20 Best Ryan Reynolds Movies
From 'Adventureland' to 'Van Wilder,' Moviefone counts down the 20 best films of Ryan Reynolds's impressive career.
Ryan Reynolds attends the UK Fan Event of Marvel Studios' 'Deadpool & Wolverine' at Eventim Apollo, London on July 11th, 2024. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
Ryan Reynolds is one of the most popular actors working today.
He began his career with popular comedies like 'National Lampoon's Van Wilder', 'Just Friends', 'The Proposal' and 'Adventureland', but it was the 'Deadpool' franchise that made him a household name.
Since then the actor has appeared in such popular films as 'Safe House', 'The Hitman's Body Guard', 'Pokémon Detective Pikachu', and 'Free Guy'.
His latest movie, 'Deadpool and Wolverine,' pairs him with his real life friend Hugh Jackman and opens in theaters on July 26th.
In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down the top 20 movies of Ryan Reynolds career, including his latest.
Let's begin!
20. 'Blade: Trinity' (2004)
(L to R) Jessica Biel, Wesley Snipes and Ryan Reynolds in 'Blade: Trinity'. Photo: New Line Cinema.
For years, Blade (Wesley Snipes) has fought against the vampires in the cover of the night. But now, after falling into the crosshairs of the FBI, he is forced out into the daylight, where he is driven to join forces with a clan of human vampire hunters he never knew existed—The Nightstalkers. Together with Abigail (Jessica Biel) and Hannibal (Reynolds), two deftly trained Nightstalkers, Blade follows a trail of blood to the ancient creature that is also hunting him—the original vampire, Dracula (Dominic Purcell).
19. 'Self/less' (2015)
An extremely wealthy elderly man (Ben Kingsley) dying from cancer undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness to the body of a healthy young man (Reynolds) but everything may not be as good as it seems when he starts to uncover the mystery of the body's origins and the secret organization that will kill to keep its secrets.
18. 'The Change-Up' (2011)
Dave (Jason Bateman) is a married man with two kids and a loving wife (Leslie Mann), and Mitch (Reynolds) is a single man who is at the prime of his sexual life. One fateful night while Mitch and Dave are peeing in a fountain when lightning strikes, they switch bodies.
17. 'Just Friends' (2005)
While visiting his hometown during Christmas, a man (Reynolds) comes face-to-face with his old high school crush whom he was best friends with – a woman (Amy Smart) whose rejection of him turned him into a ferocious womanizer.
16. 'National Lampoon's Van Wilder' (2002)
Van Wilder (Reynolds) has been attending college for far too many years and is scared to graduate, but Van’s father (Tim Matheson) eventually realizes what is going on. When he stops paying his son's tuition fees, Van must come up with the money if he wants to stay in college, so he and his friends come up with a great fund-raising idea – throwing parties. However, when the college magazine finds out and reporter, Gwen (Tara Reid) is sent to do a story on Van Wilder, things get a little complicated.
15. 'The Proposal' (2009)
(L to R) Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in 'The Proposal'. Photo: Walt Disney Studios.
When she learns she's in danger of losing her visa status and being deported, overbearing book editor Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) forces her put-upon assistant, Andrew Paxton (Reynolds), to marry her.
14. 'Buried' (2010)
Paul (Reynolds) is a U.S. truck driver working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.
13. 'Dick' (1999)
Two high school girls (Kristen Dunst and Michelle Williams) wander off during a class trip to the White House and meet President Richard Nixon (Dan Hedaya). They become the official dog walkers for Nixon's dog Checkers, and become his secret advisors during the Watergate scandal.
12. 'The Adam Project' (2022)
A time-traveling pilot (Reynolds) teams up with his younger self (Walker Scobell) and his late father (Mark Ruffalo) to come to terms with his past while saving the future.
11. 'Woman in Gold' (2015)
Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), an octogenarian Jewish refugee, takes on the Austrian government to recover a world famous painting of her aunt plundered by the Nazis during World War II, she believes rightfully belongs to her family. She did so not just to regain what was rightfully hers, but also to obtain some measure of justice for the death, destruction, and massive art theft perpetrated by the Nazis.
10. 'Adventureland' (2009)
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Kristen Stewart in 'Adventureland'. Photo: Miramax Films.
In the summer of 1987, a college graduate (Jesse Eisenberg) takes a 'nowhere' job at his local amusement park, only to find it's the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world.
9. 'Pokémon Detective Pikachu' (2019)
Justice Smith in 'Pokémon Detective Pikachu'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
In a world where people collect pocket-size monsters (Pokémon) to do battle, a boy (Justice Smith) comes across an intelligent monster (Reynolds) who seeks to be a detective.
8. 'Smokin' Aces' (2007)
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Ray Liotta in 'Smokin' Aces'. Photo: Universal Pictures.
When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel (Jeremy Piven) decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he's no longer breathing.
7. 'The Hitman's Bodyguard' (2017)
(L to R) Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds in 'The Hitman's Bodyguard'. Photo: Lionsgate.
The world’s top bodyguard (Reynolds) gets a new client, a hitman (Samuel L. Jackson) who must testify at the International Court of Justice. They must put their differences aside and work together to make it to the trial on time.
The Hitman's Bodyguard
6. 'Mississippi Grind' (2015)
(L to R) Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds in 'Mississippi Grind'. Photo: A24.
Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) is a talented but down-on-his-luck gambler whose fortunes begin to change when he meets Curtis (Reynolds) a younger highly charismatic poker player. The two strike up an immediate friendship and Gerry quickly persuades his new friend to accompany him on a road trip to a legendary high stakes poker game in New Orleans. As they make their way down the Mississippi River, Gerry and Curtis manage to find themselves in just about every bar, racetrack, casino and pool hall they can find experiencing both incredible highs and dispiriting lows but ultimately forging a deep and genuine bond that will stay with them long after their adventure is over.
5. 'Safe House' (2012)
(L to R) Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in 'Safe House. Photo: Universal Pictures.
A dangerous CIA renegade (Denzel Washington) resurfaces after a decade on the run. When the safe house he's remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative (Reynolds) escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead.
4. 'Free Guy' (2021)
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer in 'Free Guy'. Photo: 20th Century Studios.
A bank teller (Reynolds) discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, and decides to become the hero of his own story. Now, in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way before it's too late.
Free Guy
3. 'Deadpool 2' (2018)
(L to R) Zazie Beetz as Domino, Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson / Deadpool, and Terry Crews as Bedlam in 'Deadpool 2.' Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Wisecracking mercenary Deadpool (Reynolds) battles the evil and powerful Cable (Josh Brolin) and other bad guys to save a boy's life.
2. 'Deadpool & Wolverine' (2024)
(L to R) Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios' 'Deadpool & Wolverine'. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
Marvel Studios' 'Deadpool & Wolverine' delivers the ultimate, iconic, cinematic team-up throw-down on July 26th.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Marvel Studios' "Deadpool & Wolverine" delivers the ultimate, iconic, cinematic team-up throwdown on July 26. Read the Plot
1. 'Deadpool' (2016)
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds, Stefan Kapičić and Brianna Hildebrand in 'Deadpool'. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
The origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson (Reynolds), who, after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.
