All 13 Stanley Kubrick movies, ranked worst to best

Stanley Kubrick is one of the most iconic and legendary directors of all time, but from 1952 to 1999, he only directed 13 feature films, which speaks to the time and care he puts into each project. Stanley Kubrick was born in 1928 in New York City. He had a strong interest in film and photography from a young age, and began working as a professional photographer before starting to make his own short films in the early 1950s. It was also at this point that Kubrick began to make connections in the film industry that helped him get started and start making feature films.

While his first forays into film showed promise and some of the elements that would go on to become his trademarks, it took Kubrick time to hone his talents. however, He clearly showed tremendous talent, and found success working in many different aspects of filmmaking. While many of his earliest films were collaborative efforts, Kubrick began to show a preference for working mostly independently, with him claiming the roles of director, writer, and producer on most of his films. Despite his tendency to take control to such an extent, Kubrick proved to be talented and created some of the most influential films in cinema.

13

Fear and desire

Released in 1953

Fear and desire was Kubrick’s film debut in 1952, and one of only three films where he did not write the screenplay. The film was written by Howard Sackler, and has a war story in an unidentified location. Largely, the film reveals some of Kubrick’s deeply held views on the brutality of war. However, the story is not quite as coherent as Kubrick’s later work.

Additionally, there were elements of this one-hour-long independent film that mean it was easily surpassed by the rest of Kubrick’s filmography. Despite the teasing issues and flaws in the film, Fear and desire was a solid first entry from Kubrick that clearly hinted at his extraordinary talent. And, just a few years later, he would make a new war movie that would deliver the same message in a much more effective way.

12

Killer’s kiss

Released in 1955

in 1955, Kubrick teamed up with Sackler to make again Killer’s kiss. Due to his frustration with his film debut, he removed the earlier title from circulation. however, Killer’s kiss was a massive improvement that won Kubrick the Lorcano International Film Festival Award for Best Director. Drawing on his love of boxing, Kubrick wrote a story that revolved around a retired boxer and a series of strange events that lead him to catch a train to his hometown.

The film was good enough to get Kubrick a $100,000 deal for the film, on the condition that he change the ending to a happy one, and another $100,000 for his next film, The murder. This was one of the inciting events that probably pushed Kubrick to seek so much control and independence over his films.But he is obliged to continue pursuing his passion for filmmaking.

11

Lolita

Released in 1956

On the back of Kubrick’s four-time Oscar award-winning film, SpartacusHe moved on to adapt a controversial novel that would also be nominated for an Academy Award. Lolita Deals with extremely difficult subject matter, but Kubrick was passionate about exploring stories that challenged the audience. However, considering the film’s themes, it was heavily censored and received a mixed critical response.

The film is a dark comedy story, which is a much clearer vision of the kind of humor and themes that Kubrick used throughout the rest of his career. It was also the first time that Kubrick worked with Peter Sellers, an extremely popular actor for the time. The twists and subversions in the story are also indicative of Kubrick’s work.

10

The murder

Released in 1956

The murder was Kubrick’s first foray into criminal heist films, which helped to expand his portfolio beyond war films, and tackle something with a little more complexity. The film brings together five ambitious men to pull off a robbery at a horse racetrack. Despite never having made a heist movie before or since, Kubrick’s work was incredibly influential in the genre, helping to increase the genre’s popularity.

Kubrick had a talent for creating genre-defining films and iconic classics, and The murder is the first entry in his filmography, which really stood out in this way. however, This was still very early in Kubrick’s career, and his best was yet to come. Regardless, the movie is a transitional point in Kubrick’s career that would put him on a streak of creating outstanding new films for many more decades before he died in 1999.

9

Spartacus

Released in 1960

in 1960, Spartacus With Kirk Douglas became Kubrick’s biggest commercial success. The film had a star-studded cast, won four Oscars, and made Kubrick a household name. However, the film was also a collaboration with Kirk Douglas, with whom Kubrick had worked before Paths of glory in 1957. However, Kubrick had a unique relationship with the film and Douglas.

Although the film was clearly a milestone in Kubrick’s career, it was also the project over which he had the least creative control. Kubrick was hired as a director a short way into the film’s production after the previous director was fired by Douglas and his production company. It was the last time Kubrick surrendered so much creative control, and the second-to-last time he made a film where he didn’t take on the role of director, writer, and producer at the same time.

