The Best Billy Bob Thornton Movies

Updated December 9, 2019 3.1k votes 649 voters 73.7k views53 items

List RulesVote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

List of the best Billy Bob Thornton movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Though he had already been a working actor for 10 years, 1996's Sling Blade made Billy Bob Thornton a star. Billy Bob Thornton's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Billy Bob Thornton movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Billy Bob Thornton movies will be at the top of the list. Billy Bob Thornton has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Billy Bob Thornton movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Billy Bob Thornton films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Billy Bob Thornton role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Billy Bob Thornton performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

Examples of films on this list include The Ice Harvest and Bad Santa.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Billy Bob Thornton movies?" and "What are the greatest Billy Bob Thornton roles of all time?" If you are a fan of Thornton's dramatic roles, you might also enjoy our list of best Bruce Willis movies and best John Cusack movies.

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Sling Blade
Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton
Released: 1996
Directed by: Billy Bob Thornton
Sling Blade is a 1996 American drama film set in rural Arkansas, written and directed by Billy... more
More Sling Blade
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Bad Santa
Lauren Graham, Billy Bob Thornton
Released: 2003
Directed by: Terry Zwigoff
Bad Santa is a 2003 American Christmas black comedy film directed by Terry Zwigoff, and... more
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Monster's Ball
Halle Berry, Sean Combs
Released: 2002
Directed by: Marc Forster
Monster's Ball is a 2002 American romantic drama film directed by German-Swiss director Marc... more
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Pushing Tin
Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett
Released: 1999
Directed by: Mike Newell
Pushing Tin is a 1999 comedy-drama film directed by Mike Newell. It centers on Nick Falzone, a... more
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Homegrown
Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Lee Curtis
Released: 1998
Directed by: Stephen Gyllenhaal
When a Pot Baron (Lithgown) is killed in a remote field in Northern California and his three... more
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A Simple Plan
Billy Bob Thornton, Bill Paxton
Released: 1998
Directed by: Sam Raimi
A Simple Plan is a 1998 American neo-noir thriller film, and an adaptation of the 1993 novel... more
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Daddy and Them
Ben Affleck, Jamie Lee Curtis
Released: 2001
Directed by: Billy Bob Thornton
Daddy and Them is a 2001 American film written and directed by, as well as starring Billy Bob... more

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Bad News Bears
Billy Bob Thornton, Marcia Gay Harden
Released: 2005
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Bad News Bears is the 2005 remake of the 1976 comedy film The Bad News Bears, produced by... more
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Levity
Kirsten Dunst, Morgan Freeman
Released: 2003
Directed by: Ed Solomon
Levity is a 2003 drama film directed by Ed Solomon. Its theatrical release was on April 4. The... more
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Jayne Mansfield's Car
Robert Duvall, Kevin Bacon
Released: 2012
Directed by: Billy Bob Thornton
Jayne Mansfield's Car is a 2012 drama film directed by Billy Bob Thornton, marking his first... more
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42
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Eagle Eye
Julianne Moore, Shia LaBeouf
Released: 2008
Directed by: D. J. Caruso
Eagle Eye is a 2008 American science fictional technology action thriller film directed by D.... more
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31
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The Alamo
Emily Deschanel, Billy Bob Thornton
Released: 2004
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
The Alamo is a 2004 American film about the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution.... more
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The Man Who Wasn't There
Scarlett Johansson, Billy Bob Thornton
Released: 2001
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
The Man Who Wasn't There is a 2001 British-American neo-noir film written, produced and... more
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The Baytown Outlaws
Eva Longoria, Billy Bob Thornton
Released: 2012
Directed by: Barry Battles
The Baytown Outlaws is a 2012 action comedy film directed by Barry Battles in his directorial... more
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The Ice Harvest
John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton
Released: 2005
Directed by: Harold Ramis
The Ice Harvest is a 2005 thriller comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Richard... more
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Faster
Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino
Released: 2010
Directed by: George Tillman, Jr.
Faster is 2010 action film written by Joe Gayton and Tony Gayton and directed by George... more
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Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade
Billy Bob Thornton, Molly Ringwald
Released: 1994
Directed by: George Hickenlooper
Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade is a short film written by Billy Bob Thornton, directed by... more
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Princess Mononoke
Claire Danes, Gillian Anderson
Released: 1997
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Princess Mononoke is a 1997 anime epic action historical fantasy film written and directed by... more
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The Apostle
Farrah Fawcett, Robert Duvall
Released: 1997
Directed by: Robert Duvall
The Apostle is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by Robert Duvall, who stars in... more
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The Informers
Amber Heard, Mickey Rourke
Released: 2008
Directed by: Gregor Jordan
The Informers is a 2008 American ensemble hollywood drama film written by Bret Easton Ellis... more
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Friday Night Lights
Amber Heard, Connie Britton
Released: 2004
Directed by: Peter Berg
Friday Night Lights is a 2004 sports drama film, directed by Peter Berg, which documents the... more
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The Smell of Success
Téa Leoni, Billy Bob Thornton
Released: 2009
Directed by: Michael Polish
"When a tragic accident ends the life of Mr. Rose, the genius behind Rose's Manure Company,... more
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Waking Up in Reno
Charlize Theron, Penélope Cruz
Released: 2002
Directed by: Jordan Brady
Waking Up in Reno is a 2002 American comedy drama film directed by Jordan Brady. The... more
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Bandits
Bruce Willis, Cate Blanchett
Released: 2001
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Bandits is a 2001 American crime-comedy romantic drama film directed by Barry Levinson. It... more
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Dead Man
Johnny Depp, Steve Buscemi
Released: 1995
Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
This film is a 1995 American Western film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars... more
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The Smell of Success