Jeff Bridges is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood history, and his best films range from wild sci-fi to searing musical dramas. Born at the tail end of the 1940s in Los Angeles, Bridges established himself as a stand-out in the acting field alongside his father and brother. Gaining stardom in his early 20s thanks to a string of hits like The Last Picture Show (1971), Bridges has gone on to be one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars.
While some of his most famous performances are in blockbuster fare like Iron Man (2008) and Hell or High Water (2016), his greatest films have put more emphasis on his dramatic talents and comedic skills. Here are the 10 best Jeff Bridges movies and where to find them on HBO Max, Apple TV+, and Netflix.
10. Tron (1982)
One of Jeff Bridges’ most memorable strange films, Tron benefits a lot from the natural charms that the actor has perfected over a long and storied career. Bridges is dragged into a video game in the classic ‘80s sci-fi film, with a sense of earnest wonder, fitting in neatly alongside the visually striking creations of the Grid.
The two sequels Tron: Legacy (2010) and Tron: Ares (2025), both brought Bridges back, underscoring how the actor’s laid-back tenor as a creative rubbed off on the series in the best of ways. While the dated effects and retro approach to modern technology might throw some viewers, fans of ‘70s sci-fi like Logan’s Run (1976) or the original Star Wars (1977) should check this digital adventure out.
9. The Iceman Cometh (1973)
Based on Eugene O’Neill’s play of the same name, The Iceman Cometh is one of the best examples of Jeff Bridges’ talents as a young dramatic actor. Long before he became known as the Dude, Bridges impressed audiences and critics alike in films like this somber character drama.
Bridges plays Don Parritt, one of the pathetic men who find themselves celebrating the birthday of their local bar’s owner. Effectively a recorded play instead of a traditional film, The Iceman Cometh sees a young Bridges hold his own against legends like Lee Marvin and Fredric March. While it may not be for audiences looking for a laugh or a fast-paced story, the depth of The Iceman Cometh is the kind of character drama that fans of films like Mountainhead (2025) and Anemone (2025) should see.
8. Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
A wild crime thriller with an overwhelming amount of visual panache, Bad Times at the El Royale is a great contained character drama for fans of Quentin Tarantino movies like Reservoir Dogs (1992). Bridges stars as a priest with a secret, and one of many diverse people who have found themselves at a remote hotel in 1959.
Drew Goddard’s passion project is a blast, imbued with the same mix of fun abandon and genuine tension that made movies like Knives Out (2019) so much fun. Bridges, in particular, finds a lot of compelling dynamics while also infusing his character with a deft mix of sympathy and danger. Clever and compelling, the stylish touches of the film might bore audiences looking more for grounded thrillers, but this wild rollercoaster of a thriller is a neon-lit delight that only gets better on subsequent rewatches.
7. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
Bridges is often best when he has a more dramatic figure to bounce off of, and that’s the case in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. Bridges plays a young car thief known as Lightfoot, who befriends a preacher after helping him escape an assassination attempt. Effectively a Guy Ritchie movie that gradually turns into something far more character-driven and tragic, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a great showcase for Bridges’ talent, both for natural comedy and dramatic gravitas as the younger contrast to Eastwood’s gradual darkness.
Bridges earned an Academy Award nomination for his work in the film, and fans of his more dramatic fare should make sure to check this one out. But be warned: This is from the same mold as The Town (2010), where the thriller elements are the surface level of a much more introspective crime drama.
6. Crazy Heart (2009)
The film that finally got Jeff Bridges an Academy Award for Best Actor, Crazy Heart is an emotional rollercoaster and perfect for anyone who loves a good musician drama. Pulling from the same introspective tone and focus on the majesty of music amid the realities of the modern world that made A Star is Born (2018) so compelling, Crazy Heart’s story is about a faded country music star who finds his musical spirit again after forming a relationship with a reporter and her son.
Crazy Heart is Bridges at his most soulful, depicting a beaten-down man who has nothing left to offer the world but himself. The film is a strong drama elevated by Bridges’ musical performance, adding a layer of emotional authenticity to the film’s soundtrack. A terrific film for people who enjoy Scott Cooper’s other introspective films like The Pale Blue Eye (2022) and Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025), Crazy Heart is a stirring piece and a highlight of Bridges’ dramatic career.
