Guy Ritchie burst onto the film scene with his fiery brand of quick-paced crime dramas. His directorial debut, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, was a uniquely Cockney twist on Tarantino-esque cinema and paved the way for Ritchie to achieve critical acclaim. His style of filmmaking became instantly recognizable after his first few films, though his filmography became much more varied throughout his career. While ensemble comedies dealing with the English underworld have largely been his bread and butter, Ritchie has branched out into other genres, including fantasy and spy thrillers.
Updated April 23rd, 2023: This article has been updated to include all Guy Ritchie-directed films and additional information on his future projects.
Ritchie is one of the most in-demand filmmakers working, and he's having an astounding year. He not only released the widely enjoyed and entertaining films Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre and The Covenant, but has also been stacking the cast and building the hype of his upcoming film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. He is also set to direct the Disney live-action remake of Hercules. With all that going on, here is how the director's entire filmography stacks up against each other. Let's find out which is the best.
14 Swept Away
Easily the biggest misfire of Ritchie's career, Swept Away was a remake of the 1974 Lina Wertmüller's Italian film of the same name and starred Ritchie's then-wife, Madonna, in the lead role. The film was a box office bomb, was torn apart by critics, and is cited as one of the worst movies ever made.
Much of the criticism was leveled at Madonna's performance and was viewed as a vehicle for Ritchie to put the spotlight on his very famous wife. Granted, it is one of the biggest creative swings the director has taken, but also one that did not land well with anyone; Wertmüller's psychosexual, intimately dramatic cinema is simply not Ritchie territory.
13 Revolver
Following the disastrous reviews of Swept Away, Ritchie returned to the action crime genre that launched his career with Revolver. The plot follows a revenge-seeking confidence trickster whose weapon is a universal formula that guarantees victory to its use which was a major step forward for Ritchie to explore more fantastical genres even if it was just dipping his toe in the water.
While Revolver is mainly now known as that movie where Jason Statham has hair (including a very incongruous goatee), it received negative reviews when it was first released but has since gained a small cult following.
12 King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword
In 2017, in the midst of various different cinematic universes popping up to compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Warner Bros. invested hard in the concept. They had the DCEU (now DCU), the MonsterVerse, and with the release of King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword, the plans for a King Arthur cinematic universe.
The odd plan was to feature films based on Arthurian legends, different knights of the round table and even Merlin, but this first film failed to connect with critics and audiences. While there are some interesting ideas on display and pairing Ritchie's love of British commoners with the inherent rags-to-riches story of King Arthur seems like a strong creative pairing the movie just feels like a retread of the Sherlock Holmes films and more like an add for future King Arthur movies than an engaging film in its own right.
11 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Ritchie's 2009 Sherlock Holmes was a smash hit and breathed new life into the iconic franchise. A sequel was quickly greenlit and audiences were excited about the arrival of Holmes's archenemy Professor Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The film was given a big holiday weekend release and while a hit, it did underperform compared to its predecessor.
There are notable issues with this sequel, from killing Rachel McAdams' character early on despite being a big part of the first movie, to the villain's plot (Moriarty trying to kickstart a World War) being the exact same plot as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. However, the biggest issue with the movie is that it is less of a mystery and more like a straightforward action movie. Sure, the 2009 film had a great deal of action, but it still was an engaging mystery — this is Sherlock Holmes, after all. On the contrary, this film tries to turn Sherlock Holmes into James Bond, and it just feels off. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is not a bad movie, but is an unmemorable sequel.
10 Aladdin
Ritchie was an interesting choice to direct Disney's live-action remake of the beloved classic, Aladdin. His signature directing style usually tackled organized crime and featured extensive profanity. Directing a family film was certainly a change of pace for Ritchie. While it would have been hilarious to hear Vinnie Jones or Jason Statham voice Abu or Iago and throw all sorts of curse words around, this was very much a family affair filled with musical numbers, something Ritchie had yet to do at the time.
The change of genre actually paid off for him. While the original animated version remains superior, Ritchie's Aladdin was still a massive hit for Disney. Surprisingly, the movie went on to earn over $1 billion, leading to Ritchie being chosen to direct Disney's live-action Hercules.
9 Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre
Guy Ritchie reunited with long-term collaborator, Jason Statham who takes on that typical central role of rough and ready geezer, with his rugged facial hair, trademark bald head, and husky voice. Always dressed in black, and always wielding a submachine gun… shock! After a mightily impressive outing as the wormy, working-class, backhanded journalist Fletcher in The Gentlemen, Hugh Grant appears again sporting his finest Cockney accent as antagonist Greg Simmonds.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre emerged shrouded in a cloud of uncertainty due to the Ukrainian nationalities of its antagonists, as question marks were raised over the distastefulness of such representation at a time of conflict. When it finally did come out, however, it was a fun delight, as Statham’s Orson Fortune is tasked with tracking down Simmonds a billionaire tech-wiz and preventing the distribution of a lethal, potentially catastrophic new technology. Think Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman, but with the sarcasm of Ritchie, Statham, and Aubrey Plaza front and center.
