James Mangold is an award-winning director, screenwriter, and producer with decades of work under his belt. Best known for his directorial work, Mangold made his debut with the film Heavy, shortly followed by Cop Land, which gained him even more attention thanks to the film's A-list cast. From action films like Logan to romantic-comedies like Kate & Leopold, it would seem no genre is above or below Mangold as he dabbles in all — and with a decent amount of success, too.
While Mangold may be over 50 years old, he shows no signs of slowing down his career, having taken over from Steven Spielberg as director for the new Indiana Jones film, expected to be released in 2023. With the recent announcement that Mangold is to direct the Buster Keaton biopic, it’s only fair that we look back on some of his finest work as a director. These are the best James Mangold movies, ranked.
8 Girl, Interrupted
The psychological drama based on the memoir of Susanna Kaysen, Girl, Interrupted follows Susanna, who, after a suicide attempt, spends 18 months in a psychiatric hospital in the late 60s. In the hospital, Susanna makes friends with Lisa, a sociopath who manages to influence Susanna in every way possible, only made easier by her diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. Girl, Interrupted shows the dark side to mental illness and how it was treated during the 60s. The film stars Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, and Whoopi Goldberg, all under the direction of James Mangold. The film earned a number of accolades, including an Academy Award for Jolie in the category of Best Supporting Actress. Girl, Interrupted was criticized for depending too heavily on Jolie’s performance as many felt the film fell flat when she was not on-screen.
7 Cop Land
Cop Land follows the story of Superboy who accidentally gets involved in a racially-motivated crime and tries to fake his death to evade consequences. The cover-up leads to an investigation led by Internal Affairs officer Moe Tilden (Robert De Niro) and New Jersey sheriff Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone). Cop Land was a drastic shift for Stallone’s career, showing him in a completely different light and allowing him to showcase his acting skills, bringing about a revival of his career. Mangold stated that the film was over-hyped due to the dynamite cast; regardless, Cop Land is a deep dive into the corruption within the police force and how deep the roots grow.
6 Identity
Identity is a neo-noir film with an ensemble cast following ten people stranded by a storm in an isolated Nevada motel, who discover they are being killed off. Ed leads the group's survival, determined to discover the identity of the killer. With stars like John Cusack and Ray Liotta front and center, Identity succeeds in providing us with a thrilling murder mystery. On top of directing, Mangold also lent a helping hand to Michael Cooney, the writer of the original story, on the screenplay for the film. Identity’s thrilling action earned it a nomination for Best Action, Adventure or Thriller Film at the Saturn Awards.
5 3:10 to Yuma
Starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, 3:10 to Yuma is a Western film that can’t be forgotten. Telling the story of small-time rancher Dan who hunts down Ben Wade, the wanted outlaw, the film is the second adaptation of the short story Three-ten to Yuma after the 1957 film adaptation. 3:10 to Yuma received a number of nominations, including two nominations at the Academy Awards. Original production of the film began in 2003, four years before the final release of the film, agreeing that Mangold would be at the helm but disputes with casting — with Tom Cruise and Eric Bana being taken into consideration — slowed the film's progress.
4 The Wolverine
The sixth addition to the X-Men franchise is Wolverine’s second spin-off, after X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine. Logan finds himself in Japan for the first time since WWII. Surrounded by rough Yakuza and samurai, Logan goes on the run with an industrialist's daughter, finding himself under threat of death for the first time ever while fighting off the ghosts of his past. Starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, the film was praised for having quality action sequences as well as interesting content. Mangold’s work on the film earned him a nomination at the Hollywood Film Awards for the Hollywood Movie Award.
3 Walk the Line
Walk the Line is a biopic revolving around the life of country icon Johnny Cash. From his days as a boy on a struggling farm to his breakout into the music scene, Walk the Line is a start-to-finish masterpiece, paying specific attention to his relationship with his wife Vivian and how his lifestyle starts to threaten their marriage when he meets June, with whom he falls in love. Joaquin Phoenix won a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his performance as Johnny Cash, and Reese Witherspoon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of June. The film was praised for its portrayal of Cash's life, with his daughter Roseanne admitting that the film showed the most horrific moments in her life and found it difficult to watch.
2 Ford v Ferrari
Car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and professional race-car driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) concoct a plan to defeat the cars of Enzo Ferrari in the Le Mans of France with the construction of the Ford GT40. With any luck, the two will manage to achieve their goal under Ford Motor Company. Ford V Ferrari is any gear-heads dream as it tells the true story of the first win of the Ford GT40 in 1966. The film received a great deal of praise and was nominated for four awards at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and took home two: for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Editing.
1 Logan
As Logan cares for the ailing Professor X, his attempt to hide from the world doesn’t last long when he meets young mutant Laura, whose powers are much like his own. Under the orders of Professor X, Logan must protect Laura and see to it that she doesn’t get captured by those who are after her. Logan is the final installation in the Wolverine trilogy of films and is the best-reviewed film in the X-Men franchise. Logan received a nomination at the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and even won an IGN Award for Best Action Movie. In 2017, there was an announcement that Mangold was in the process of writing a sequel revolving around Laura, but after Disney’s purchase of Fox, Mangold has since stated that the film would most likely not happen.