Anthony Hopkins was such a fixture on the Oscars circuit during the ’90s that it was a shock to learn his nomination at this Academy Awards is his first in 20 years. After winning Best Actor for Silence of the Lambs in 1992, and getting nominated every two years after that for The Remains of the Day, Nixon, and then Amistad, the knighted actor would have to wait two decades before The Two Popes would put him officially back in the running for Oscar gold.
Of course, the awards are just one aspect of a legendary career that is now spanning into its seventh decade, one that started with a major role in 1968’s The Lion in Winter, starring Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn. A Bridge Too Far, Magic, and The Elephant Man would be among Hopkins’ highlights in the years that followed, opening into an epic run in the ’90s, beginning with immortalizing Dr. Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. Besides his Oscar-nominated hits, other films of the decade include Howards End, Legend of the Fall, The Mask of Zorro, and Meet Joe Black, guaranteeing Hopkins was inescapable no matter what movies you were into.
Hopkins returned to the Dr. Lecter for Hannibal and Red Dragon. And his most memorable roles in recent years play into his effortless gravitas, like a famed director in Hitchcock, Methuselah in Noah, Odin in the Thor trilogy, and one-half of The Two Popes, for which he was nominated for his latest acting Oscar. Lately, there was Elyse, and The Father, which drew some of the strongest reviews of his career. Now, we’re taking a look back and ranking Anthony Hopkins movies by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
Critics Consensus: Led by stellar performances and artfully helmed by writer-director Florian Zeller, The Father presents a devastatingly empathetic portrayal of dementia.
Synopsis: Anthony (Academy Award Winner, Anthony Hopkins) is 80, mischievous, living defiantly alone and rejecting the carers that his daughter, Anne [More]
Critics Consensus: Director Jonathan Demme's smart, taut thriller teeters on the edge between psychological study and all-out horror, and benefits greatly from stellar performances by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.
Synopsis: Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice [More]
Critics Consensus: Smart, elegant, and blessed with impeccable performances from Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, The Remains of the Day is a Merchant-Ivory classic.
Synopsis: During the 1930s, James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) serves as a proper English butler to the doltish Lord Darlington (James Fox). [More]
Critics Consensus: A superbly-mounted adaptation of E.M. Forster's tale of British class tension, with exceptional performances all round, Howard's End ranks among the best of Merchant-Ivory's work.
Synopsis: Helen Schlegel falls for Paul Wilcox, but is rebuffed. Her sister Margaret becomes friends with his mother, who promises her [More]
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 [More]
Critics Consensus: David Lynch's relatively straight second feature finds an admirable synthesis of compassion and restraint in treating its subject, and features outstanding performances by John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins.
Synopsis: Dr. Frederic Treves (Anthony Hopkins) discovers Joseph (John) Merrick (John Hurt) in a sideshow. Born with a congenital disorder, Merrick [More]
Critics Consensus: Led by outstanding performances from its well-matched leads, The Two Popes draws absorbing drama from a pivotal moment in modern organized religion.
Synopsis: Behind the Vatican walls, Pope Benedict and the future Pope Francis must find common ground to forge a new path [More]
Critics Consensus: Sharper and wittier than your average period piece, The Lion in Winter is a tale of palace intrigue bolstered by fantastic performances from Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, and Anthony Hopkins in his big-screen debut.
Synopsis: It's Christmas 1183, and King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) is planning to announce his successor to the throne. The jockeying [More]
Critics Consensus: Overblown in the best sense of the word, Francis Ford Coppola's vision of Bram Stoker's Dracula rescues the character from decades of campy interpretations -- and features some terrific performances to boot.
Synopsis: Adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel. Gary Oldman plays Dracula whose lonely soul is determined to reunite with his [More]
Critics Consensus:Armageddon Time finds writer-director James Gray excavating his own past and returning with a well-acted drama refreshingly free of nostalgia.
Synopsis: From acclaimed filmmaker James Gray, ARMAGEDDON TIME is a deeply personal coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the [More]
Critics Consensus: With sweeping visuals grounded by strong performances in service of a timeless tale told on a human scale, Darren Aronofsky's Noah brings the Bible epic into the 21st century.
Synopsis: When God decides that mankind has become too sinful and must be wiped off the Earth, he chooses Noah (Russell [More]
Critics Consensus: Much like its subject's time in office, Nixon might have ended sooner -- but what remains is an engrossing, well-acted look at the rise and fall of a fascinating political figure.
Synopsis: This film is a biographical examination of former U.S. President Richard Nixon (Anthony Hopkins). The non-chronological narrative explores Nixon's personal [More]
Critics Consensus: Featuring groundbreaking animation, stunning visuals, and a talented cast, Beowulf has in spades what more faithful book adaptations forget to bring: pure cinematic entertainment.
