Woody Harrelson is an actor who has known his ups and downs. He has played small roles in critically-acclaimed movies and big roles in those that flopped. He has been nominated three times on the Academy Awards and four times on the Golden Globes.
Right now, he is becoming an action star thanks to such movies as Now You See Me, Zombieland, and Solo: A Star Wars Story. But in order to understand the range of projects this actor takes on, we need to look at his highest-rated movies.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) - 90%
2017's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was nominated on 2018's Academy Awards and even won in some categories including Best Actress (Frances McDormand) and Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell). In fact, Woody Harrelson competed against Rockwell in the Best Supporting Actor nomination but lost. Nevertheless, his performance was remarkable.
The film is a dark comedy-drama that tells the story of Mildred Hayes, played by Frances McDormand, whose daughter has been raped and murdered and her body thrown away by the road. As time passes, the police seem to be ineffective in finding the murderer, so Milford decides to take the case in her own hands and rents three billboards just outside the town to write a message for everyone to see.
This So-Called Disaster (2004) - 90%
This So-Called Disaster is a film unlike anything else on the list. It is a documentary by Michael Almereyda who filmed the entire rehearsal process of Sam Shepard's infamous play The Late Henry Moss. The filming began way back in 2000 with the crew of the film following the cast of the play from the very start and until the performance.
Along with Woody Harrelson, there were some other notable actors such as Sean Penn, Cheech Marin, and Nick Nolte. The play is based on its author's relationship with his own late father.
Jim Allison: Breakthrough (2019) - 92%
Another documentary in Woody Harrelson's filmography and this one is about a scientist named Jim Allison and his journey to the discovery that earned him a Nobel Prize. Breakthrough was directed by Bill Haney and narrated by Woody Harrelson.
Jim Allison's mother passed away when he was only a boy. This is why he decided to dedicate his life to finding the cure for the disease that took away the most important person in his life. Allison has turned 70 and recounts the story of how the challenges he encountered on his way to the breakthrough.
Transsiberian (2008) - 93%
If you are a fan of gripping thrillers that take a well-known formula and add their own twist to it, Transsiberian is a movie for you. This 2008 suspense film stars Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer in its title roles as well as Ben Kingsley in a supporting one.
The story begins with an American couple (Harrelson and Mortimer) boarding the famous train that travels from China to Moscow. They meet a Russian police inspector looking for the killers of a drug dealer which ultimately leads them to be at the center of a murderous plot.
No Country for Old Men (2007) - 93%
You know that the film is going to be great when it was written and directed by the Coen brothers. No Country for Old Men is a neo-western crime thriller that won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, and Tommy Lee Jones deliver extraordinary performances while Woody Harrelson does a great job with the limited screen time he has.
Llewelyn Moss, played by Brolin, is a Vietnam war veteran who discovers two million dollars at the site of a drug deal gone wrong. He decides to keep the money, but that sets off a chain reaction as the merciless killer Anton Chigurh, played by Bardem, chases after him and the local police sheriff Ed Tom Bell, played by Jones, tries to track him down.
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" (2019) - 93%
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" is a pair of television specials with recreations of Norman Lear's classic sitcoms. The specials were broadcast by ABC which has since ordered two more specials of the kind.
Live in Front of a Studio Audience is a tribute to the original episodes with the main roles performed by Woody Harrelson, who plays Archie Bunker, and Jamie Foxx, who plays George Jefferson, as well as Marisa Tomei. The specials were hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Norman Lear himself.
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) - 94%
It might be a little challenging to understand the order of the Planet of the Apes movies, but it's definitely worth pointing out that the franchise is still great despite the confusion. This final installment has by far the best and most impressive graphics along with great performances from well-known actors.
War of the Planet of the Apes is the continuation of the story of apes and humans. Caesar, played by Andy Serkis, must protect his tribe from the army of humans led by the Colonel, played by Woody Harrelson. In the end, they will fight to determine the fate of their people.
The Edge of Seventeen (2016) - 94%
If you aren't a fan of mystic thrillers and would rather watch a tender yet comedic story about growing up, The Edge of Seventeen is for you. It is a coming-of-age movie about what it is like becoming an adult while you are a young girl in the modern world.
Nadine, played by Hailee Steinfield, is a high-school junior who struggles to be a teenager and it feels even more awkward once her older brother Darian, played by Blake Jenner, starts dating her best friend Krista, played by Haley Lu Richardson. Woody Harrelson plays Mr. Bruner, Nadine's History teacher and reluctant adviser.
L.A. Story (1991) - 94%
Woody Harrelson only got a small role of Station Manager in L.A. Story, but it was still a good project in his career. This comedy might have been released way back in 1991, but it had heart that appealed both to critics and to audiences.
Harris K. Telemacher, played by Steve Martin, is a lighthearted television weatherman living in L.A. who discovers that his girlfriend is having an affair. He walks away and reevaluates his life, but then discovers that he has fallen in love with Sara, played by Victoria Tennant, a British journalist who is in California on a business trip.
Nanking (2007) - 96%
You will be surprised to learn that Woody Harrelson's best movie is a documentary on the Nanking Massacre committed by the Japanese army in 1937. This film doesn't sugarcoat any of the events and tells the story just the way it happened.
The massacre happened in the former capital city of China, Nanjing, where the Imperial Japanese Army had murdered thousands of the Chinese at the outset of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The film was compiled from over 700 hours of footage including interviews, staged readings, and news-reel footage. Woody Harrelson plays Bob Wilson, an American surgeon who remained in the city and cared for the victims.