20 Best Sean Connery Movies, Ranked (2024)

Sean Connery is the sort of actor who’s so legendary he doesn’t exactly need an introduction, but for anyone who’s lived under a rock (or The Rock) for the past six decades, he was a leading man with a film career that spanned 40+ memorable years. He was most well-recognized for being the original 007 in the long-running James Bond series, appearing in the role seven times and going on to have a hugely successful career outside the series, too.

He'd largely retired from the world of film by the early 2000s, and passed away at the age of 90 in 2020, yet has left behind a remarkable filmography, many of the titles within still holding up to this day. Attempting to give an overview of his very best or most notable roles will likely lead to some omissions, so it’s ideal to think of the following as the best of the best; an assortment of his greatest movies, ranked below, starting with the good and ending with the classics.

20 'Finding Forrester' (2000)

Director: Gus Van Sant

Standing as one of the final movies of Sean Connery’s long and accomplished career, Finding Forresteris a solidly made drama that’s effectively engaging and emotional. It tells the sort of story one’s likely seen before, but tells it well regardless, following two people from different walks of life – and of different generations – who nevertheless form an unlikely friendship and learn from each other.

Connery’s titular character is an aging writer, while the film’s other main character, Jamal (Rob Brown) is a young African-American student attending high school. Finding Forrester is sentimental, perhaps even too much so for some tastes, though it also manages to have charm and makes for an easy watch. Director Gus Van Sant is undeniably skilled at making such grounded character-focused dramas, as is demonstrated by other movies of his like Good Will Hunting and Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot.

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19 'Zardoz' (1974)

Director: John Boorman

Directed by John Boorman, the filmmaker behind perhaps the most divisive of all The Exorcist’s sequels, Zardoz is a science fiction film where calling it bizarre would be an understatement of borderline criminal proportions. It stars Connery as a murderous man in the distant future who comes across a strange community filled with seemingly immortal beings, and becomes something of a plaything for them.

Well, that’s technically what Zardoz is about, described as broadly as possible, but watching the movie and trying to take it all in makes for a considerably trippier experience than one might expect. With bold visuals and an overall eerie atmosphere throughout, it’s strange, bewildering, sometimes slow-moving, but just about always intriguing, and is worth mentioning here for the fact that it’s one of the most unusual and out-there movies Connery ever starred in.

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18 'Highlander' (1986)

Director: Russell Mulcahy

A film that includes the famous line, “There can be only one,” yet then went ahead and had multiple sequels, perhaps it still rings true in spirit for Highlander, as it’s a case where the first installment is far and away considered the best. It’s a movie that blends epic action, adventure, and fantasy, all revolving around immortal warriors who battle each other over centuries, with such warriors being the only ones who can take the lives of others.

The long-running competition among such beings leads to that whole notion of there being only one… though Sean Connery’s character is willing to help out another, younger immortal warrior and become his mentor after he gets targeted by another fearsome warrior. Highlander is cheesy, sure, but in a genuinely fun way that should appeal to anyone who likes 1980s action, with Connery’s supporting role here also boosting the entertainment value of the film considerably.

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17 'The Offence' (1973)

Director: Sidney Lumet

Sidney Lumetmade some great crime movies in his time, especially titles like Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon, and he also worked with Sean Connery at several different points. One of the movies they did together, The Offence, also happens to be a crime/drama film, and has a particularly intense story about a police detective who loses control during an interrogation, with his actions having dramatic consequences.

Connery thrived in action blockbusters, of course, but roles like his one in The Offence also demonstrate how great he could be when appearing in something a little more serious or gritty. It’s a tough and no-nonsense film with a dark story and a searing look at themes surrounding justice, the leeway police should or shouldn’t get, and the idea of presumption of innocence.

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16 'Robin and Marian' (1976)

Director: Richard Lester

Emphasizing the romance angle of the legend of Robin Hood, as well as looking at the character at an older age than usual, Robin and Marian ends up being a rather charming depiction of some well-known characters. Sean Connery plays Robin Hood getting on in years, with his age making him feel as though time is running out for him to successfully woo the love of his life, Maid Marian (Audrey Hepburn).