Synopsis: In the age of heroes, a mighty warrior named Beowulf (Ray Winstone) arrives at the court of King Hrothgar (Anthony [More]
Critics Consensus:The Dresser brilliantly showcases two of the most gifted actors of their generation within a thoughtful, well-executed production offering intelligent commentary on the human condition.
Synopsis: In a touring Shakespearean theatre company, backstage hand Norman is devoted to the brilliant but tyrannical head of the company, [More]
Critics Consensus: Thanks to brilliant performances from Debra Winger and especially Anthony Hopkins, Shadowlands is a deeply moving portrait of British scholar C.S. Lewis's romance with American poet Joy Gresham.
Synopsis: C. S. Lewis (Anthony Hopkins), the renowned author of "The Chronicles of Narnia" series, is a bachelor and Oxford University [More]
Critics Consensus: Led by dual mesmerizing performances from Sir Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson and rounded out by a solidly stocked ensemble, this King Lear is a highly watchable adaptation.
Synopsis: King Lear divides his kingdom among his three daughters -- Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. The kingdom and family soon collapse [More]
Critics Consensus: Thanks in large part to its cast, and Anthony Hopkins in particular, The Bounty's retelling of the mutiny on the HMS Bounty is an intelligent, engaging adventure saga.
Synopsis: Captain Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) struggles to restore discipline among the crew of the HMS Bounty after the ship has an [More]
Critics Consensus: It may not be the finest film to come from the Marvel Universe, but Thor: The Dark World still offers plenty of the humor and high-stakes action that fans have come to expect.
Synopsis: In ancient times, the gods of Asgard fought and won a war against an evil race known as the Dark [More]
Critics Consensus:The Edge is an entertaining hybrid of brainy Mamet dialogue with brawny outdoors action -- albeit one that sadly lacks as much bite as its furry antagonist.
Synopsis: The plane carrying wealthy Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins) crashes down in the Alaskan wilderness. Together with the two other passengers, [More]
Critics Consensus:A Bridge Too Far is a war movie too long, although top-notch talent on both sides of the camera keeps the end result consistently watchable.
Synopsis: Late in 1944, the Allies seem to have the upper hand in the European land war. A combined British and [More]
Critics Consensus: Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins give exceptional performances in a film that intelligently tackles the territory between madness and genius.
Synopsis: Catherine (Gwyneth Paltrow) is a 27-year-old grieving after the loss of her father (Anthony Hopkins), a genius mathematician whose mind [More]
Critics Consensus: Though it suffers from tonal inconsistency and a lack of truly insightful retrospection, Hitchcock is elevated by inspired performances from its two distinguished leads.
Synopsis: Following his great success with "North by Northwest," director Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) makes a daring choice for his next [More]
Critics Consensus:Chaplin boasts a terrific performance from Robert Downey, Jr. in the title role, but it isn't enough to overcome a formulaic biopic that pales in comparison to its subject's classic films.
Synopsis: Re-creation of the life of comic genius Charlie Chaplin, from his humble beginnings in south London through his early days [More]
Critics Consensus: Featuring a swoon-worthy star turn by Brad Pitt, Legends of the Fall's painterly photography and epic sweep often compensate for its lack of narrative momentum and glut of melodramatic twists.
Synopsis: In early 20th-century Montana, Col. William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) lives in the wilderness with his sons, Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred [More]
Critics Consensus: Despite best intentions from director Emilio Estevez and his ensemble cast, they succumb to a script filled with pointless subplots and awkward moments working too hard to parallel contemporary times.
Synopsis: In 1968 the lives of a retired doorman (Anthony Hopkins), hotel manager (William H. Macy), lounge singer (Demi Moore), busboy [More]
Critics Consensus: It's sporadically amusing, and typically well-cast, but You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger isn't one of Woody Allen's more inspired late-period efforts.
Synopsis: Two married couples find only trouble and heartache as their complicated lives unfold. After 40 years of marriage, Alfie leaves [More]
Critics Consensus:Meet Joe Black is pretty to look at and benefits from an agreeable cast, but that isn't enough to offset this dawdling drama's punishing three-hour runtime.
Synopsis: Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins), businessman and devoted family man, is about to celebrate his 65th birthday. However, before he reaches [More]
Critics Consensus: While it's still hard to argue with its impeccable cast or the fun they often seem to be having, Red 2 replaces much of the goofy fun of its predecessor with empty, over-the-top bombast.
