Steven Soderbergh has been making stunning movies for almost four decades, only growing more confident with each film. Making his debut with the acclaimed indie darling Sex, Lies, and Videotape in 1989, Soderbergh has gone on to become one of modern filmmaking's most ambitious and entertaining directors.
The filmmaker has explored several different genres over the years, speaking to a natural curiosity and flexibility that make him stand out from his peers. With 37 films under his belt (including The Christophers, which premiered at TIFF), Soderbergh has landed some terrific films over the years. However, these 10 movies might be the best of the bunch, highlighting his natural versatility and the sheer fun that comes from his work. Here are the best Steven Soderbergh movies and where you can find them on Netflix, Peacock, and more.
10. Contagion (2011)
A scarily accurate film that theorizes about a deadly epidemic spiraling out of control, Contagion is one of the best examples of Soderbergh’s ability to turn any subject into a thrilling time. Stacked with stars like Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, and Jude Law, Contagion is never melodramatic or inauthentic to the characters. Instead, Soderbergh is able to ground the story in a dozen perspectives by showcasing the mundane horrors and little heartbreaks that come with a pandemic.
Expansive and horrifying in much the same way Chernobyl is, Contagion is a fascinating case study for a film that will feel all too real to anyone who remembers going through the pandemic in 2020. While the darker subject matter might not make it right for every audience, which is why its ranks last on this list, it’s still a compelling watch for anyone who wants a good heady thriller.
9. Out of Sight (1998)
Steven Soderbergh had already made great films like Sex, Lies, and Videotape and King of the Hill by the time he made Out of Sight, but the George Clooney-led crime thriller was the film that really cemented Soderbergh's potential as a director. Focusing on bank robber Jack Foley and U.S. Marshall Karen Sisco. Soderbergh's talent for witty repartee and complex romances is on full display here.
Clooney and Jennifer Lopez nail their tricky dynamic as a criminal and a cop who fall for one another, bringing some sexual sizzle to the crime-caper genre. With a similar aesthetic to other grounded crime films like Widows and True Romance, fans of steamy romances should make sure to give Out of Sight a try. Light and very much of its time, Out of Sight isn’t Soderbergh’s best but remains a solid watch nonetheless.
8. Solaris (2002)
An ambitious sci-fi film with a touch of tragic romance, Solaris is one of Soderbergh’s most complex movies. Reteaming with George Clooney, Soderbergh’s vision of a space adventure is less Star Wars and more Interstellar, as a heartwrenching story of a man who is trying to investigate mysterious occurrences on a space station while still dealing with the loss of his wife.
Based on the novel of the same name by Stanisław Lem, Solaris is a tender and cerebral movie that focuses on the mysteries of the heart more than the meaning of the universe (and at the end of the day, conflates the two as the same). A thoughtful film clearly modeled in the shadow of classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris might be a tough watch for some but is a must-watch for anyone who likes a complex film.
7. Erin Brockovich (2000)
One of Julia Roberts’ best ever performances, Erin Brockovich is proof that Soderbergh can have a lot of fun with the inspirational character dramedy. Adapting the real-life story of a small-town single mother who helped a law firm uncover a massive energy company scandal, Erin Brockovich is equal parts funny, heartwrenching, and uplifting.
A powerful biopic that will hit fans of Hidden Figures or On the Basis of Sex at the same level, Erin Brockovich benefits from the strength of the performances by Roberts and her co-stars. There’s a sweet and resilient core in the film, mimicking the spirit of the real woman. While it may not be the most complex of stories Erin Brockovich is a heartwarming flick that audiences with a specific love for inspiring stories definitely need to check out.
6. Traffic (2000)
Soderbergh's most acclaimed film (and the winner of four Academy Awards), Traffic remains one of the filmmaker's most ambitious projects. Effectively Soderbergh’s version of the crime drama genre that The Wire would later come to dominate, the film follows three stories, highlighting different aspects of the world of drugs in North America.
