Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the most celebrated actors of his time. Before his tragic death a few years ago, Hoffman was known for a particular style that made him one of the greats. Towards the end of his life, Hoffman found himself gaining more and more traction, with rumors circulating that he was supposed to eventually join several franchises after the conclusion of The Hunger Games trilogy. While his unique style earned him the high praise he often received, certain roles and films will always be remembered a bit more fondly than others. To celebrate some of the actor’s best works over the years, here is our list of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s 10 best movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
A Most Wanted Man (87%)
One of the actor’s last films was also one of his greatest. In A Most Wanted Man (2014) Hoffman plays Gunther Bachmann, a german agent whose goal in the film is to catch Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin), an escaped militant. Overall, the film is an excellent thriller, and a great take on the spy/espionage subgenre.
Based on the book of the same name, A Most Wanted Man sees Hoffman in one of his best roles. While he has certainly had stronger performances, he still delivers an incredibly convincing and intimidating performance for this film. Even with a strong story at the helm, Hoffman’s performance is one of it’s best aspects.
Scent of a Woman (88%)
Though Hoffman isn’t the star of Scent of a Woman (1992), it is still an incredibly well-made film featuring the actor. The film mostly follows Charlie Simms (Chris O’Donnell) as he struggles with school and taking care of Frank Slade (Al Pacino), a blind alcoholic. While the film is mostly about the relationship between the two, Hoffman still plays a significant supporting role.
Hoffman himself plays George Willis Jr., another student who finds himself in the same predicament as Charlie. Because of this, Hoffman is still seen quite often in the film. Though Al Pacino won an Oscar for his performance as Frank, Hoffman was still able to shine in his own way.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (88%)
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007) offers a unique spin on a typical heist movie. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke star as the Hanson brothers, both of whom are trying to steal as much money as they can and flee to Brazil before Andy (Hoffman) gets caught.
However, despite the teamwork needed to accomplish the mission, the two brothers have a lot of drama between them that eventually starts to get in the way. Eventually, drugs, blackmail, and all sorts of other things begin to play a factor in the story, though it does a great job of never losing its focus. The film itself won several awards for the cast, which makes sense given the performances all around.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (89%)
After the monumental success of The Hunger Games (2012), the film’s sequel was released shortly after. Though the books are held in a different regard, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) is considered to be the best movie of the four. Hoffman also enters the series with this film as Plutarch Heavensbee, the Gamemaker for the returning challengers.
While Hoffman, again, wasn’t a major character in the film, fans often praised him for his portrayal of the character. Likewise, Hoffman would reprise his role for both parts 1 & 2 of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, though Hoffman unfortunately passed during the filming of part 2. Regardless, Hoffman always seemed comfortable as part of the franchise, and it is saddening to know that he never finished the project.
The Savages (89%)
Laura Linney stars alongside Hoffman in the 2007 comedy drama, The Savages. The two play a brother/sister duo as they try to care for their elderly father. The story itself is actually incredibly heartfelt, and one of the better emotional rollercoasters out there.
The film itself received a lot of praise during its initial release. Furthermore, it even went on to win 2 Academy Awards. While Hoffman didn’t win for this performance in particular, he still received great praise, easily making this film one of his best.
Capote (90%)
2005’s Capote saw Hoffman win an Oscar for his portrayal of the real life author, and deservedly so. Not only does Hoffman actually bear a striking resemblance to the real Truman Capote, but he also delivered what is arguably his best performance of all time.
Hoffman’s take on Capote is passionate, believable, and emotional, making it easy to see why he won the Oscar. Furthermore, with a great story, fantastic direction, and a great supporting cast, Capote is well-deserving of its place on this list. Any fan of true dramas is almost guaranteed to be a fan of this film.
Nobody’s Fool (91%)
As one of the actor’s earlier films, Nobody’s Fool (1994) sees Hoffman in an incredibly minor role. As Officer Raymer, Hoffman really doesn’t make a significant appearance until the end of the film.
Unfortunately, very little can be said of Hoffman’s performance in this film. However, it is still a very well-made movie, well deserving of its high score. Nobody’s Fool was also nominated for several Academy Awards and, while it didn’t win any, did manage to win some smaller awards. Despite being a smaller role for Hoffman, it is still a very high point in his career.
Boogie Nights (93%)
While yet another small role for Hoffman, Boogie Nights (1997) is arguably the biggest cult film to feature the actor. Well after the film’s initial release, it remains one of the high points for just about every actor featured in it, including Mark Whalberg. Set in the 70’s, Boogie Nights follows Eddie Adams (Whalberg) as he makes his way through the sex and drug scene around him.
Hoffman plays Scotty J. in the film, an incredibly minor character, and yet still a memorable one. Though it is far from the best performance Hoffman has ever given, Boogie Nights certainly helped put him on the map for bigger roles. Likewise, considering the reception towards the film both then and now makes it easy to see how it is one of the more important films under Hoffman’s belt.
Moneyball (94%)
Moneyball (2011) was easily one of the biggest films in Hoffman’s career. With an incredible amount of critical and financial success, Moneyball was regarded as one of the best films of the year, even being nominated for 6 Oscars. While Hoffman himself wasn’t nominated yet again, he is still a large and important role in the film.
As Art Howe, Hoffman plays the antagonist to Brad Pitt’s Billy Beane. The two actors actually complemented each other very well, delivering great performances all around. Even Jonah Hill, who was then typically associated with comedies, delivered a performance that earned him a nomination from the Academy. While Hoffman didn’t exactly carry the whole movie, he still felt right at home among everyone else.
Mary and Max (95%)
Adam Elliot’s Mary and Max (2009) is actually a fairly dark animated feature featuring Hoffman as Max. With a story revolving around two social outcasts, the emotional journey that audiences are taken on is actually a rather sad one.
While there are several uplifting moments, the film is a masterfully crafted story about the friendship that the two share. Despite only lending his voice, Hoffman also delivers an incredibly powerful performance. Though the animation certainly isn’t for everyone, Mary and Max (2009) is a great, lesser-known film for any fan of animated features and that particular style of storytelling.