Synopsis: Former CIA black-ops agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) and his old partner, Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich), are caught in the [More]
Critics Consensus: While superbly acted and stylishly filmed, Hannibal lacks the character interaction between the two leads which made the first movie so engrossing.
Synopsis: Seven years have passed since Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) escaped from custody. The doctor is now at large in [More]
Critics Consensus: A stellar cast can't elevate this leaden adaptation that, while just as beautiful as anything director James Ivory's made before, comes off as dusty and dry.
Synopsis: An academic (Omar Metwally) goes to Uruguay to persuade the heirs of a deceased author to grant him permission to [More]
Synopsis: World-renowned painter Pablo Picasso (Anthony Hopkins) is notorious for his infidelity, but his French lover, Françoise Gilot (Natascha McElhone), manages [More]
Critics Consensus: Suitably grand and special effects-laden, The Wolfman suffers from a suspense-deficient script and a surprising lack of genuine chills.
Synopsis: Though absent from his ancestral home of Blackmoor for many years, aristocrat Lawrence Talbot (Anthony Hopkins) returns to find his [More]
Critics Consensus: A convoluted and predictable plot overshadows the performances.
Synopsis: Years after he goes missing in the jungles of Africa, anthropologist Ethan Powell (Anthony Hopkins) resurfaces when it's discovered that [More]
Critics Consensus:Solace boasts a talented cast and a somewhat intriguing premise, but they're outweighed by a plodding story that teeters between tired clichés and ludicrous twists.
Synopsis: A psychic and a federal agent hunt a serial killer. [More]
Critics Consensus:Collide wastes a talented cast on a would-be thriller fatally undermined by eye-rolling dialogue, logical fallacies, and humdrum set pieces.
Synopsis: Casey Stein (Nicholas Hoult) agrees to hijack a shipment of cocaine for his old boss (Ben Kingsley) in return for [More]
Synopsis: An English engineer/spy (Campbell Scott) falls for a woman (Isabella Rossellini) who may jeopardize his top-secret mission in 1955 Berlin. [More]
Critics Consensus: Anthony Hopkins is as excellent as ever, but he's no match for The Rite's dawdling pace and lack of chills -- or Colin O'Donoghue's tentative performance in the leading role.
Synopsis: Though he is filled with doubt about the subject, seminary student Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue) finds he must attend a [More]
Critics Consensus: Don't let the title -- or the talented cast -- fool you: The Virtuoso falls far shy of even base level competency in its attempts to wring fresh excitement from a threadbare assassin thriller setup.
Synopsis: Danger, deception, and murder descend upon a sleepy country town when a professional assassin (Anson Mount) accepts a new assignment [More]
Critics Consensus: Cacophonous, thinly plotted, and boasting state-of-the-art special effects, The Last Knight is pretty much what you'd expect from the fifth installment of the Transformers franchise.
Synopsis: Humans are at war with the Transformers, and Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving the future lies buried [More]
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 [More]
Critics Consensus: Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins fail to generate the sparks necessary to save the movie from a generic and utterly predictable script.
Synopsis: CIA operative Kevin Pope (Chris Rock) is suave, brilliant and right on the verge of completing a top secret mission [More]
Synopsis: Starring Academy Award® winner Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs), this high-tech thriller chillingly reimagines our isolated, virtual world. [More]
Hereditary torments viewers with every horror trick and trope in the book. It’s got jump scares, dreadful atmosphere, supernatural goings-on, the occult, spirits and seances, and, yes, creepy kids. You’ll be hard pressed to find a young girl more unsettling at the movies than Milly Shapiro as the forlorn Charlie, who may be channeling her dead grandmother…or worse. But enough tongue clucking: we present this week’s gallery of the 24 creepiest kids from horror movie history.
The Bad Seed (1956, 65%)
A little angel that could contort into incinerating evil, Rhoda Penmark was the hellspawn against which all other hellspawn were measured for decades.
Burial Ground (1981)
Italian law at the time prohibited children on sets of violent or extremely sexual movies, so the director hired a 25-year-old actor to play someone 15 years younger, a bratty boy who has the hots for mama. Seems like a zombie invasion is the worst time let go of your Oedipal inhibitors, no?
Firestarter (1984, 38%)
Fearful that she’d be typecast as baby sisters in alien visitation movies, 8-year-old drew grabbed her career by the hojos and shocked audiences as this pyrokinetic gremlin ripped from the pages of Stephen King.
The Other (1972, 88%)
Niles and Holland Perry are identical and inseparable twin brothers. But when a summer at the farm yields fatal heart attacks, severed fingers, and missing babies, all signs point to something amiss among the Perry boys.
