The Best Movies Directed by David Cronenberg

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Updated August 11, 2023 1.3K votes 212 voters
Over 200 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Movies Directed by David Cronenberg

List of all movies directed by David Cronenberg ranked from best to worst with photos. Films directed by David Cronenberg are listed here and include movie posters and David Cronenberg movie trailers whenever possible. This is a collection of the best movies directed by David Cronenberg as voted on by film buffs. If you think the greatest David Cronenberg movie isn't as high as it should be on this list, then make sure to vote so that your opinion of what the top David Cronenberg film is can be factored into this list.

From David Cronenberg's studio films to David Cronenberg's independent films, this David Cronenberg filmography keeps tabs on all David Cronenberg movies, and lets the cream of the crop rise to the top.

List movies include The Fly, Scanners and many more.

If you’re wondering “what movies did David Cronenberg direct?” or “who is David Cronenberg?” then this list will explain how most people know this director. This list also answers questions like “what are the all-time best movies directed by David Cronenberg?” and “what's a good selection of good David Cronenberg movies?”

If you're wanting to get into David Cronenberg films, then this list is a great starting point for at least starting with the most decent David Cronenberg works.

All David Cronenberg director credits are included. This list of every movie that David Cronenberg has directed can be sorted for specific information such as what genre the David Cronenberg movie is and which actors starred in the David Cronenberg film.

Make this list even more social by re-ordering the movies using the re-rank feature, making it votable then sharing it with your friends. {#nodes}

David Cronenberg has been fortunate enough to work with talented actors, including Michael Fassbender and Keira Knightley. Did you have fun voting on this list of David Cronenberg movies? You might also want to vote on our lists of the best Woody Allen and Sergio Leone movies as well.

Most divisive: Shivers
Ranked by
  • The Fly
    1

    The Fly

    Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz
    85 votes
    • Released: 1986
    • Directed by: David Cronenberg
    In the unsettling horror flick The Fly, eccentric scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) unveils an invention that promises to revolutionize travel: a teleportation device. However, an unexpected housefly making its way into the machine leads to horrific consequences. In a disastrous mix-up, Brundle's DNA is fused with that of the fly, triggering a grotesque transformation. As he becomes increasingly insect-like, his girlfriend Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) grapples with the horrifying implications of this metamorphosis. Winning the Academy Award for Best Makeup, The Fly weaves a chilling story of scientific ambition gone awry.

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  • Videodrome
    2

    Videodrome

    James Woods, Deborah Harry, Sonja Smits
    83 votes
    • Released: 1983
    • Directed by: David Cronenberg
    Set in a dystopian near-future, Videodrome takes us into the life of Max Renn (James Woods), a cynical television executive seeking sensational content for his station. He stumbles upon Videodrome, a disturbingly realistic broadcast that blurs the lines between perception and reality. As he delves deeper into the show's origins, he is drawn into a dark world of subliminal messaging, hallucination, and violence. Directed by visionary filmmaker David Cronenberg, this science-fiction horror film explores themes of media manipulation, body horror, and technophobia. Despite its unsettling narrative, Videodrome has become an iconic film within the body-horror genre and has garnered a cult following over time.
  • The Dead Zone
    3

    The Dead Zone

    Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt
    58 votes
    • Released: 1983
    • Directed by: David Cronenberg
    In The Dead Zone, Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) is a schoolteacher with a serene life, until a car accident plunges him into a coma. Waking up five years later, he discovers an eerie ability to see others' futures by touching them. This newfound psychic power thrusts him into a disturbing reality where he must grapple with its implications and the moral dilemmas it presents. As he becomes embroiled in stopping a potential political disaster, Smith's life takes on an unexpected twist. Directed by David Cronenberg, this thrill-packed drama weaves elements of horror and psychological suspense.

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  • Dead Ringers
    4

    Dead Ringers

    Jeremy Irons, Geneviève Bujold, Heidi von Palleske
    63 votes
    • Released: 1988
    • Directed by: David Cronenberg
    Elliot (Jeremy Irons), a successful gynecologist, works at the same practice as his identical twin, Beverly (also Irons). Elliot is attracted to many of his patients and has affairs with them. When he inevitably loses interest, he will give the woman over to Beverly, the meeker of the two, without the woman knowing the difference. Beverly falls hard for one of the patients, Claire (Geneviève Bujold), but when she inadvertently deceives him, he slips into a state of madness.

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  • A History of Violence
    5

    A History of Violence

    Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt
    76 votes
    • Released: 2005
    • Directed by: David Cronenberg
    In the film A History of Violence, Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is an unassuming diner owner whose peaceful small-town life in Millbrook, Indiana spins out of control following a brutal act of self-defense. His violent past, as mob hitman Joey Cusack from Philadelphia, surfaces and haunts him. Intrigue ensues with the arrival of Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), a scarred gangster who recognizes Stall's true identity. This 2005 crime thriller, directed by David Cronenberg, weaves a complex tale of identity crisis and the aftermath of violence, earning two Academy Award nominations for its compelling narrative and performances.

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  • Crash
    6

    Crash

    James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas
    47 votes
    • Released: 1996
    • Directed by: David Cronenberg
    "Crash" is about the strange lure of the auto collision, provoking as it does the human fascination with death and the tendency to eroticize danger. Most motorists will slow down to stare at the scene of a collision; they may feel their pulses quickening and become aware of the fragility of their own bodies. The characters of "Crash" carry this awareness a step further, cherishing and nurturing it. For them, a car collision is a sexual turn-on, and a jolting life force they come to crave.