Although his career ended on a down note two years ago when his family announced his retirement following a dementia diagnosis, Bruce Willis spent 20-plus years as one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, with roles in some of the most popular and acclaimed movies ever made.
He also spent his last working years making brief appearances in low-budget direct-to-VOD movies, and one film from that period, 2021’s “Midnight in the Switchgrass,” has recently been lodged in Netflix’s Top 10. It’s disappointing that so many people are seeing Willis at his lowest when there are plenty of great Willis movies to watch instead.
Whether or not you sat through “Midnight in the Switchgrass,” here are seven excellent Willis films to check out, representing the best work from a Hollywood legend.
‘The Sixth Sense’
Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan’s breakthrough film features what may be Willis’ finest performance, as a troubled psychologist treating a young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who claims to “see dead people.”
Like many of Shyamalan’s movies, “The Sixth Sense” is known for its climactic plot twist, but the movie is just as fascinating even if you’ve seen it numerous times (or had the twist spoiled).
Willis’ affecting portrayal of a lost man who finds purpose in helping an equally lost boy is one of the movie’s greatest strengths, with a level of emotional depth that transcends any shocking reveals.
When the twist arrives, though, Willis gives it the greatest possible impact, so that it’s more than just a sudden surprise — it’s a devastating moment in this person’s life, and that’s what makes it matter to the audience.
Watch on AMC Plus
‘Die Hard’
It’s hard to believe now, but when Willis was cast in “Die Hard,” there was widespread skepticism that he’d be convincing as an action hero since he was mainly known for the comedic detective TV series “Moonlighting.” Instead, former New York City police detective John McClane became his defining role, and his subsequent film career is full of action movies.
“Die Hard” is still Willis’ best action movie — and one of the best of all time — thanks to its propulsive, streamlined premise and setting. Over the course of a single night, entirely within a single high-rise building, McClane has to take on a crew of terrorists led by the diabolical Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman).
Willis gives McClane the perfect balance of vulnerability and bravado, beating up bad guys while delivering some of the genre’s most memorable lines.
Watch on Hulu or Prime Video
‘12 Monkeys’
There’s a sense of tragedy to director Terry Gilliam’s dark time-travel saga, with Willis’ future prisoner James Cole doomed to a bleak fate even before he embarks on his dangerous mission. Willis captures that haunting futility as the hapless James is sent back to the 1990s from 2035 in order to discover the origins of a deadly disease that wiped out five billion people.
Brad Pitt was nominated for an Oscar for his showier performance as a mental patient, but Willis brings more range and nuance to his role. James becomes increasingly frantic in his efforts to convince anyone of the imminent disaster they’re facing, but he also has a soulful quality as he bonds with psychiatrist Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe).
As the pieces of the elegantly constructed non-linear story fall into place, Willis keeps the movie anchored in James’ sacrifice and loss.
‘Looper’
Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt don’t really look or sound anything alike, so it’s a testament to both of their acting skills that they seamlessly and convincingly play older and younger versions of the same character in writer-director Rian Johnson’s sci-fi thriller.
Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, a time-traveling assassin known as a “looper,” who’s assigned to kill his older self (Willis) in order to fulfill his contract with a crime syndicate. The two Joes engage in a race against time and each other as they track down a supposed future adversary for all loopers.
Willis and Gordon-Levitt make the Joes into worthy opponents for one another, even though they are literally the same person. “Looper” is a cleverly constructed time-travel story with a lyrical and at times elegiac tone, carried by its two stars.
Watch on Pluto TV
‘Pulp Fiction’
Willis takes the lead in just one of the three main segments in director Quentin Tarantino’s crime classic, but he makes a powerful impression in his self-contained story.
Willis plays washed-up boxer Butch Coolidge, who takes a bribe from gangster Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) to throw a fight, only to change his mind and defeat his opponent. With the other boxer lying dead in the ring, Butch goes on the run with his girlfriend Fabienne (Maria de Medeiros) but ends up encountering Marsellus again under some disturbing circumstances.
Tarantino knows exactly how to make use of Willis’ talent and reputation, drawing on his tough-guy image but also subverting it, as Butch and Marsellus find themselves in a strange, twisted predicament. It’s violent, thrilling and funny, just like everything Tarantino presents in this inventive landmark indie film.
Watch on Hulu
‘Sin City’
Willis fits perfectly into director Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s hard-boiled comic-book series, co-directed by Miller himself. Rodriguez and Miller use a mix of black-and-white with splashes of color to emulate the style of Miller’s art, and Willis looks like he stepped right out of the pages of a “Sin City” comic book as grizzled police officer John Hartigan.
Hartigan is another haunted, tragic role for Willis, and he conveys the bitter fatalism of Miller’s story while finding a bit of redemption as well. Even in a star-packed cast, Willis stands out, especially in his later scenes with Jessica Alba as an exotic dancer whose life Hartigan once saved when she was a little girl.
Their story is just one of several in the crime anthology, but its two parts bookend the other main tales, giving it the added weight it warrants.
‘The Fifth Element’
Willis provides the most recognizable human element in director Luc Besson’s goofy sci-fi epic, as the one character who can cut through the grandiose nonsense and get things done.
Willis’ New York City cab driver Korben Dallas is thrust into the middle of an intergalactic crisis when alien savior Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) drops out of the sky and into his taxi. Korben becomes an integral part of the endearingly convoluted plan to save 23rd-century Earth from a cosmic weapon that could destroy all life on the planet.
While Jovovich spouts nonsense words, Gary Oldman delivers threats in a bizarre Southern accent as the villain, and Chris Tucker babbles incessantly as a flamboyant radio host, Willis remains taciturn and collected as Korben. He holds the movie together amid the colorfully ridiculous costumes and set design, and he makes it look easy.
Watch on Pluto TV
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
