestyle and wasn't overawed by it; plus, he was funny. His blunt delivery, especially in response to ridiculous comments, gave something for audiences to chuckle about. He later appeared in Snatch, followed by a few other Ritchie films, and has become a celebrated part of Ritchie's casting.

3 Alan Ford Was Effortlessly Menacing in Snatch

Snatch

R

Crime

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Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.

Director

Guy Ritchie

Release Date

December 6, 2000

Studio

Marv Films

Cast

Vinnie Jones , Jason Statham , Brad Pitt , Benicio Del Toro , Stephen Graham

Writers

Guy Ritchie

Runtime

1 hour 42 minutes

Main Genre

Comedy

Production Company

Columbia Pictures, SKA Films

Gangster characters are easy to come by, though some don't jump out as being anything original. Without doing much, in Snatch, Alan Ford created one of the most frightening gangsters in Brick Top. It wasn't that the character had an inferior role, but he could simply sit and say his lines to display what a terrifying man he was.

In a particularly disturbing monologue from Brick Top, he explains the best way to get rid of a corpse, stating stomach-churning details in a matter-of-fact way. He doesn't bat an eyelid. He almost could've been reciting a recipe to bake a cake, but that's precisely what makes him so menacing. Ford's stillness made it appear that the character had very little conscience, if any at all.

2 Michelle Dockery Stole Her Scenes in The Gentlemen

For The Gentlemen to rival the highest-ranking gangster movies, Ritchie needed a cast that would epitomize the stylized approach of his fast-paced films. Michelle Dockery wholly embodied everything that was needed from her character. She was chic, striking and displayed Rosalind's forceful mind without hesitation.

As the wife of Michael (Matthew McConaughey,) who was a defined, strong character, the pair were on par with each other. They were both tough, didn't mince their words, never took a backward step, and presented a united front. To both the performers' credit, they were a well-paired duo, but Dockery made Rosalind empowering, with no hint of fearing anyone who entered her space.

1 Brad Pitt Played a Career-Defining Character in Snatch

In what is often recognized as Ritchie's best film, Brad Pitt gave one of the best performances of his career. Playing Mickey O'Neil in Snatch, the American actor broadened his acting talent in one sitting to show what he was capable of beyond the glitz of Hollywood. The role depicted a bare-knuckle boxing Irish Traveler who spoke quickly and with a thick accent that completely differed from Pitt's own.

The character was fearsome, confident and surprisingly funny. Pitt hit every comedic note that was required, but not to the point of making Mickey seem like a character used purely for comic effect. His fight scenes were superbly executed and proved the notion that Mickey was smart enough to conceal what he was capable of until he had to step into the ring. Pitt demonstrated the true definition of acting, stepping far enough away from himself so he was all but physically unrecognizable.