It can be worth watching Robin and Marian just to see two acting legends like Connery and Hepburn share the screen together, with the supporting cast being pretty strong too, considering it includes the likes of Robert Shaw, Richard Harris, and Ian Holm. It’s certainly unique, and stands out among the countless other adaptations of the Robin Hood legend from cinema history.

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15 'Murder on the Orient Express' (1974)

Director: Sidney Lumet

Another thrilling Agatha Christie film adaptation (arguably one of the best ever made, too), what stands out first and foremost when it comes to 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express is the amazing ensemble cast assembled. Albert Finney leads said cast as famed detective Hercule Poirot, with the rest of the cast filled out by the likes of Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Michael York, and Anthony Perkins, to name just a few.

A big cast means plenty of suspects, and as is usually the case for Poirot, he stumbles upon a murder mystery, with this one having occurred on a train car. It’s a movie that keeps the suspense pretty high throughout, and it also happens to be extremely entertaining, largely thanks to the fact that Murder on the Orient Express allows numerous great actors the chance to verbally spar with – and distrust – each other constantly.

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14 'Dr. No' (1962)

Director: Terence Young

Beginning what would become an immensely long-running film series in style, Dr. No was the first time movie audiences ever got to see James Bond, and perhaps the first time many were introduced to Sean Connery as an actor. It’s not an instance where the first film was the very best in the series, but Dr. No is still very good for its time, an admirable start to the series, and one of the better (albeit not the greatest) 007 films Connery starred in.

The titular character is the villain Bond goes up against here, with his evil plan involving the destruction of the U.S. space program. Many staples of the series that would become beloved as the years went on got their start here in Dr. No, and Connery himself was instantly magnetic in the role he seemed born to play… though as both aforementioned and subsequent titles will show, he was so much more than just Bond.

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13 'Marnie' (1964)

Director: Alfred Hitchco*ck

Marnie is a film that demonstrates how it wasn’t simply after James Bond that Sean Connery attempted to branch out and establish himself as more than simply that singular role. After all, this Alfred Hitchco*ck movie came out in 1964, which was around the time Connery was incredibly well-recognized for his role as 007, given that year saw the third overall James Bond movie get released.

This unsettling mystery/psychological thriller film isn’t one of Alfred Hitchco*ck’s very best, but his very best was truly excellent, ensuring Marnie is still quite good overall. Both Connery and Tippi Hedren are both very compelling as two people with a strange and uncomfortable connection, and Connery, in particular, showed himself here as capable of playing someone who’s a good deal less heroic and a whole lot creepier than Bond (though, yes, early James Bond can undoubtedly be a little creepy by modern standards, too).

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12 'Time Bandits' (1981)

Director: Terry Gilliam

Imagination, offbeat humor, and creative fantasy worlds are what you’re usually in for whenever you sit down to watch a Terry Gilliam movie, and his 1981 film, Time Bandits, has all that in spades. It sees a young kid get swept up on a time-hopping adventure with six dwarfs, all of whom have worked out a way to get through time and obtain various valuables from different points in history.

This premise is well-utilized, leading to plenty of entertaining scenarios and the opportunity for numerous historical people and legendary figures to show up (even including Napoleon Bonaparte). Sean Connery is in the film briefly, too, playing King Agamemnon, a figure from Greek mythology who gets wrapped up in the overall adventuring at one point. It’s a fun and fast-paced fantasy movie that gets a good deal of mileage out of the fact that time travel factors heavily into the narrative.

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11 'The Name of the Rose' (1986)

Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud

Set during the 14th century, The Name of the Rose functions as both a surprisingly good movie with a historical setting and something that tells a compelling mystery story. It takes place at a conference where several monks have been murdered, leading Sean Connery’s William of Baskerville and his young novice, played by Christian Slater, to investigate before ultimately uncovering an alarming conspiracy.

The idea of a movie revolving around a murder investigation might not sound super exciting, but it’s the setting and the time period of The Name of the Rose that inevitably help keep what could otherwise feel ordinary feel intriguing instead. Sean Connery’s also great in the lead role, with this perhaps being the start of a second wind for his overall career, given two of his most iconic non-007 roles followed shortly after this film, in the final years of the 1980s.

