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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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