Guy Ritchie movies have showcased the filmmaker as a distinct director who is always changing. Ritchie could be seen as the UK’s answer to Quentin Tarantino, as both directors make hugely entertaining, violent action movies with multistranded narratives. But the difference is that Ritchie’s films have such an authentically British approach to the material. However, the filmmaker’s career can almost be split into two halves, as he drastically changed the type of movies he directed over his career making every Guy Ritchie movies a new surprise.
Ritchie came on the scene with his own take on the crime genre with his unique sense of humor and frantic storytelling. Along with classic British gangster movies, Ritchie also has several big-budget blockbusters, Hollywood remakes, taking on some truly iconic characters. While there have been some significant missteps in his career, the Guy Ritchie movies showcase the versatility of the stories he can tell.
14 Swept Away (2002)
- Stream on Crackel
Just as Guy Ritchie was becoming an international star thanks to his acclaimed movies and high-profile romance with Madonna, those two worlds collided in the first major failure of his career. Swept Away was Ritchie’s Hollywood remake of the 1974 Italian comedy. It starred Madonna as a stuck-up socialite who finds herself stranded on an island with a sailor who is in no mood for her entitled personality. Ritchie’s movies have a lot of humor in them but he seems ill-equipped to deal with the satirical and screwball approach of this movie’s tone. It ended up being rewarded five Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture and Worst Director.
13 Revolver (2005)
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Following the failure of Swept Away, Guy Ritchie reteamed with Jason Statham for another British gangster movie. However, those thinking Revolver would be like Snatch were surprised by this nearly incomprehensible crime story. Statham plays a gambler on a mission of revenge that takes him on an unexpected journey. It is clear that Ritchie has something to say which this philosophical story but it is hard for anyone not sharing a brain with him to figure it out. As such, there’s very little for the audience to actually hold onto and the movie comes across as dull.
12 Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre (2023)
- Rent on Vudu
Guy Ritchie certainly has a special love for the spy movie genre and Operation Fortune was his attempt to create a new suave and cheeky spy who could possibly stand alongside the likes of James Bond. A big criticism is that Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) is the least interesting character in the movie. He is set up to be a more carefree and reluctant hero than Statham’s usual stoic protagonists, but there is a lack of charm. It also doesn’t help that the plot jumps around wildly, making it hard to determine where the threat and stakes are coming from. However, fun performances from Hugh Grant and Aubrey Plaza help this stand out.
11 Aladdin (2019)
- Stream on Disney Plus
On paper, the guy who directed Snatch might not sound like the ideal filmmaker to helm a Disney musical, but funnily enough, Ritchie’s unique quirks and technical approach were a great fit. The humor was on point, and he even made audiences briefly forget that Robin Williams played Genie, one of the most iconic voice-acting performances ever. Ritchie used his ability to direct action to create sweeping musical numbers. The movie isn’t perfect and it doesn’t come close to matching the magic of the original. However, it avoids the mistake of many live-action Disney remakes of simply redoing the original and instead injects some of its own style thanks to Ritchie.
10 King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017)
- Rent on Apple TV
Though it seems like a run-of-the-mill blockbuster action movie, that’s exactly why King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is one of the most underrated entries in Ritchie’s filmography. The director’s previous remakes still had Ritchie’s classic comedic approach to violence and banter between the characters. But in Legend of the Sword, those trademarks are nowhere to be found. That’s mostly why the film received such a tepid response, as there are certain expectations when Ritchie’s name is attached to a project. However, out of all the portrayals of King Arthur, Ritchie delivered a fun and epic Hollywood blockbuster version that overcomes a mediocre story thanks to its action.
9 Wrath Of Man (2021)
- Stream on Prime Video & Paramount Plus
After not working together since 2005’s Revolver, Wrath of Man was a welcome reunion of Ritchie and Jason Statham. It stars Statham as a newly hired armored car driver who seems to have more motivation than simply getting a new job. The movie marks a more serious turn for the director, which is refreshing to see after the great but over-the-top The Gentlemen. Alas, Wrath of Man has its flaws, and where Ritchie has perfected multi-stranded narratives in the past, this movie isn’t so fluid in the way it intertwines storylines. Yet it is still a gritty throwback crime story that feels like Ritchie paying homage to directors like Michael Mann and Walter Hill.