8 Wrath of Man
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Ritchie returned to frequent collaborator Jason Statham for Wrath of Man. The film, based on a novel, found Ritchie at his darkest, creating a compelling revenge action-thriller that utilized Statham's strengths. Statham shined as a man hellbent on revenge after being wronged during a heist.
Ritchie had always been viewed as a tough guy director, but his comedic chops always came through. Wrath of Man didn't contain the same type of humor he was known for, but the darker subject matter was a welcome change for Ritchie and was one of the first movies to prove some stability to the box office after the COVID-19 pandemic when it was released the first week of May in 2021.
7 RocknRolla
RocknRolla was a bit of a homecoming for Ritchie. The movie, released in 2008, had him going back to his roots. RocknRolla was more akin to his earlier crime films as opposed to his films Swept Away and Revolver, which had been released prior to RocknRolla. Those particular films were much maligned and Ritchie absolutely needed a win; he earned that win with RocknRolla.
This time around, Ritchie went back to the ensemble cast of misfits set within the London underworld in his usual comedic manner. As with most of his films, Ritchie assembled a brilliant cast of actors including Idris Elba and Tom Hardy. While it didn't set fire to the box office, RocknRolla was a much-needed push in the right direction for Ritchie and set the stage for his blockbuster adaptation of Sherlock Holmes the following year.
6 Guy Ritchie's The Covenant
Guy Ritchie has spent 20 years attempting to regain the same kind of form that saw him conjure up a career-defining distillation of Cockney gangsters in their unspecified East London manor in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. The Gentlemen came closest, but so far, Ritchie enthusiasts wait with bated breath every time a new release is announced.
2023’s The Covenant has just received its world premiere at the time of writing, and it sees the King Arthur director switch his attentions to the art of war, and in particular, a story of American military troops. It's as far away from the gangland criminality of England’s capital as possible, not only geographically, but cinematically. The film concerns US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal), who enlists the help of an Afghani interpreter named Ahmed (Dar Salim) who is motivated by his own personal journey of vengeance, reeling at the death of his son at the hands of the Taliban. After being ambushed by terrorist forces, Kinley is saved by his trusty interpreter, and thereafter seeks to compensate him accordingly.
While it has certain quintessential Ritchie hallmarks, The Covenant is a far more thought-provoking, measured, and contemplative picture that exchanges the “wham-bam!” in-your-face quips and boisterous dialogue with mature, slower cinematography, and a more considered approach to storytelling.
5 The Gentlemen
Matthew McConaughey led an impressive cast in The Gentlemen. In the film, McConaughey plays a London-based American attempting to sell his criminal marijuana empire in order to retire. Of course, things don't go as planned for the kingpin, to hilarious results. The Gentlemen continued Ritchie's penchant for intersecting stories, expertly weaving multiple storylines into one singular film that brought out the very best in multiple actors including Henry Golding and Hugh Grant, both playing against type as smarmy and conniving characters.
4 Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes was Ritchie's first attempt at a franchise. After writing and directing multiple original stories, he adapted England's most well-known hero, Sherlock Holmes. Starring Robert Downey Jr. as the titular hero and Jude Law as his trusty partner Watson, Sherlock Holmes was a huge hit for Ritchie and added some new blood to a classic character. Ritchie's signature style combined with the undeniable chemistry between the two leads made for one incredible retelling of Sherlock Holmes.
3 The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Easily one of the most underrated films of his career, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was a stylish and surprising spy film that blended his trademark style with the world of espionage. Plenty of attention was given to Ritchie's visual style, one that captured the essence of the 1960s. This adaptation of the classic television series was a solid outing for Ritchie and a memorable role for Henry Cavill as CIA agent Napoleon Solo. Although with all the headlines surrounding Armie Hammer, it is unlikely a sequel will ever happen.
2 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Ritchie's first outing left its mark in a big way. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels paved the way for his career. His influence from Quentin Tarantino showed, but he definitely had his own spin on the formula, with a uniquely British working-class worldview. It was with this film that he created his tone that would show itself in future films. This was also the film that created one of the most underrated actor-director duos in the film: Ritchie and Statham.
1 Snatch
Snatch was Ritchie at his very best. He created his own style with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but it was Snatch that truly cemented Ritchie as the best when it comes to modern British crime movies. His ensemble cast including Statham, Benicio Del Toro, and Vinnie Jones provided some top-notch comedy, but it was a supporting role from Brad Pitt that truly made Snatch a classic. His turn as Irish traveling brawler Mickey O'Neil garnered much of the laughs despite (or because) of his indecipherable accent.