Brad Pitt has made a name for himself as one of Hollywood’s most prolific actors. Over his more than three-decade-spanning career, Pitt has starred in many great films including Fight Club and Ocean’s Eleven. Among the genres he has explored is action, with films such as Troy and World War Z. With his proven track record, it has been no surprise that he has consistently been cast as a Hollywood leading man.
Even in the 2020s, Pitt was chosen to lead Bullet Train from Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2 director David Leitch. There are few other actors with Pitt’s combination of effortless charm and comedic timing, while also having tremendous star power. Pitt has told GQ that he now considers himself to be on the “last leg” of his film career. Before his list of film appearances comes to an end, here’s a look at Brad Pitt’s best action movies, ranked.
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6 Troy
Warner Bros.
Before David Benioff worked on Game of Thrones, he wrote Troy, a loose film adaptation of Homer’s Iliad. Portraying the greatest of all Greek warriors, Achilles, was a 2000s Brad Pitt. Troy presented a cinematic version of the Trojan War, the epic battle between the kingdoms of Troy and Sparta. Although Troy was not exactly faithful to the Iliad, the film showcased some great fight choreography and large-scale action. Pitt has expressed disappointment over how Troy told its story (via Yahoo), but the film did not fail in the action department.
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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 Bullet Train
Columbia Pictures
The David Leitch-directed 2022 action comedy Bullet Train was a pleasant surprise. Pitt led a star-studded cast in the film as an ex-mercenary who had the codename “Ladybug.” His task involved acquiring a briefcase on a bullet train, which was also sought out by a number of assassins. Chaos quickly ensued, as Ladybug’s almost-mystical quality of being unlucky followed him wherever he went. The plot of Bullet Train was unfocused, but it allowed for exciting mayhem and entertaining action sequences. What distinguished Bullet Train from other entries in Pitt’s filmography was that while being likable, Ladybug was a terrible action hero (per Collider).
4 World War Z
Skydance Productions
World War Z has retained its spot as the highest-grossing zombie film of all time. Loosely based on Max Brooks’ 2006 novel of the same name, the film introduced a brand new protagonist in Pitt’s Gerry Lane. Pitt played a brave father and investigator who formerly worked for the United Nations. As a zombie pandemic plunged the world into darkness, Lane searched for clues on how to stop it. The search took him on a globe-trotting adventure, fighting zombies while fiercely defending the people around him. Popular zombie franchises such as The Walking Dead and The Last of Us have focused on the dark side of humanity. In contrast, World War Z was much more optimistic and focused more on people working together.
3 The Lost City
Paramount Pictures
Pitt joined the light-hearted action-adventure in The Lost City as Jack Trainer. His character represented the ultimate action man, with experience in both the Navy SEALs and the CIA. Trainer was hired by Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum) to rescue Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock). However, during Trainer’s time working with Alan, Trainer had to do all the work by himself. As The Lost City was Loretta and Alan’s story, Pitt had limited screen time in the film. Nonetheless, he made the most of his role, with audiences in agreement that Jack Trainer stole the show. At the same time, Pitt’s role perfectly served the larger story, moving the pieces for Loretta and Alan to come together.
2 Fury
Sony Pictures
2014’s Fury was set during 1945 as the Allies made their final push in the European Theater of World War II. The film centered on a US tank crew led by Staff Sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Pitt) as they fought across Germany facing overwhelming odds. Wardaddy was a battle-hardened soldier who did not hesitate to kill the enemy. He provided a sharp contrast to the reluctant rookie in his crew, Norman, who had no previous combat experience. The film, however, was about how being thrown in the depths of a war can change a human being. Gritty, brutal, and dramatic, Fury had excellent cinematography that truly allowed its action scenes to impress. It did not make for comfortable viewing, but Fury excelled in creating the intense atmosphere it had set out to create.
1 Inglourious Basterds
The Weinstein Company
Lieutenant Aldo Raine has been one of Pitt’s most memorable film roles. In Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, Aldo Raine led a team of Jewish-American soldiers to do “one thing and one thing only…killin’ Nazis.” The film played to all of Tarantino’s directing strengths, featuring solid character development, wildly creative dialogue, and superb performances. Christoph Waltz was a major highlight, giving Aldo Raine the perfect villain in SS officer, Hans Landa. Inglourious Basterds also showed Tarantino’s mastery of building suspense and tension throughout a scene.