Spider Baby (1967, 100%)
Three orphaned siblings with the fictional Merrye Syndrome begin regressing in every way post-puberty, most notably the title sister with an appetite for arachnids.
The Brood (1979, 79%)
A series of grisly murders is going down. Could this pack of dwarf-like mutant kids be responsible. It’s a David Cronenberg movie, so…
Alice, Sweet Alice (1976, 78%)
Someone wearing a raincoat and a slick mask is committing murder in church and neighborhood. Could it really be Alice, sweet Alice?
The Changeling (1980, 76%)
You only get glimpses of the ghostly David — drowned in a bathtub, or as part of a cobwebbed wheelchair’s shadow — but it’s nearly enough to send George C. Scott running for the hills.
The Children (1980)
A toxic nuclear cloud sweeps the English countryside, turning all kids into zombies, causing their parents to lead a reluctant assault on them.
Children of the Corn (1984, 36%)
While the Corn kids alternate between goofy and moronic, it’s Isaac’s sunken, adultman eyes and thin pursed lips that made him the perfect candidate as creep leader.
The Exorcist (1973, 86%)
The ultimate in creepy kids, Linda Blair’s demonic turn as a foul-mouthed, puke-spewing Regan MacNeil still turns heads today.
The Good Son (1993, 27%)
Young Macaulay Culkin’s one credited foray into horror (besides The Pagemaster) was playing against type as an Elijah Wood-whacking cousin of the family.
The Grudge (2004, 39%) Grudge may have been part of the J- and K-horror invasion of the early 2000s, but the filmmakers didn’t settle for imitation Asian here: original Grudge actress Takaka Fuji reprises her role as vengeful Kayako.
The Babadook (2014, 98%)
Is it a monster? Is it a metaphor for depression? Why not both? Samuel is a screaming terror who terrorizes his exhausted single mother, though Sam’s children’s book that fills its pages with threats towards the family might have something to do with it.
The Omen (1976, 86%)
Checks and balances guarantee Satan would never get anywhere near the White House — luckily, we have the movies to indulge in our unrequited fantasies! In The Omen, an American diplomat secretly switches out his stillborn baby with a newly orphaned toddler without telling his wife. Should’ve checked that bassinet tag closer, because hellacious tyke Damien grows up with an ungodly power of persuasion and, in the sequels, finds success in both the private and public sector.
Orphan (2009, 56%)
Isabelle Fuhrman, at the time 12, plays a child adopted into a grieving household. She then unleashes suburban hell, including trying to seduce her new dad.
The Orphanage (2007, 87%)
Tomas himself isn’t himself much of a creep, but wearing a mask whose face looks like it was flayed off a scarecrow doesn’t help.
Pet Sematary (1989, 48%)
Gage Creed is resurrected by his father (a kid with a name like that shouldn’t stay dead) through an unholy rite, and the kid immediately picks up a scalpel to go after his family. Millenial ingrate.
Poltergeist (1982, 86%)
She’s heeeeere. Carol Anne Freeling was a cute kid, which made her announcement of spectral visitors all the more creepy.
The Shining (1980, 86%)
Possessed Danny Torrance and his wagging hooked finger would’ve been the creepiest thing in any other movie, but the twins at the end of the hallway have made their place in the pop culture spook pantheon.
Village of the Damned (1960, 96%)
These hive kids terrified in the 1960 Village. In the 1995 remake, the scariest thing was that they kept the hair.
Who Can Kill a Child? (1976)
A married vacation couple arrive on a seculded island that appears to be populated only by knife-friendly children, and can seem to pass murderous intention from one to another through eye contact.
Audrey Rose (1977, 56%)
Suppose a stranger told you your daughter was his daughter in another life? Suppose you began to believe him? Suppose it was true?
The Ring (2002, 71%)
The death of VHS is not taken lying down in The Ring: Anyone who sneaks a peek of Samara and her black vine hair on a cursed videotape is killed one week later.
Original "Saw" director James Wan has signed on for Fox’s "Death Sentence," a revenge thriller from the author of the original "Death Wish" novel.
Says The Hollywood Reporter: "Penned by Ian Jeffers, the story centers on a father out for revenge after his family is attacked in a senseless and heinous gang-initiation crime. The father enacts a death sentence on each perpetrator involved with the crime. Hyde Park will fully finance and produce "Death Sentence," based on Brian Garfield’s novel. Garfield also wrote the novel "Death Wish," which spawned the vigilante franchise starring Charles Bronson."
—
The Director’s Guild of America awarded Mr. Wise their highest honor, the D.W. Griffith Award, in 1988. He also served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the DGA.
98%
69%
59%