A powerful and gripping thriller, Traffic is the perfect companion to films like Heat or The Godfather, a meditation about the dark side of the American dream. The movie is bolstered by an absolutely stacked cast, who each bring their own touches and personality to the film’s massive scale. While it can be intense (and lacks some of the broad appeal of Soderbergh’s best movies), Traffic is a deeply impressive piece. Up alongside City of God and Do the Right Thing, Traffic is a timeless look at a society that couldn’t ever have been made in another time.
5. Black Bag (2025)
One of Soderbergh’s latest films is Black Bag, which fuses all the drama of a mature marital story with the aesthetics of a James Bond thriller. Focusing on a married couple of MI6 agents amid the hunt for a mole in the organization, Black Bag works best when Soderbergh steps back to control the room while letting his pitch-perfect cast get to work.
Taking the kind of deliberate tone deployed in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to examine the natural complexities that come with any long-term romance, Black Bag finds an emotional footing amid all the natural twists and turns of a spy flick. Soderbergh’s eye for good performances pays off here, with Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett’s electric chemistry fueling much of the film’s emotional core. Black Bag is a great little adult drama that uses the spy elements to perfect effect.
4. Magic Mike (2012)
A deceptively deep drama that struts around just as much as its title character, Magic Mike is Soderbergh’s keen eye for character at its best. Channing Tatum’s best performance might be from this grounded story of a male exotic dancer trying to move forward with his life. Tatum brings all his star-power charisma to the role but isn’t afraid to showcase the more complex sides of the character along the way.
Fans of similar dramas, like Hustlers, or dance-heavy films, like Step Up, will find plenty to love about Magic Mike. The trick to the film’s narrative success is the way it also works as a character study, making it a surprising modern contemporary to other films about mature characters facing existential questions and domineering mentors. (Think Black Swan and Whiplash.) Magic Mike is a fascinating focus on a single man in a unique life and is well worth checking out for fans of good character study.
3. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
A genuine blast, Ocean’s Eleven is about as perfect as remakes can get. Bringing the Rat Pack’s original 1960 film into the 21st century, Soderbergh deploys all of his entertaining trickery in this Vegas-set caper. Ocean’s Eleven is a star-studded heist film that gets by almost entirely on charm, appealing to anyone who has ever been won over by George Clooney or Brad Pitt movies.
This is the epitome of a fun heist thriller in the modern age, the ideal that so many other movies, like Den of Thieves and Now You See Me, try to duplicate in their own unique ways. Ocean’s Eleven might be the modern epitome of the genre, even inspiring a number of sequels that are all worth checking out—even if none of them quite match the heights of this one. If you like a fun take on the thriller genre, this is the movie for you.
2. Logan Lucky (2017)
One heist film that’s aping the Ocean’s Eleven sense of style but in a perfectly silly way is Logan Lucky—and I’ll die on the hill that it’s a better movie than Ocean’s Eleven. Logan Lucky is a delight from beginning to end as a relatively bloodless, but no less tense, thriller that targets a major NASCAR race. Filtering the tropes, twists, and characters of the genre through a Southern perspective turns out to be a winning move. Logan Lucky also makes a deft choice in recruiting Daniel Craig for the explosive expert Joe Bang, making this a perfect companion piece for the far more heroic Benoit Blanc films Knives Out and Glass Onion.
Filmed with a light touch and brimming with personality, Logan Lucky takes the fun of something like The Italian Job and grounds it in a way that makes for a delightful ride. It is a must-watch for comedy and thriller fans alike.
1. Haywire (2011)
Haywire is one of the best action movies of the 21st century, and a perfect showcase for everything that makes Steven Soderbergh such a good filmmaker. Directed with a brutal edge that wouldn’t feel out of place in The Bourne Identity, Haywire lands each fight scene or near-death encounter with brutal grace. Soderbergh sets up a strong supporting cast around Gina Carano, fleshing out an exciting world of spies and killers that are perfect for action set pieces.
Seriously, I can’t overstate how tight the action in Haywire is—proof that Soderbergh can deliver action films with the best of them. Throughout, Haywire benefits from a twisty plot that keeps audiences guessing. With the same kind of hard-hitting action DNA that makes the John Wick movies so special, Haywire is an undersung film that action fans (and anyone who likes Steven Soderbergh) needs to check out.
