TAGGED AS:

Universal courtesy Everett Collection

(Photo by Universal courtesy Everett Collection)

16 Fresh Burt Reynolds Movies

Burt Reynolds did more with a mustache and a grin than most stars manage with all the tools at their disposal — and given that he was also a seriously underrated actor in the bargain, it’s no wonder he was the Platonic ideal of the Hollywood tough guy for roughly a decade between the early ’70s and early ‘80s. While he’s best remembered for the action movies he cranked out at his Smokey and the Bandit peak, Reynolds’ career contained multitudes, from the harrowing rural horror of Deliverance to his Emmy-winning run on TV’s Evening Shade and on through the late-period comeback he enjoyed with his Oscar-nominated appearance in Boogie Nights. Whichever era’s your favorite, Reynolds’ filmography likely still holds a few pleasant surprises for you, which is just one of the many reasons we’ve decided to round up his major roles and sort them by Tomatometer here. And for a collection of some of his most memorable scenes, you can check out this playlist.

#1

Boogie Nights (1997)
Tomatometer icon 94%

#1
Adjusted Score: 98934%
Critics Consensus: Grounded in strong characters, bold themes, and subtle storytelling, Boogie Nights is a groundbreaking film both for director P.T. Anderson and star Mark Wahlberg.
Synopsis: In the San Fernando Valley in 1977, teenage busboy Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg) gets discovered by porn director Jack Horner... [More]
Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

#2

Deliverance (1972)
Tomatometer icon 89%

#2
Adjusted Score: 98274%
Critics Consensus: Given primal verve by John Boorman's unflinching direction and Burt Reynolds' star-making performance, Deliverance is a terrifying adventure.
Synopsis: Four city-dwelling friends (Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox) decide to get away from their jobs, wives and... [More]
Directed By: John Boorman

#3

Pups (1999)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#3
Adjusted Score: 51431%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When troubled teen boy Stevie (Cameron Van Hoy) and his girlfriend, Rocky (Mischa Barton), attempt to rob a bank without... [More]
Directed By: Ash Baron-Cohen

#4
Adjusted Score: 91047%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Inspired by the book written by Dr. David Reuben, director Woody Allen tackles seven questions about sex by connecting seven... [More]
Directed By: Woody Allen

#5

Sharky's Machine (1981)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#5
Adjusted Score: 84555%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An Atlanta vice-squad detective (Burt Reynolds) loves a high-class call girl (Rachel Ward) linked to politics and a mob boss... [More]
Directed By: Burt Reynolds

#6

Semi-Tough (1977)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#6
Adjusted Score: 83456%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Billy Clyde Puckett (Burt Reynolds) and Marvin "Shake" Tiller (Kris Kristofferson) are professional football players who share a lush Miami... [More]
Directed By: Michael Ritchie

#7

Breaking In (1989)
Tomatometer icon 80%

#7
Adjusted Score: 80023%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Reaching retirement age, professional burglar Ernie Mullins (Burt Reynolds) is ready to call it quits, but only after he pulls... [More]
Directed By: Bill Forsyth

#8

Citizen Ruth (1996)
Tomatometer icon 81%

#8
Adjusted Score: 82076%
Critics Consensus: Smart and sharply funny, Citizen Ruth is an entertaining look at a tough subject -- and an impressive calling card for debuting director/co-writer Alexander Payne.
Synopsis: Citizen Ruth is the story of Ruth Stoops (Laura Dern), a woman who nobody even noticed -- until she got... [More]
Directed By: Alexander Payne

#9

The Longest Yard (1974)
Tomatometer icon 76%

#9
Adjusted Score: 79615%
Critics Consensus: Equal parts tough and funny, and led by a perfectly cast Burt Reynolds, The Longest Yard has an interesting political subtext and an excellent climax -- even if it takes too long to get there.
Synopsis: An ex-football star doing time is forced by the warden to organize a team of inmates to play against his... [More]
Directed By: Robert Aldrich

#10
#10
Adjusted Score: 75366%
Critics Consensus: Not much in the head but plenty beneath the hood, Smokey and the Bandit is infectious fun with plenty of car wrecks to keep your eyes glued.
Synopsis: Big Enos (Pat McCormick) wants to drink Coors at a truck show, but in 1977 it was illegal to sell... [More]
Directed By: Hal Needham

#11

White Lightning (1973)
Tomatometer icon 67%

#11
Adjusted Score: 67061%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Easygoing Arkansas good ol' boy Gator McKlusky (Burt Reynolds) is serving his second federal prison sentence for running moonshine when... [More]
Directed By: Joseph Sargent

#12

Hooper (1978)
Tomatometer icon 57%

#12
Adjusted Score: 58507%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Sonny Hooper (Burt Reynolds) is getting too banged up to remain Hollywood's top stuntman, but he signs up as the... [More]
Directed By: Hal Needham

#13

Cloud 9 (2006)
Tomatometer icon 67%

#13
Adjusted Score: 18570%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Aging slacker Billy Cole (Burt Reynolds) is running up debts and facing eviction from his Malibu, Calif., home. Then Cole... [More]
Directed By: Harry Basil

#14

Hustle (1975)
Tomatometer icon 50%

#14
Adjusted Score: 50263%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The body of teenager Gloria Hollinger (Sharon Kelly) is found dead on a Los Angeles beach, and Lt. Phil Gaines... [More]
Directed By: Robert Aldrich

#15

Best Friends (1982)
Tomatometer icon 62%

#15
Adjusted Score: 62474%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: For years, screenwriting team Richard Babson (Burt Reynolds) and Paula McCullen (Goldie Hawn) have built a successful Hollywood career while... [More]
Directed By: Norman Jewison

#16

The Last Movie Star (2017)
Tomatometer icon 61%

#16
Adjusted Score: 61650%
Critics Consensus: The Last Movie Star has a few poignant moments thanks to Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter, but their performances are stranded in a middling drama unworthy of their efforts.
Synopsis: An aging screen icon gets lured into accepting an award at a rinky-dink film festival in Nashville, Tenn., sending him... [More]
Directed By: Adam Rifkin