Director Gore Verbinski is one of Hollywood’s most versatile filmmakers. His nearly three decade long career includes films in various genres such as family films, drama, and horror. In addition, Verbinski has also directed music videos for bands like Bad Religion and Vicious Rumors. Verbinski’s filmography also ranges in scale.
The budgets in his films have ranged from about $20 million to $300 million. This Oscar-winning filmmaker’s body of work surely speaks for itself. He has seen some highs and lows throughout his career (and has unfortunately not made a film in six years), but nearly all his films have made a splash in the film industry in some way. Here are his best films, ranked.
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10 The Lone Ranger
Walt Disney Studios
This 2013 remake of the 1940s television series of the same name stars Johnny Depp as Tonto and the now-disgraced Armie Hammer as the titular character. At a two and a half hour runtime, The Lone Ranger flopped at the box office and received mixed reviews from audiences and critics. However, the film offers some cartoonish swashbuckling fun. In addition, Helena Bonham Carter provides a highly energetic and enjoyable supporting performance as Red Harrington.
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9 The Mexican
DreamWorks Pictures
The Mexican is one of Verbinski’s earlier works. This 2001 adventure comedy stars Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and the late James Gandolfini. Verbinski gives this film a warmer look to complement the more violent sequences. The film is ultimately a road trip with an alleged cursed pistol nicknamed “The Mexican.” In addition, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts have a chemistry that explodes on the screen as per Verbinski’s direction.
8 A Cure for Wellness
20th Century Fox
A curious and undefinable epic, A Cure for Wellness is perhaps Verbinski’s most controversial and divisive film to date. It embodies true horror in its ambiguity, but is gorgeous to look at. The film stars Dane DeHann, Jason Isaacs of the Harry Potter franchise, and a dark Mia Goth (who stars as the titular character in the new Ti West horror prequel to X). A Cure for Wellness is disturbing and contains intense imagery that is an acquired taste for genre fans, but is rewarding for anyone prepared for something more cerebral and bizarre.
7 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Walt Disney Pictures
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End the third installment to the explosive franchise. Johnny Depp is the highlight of the film, where he encounters both the supernatural and the gang of pirate lords. The film is one of the most expensive ever made with a budget of almost $300 million and is one of Disney’s darkest live-action features. This is the last of the Pirates franchise that Verbinski directed, and it closes the chapter of the trilogy with a satisfying bookend for it to be continued by Rob Marshall with the next film, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
6 Mousehunt
Nathan Lane and Lee Evans go head-to-head against a mouse in Gore Verbinski’s first feature film, Mousehunt. Lane always delivers a highly energetic performance that has been powerful for screen and stage alike. However, the film is much more than two brothers trying to rid their house of a mouse — it is a surprisingly touching family film with elements for both parent and child.
5 The Weather Man
Paramount Pictures
Nicolas Cage is The Weather Man in Verbinski’s vastly underrated 2005 comedic drama. At his core, Cage’s character David Spritz is eager for his father’s approval and wants to be the best weatherman possible. He can’t seem to escape bad luck by having everything, including a 7/11 Big Gulp, thrown at him.
Down on his luck, Spritz is an empathetic character whose narration by Cage compliments his interior struggles. Verbinski uses his cooler and blueish cinematography that he utilized so well in The Ring to emphasize a winter in Chicago. The film is heartfelt and dark, but does not fall short on Cage’s famous enthusiasm and short fuse.
4 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Buena Vista Pictures
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is the second installment in the Pirates franchise. It introduced audiences to Davy Jones, a CGI character so amazingly realistic despite being performed via motion capture by Bill Nighy. This film expanded from the original’s subtle introduction to the supernatural and became more fantastical. It is one of Disney’s more violent films, but Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow is always a joy to watch.
3 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is the first to kick off the major Disney franchise based on a theme park ride. Johnny Depp delivers an Oscar-nominated performance and one of the best of his career as the swashbuckling Captain Jack Sparrow. He is the heart and soul of this film, but Geoffrey Rush is a worthy match as a fantastic antagonist, Captain Hector Barbossa.
The successful modern blockbuster is just pure fun and entertainment, and marks a milestone in Verbinski’s career. Up until that point, it was the largest scaled project in his filmography and with the next few films, his budget increased. Verbinski instantly became one of the hottest directors of the time with this film, having crafted what is still noted as the best Disney adaptation of a ride to date.
2 The Ring
Dimension Films
Perhaps one of the best horror films of all time, The Ring is a 2002 remake of Japanese film Ringu from 1998. Not only does the cinematography provide a wet, cold aurora, Hans Zimmer’s great score compliments the disturbing visuals. The Ring is a subtle, slow-burning mystery that will leave audiences freaked out whenever their screens go static. Its ghostly villain combines both CGI and practical effects to create one of the most iconic images in horror history.
1 Rango
Paramount Pictures
Rango is the film to have finally given Verbinski an Academy Award. Johnny Depp voices the charismatic chameleon who gets caught up in quite the adventure. Rango’s recording sessions were done with the actors performing as they would if the film was live action. In the behind-the-scenes featurette for the film, Verbinski describes his approach to this style of filmmaking:
This style of recording and blocking was also done in Wes Anderson’sFantastic Mr. Fox. As Verbinski describes, it adds a great deal to the performances. Actors in costume, on a soundstage reacting off of each other, promotes more authentic performances. Verbinski simply translated those performances and vocals to an animated format because that was the best way to tell this story.
Gore Verbinski has not directed a film since his 2016 thriller A Cure for Wellness.However, in 2023, he is expected to release a science fiction film entitled Spaceless. There is no predicting what else the famed director has in store for audiences in the coming years.
