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All Mark Ruffalo Movies Ranked
Soaking in Mark Ruffalo‘s incisive, heart-rending performance in 2000’s You Can Count On Me, you’d figure he must’ve spent the ’90s quietly piecing together a career brick by brick, role by role, to have turned in such a performance in the Kenneth Lonergan drama. But, nope, a look at his “career” before 2000 reveals only bit parts with a line here, or a punch there, almost not worth mentioning. It made his star-marking appearance in You Can Count on Me all the more unexpected and revelatory.
Momentum is like a train leaving a station whether you’re ready or not, and Ruffalo has latched on and never let go. He has since never really left the spotlight (literally, he was in Spotlight), forging ahead with a mix of dramas (Foxcatcher, The Normal Heart), lighter comedies (The Kids Are All Right, Date Night), and work with auteurs like David Fincher (Zodiac), Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island), and Michael Mann (Collateral).
Ruffalo is particularly adept at playing driven intellectuals whose emotions and needs complicate their lives, making him perfectly suited to play Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the MCU movies. He joined the franchise with the first Avengers and was able to fully rehabilitate Hulk’s and Thor’s image in Thor: Ragnarok. He recieved acclaim for starring in Todd Haynes’ Dark Waters. Now we’re now ranking the best Mark Ruffalo movies (and the worst) by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
12%
Critics Consensus: With a scenery-chewing performance from Sean Penn, an absence of political insight, and an overall lack of narrative cohesiveness, these Men give Oscar bait a bad name.
Synopsis: Charismatic Southern politician Willie Stark's (Sean Penn) idealism and good intentions give way to corruption after he becomes governor of Louisiana. Unfortunately for Stark, his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini
Directed By: Steven Zaillian
13%
Critics Consensus: Uneven in tone and badly edited, A View From the Top wastes the talents of its cast and condescends to its characters.
Synopsis: A comedy about a young woman from meager beginnings, who has high hopes for the future. Donna (Gwyneth Paltrow) dreams of becoming a first-class international... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate, Mark Ruffalo, Candice Bergen
Directed By: Bruno Barreto
21%
Critics Consensus: This riff on The Graduate has a solid cast, but is too lightweight to fully register.
Synopsis: Living in New York City, Sarah (Jennifer Aniston) must make the cross-country trip back to her home state of California for the wedding of her... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine, Mark Ruffalo
Directed By: Rob Reiner
31%
Critics Consensus: Mark Ruffalo's directorial debut inspires more Sympathy than plaudits due to a convoluted story and unengaging style.
Synopsis: A paralyzed DJ gets more than he bargained for when he tries faith healing.
Starring: Orlando Bloom, Juliette Lewis, Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo
Directed By: Mark Ruffalo
33%
Critics Consensus: The action sequences are expertly staged. Windtalkers, however, sinks under too many clichés and only superficially touches upon the story of the code talkers.
Synopsis: Marine Joe Enders (Nicolas Cage) is assigned to protect Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach) -- a Navajo code talker, the Marines' new secret weapon. Enders' orders... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Peter Stormare, Noah Emmerich
Directed By: John Woo
35%
Critics Consensus: Director/co-writer Jane Campion takes a stab at subverting the psycho-sexual thriller genre with In the Cut, but gets tangled in her own abstraction.
Synopsis: An English teacher (Meg Ryan) has an affair with a detective (Mark Ruffalo), though she suspects him of murdering a woman.
Starring: Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Damici
Directed By: Jane Campion
34%
Critics Consensus: Now You See Me 2 packs in even more twists and turns than its predecessor, but in the end, it has even less hiding up its sleeve.
Synopsis: After fleeing from a stage show, the illusionists (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson) known as the Four Horsemen find themselves in more trouble in Macau, China.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco
Directed By: Jon M. Chu
36%
Critics Consensus: While the performances are fine, Reservation Road quickly adopts an excessively maudlin tone along with highly improbable plot turns.
Synopsis: The fates of two men and their families converge following a tragic accident. Ethan Lerner (Joaquin Phoenix) and his family are on the way home... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly, Mira Sorvino
Directed By: Terry George
42%
Critics Consensus: The characters are both unsympathetic and uninteresting.
Synopsis: One night at a party, Coles (Mark Ruffalo) meets college roommates Sam (Maya Stange) and Thea (Kathleen Robertson), and the three of them have a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Kathleen Robertson, Maya Stange, Petra Wright
Directed By: Austin Chick
44%
Critics Consensus: This allegorical disaster film about society's reaction to mass blindness is mottled and self-satisfied; provocative but not as interesting as its premise implies.
Synopsis: When an epidemic of a disease known as the "white sickness" appears in her city, the wife (Julianne Moore) of a doctor is one of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Alice Braga, Yusuke Iseya
Directed By: Fernando Meirelles
51%
Critics Consensus: Now You See Me's thinly sketched characters and scattered plot rely on sleight of hand from the director to distract audiences.
