George Clooney is an American actor, filmmaker, and activist. He has won three Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the film industry. Clooney made his acting debut in 1978 and gained fame as Dr. Doug Ross on the medical drama ER from 1994 to 1999.
His breakthrough role was in the crime comedy Ocean’s Eleven (2001), and he has since starred in films such as Syriana (2005), Michael Clayton (2007), Up in the Air (2009), The Descendants (2011), Gravity (2013), and The Midnight Sky (2020). In addition to his acting career, Clooney is a prominent activist, and he has worked with the United Nations and Not On Our Watch to raise awareness of the Darfur conflict.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the best George Clooney movies for you.
Best George Clooney Movies To Watch
10. Three Kings
Clooney portrays Major Gates, the head of the gang searching for gold in Three Kings. It is said that Clooney had a fierce argument with director David O. Russell after the movie was created.
At the close of Operation Desert Storm, three US troops discover a map printed on an Iraqi’s behind. The map leads to Saddam’s buried treasure. Although the pursuit of the gold causes many amusing predicaments, the film is more of a mockery of Americans being the bringers of the mess.
9. Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
George Clooney plays Everett, a character who deceives the other two prisoners into escaping in search of a treasure when what he really wants is to reunite with his spouse. Oh Brother Where Art Thou? was picked to inaugurate the Cannes Film Festival in 2000.
The movie is remembered for the Coen brother’s humorous approach to the story, as well as Clooney’s first widely acclaimed role. Three inmates escape from jail and evade the law, they find themselves in the middle of a variety of events, including being burnt at the stake by the Klu Klux Klan.
8. Burn After Reading
Burn After Reading is a hilarious comedy that follows the chain of events that ensue after a CIA agent’s CD containing his memoirs is mistakenly left at a gym. His philandering wife had wanted the CD to be used as evidence in her divorce case, but two members of staff find it instead and assume it’s top secret material.
They then try to sell it to the Russians, resulting in huge implications for national security. George Clooney portrays a philanderer searching for affection and works nicely with both Brad Pitt and John Malkovich in unison.
7. The Ides Of March
As the US presidential candidate nomination race intensifies, campaign managers for each candidate engage in a game of cat and mouse. The powerful individuals weed out the weak, and the process of determining the world’s most influential leader becomes a mockery, with words such as integrity and dignity becoming irrelevant.
George Clooney was behind the lens and co-wrote the script for this dramatic feature, with himself playing a minor part. The cast also included noteworthy actors like the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, and the excellent Ryan Gosling.
6. Ocean’s Eleven
Danny Ocean comes up with a plan to steal from three of the largest casinos in Las Vegas, which are owned by his ex-wife’s current partner. Ocean’s Eleven is a humorous heist movie. George Clooney gives an outstanding performance as Danny Ocean, surrounded by a star-studded crew featuring Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, and Andy Garcia.
5. Syriana
Syriana is a gripping thriller featuring a variety of intertwined stories taking place simultaneously in different parts of the world. Reality and fiction blur together, leaving it up to the audience to determine which is which. George Clooney brilliantly portrayed one of the numerous roles involved in the sequence of occurrences, for which he was rewarded with an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
4. The American
The American, adapted from the novel ‘A Very Private Gentleman’ by Martin Booth, tells the story of an assassin whose work is so precise it becomes almost meditative. As he attempts to escape a horde of murderers and craft a custom-made silencer, he also falls for a prostitute, a potentially disastrous decision.
George Clooney portrays the hired killer, skillfully conveying the tension between life and death. Captured masterfully in the Italian countryside, the movie culminates with a cliffhanger, allowing the audience to decide how it ends.
3. Michael Clayton
Michael Clayton’s journey begins when he pulls off to the side of the road in a remote area and exits his car to take in the sight of a small herd of horses grazing. Suddenly, his car erupts into flames, launching him into a world of lies, guilt, corruption, and a lack of ethical principles that seem to be shared by all involved except for him.
George Clooney portrays the lead role with such skill that he stands out among other top stars such as Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, and Sydney Pollack. As a fixer in legal practice, he finds himself in a difficult situation for standing his ground, and Clooney manages to keep it balanced.
2. The Descendants
Matt King’s world is completely devastated when he discovers that his wife, who is in a coma due to a serious accident, is unfaithful. In the midst of his emotional turbulence, he is also confronted with the difficult task of determining whether or not to sell a large Hawaiian estate.
George Clooney captivatingly delivered an outstanding performance as Matt King. His depiction of a man in overwhelming anguish of his spouse’s disloyalty and her potential demise received him an Academy nomination for Best Actor.
1. Up In The Air
The story centers on Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), an executive who specializes in terminating employees and travels constantly to do so. The film also stars Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, as well as Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakis, and Amy Morton. Up in the Air received very positive reviews from critics and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for Kendrick.
