At his best,Hackman could be intense and larger-than-life yet still believable.

With this in mind, here are Hackman’s must-see movies, ranked.

10’Bonnie and Clyde' (1967)

Directed by Arthur Penn

“We rob banks.

The French Connection

Image via 20th Century Studios

Hackman turns in a great supporting performance as Clyde’s affable but reckless older brother, Buck.

The rich cinematography, razor-sharp editing, and romanticized treatment of the tragic protagonists resonated with 1960s audiences.

Those who only know Hackman as gruff, tough, and no-nonsense should check it out.

Buck Barrow (Gene Hackman) grinning in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

8’Night Moves' (1975)

“I saw a Rohmer film once.

It was kind of like watching paint dry.”

Hackman leads this noir gem as Harry Moseby, a former professional football player turned private investigator.

bonnie-clyde-1967.jpg

Along the way,his quest morphs into an intricate, slow-burn odyssey, blending suspense with character-driven storytelling.

Moseby is much more layered and interesting than the average detective character in 1970s movies.

He’s damaged and morally gray, seriously deficient in typical hero qualities like honor.

instar50032724.jpg

As a result,Night Movesbecomes not just an engaging thriller but a bleak character study.

Brill assists Dean in navigating the pervasive surveillance and high-tech espionage threatening his life.

In fact,he pretty much outclasses everyone else, his quiet intensity frequently stealing the scene.

Cast Placeholder Image

The stars and director build ably on the taut script byMichael Schiffer, featuring uncredited additional writing byQuentin Tarantino.

Their ideological clashheightened by an urgent countdown to potential armageddonrelentlessly ratchets up the suspense.

Hackman appears as Royal Tenenbaum, the charmingly manipulative patriarch of a dysfunctional family of former child prodigies.

I Never Sang for My Father - 1970 (1)

In this one,Hackman is kind of like a Wes Anderson version of Logan Roy.

He’s crass and irresponsible, far from a good guy, but not a villain.

The result is one of the best characters in Anderson’s filmography.

01174890_poster_w780.jpg

Most of all, Anderson is fully believable as a man with a relentless drive to see justice done.

Bill is the inverse of Agent Anderson, ruling with an iron fist and a warped sense of justice.

The performance earned Hackman the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

instar48992070.jpg

While it’s probably overlong, simply seeing Eastwood and Hackman together is worth the price of admission.

Get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!

“Bonnie and Clydeproved Hackman’s acting chops, butThe French Connectionmade him a star.

Headshot Of Estelle Parsons

The performance rightly won him the Oscar.

As his paranoia grows, Caul struggles to distinguish between professional detachment and personal responsibility.

Slowly, his mind begins to unravel.

Harry Moseby pointing a gun in a white shirt at night in ‘Night Moves’

Image via Warner Bros.

NEXT:The 10 Worst Movies That Tried to Be ‘Star Wars,’ Ranked

night-moves-film-poster.jpg

Will Smith and Gene Hackman talking next to satellite dishes in ‘Enemy of the State’.

Image via Buena Vista Pictures

enemy-of-the-state-movie-poster.jpg

instar52245529.jpg

instar53750906.jpg

instar53583142.jpg

Gene Hackman’s Captain Franklin on the phone in Crimson Tide

Image via Buena Vista Pictures

crimson-tide-1995-poster-denzel-washington-gene-hackman.jpg

instar51023899.jpg

shutterstock_187218134.jpg

Royal comforting Chaz in The Royal Tenenbaums

Image via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

The Royal Tenenbaums Movie Poster

instar50860639-1.jpg

instar52454407.jpg

instar53392385.jpg

Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman stand in front of a burning cross in Mississippi Burning

Image Via Orion Pictures

mississippi-burning-film-poster.jpg

instar54073781.jpg

instar52192376.jpg

instar49993187.jpg

Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman) stands in the streets of town in ‘Unforgiven’

Image via Warner Bros.

Unforgiven Movie Poster

instar50562789.jpg

The French Connection - 1971 (2)

Image via 20th Century-Fox

the-french-connection-official-poster.jpg

A sound engineer tinkers with his equipment in The Conversation.

Image via Paramount Pictures

9lgn30phmzazhdc23yfbzahtnst.jpg

Movie

Gene Hackman

The French Connection