Synopsis: Charismatic magician Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) leads a team of talented illusionists called the Four Horsemen. Atlas and his comrades mesmerize audiences with a pair of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Mélanie Laurent
Directed By: Louis Leterrier
52%
Critics Consensus: The Last Castle is well acted and rousing for the most part, but the story can't stand up to close scrutiny.
Synopsis: A three-star general (Robert Redford) is court-martialed and sentenced to a military maximum security prison, The Castle. Inside, he finds corruption and murder -- and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, Delroy Lindo
Directed By: Rod Lurie
54%
Critics Consensus: Delightfully sweet like a lollipop, Just Like Heaven is a dreamy romantic comedy that may give you a toothache when it attempts to broach difficult end of life issues by throwing a cherry on top.
Synopsis: David (Mark Ruffalo) is a recently widowed architect moving into a new apartment in San Francisco. But the apartment isn't entirely empty; it's haunted by... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo, Donal Logue, Dina Spybey-Waters
Directed By: Mark Waters
66%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Friends since childhood, Brian (Mark Ruffalo) and Paulie (Ethan Hawke) do whatever it takes to survive in their hardscrabble South Boston neighborhood. Crime has always... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke, Amanda Peet, Will Lyman
Directed By: Brian Goodman
65%
Critics Consensus: Sarah Polley keeps this production afloat with her moving performance.
Synopsis: When hard-working mother of two Ann (Sarah Polley) discovers she has terminal ovarian cancer and the doctors give her two months to live, she decides... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sarah Polley, Scott Speedman, Debbie Harry, Mark Ruffalo
Directed By: Isabel Coixet
65%
Critics Consensus: We Don't Live Here Anymore is often overly moody and grim, but it's made watchable by the strong performances for its four principal actors.
Synopsis: Married couple Jack (Mark Ruffalo) and Terry Linden (Laura Dern) are experiencing a difficult period in their relationship. When Jack decides to step outside the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Laura Dern, Peter Krause, Naomi Watts
Directed By: John Curran
65%
Critics Consensus: Although the plot leaves a lot to be desired, 13 Going on 30 will tug at your inner teenager's heartstrings thanks in large part to a dazzling performance from Jennifer Garner.
Synopsis: A girl who's sick of the social strictures of junior high is transformed into a grownup overnight. In this feel-good fairy tale, teenager Jenna (Christa... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis
Directed By: Gary Winick
67%
Critics Consensus: An uneasy blend of action and comedy, Date Night doesn't quite live up to the talents of its two leads, but Steve Carell and Tina Fey still manage to shine through most of the movie's flaws.
Synopsis: Dragged down by the daily grind, suburbanites Phil (Steve Carell) and Claire (Tina Fey) try to invigorate their marriage by visiting a trendy Manhattan bistro.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson
Directed By: Shawn Levy
68%
Critics Consensus: Despite strong performances The Brothers Bloom ultimately does not fulfill its lofty ambitions.
Synopsis: Twenty-five years of swindling people are too much for Bloom and he wants out of the business. His brother, Stephen, convinces him to work on... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi
Directed By: Rian Johnson
69%
Critics Consensus: It may not rank with Scorsese's best work, but Shutter Island's gleefully unapologetic genre thrills represent the director at his most unrestrained.
Synopsis: The implausible escape of a brilliant murderess brings U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his new partner to Ashecliffe Hospital, a fortress-like insane asylum located on... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
73%
Critics Consensus: Some may find its dark tone and slender narrative off-putting, but Spike Jonze's heartfelt adaptation of the classic children's book is as beautiful as it is uncompromising.
Synopsis: Feeling misunderstood at home and at school, mischievous Max (Max Records) escapes to the land of the Wild Things, majestic -- and sometimes fierce --... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Catherine Keener, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini
Directed By: Spike Jonze
75%
Critics Consensus: A surfeit of ideas contributes to Margaret's excessive run time, but Anna Paquin does a admirable job of guiding viewers through emotional hell.
Synopsis: New York high-school student Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin) inadvertently causes an accident in which a bus driver (Mark Ruffalo) runs over a pedestrian (Allison Janney).... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anna Paquin, J. Smith-Cameron, Jean Reno, Jeannie Berlin
Directed By: Kenneth Lonergan
75%
Critics Consensus: Exuberant and eye-popping, Avengers: Age of Ultron serves as an overstuffed but mostly satisfying sequel, reuniting its predecessor's unwieldy cast with a few new additions and a worthy foe.
Synopsis: When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) jump-starts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go terribly awry, forcing him, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans
Directed By: Joss Whedon
80%
Critics Consensus: Brett Morgan's half-animated, half-documentary film is an arresting, sometimes visionary portrait of the historic and chaotic trial.
Synopsis: Deftly combining contemporary commentary with archival materials and animated reenactments, "Chicago 10" examines the demonstrations at the 1968 Democratic Convention and their eruption into rioting... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Hank Azaria, Dylan Baker, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo
Directed By: Brett Morgen
83%
Critics Consensus: Infinitely Polar Bear handles its thorny themes with a somewhat troublesomely light touch, but Mark Ruffalo's complex performance keeps the drama solidly grounded.
