The Best Michael Shannon Movies

Updated September 22, 2019 1.2k votes 179 voters 9.5k views52 items

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

List of the best Michael Shannon movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Michael Shannon'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 Michael Shannon movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Michael Shannon movies will be at the top of the list. Michael Shannon has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Michael Shannon movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Michael Shannon films to end the squabble once and for all.

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

Items here include everything from Take Shelter to Man of Steel.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Michael Shannon movies?" and "What are the greatest Michael Shannon roles of all time?"

list.itemsDescription

...more

1
68
24
Man of Steel
Henry Cavill, Amy Adams
Man of Steel is a 2013 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder, based on the DC Comics... more
More Man of Steel
#106 of 116 The Worst Superhero Movies Ever Made#945 of 1,139 The Absolute Funniest Movies Of All Time
2
61
20
8 Mile
Eminem, Kim Basinger
8 Mile is a 2002 American hip-hop biopic film written by Scott Silver, directed by Curtis... more
More 8 Mile
All The Ways 8 Mile Is Radically Different From Eminem's Actual Life#1116 of 1,506 The Most Rewatchable Movies
3
49
11
Revolutionary Road
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Revolutionary Road is a 2008 American-British drama film, based on the 1961 novel of the same... more
More Revolutionary Road
#51 of 173 The Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made#395 of 782 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made
4
52
15
Bug
Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon
Bug is a 2006 American psychological horror film directed by William Friedkin. It stars Ashley... more
More
#65 of 135 The Best Movies Based On Plays#16 of 18 The Best (Or Worst!) Movies To Watch While You’re Going Stir-Crazy
5
43
14
Groundhog Day
Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell
Groundhog Day is a 1993 American fantasy comedy film directed by Harold Ramis. A derisive... more
More Groundhog Day
#16 of 440 Your Favorite Movies of the 1990s#47 of 923 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
6
40
15
The Iceman
Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder
The Iceman is an American crime thriller film based on the true story of longtime notorious... more
7
44
20
Take Shelter
Jessica Chastain, Michael Shannon
Take Shelter is a 2011 American drama-thriller film written and directed by Jeff Nichols and... more
More Take Shelter
#34 of 100 The Best Movies On Shudder#243 of 675 The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
8
27
9
World Trade Center
Nicolas Cage, Maggie Gyllenhaal
World Trade Center is a 2006 disaster drama film directed by Oliver Stone and based on the... more
More World Trade Center
Facts About The First Attack On The World Trade Center#1 of 26 The Best Movies About 9/11
9
23
8
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Marisa Tomei, Ethan Hawke
This film is a 2007 drama film directed by Sidney Lumet. The film was written by Kelly... more
More Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
#10 of 51 The Best Ethan Hawke Movies#31 of 56 The Best Marisa Tomei Movies
10
28
15
Pearl Harbor
Kate Beckinsale, Jennifer Garner
Pearl Harbor is a 2001 American war film with romance and action elements directed by Michael... more
More Pearl Harbor
#399 of 1,195 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#130 of 376 The 50+ Best War Movies Ever Made, Ranked

11
17
3
The Runaways
Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning
The Runaways is a 2010 American drama film about the 1970s all-girl rock band of the same name... more
More The Runaways
#258 of 301 The Best Movies Based On True Stories#39 of 82 The Best Movies Based on Non-Fiction Books
12
13
4
Midnight Special
Kirsten Dunst, Michael Shannon
Midnight Special is an American science fiction film written and directed by Jeff Nichols. The... more
13
18
10
Premium Rush
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jamie Chung
Premium Rush is a 2012 American action-thriller film directed by David Koepp and written by... more
More Premium Rush
#17 of 23 The Best Sports Thriller Movies, Ranked#17 of 51 The 45+ Best Joseph Gordon-Levitt Movies: Ranked Filmography
14
15
8
The Shape of Water
Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon
The Shape of Water is a 2017 Spanish-American fantasy romance film directed by Guillermo del... more
15
18
12
Vanilla Sky
Cameron Diaz, Tom Cruise
Vanilla Sky is a 2001 American science fiction thriller film directed, written, and... more
More Vanilla Sky
#110 of 126 The Greatest Date Movies Of All Time#300 of 306 The Greatest Movie Themes
16
18
12
Shotgun Stories
Michael Shannon, Natalie Canerday
Shotgun Stories is a 2007 drama film about a feud between two sets of half-brothers following... more
17
16
9
Bad Boys II
Megan Fox, Will Smith
Bad Boys II is a 2003 American action-comedy film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Jerry... more
More Bad Boys II
#29 of 666 The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked#188 of 225 The Worst Sequels Of All Time
18
8
0
What They Had
Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon
What They Had is a 2018 American drama film directed by Elizabeth Chomko. When her... more
19
12
5
Jesus' Son
Jack Black, Holly Hunter
Jesus' Son is a 1999 drama film that was adapted from a collection of short stories of the... more
20
14
8
Cecil B. Demented
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Melanie Griffith
Cecil B. Demented is a 2000 American black comedy film written and directed by John Waters.... more

21
10
4
The Missing Person
Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan
The Missing Person is a 2008 comedy-drama mystery film written and directed by American... more
22
14
9
Kangaroo Jack
Christopher Walken, Estella Warren
Kangaroo Jack is a 2003 American buddy-action movie from Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by... more
More Kangaroo Jack
#43 of 94 The Worst January Movie Releases#28 of 45 The Best Comedy Movies On Netflix
23
10
5
Nocturnal Animals
Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal
Nocturnal Animals is a 2016 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Tom... more
More Nocturnal Animals
#122 of 231 The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time#26 of 136 The Very Best Movies of 2016, Ranked
24
10
5
High Crimes
Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd
This film is a 2002 American thriller film directed by Carl Franklin and starring Ashley Judd... more
More High Crimes
#82 of 248 The Best Whodunit Movies#48 of 56 The Best Morgan Freeman Movies
25
2
0
State Like Sleep
Luke Evans, Katherine Waterston
State Like Sleep is a 2019 American drama film directed by Meredith Danluck. A woman... more

Bug