If you are looking for legends in the movie industry, nobody is going to crucify you for looking further than Michael Douglas. Since his very first role in 1966, a brief uncredited role in the movie Cast a Giant Shadow, the American actor has had an acting career that has spanned over fifty years. In addition to taking up roles in front of the camera and on stage, he has also done some behind the scenes work as a producer of a number of projects. With great care and consideration, we have come up with a list of Michael Douglas movies, ranked from greatest to worst, that would best shine a light of his enormous talent.
7 Michael Douglas Movies Ranked From Greatest to Worst
1. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Production Budget: $195 million
Box Office: $622,674,139
The sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man and the twentieth movie released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man and the Wasp follows the working relationship between Ant-Man, the Wasp, and Hank Pym, who come together to retrieve Pym’s wife, Janet van Dyne, from the quantum realm.
The movie was directed by Peyton Reed and was written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, and Paul Rudd. It stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Judy Greer, Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, Abby Ryder Fortson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Laurence Fishburne. Upon its release, the movie was a critical and commercial success, scoring 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and having a rating of 70/100 on Metacritic.
2. Ant-Man (2015)
Production Budget: $130 million
Box Office: $519,311,965
Ant-Man is the twelfth movie released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it served as a prequel to Ant-Man and the Wasp. It was directed by Peyton Reed while the screenplay was written by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. Actors Michael Douglas, Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Michael Pena, Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, and Judy Greer all feature in it. The movie was met with critical and commercial acclaim, receiving an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes and 64/100 rating on Metacritic.
3. Basic Instinct (1992)
Production Budget: $49 million
Box Office: $352,927,224
Basic Instinct tells the story of police detective Nick Curran who is investigating the brutal murder of a wealthy rock star. The detective later finds himself to be embroiled in an intense relationship with the prime suspect, Catherine Tramell. The neo-noir erotic thriller movie stars Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone, while Paul Verhoeven served as director of the script written by Joe Eszterhas. It has a 53% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 41/100 rating on Metacritic.
4. The American President (1995)
Production Budget: $62 million
Box Office: $107,879,496
Michael Douglas plays the role of United States President Andrew Shepherd in this romantic comedy-drama film. Michael J. Fox and Martin Sheen also appear as cast members. The American President tells the story of a widower president who amid carrying out the duties of his office, starts a relationship with an environmental lobbyist named Sydney Ellen Wade, a character played by Annette Bening. The movie was written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Rob Reiner. On Rotten Tomatoes, it received a rating of 91% while on Metacritic it got a score of 67/100.
5. The Game (1997)
Production Budget: $70 million
Box Office: $109,423,648
Starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, this David Finch-directed mystery thriller movie tells the story of a wealthy investment banker Nicholas Van Orton who receives a mysterious gift that happens to be a game that integrates itself with his everyday life. The movie was well-received by critics and audiences alike. It has a 73% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 61/100 score on Metacritic.
See Also: 7 Jennifer Lawrence Movies and TV Shows Rated From Best To Worst
6. And So It Goes (2014)
Production Budget: $18 million
Box Office: $25,312,387
Directed by Rob Reiner and written by Mark Andrus, this romantic comedy stars Michael Douglas, Diane Keaton, and Sterling Jerins. Douglas plays the role of Oren Little, a widower that turned very bitter and aggressive due to the death of his wife. Little is very impatient with those around him but things change when he meets his granddaughter who he never knew existed. The movie received largely negative reviews from critics but did well enough in the box office to recoup its budget. On Rotten Tomatoes, it was rated 18% while on Metacritic it was scored 38/100.
7. One Night at McCool’s (2001)
Production Budget: $18 million
Box Office: $13,473,370
Written by Stan Seidel and directed by Harald Zwart, this black comedy movie stars Liv Tyler, Matt Dillon, Michael Douglas, John Goodman, and Andrew Silverstein. The movie tells the tale of three men – Randy, Carl, and Detective Dehling who all tell their lovesick experience with a lady named Jewel. The movie was poorly received, with its overall rating on Rotten Tomatoes being 33%. It also failed to at least make back its production budget.