Synopsis: 1978. While most fathers spend their days at work, CAM STUART (Mark Ruffalo) is more likely to be found mushroom-hunting, cooking elaborate meals, or working... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldaña, Imogene Wolodarsky, Ashley Aufderheide
Directed By: Maya Forbes
83%
Critics Consensus: Writer-director John Carney's return to musical drama isn't quite as potent as it was with Once, but thanks to charming work from its well-matched leads, Begin Again is difficult to resist.
Synopsis: Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her songwriting partner/lover Dave (Adam Levine) head for New York when he lands a record deal with a major label. However,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfeld, Adam Levine
Directed By: John Carney
85%
Critics Consensus: Avengers: Infinity War ably juggles a dizzying array of MCU heroes in the fight against their gravest threat yet, and the result is a thrilling, emotionally resonant blockbuster that (mostly) realizes its gargantuan ambitions.
Synopsis: Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet -- the evil Thanos. On a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin, Chadwick Boseman
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
86%
Critics Consensus: Driven by director Michael Mann's trademark visuals and a lean, villainous performance from Tom Cruise, Collateral is a stylish and compelling noir thriller.
Synopsis: A cab driver realizes his current fare is a hit man that has been having him drive around from mark to mark until the last... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo
Directed By: Michael Mann
88%
Critics Consensus: A chilling true crime drama, Foxcatcher offers Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum a chance to shine -- and all three of them rise to the challenge.
Synopsis: When wealthy John du Pont (Steve Carell) invites Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) to move to his estate and help form a wrestling team... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave
Directed By: Bennett Miller
89%
Critics Consensus: Dark Waters powerfully relays a real-life tale of infuriating malfeasance, honoring the victims and laying blame squarely at the feet of the perpetrators.
Synopsis: A tenacious attorney uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths to one of the world's largest corporations. While trying to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Camp
Directed By: Todd Haynes
90%
Critics Consensus: A quiet, dialogue-driven thriller that delivers with scene after scene of gut-wrenching anxiety. David Fincher also spends more time illustrating nuances of his characters and recreating the mood of the '70s than he does on gory details of murder.
Synopsis: In the late 1960s and 1970s, fear grips the city of San Francisco as a serial killer called Zodiac stalks its residents. Investigators (Mark Ruffalo,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards
Directed By: David Fincher
91%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to a script that emphasizes its heroes' humanity and a wealth of superpowered set pieces, The Avengers lives up to its hype and raises the bar for Marvel at the movies.
Synopsis: When Thor's evil brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), gains access to the unlimited power of the energy cube called the Tesseract, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson),... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
Directed By: Joss Whedon
93%
Critics Consensus: Worthwhile as both a well-acted ensemble piece and as a smart, warm statement on family values, The Kids Are All Right is remarkable.
Synopsis: Lesbian couple Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) have been together for almost 20 years and have two teenage offspring named Joni and Laser,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska
Directed By: Lisa Cholodenko
93%
Critics Consensus: Propelled by Charlie Kaufman's smart, imaginative script and Michel Gondry's equally daring directorial touch, Eternal Sunshine is a twisty yet heartfelt look at relationships and heartache.
Synopsis: After a painful breakup, Clementine (Kate Winslet) undergoes a procedure to erase memories of her former boyfriend Joel (Jim Carrey) from her mind. When Joel... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo
Directed By: Michel Gondry
93%
Critics Consensus: Exciting, funny, and above all fun, Thor: Ragnarok is a colorful cosmic adventure that sets a new standard for its franchise -- and the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Synopsis: Imprisoned on the other side of the universe, the mighty Thor finds himself in a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against the Hulk, his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba
Directed By: Taika Waititi
94%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to Emmy-worthy performances from a reputable cast, The Normal Heart is not only a powerful, heartbreaking drama, but also a vital document of events leading up to and through the early AIDS crisis.
Synopsis: In the 1980s New York, a writer and his friends join forces to expose the truth about the emerging AIDS crisis to both the government... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons
Directed By: Ryan Murphy
94%
Critics Consensus: Exciting, entertaining, and emotionally impactful, Avengers: Endgame does whatever it takes to deliver a satisfying finale to Marvel's epic Infinity Saga.
Synopsis: Adrift in space with no food or water, Tony Stark sends a message to Pepper Potts as his oxygen supply starts to dwindle. Meanwhile, the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
95%
Critics Consensus: You Can Count On Me may look like it belongs on the small screen, but the movie surprises with its simple yet affecting story. Beautifully acted and crafted, the movie will simply draw you in.
Synopsis: Sammy is a single mother who is extremely protective of her 8-year-old son. She is satisfied with living in the small town she grew up... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Rory Culkin, Matthew Broderick
Directed By: Kenneth Lonergan
97%
Critics Consensus: Spotlight gracefully handles the lurid details of its fact-based story while resisting the temptation to lionize its heroes, resulting in a drama that honors the audience as well as its real-life subjects.
Synopsis: In 2001, editor Marty Baron of The Boston Globe assigns a team of journalists to investigate allegations against John Geoghan, an unfrocked priest accused of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber
Directed By: Tom McCarthy