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10 'The Rock' (1996)

Director: Michael Bay

A bombastic Michael Bay action movie filled to the brim with plenty of slow motion and explosions (and explosions in slow motion), The Rock is a super enjoyable rollercoaster ride of a film. The wonderfully silly plot involves a rogue general taking over Alcatraz Island, threatening to fire chemical weapons into populated areas. The only chance of stopping him seems to rest on a former Alcatraz prisoner who escaped once, and is asked to do the opposite: “break in” to the island.

Sean Connery plays this grizzled old prisoner, with Nicolas Cage being the chemical warfare expert who develops a sort of buddy dynamic with Connery’s character. It’s intentionally goofy and frequently over-the-top, but The Rock also manages to be supremely entertaining and oftentimes spectacular, making it easily rank up there as one of Bay’s best movies.

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9 'A Bridge Too Far' (1977)

Director: Richard Attenborough

A Bridge Too Far was an epic war movie that seemed keen to get just about every famous U.S. and U.K. actor into one gigantic movie. As a result, you have a single film that includes Gene Hackman, Michael Caine, James Caan, Robert Redford, Anthony Hopkins, and, of course, Sean Connery, among many, many others. It’s the sort of star-studded cast that might make the likes of Avengers: Infinity War or Endgame blush.

Beyond the novelty of seeing so many famous actors, A Bridge Too Far also delivers an engaging and oftentimes exciting experience, centering on the overly ambitious Allied plan during World War II that was Operation Market Garden. No cast member truly stands out, but it is worth saying that Connery is of course good, with the main stars of the entire thing arguably being the scale and the battle sequences on offer throughout.

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8 'From Russia with Love' (1963)

Director: Terence Young

For anyone who thought 1962’s Dr. No was a good, though not great, 007 film, 1963 thankfully saw the release of its largely improved sequel, From Russia with Love. It’s another entertaining blast of thrills, adventuring, and action, all following everyone's favorite charismatic spy who can get out of seemingly any situation, no matter how dangerous, with both the series and the main character feeling more confident in their shared second cinematic outing.

The organization of SPECTRE takes center stage in From Russia with Love, leading Bond on another high-risk mission where the eventually revealed villains prove even more deadly than anyone he’d faced before. It’s got some of the minor flaws and uncomfortable moments one has to grit their teeth and deal with when it comes to early James Bond, but as far as action movies that are over six decades old go, From Russia with Love is a largely impressive and entertaining one.

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7 'The Hunt for Red October' (1990)

Director: John McTiernan

The 1990s seemed like a good time for tense and high-stakes thrillers largely set on submarines, as demonstrated by John McTiernan’sThe Hunt for Red October (1990) and Tony Scott’s Crimson Tide (1995). Setting aside, each film does ultimately feel distinct, with McTiernan’s focusing on the chaos that’s caused when the captain of a Soviet sub goes rogue, and there’s some confusion over whether he wants to attack the U.S. or defect from his army.

The main roadblock, so to speak, when it comes to getting on board The Hunt for Red October is the fact that Sean Connery plays the Russian captain of the sub, and anyone who’s heard Connery’s distinctive voice will know he doesn’t exactly sound Russian. The film largely gets around this by showing the Soviets speaking Russian before they’re “translated” on the spot to English, at which point the film becomes easy to get swept up in, making The Hunt for Red October a tense and thrilling ride throughout.

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6 'The Longest Day' (1962)

Directors: Bernhard Wicki, Ken Annakin, and Andrew Marton

15 years before starring in A Bridge Too Far, Sean Connery was one small part of a giant cast in another epic World War II movie, this one arguably even better: The Longest Day. Other big names that showed up here included the likes of John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and Robert Mitchum, with the main battle/conflict focused on throughout this nearly three-hour-long movie being the D-Day landings at Normandy in 1944.

Connery’s part here is small, but most actors in the film don’t get quite as much to do as normal, seeing as The Longest Day wants to explore this World War II event with as much scope and spectacle as possible. It also does this by ambitiously showing the landings from four different perspectives: American, British, French, and German forces, giving a solid overview of one of the most significant battles fought during the Second World War.

