The Best Sylvester Stallone Movies

Updated September 21, 2019 24.1k votes 3.6k voters 232.9k views63 items

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

List of the best Sylvester Stallone movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Sylvester Stallone has been working in Hollywood since 1970, but he didn't become a star until he wrote and starred in Rocky in 1976. Sylvester Stallone'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 Sylvester Stallone movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Sylvester Stallone movies will be at the top of the list. Sylvester Stallone has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Sylvester Stallone movie of all time is. If you think the best Sylvester Stallone role from his illustrious filmography isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Sylvester Stallone performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

Examples of films on this list: The Expendables, First Blood and more.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Sylvester Stallone movies?" and "What are the greatest Sylvester Stallone roles of all time?" If you are a fan of Stallone's action-packed films, you might also like our list of the best Arnold Schwarzenegger movies and best Bruce Willis movies.

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First Blood
Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy
Released: 1982
Directed by: Ted Kotcheff
First Blood is a 1982 American psychological thriller and action film directed by Ted... more
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#141 of 369 The Best Movies Based On Books#135 of 549 The Greatest Epic Movies Ever Made
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Rocky
Sylvester Stallone, Joe Frazier
Released: 1976
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen. A small-time boxer... more
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#121 of 1,189 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#13 of 92 The Very Best Oscar-Winning Movies For Best Picture
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Rocky III
Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire
Released: 1982
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Rocky III is a 1982 American sports drama film directed by Sylvester Stallone, and the third... more
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#132 of 557 The Greatest Film Scores of All Time#15 of 136 The Best Third Films In A Movie Series
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Rambo
Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz
Released: 2008
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Rambo is a 2008 American-German independent action film directed, co-written by and starring... more
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#128 of 374 The 50+ Best War Movies Ever Made, Ranked#57 of 88 The Goriest Movies Ever Made
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Rocky II
Sylvester Stallone, Burgess Meredith
Released: 1979
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Rocky II is a 1979 American sports drama film directed by Sylvester Stallone, and the second... more
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#731 of 1,137 The Absolute Funniest Movies Of All Time#65 of 553 The Best '70s Movies
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Rocky IV
Sylvester Stallone, James Brown
Released: 1985
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Rocky IV is a 1985 American sports film written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, who also... more
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#744 of 922 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films#262 of 372 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetime
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Rambo: First Blood Part II
Sylvester Stallone, Charles Napier
Released: 1985
Directed by: George P. Cosmatos
Rambo: First Blood Part II is a 1985 American action film directed by George P. Cosmatos and... more
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#68 of 81 The Most Patriotic Movies of All Time#27 of 71 The Dumbest Movie Sequel Titles
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Cliffhanger
Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow
Released: 1993
Directed by: Renny Harlin
Cliffhanger is a 1993 American action adventure film directed by Renny Harlin and starring... more
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#37 of 37 The Best Snowy Thriller Movies, Ranked#26 of 30 The Worst Movies With Great Trailers
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Demolition Man
Sandra Bullock, Sylvester Stallone
Released: 1993
Directed by: Marco Brambilla
Demolition Man is a 1993 American science fiction action film directed by Marco Brambilla in... more
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Demolition Man Remains One Of The Most Underrated Movies Of The '90s#41 of 178 The Best Dystopian And Near Future Movies
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Rocky Balboa
Sylvester Stallone, Milo Ventimiglia
Released: 2006
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Rocky Balboa is the sixth installment in the Rocky franchise, written, directed by, and... more
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#4 of 15 15 People Share The Movie Pep Talks They Turn To When They Need To Be Inspired#13 of 92 The Best Movies Directed by the Star
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Creed
Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone
Released: 2015
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Creed is a 2015 American sports drama film directed by Ryan Coogler. The former World... more
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#140 of 277 The Top Tearjerker Movies That Make Men Cry#822 of 1,540 The Most Rewatchable Movies
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Cobra
Sylvester Stallone, Ron Jeremy
Released: 1986
Directed by: George P. Cosmatos
Cobra is a 1986 American action film directed by George P. Cosmatos, and written by Sylvester... more
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Tango & Cash
Sylvester Stallone, Teri Hatcher
Released: 1989
Directed by: Andrei Konchalovsky, Albert Magnoli
Tango & Cash is a 1989 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Andrei Konchalovsky,... more
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#236 of 480 The Greatest Movies For Guys#89 of 305 The Funniest '80s Movies

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Lock Up
Sylvester Stallone, Donald Sutherland
Released: 1989
Directed by: John Flynn
Lock Up is a 1989 American prison action film directed by John Flynn. The film stars Sylvester... more
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#117 of 264 Movies That Should Be Made Into Broadway Musicals#32 of 114 The Best Prison Movies
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Rambo III
Sylvester Stallone, Omar Sharif
Released: 1988
Directed by: Peter MacDonald
Rambo III is a 1988 American action film. It is the third film in the Rambo series following... more
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#40 of 92 The Most Rewatchable Action Movies#175 of 206 The Best R-Rated Action Movies of All Time, Ranked
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The Expendables 2
Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham
Released: 2012
Directed by: Simon West
The Expendables 2 is a 2012 American action film directed by Simon West, and the sequel to the... more
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#216 of 261 The Best Ensemble Movies#10 of 18 18 Times Movies And TV Shows Re-created Leonardo's 'The Last Supper'
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The Expendables
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone
Released: 2010
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
The Expendables is a 2010 American ensemble action film written by David Callaham and... more
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#41 of 89 The Greatest Movies About CIA Agents & Operatives#89 of 541 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies
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Cop Land
Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro
Released: 1997
Directed by: James Mangold
Cop Land is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by James Mangold, and starring... more
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Over the Top
Sylvester Stallone, Terry Funk
Released: 1987
Directed by: Menahem Golan
Over the Top is a 1987 action drama film starring Sylvester Stallone. It was produced and... more
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#53 of 112 The Best Action Movies Of The 1980s#473 of 723 The Greatest Action Movies Of All Time
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Escape Plan
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone
Released: 2013
Directed by: Mikael Håfström
Escape Plan is a 2013 American prison action thriller film directed by Mikael Håfström. After... more
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Nighthawks
Sylvester Stallone, Billy Dee Williams
Released: 1981
Directed by: Gary Nelson, Bruce Malmuth
Nighthawks is a 1981 American thriller film directed by Bruce Malmuth and starring Sylvester... more
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Assassins
Sylvester Stallone, Julianne Moore
Released: 1995
Directed by: Richard Donner
Assassins is a 1995 American action thriller film directed and produced by Richard Donner,... more
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#25 of 123 The Best Assassin Movies#40 of 53 The Most Unrealistic Action Films
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Daylight
Sylvester Stallone, Viggo Mortensen
Released: 1996
Directed by: Rob Cohen
Daylight is a 1996 American disaster thriller film directed by Rob Cohen and starring... more
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#26 of 317 The Greatest Disaster Movies of All Time#55 of 102 The Best 1990s Action Movies

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Creed II
Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson
Released: 2018
Directed by: Steven Caple Jr.
Creed II is a 2018 American sports drama film directed by Steven Caple Jr., and a sequel to... more
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#81 of 112 Movies That Need Sequels#216 of 224 The Worst Sequels Of All Time
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The Expendables 3
Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham
Released: 2014
Directed by: Patrick Hughes
The Expendables 3 is a 2014 American action film directed by Patrick Hughes, and the third... more