5. The Fisher King (1991)
A bold and emotional film from Terry Gilliam, The Fisher King is an interesting example of Jeff Bridges pushing his persona too far into unlikable territory, all in the name of depicting a complex emotional redemption arc. Bridges plays a radio DJ in crisis, whose guilt over his jokes inadvertently spurring on a mass shooting, tries to redeem himself by helping a man whose mind was shattered in the aftermath. Opposite a perfectly cast Robin Williams, Bridges delivers one of his biggest and most emotional performances ever.
The film, as a whole, is a marvel from one of the minds behind Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), a visually grimy but undeniably romantic view of New York City that remains a highlight of both Williams and Bridges’ careers. While its themes about mental health, mass shootings, and displaced peoples can make it quit triggering, the movie is a powerful tale of empathy that fans of dramas like Being Human (1994) or Twinless (2025) need to see.
4. Fearless (1993)
One of Jeff Bridges’ most quiet and somber performances, Fearless only works because of the softer vibes that the actor brings to his roles. Based on the Rafael Yglesias novel of the same name, the film focuses on Bridges’ Max Klein, who is left a changed man after he miraculously survives a plane crash. Bridges plays a level of disconnect with the world around him, in a performance that could have been insufferable in the wrong hands but remains strangely compelling thanks to Bridges.
While some audiences may find Bridges’ big show of acceptance and grief in all their unexpected forms to be a bit pretentious, there’s a raw emotional core to Bridges’ work in Fearless that makes it a must-watch for fans of the actor’s more dramatic fare.
3. The Last Picture Show (1971)
The role that transformed a young Jeff Bridges from an up-and-coming talent into one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, The Last Picture Show is a powerful drama about the end of innocence in the middle of the 20th century. Timothy Bottoms, Cybill Shepherd, and Bridges all deliver heartbreaking performances in this quiet drama about two best friends who steadily drift apart while a small Texan town fades.
A powerful and unforgettable American tragedy, The Last Picture Show is the best film by Peter Bogdanovich and a classic of the New Hollywood movement. Audiences looking for a lot of laughs should look elsewhere, even if this film has just enough romanticism and humor to never feel too bleak. Painfully real in the kind of way films like Nebraska (2013) or Boogie Nights (1997) are, The Last Picture Show remains one of the best films of its era.
2. The Big Lebowski (1998)
Perhaps Jeff Bridges’ most iconic film, The Big Lebowski, remains a timeless comedy classic over a quarter century after it debuted. Bridges plays the Dude, an aimless and pleasant mid-90s bowler who finds himself wrapped up in a bizarre crime conspiracy. One of the funniest films the Coen Brothers have ever made, The Big Lebowski is a peer to their other films like O Brother, Where Are Thou? (2000) and Burn After Reading (2008).
A film about stupid people who think they’re in a more complex thriller, The Big Lebowski’s distinctive tone wouldn’t work without Bridges deadpanning his way through an increasingly absurdist Los Angeles take on a crime caper. Unforgettable, strange, and with a pitch-perfect blend of black comedy and profane turns, The Big Lebowski is a nearly perfect comedy of errors from masters of the genre who made Fargo (1996).
1. True Grit (2010)
The best film in Jeff Bridges’ filmography and one of the most compelling movies ever made by the Coen Brothers, True Grit is the most compelling and entertaining western of the 21st century. A remake of John Wayne’s True Grit, Bridges is a perfectly gruff Marshal Cogburn opposite a precocious Hailee Steinfeld’s Mattie. Somewhere between Unforgiven (1992) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006), True Grit is a perfect blend of brutal western aesthetics and Coen Brothers-style bizarro comedy, with one of the best endings in western history.
Fans of Bridges will adore his performance in this movie, delivering a one-of-a-kind gruff sentimentality that makes for one of the best genre turns the actor has ever made. A highlight of the genre, True Grit is the best Jeff Bridges movie. Period.