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5 'The Hill' (1965)

Director: Sidney Lumet

One final Sean Connery war movie worth highlighting also happens to be one more Connery + Sidney Lumet collaboration worth highlighting. That film was The Hill, and it’s perhaps the best they did together. Not only that, but it was even more significant for Connery’s career than 1964’s Marnie in showing his abilities outside his role as 007, because The Hill is decidedly not an action or thriller-type movie.

It mostly takes place in a brutal prison camp in North Africa, with the main characters all being British soldiers who find themselves pushed to their physical and psychological limits on a daily basis. It has a level of intensity and brutal realism that still packs a punch, Connery is genuinely fantastic in the lead role, and The Hillcould also be called one of the most underrated – perhaps even one of the best – movies of the 1960s.

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4 'The Man Who Would Be King' (1975)

Director: John Huston

A trio of great actors – Michael Caine, Sean Connery, and Christopher Plummer – banded together under the direction of legendary filmmaker John Huston for the 1975 classic that was The Man Who Would Be King. It follows British soldiers believing they can travel to a foreign land and establish themselves as powerful and dominant over a population they believe to be primitive, only for them to find they get much more than they bargained for.

It could lead to a contentious or divisive story, but The Man Who Would Be King doesn’t seem pro-colonialism, by any means, and functions as a tale about what can happen when so-called adventurers get too ambitious. That’s not to say it’s a depressing or non-entertaining movie, though; it actually gets the balance between having spectacle and a serious message to say very well, meaning it’s overall aged in a rather fine way close to 50 years on from its release.

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3 'Goldfinger' (1964)

Director: Guy Hamilton

A highlight of 1964, if not the entire 1960s, Goldfinger is about as good as it gets when it comes to old-school James Bond movies. This was the third installment in the series Sean Connery starred in, and arguably his best, with the premise revolving around his conflict with the mysterious titular villain and his plans to destroy the world economy by pulling off a heist on Fort Knox.

Part of Goldfinger’s iconic status also comes down to the theme song sung by Shirley Bassey, who would also go on to do the themes for later James Bond movies like Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker. As for Goldfinger? It has plenty of iconic sequences, a plot that moves lightning fast, a great central villain, and a Connery performance where he dials his charisma and coolness up to 11. It’s everything you could want out of a Sean Connery-led 007 movie, really.

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2 'The Untouchables' (1987)

Director: Brian De Palma

Even if Kevin Costner is technically the lead in The Untouchables, it’s ultimately Sean Connery’s supporting performance that largely steals the show. The two actors play two men in the titular squad, who fought against gangsters and bootleggers during the Prohibition era, with their ultimate target being the mob boss Al Capone (played by a wonderfully hammy Robert De Niro).

It’s a movie about violent police work seeming like an answer for violent crime, and though the approach and overall story are a little simple, there’s also something incredibly entertaining and moving about The Untouchables. It’s especially notable when discussing Sean Connery movies, seeing as he got his first and only Oscar nomination for his role in the movie, with this nomination leading to his first and only win. Not that Oscars are everything, of course, but he is great in the movie, and it is still great overall that the legendary actor obtained such an award during his career, rather than having to wait for an Honorary Oscar (which can sometimes just feel like a simple golden-statued apology).

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1 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade feels as though it could’ve been a fantastic conclusion to a wonderful trilogy, with its fun action scenes, strong humor, and overall positive message at the end of it all. Perhaps regrettably, Indiana Jones did not have his Last Crusade here, with the more divisive fourth and fifth movies coming out in 2008 and 2023 respectively… though the existence of those can’t take away how great this third movie still ultimately is.

The best thing about Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is that it pairs Harrison Ford’s titular character with his father, Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), leading to all the usual action/adventure stuff also being a buddy comedy-type film about an entertaining family dynamic. Ford and Connery are at their best here, Steven Spielberg keeps things entertaining and snappily paced throughout, and John Williams’s music is as great as ever, ensuring this film isn’t just a great blockbuster, but arguably the very best movie Sean Connery ever appeared in.

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