Top 10 Brad Pitt films - his new F1 movie isn't No 1
Brad Pitt's long-awaited Formula One film is due out next week, but while it's already generating buzz thanks to its real-life racing footage and collaboration with Lewis Hamilton, the actor's greatest roles are behind him - at least for now.
Pitt, who has balanced leading man status with daring choices across four decades, has worked with some of Hollywood's most distinctive directors, including Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher, and Ridley Scott. From cult classics to Oscar-winning dramas, his range stretches from gritty crime thrillers to offbeat character parts, sometimes in the same year.
As the 61-year-old gears up to return to screens in F1 - directed by Top Gun: Maverick's Joseph Kosinski and shot at real Grand Prix events - we look back at the ten defining performances that made him one of cinema's most iconic stars, ranked by Letterboxd grades.
10. Ocean's Eleven (2001)3.9/5
Steven Soderbergh's stylish remake of the Rat Pack caper gave Pitt one of his most charismatic roles as Rusty Ryan, the smooth-talking con man who helps orchestrate a casino heist alongside George Clooney's Danny Ocean. While the film's ensemble cast includes Matt Damon, Julia Roberts and Andy García, it's Pitt's constant eating and deadpan delivery that quietly steal scenes. The role helped redefine him not just as a heartthrob, but as a slick comedic actor with range - something that would become increasingly clear in the years to come.
3.9/5
Pitt's appearance in Tony Scott's cult classic is brief but unforgettable. As Floyd, a perpetually stoned roommate, he injects absurd levity into Quentin Tarantino's violent, high-energy script. Despite being on screen for only a few minutes, Floyd became one of the film's standout characters and a firm fan favourite.
8. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)4/5
In Andrew Dominik's lyrical western, Pitt plays legendary outlaw Jesse James with eerie calm and a quiet sense of menace. It's a performance rooted in stillness and unpredictability, reflecting a man haunted by his own reputation. The film earned Roger Deakins an Oscar nomination for its cinematography, while Pitt's restrained, internalised performance won the Best Actor prize at the Venice Film Festival.
4/5
Pitt took a major gamble playing Mickey, the barely comprehensible Irish Traveller boxer, in Guy Ritchie's twist-laden crime comedy. The role was written specifically for him after he expressed interest in working with Ritchie - but the result was far from conventional. With a rapid-fire accent and chaotic energy, Mickey is both unpredictable and oddly endearing. The film became a cult hit and marked another moment where Pitt showed he wasn't afraid to get scruffy when the role demanded it.
4.1/5
Though uncredited, Pitt has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in Spike Jonze's surrealist breakthrough, which he also executive produced. His role is minor - just a background appearance as himself - but his involvement as a producer helped get the film made and demonstrated his early eye for bold, left-field storytelling. Pitt would go on to produce a string of acclaimed films through his company Plan B.
4.2/5
Steve McQueen's harrowing historical drama won Best Picture at the Oscars, and Pitt, as both a producer and a supporting actor, was integral to its success. He appears late in the film as Samuel Bass, a Canadian carpenter whose intervention helps free Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) from slavery. Though his screen time is limited, his character represents a rare moment of hope.
4.2/5
Pitt's breakout role as JD, a charming drifter who seduces Geena Davis's Thelma before robbing her, helped turn him into a star overnight. Ridley Scott's feminist road movie became a landmark of early '90s cinema, and Pitt became an instant icon. It was only his third film role of note, but it proved his screen presence was undeniable. He's since credited the film as his big break.
4.3/5
David Fincher's adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel gave Pitt one of his most memorable characters in Tyler Durden - the soap-making anarchist who turns modern masculinity on its head. The role became a cultural phenomenon, and while its satirical message was widely misunderstood at the time, Pitt's performance was crucial in making it reach the right audiences.
4.3/5
Teaming up with David Fincher for the first time, Pitt played Detective David Mills in this bleak, atmospheric thriller. Set in a city plagued by rain and moral decay, Seven follows Mills and his partner (Morgan Freeman) as they investigate a string of murders based on the seven deadly sins. It's now one of the defining crime thrillers of the 1990s.
4.4/5
Quentin Tarantino's revisionist World War II epic gave Pitt one of his most entertaining roles as Lt. Aldo Raine, the Tennessee-born commander of a Jewish-American guerrilla unit tasked with taking down the Nazis. The film became one of Tarantino's biggest critical and commercial hits, winning Christoph Waltz an Oscar and showcasing Pitt's ability to anchor big, outrageous concepts. Over a decade later, it still stands as his most iconic lead role.