The Best Warren Oates Movies

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Updated September 13, 2023 503 votes 101 voters
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Warren Oates Movies
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List of the best Warren Oates movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Warren Oates'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 Warren Oates movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Warren Oates movies will be at the top of the list. Warren Oates has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Warren Oates movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Warren Oates films to end the squabble once and for all.

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

List features films like Dixie Dynamite, Blue Thunder and more!

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

If you're a fan of Warren Oates, then check out our lists of the best Strother Martin and James Coburn movies as well.

Most divisive: 1941
Ranked by
  • In the Heat of the Night
    1

    In the Heat of the Night

    Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates
    23 votes
    • Released: 1967
    • Directed by: Norman Jewison
    In the 1967 drama In the Heat of the Night, Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), a black police detective from Philadelphia, becomes embroiled in a murder investigation in a racially hostile southern town. He reluctantly teams up with Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), the local bigoted sheriff, to solve the case. The film, directed by Norman Jewison, expertly blends elements of mystery and social commentary. It won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Steiger. Its exploration of racial tension remains relevant even today.

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  • Two-Lane Blacktop
    2

    Two-Lane Blacktop

    James Taylor, Warren Oates, Laurie Bird
    23 votes
    • Released: 1971
    • Directed by: Monte Hellman
    In this cult favorite road film, a mechanic (Dennis Wilson) and a driver (James Taylor) live only to race and maintain their 1955 Chevy. Heading east from California with no particular agenda, they give a girl (Laurie Bird) a ride, and en route she incites jealousy between the men by sleeping with them both. Meanwhile, the trio encounters an overbearing GTO driver (Warren Oates) who agrees to race them to New York, each side putting at stake their most prized possession: their car.
  • The Wild Bunch
    3

    The Wild Bunch

    William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan
    25 votes
    • Released: 1969
    • Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
    The Wild Bunch, a seminal Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, is a tale of an aging outlaw gang on the Mexico-US border. The gang's leader, Pike Bishop (William Holden), along with his second-in-command, Dutch Engstrom (Ernest Borgnine), navigates their crew through changing times and relentless law enforcement. As they attempt one last score, their loyalty and survival instincts are put to the ultimate test. This gritty and violent depiction of the Old West earned two Oscar nominations for its original screenplay and musical score in 1970.

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  • Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
    4

    Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia

    Warren Oates, Isela Vega, Gig Young
    21 votes
    • Released: 1974
    • Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
    When a Mexican crime boss (Kris Kristofferson) learns that his aide, Alfredo Garcia, has impregnated his daughter, he offers a million dollars for Garcia's head. Eager to collect, a couple of bounty hunters (Helmut Dantine, Gig Young) track him to a Mexico City bar run by an American expatriate named Bennie (Warren Oates). Bennie denies knowing Garcia and attempts to bring in the head himself after learning from his girlfriend (Robert Webber) that Garcia has died in a car accident.
  • Badlands
    5

    Badlands

    Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates
    20 votes
    • Released: 1973
    • Directed by: Terrence Malick
    In Badlands, Kit Carruthers (Martin Sheen) is an aimless young man who meets and falls for teenage baton twirler, Holly Sargis (Sissy Spacek). Based on the real-life Starkweather-Fugate killing spree of the 1950s, their story spirals into a violent journey across the Midwest badlands. This crime drama, directed by Terrence Malick in his directorial debut, was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. The film is noted for its cinematic beauty and its exploration of sociopathic disconnection, making it a standout entry in the New Hollywood era.

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  • The Hired Hand
    6

    The Hired Hand

    Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Severn Darden
    13 votes
    • Released: 1971
    • Directed by: Peter Fonda
    The Hired Hand is a 1971 American western film directed by Peter Fonda, with a screenplay by Alan Sharp. The film stars Fonda, Warren Oates, and Verna Bloom. The cinematography was by Vilmos Zsigmond, and Bruce Langhorne provided the moody film score. The story is about a man returning to his abandoned wife after seven years of drifting from job to job throughout the southwest. The embittered woman will only let him stay if he agrees to move in as a hired hand. Upon release, the film received a mixed critical response and was a financial failure. In 1973, the film was shown on NBC-TV in an expanded version, but soon drifted into obscurity. In 2001, a fully restored version was shown various film festivals, gaining strong critical praise, and it was released by the Sundance Channel on DVD. It is now considered a classic Western of the period.

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