8 RocknRolla (2008)
- Stream on Max
By this point in his career, people could write a Ritchie movie in their heads, and even the title of this 2008 movie is predictably Ritchie. However, RocknRolla is full of surprises and is way more than just another Cockney gangster flick. The film also features one of Tom Hardy’s earliest roles, and though he isn’t the main character, he completely steals the show whenever he’s on-screen. RocknRolla was somewhat of a return to form for the writer-director, as it followed two consecutive critically-scathed box office bombs, Swept Away and Revolver.
7 Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows (2011)
- Rent on Apple TV
There are so many depictions of Sherlock Holmes, and the popular opinion right now is that Sherlock is Benedict Cumberbatch’s best role, but against all odds, Robert Downey Jr. did just as good of a job. And though sequels are very rarely as good as their predecessors, A Game of Shadows is one of the few exceptions. Interestingly, both the 2011 movie and the finale of Sherlock season 2, which were released within a month of each other, focus on the most famous Sherlock Holmes story, The Final Problem. Both tell the story in unique ways, and both see Sherlock faking his own death. But as audiences are still waiting for Sherlock Holmes 3, they don’t know how he pulled it off.
6 The Gentlemen (2019)
- Stream on AMC Plus
The Gentlemen came after a string of blockbuster movies directed by the British filmmaker so another British gangster crime caper was long overdue. For that reason, the love for The Gentlemen might be somewhat heightened, but the film is another shining example that Ritchie has such a unique cinematic voice. The movie sees Guy Ritchie returning to his roots, and he even doubles down on his already over-the-top trademarks, such as the intertwining plot threads in the story of the head of a weed empire looking to sell off his business.
5 Sherlock Holmes (2009)
- Stream on Fubo TV
Ritchie being hired to direct a big-budget Hollywood adaptation of Sherlock Holmes was a strange choice in 2009. Up to that point in time, he had rarely veered outside of the gangster comedy genre. It didn’t seem like he’d be open to studio notes either, as all of his movies are extremely explicit. However, the director turned in such an entertaining movie that’s as clever as it is action-packed. Ritchie’s distinct style carried over to the iconic series surprisingly well, and it proved that the filmmaker is just as good of a director-for-hire as he is an auteur.
4 The Covenant (2023)
- Rent on Vudu
A gritty war movie is a departure for Ritchie which makes it all the more surprising that The Covenant is one of his best movies. Though it was another 2023 bomb for Ritchie, this intense thriller based on a true story showed a new side of his talents. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as an American soldier who is saved by his Afghan interpreter, Ahmed (Dar Salim). When he learns that Ahmed’s family has been targeted by the Taliban and will receive no assistance from the military, the American seeks to repay his debt to Ahmed. Ritchie directs intense and grounded action sequences that help deliver a hard-hitting modern war movie more people should seek out.
3 The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
- Stream on Max
Ritchie did for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. what he did for Sherlock Holmes, which is turning an existing property into a huge action movie full of exciting set pieces. The movie is based on a ’60s spy TV show of the same name, and with Ritchie at the helm, it was an explosive affair that had a great buddy-cop feel. The movie had no right to be this good, but, unfortunately, it didn’t soar at the worldwide box office. However, despite being a box office bomb, Ritchie proved that he can blend his formula with almost any kind of existing property.
2 Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
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Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels was Ritchie’s directorial debut, and in many ways, it established the director’s style. It usually takes filmmakers a while to find their footing or at least create such a vivid tone, but the comedic violence, Cockney rhyming slang, and fast-paced action sequences were all present in the 1998 film. Even when it comes to the narrative, Lock, Stock is all about a heist, as is Ritchie’s following movie Snatch and even his most recent release, Wrath of Man. This film is the very blueprint that his following movies built upon, and that influenced dozens of imitations.
1 Snatch (2000)
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Following Lock, Stock, Ritchie had a lot to live up to, and with such a huge movie right out of the gate, he could have very easily become a one-hit-wonder. However, armed with a bigger budget and some real star power, the director returned with an even better British gangster movie than his 1998 debut. Snatch is hilarious, captivating, and every single line of dialogue is so snappy. Snatch‘s cast of characters add to the colorful fun of the caper with a terrific ensemble of actors, including Hollywood names like Brad Pitt and Benicio Del Toro.