8

Eyes wide shut

Released in 1999

Kubrick was a man who loved his work as a filmmaker. This is perhaps best seen in his last film, Eyes wide shutA film he completed days before his death in 1999. Kubrick believed this project to be his greatest contribution to cinema, and while it obviously didn’t help considering the success of many of his other works, Eyes wide shut Has a special place in his filmography.

The movie stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in an intense psychological drama that reveals a deeply flawed romantic relationship.. The film became Kubrick’s most commercially successful when it pulled in over $162 million at the box office ( via Box Office Mojo). However, Kubrick never sought commercial success, preferring to tell stories that explore the depths of human emotion.

7

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Released in 1964

on that note, Dr. Strangelove was one of Kubrick’s most unconventional films. The film sees Kubrick reunited with Sellars following the success of LolitaAnd positions him as a star in multiple roles for the movie. Another dark comedy and satire that revolves around the imminent threat of nuclear war.

The film has been universally praised and hailed as one of the best comedies and films in general of all time. The satirical humor was very sharp when the movie was released in 1964. However, Kubrick went on to create other spectacular films that would be even more influential And popular with modern and contemporary audiences, withstood the test of time later in his career.

6

Barry Lyndon

Released in 1975

Just over a decade later, Kubrick made his historical war epic with a runtime of over 3 hours, Barry Lyndon. Barry Lyndon would also go on to claim four Oscar wins, thanks to the spectacular peripheral details of the film that elevated it from a simple story and made it into something that explored several pivotal moments in the life of an Irish rogue.

The film is a breathtaking example of the range and depth of Kubrick’s skill and vision for filmmaking. With a story that unfolds over decades and multiple countries, it feels like theater in a way that most films can’t come close to achieving. one more time, Kubrick took an opportunity to explore a new theme and central genre for the filmAnd he managed.

5

A Clockwork Orange

Released in 1971

However, sci-fi is arguably the area where Kubrick made the most significant contributions. In 1968, Kubrick released 2001: A Space OdysseyAnd in 1971, he released A Clockwork Orange. Both films explore unique sci-fi stories, with A Clockwork Orange Taking a more ground level approach and focusing on the tragic character of Alex DeLarge, played by Hollywood legend Malcolm McDowell.

A Clockwork Orange was one of the first films McDowell ever starred in, and it launched his decade-long career. However, it was also a significant film in Kubrick’s body of work, as it was one of the most experimental and unusual of his entire career. The film nicely balances a study of the human psyche, and weird dystopian elements that contrast with much more traditional sensibilities.

4

Paths of glory

Released in 1957

Paths of glory was one of the earlier films in Kubrick’s career, but it remains one of the most significant. A collaboration between Kubrick, Douglas and Harris, the film is a much more accomplished and relevant version of the anti-war sentiments that were present in Fear and desire. The movie follows a group of young soldiers who refuse to press ahead with a suicide mission.

The movie then shifts to exploring the act of treason in a space-martial setting, where they must depend on their commanding officer to protect them. The movie is nothing short of spectacular, And it is easily one of the most valuable war movies ever made. However, some of Kubrick’s other works have become even more iconic since they debuted.

Released in 1987

Kubrick’s final film revolved around war, and his penultimate film ever made was released in 1987. Full metal jacket is Kubrick’s most impressive war film in terms of the story and the performances of the leading actors involved. With a young Matthew Modine and Vincent D’Onofrio leading the cast as two soldiers, and Adam Baldwin as their commanding officer, the film is an extraordinary insight into the challenges of the soldiers who become a loaded bullet for their superiors to use as they . wish

This movie may not be Kubrick’s most profitable, his most influential, or even his most critically acclaimed, but in terms of storytelling, this is a movie that Kubrick put everything he knew about filmmaking into and it shows. The film moves between hopeful, joyful moments, and dark, devastating drama in a way that keeps the audience engaged from start to finish. And the actors involved delivered outstanding performances all round.

2

The Shining

Released in 1980

When the name Stanley Kubrick is mentioned, there are two movies that immediately come to mind for most people. For horror fans, the classic Stephen King adaptation, The Shiningis likely to be the first thing they think of. The 1980 supernatural horror story remains one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time.

It is clear that at this point in his career, Kubrick has matured to a point where he is able to draw the best performance from his actors, and get the exact emotions and feelings conveyed in their performances. Jack Nicholson stars as Jack Torrance, a writer hoping to complete his latest work while he and his family keep watch over a hotel in his off season. The film is also Kubrick’s only dedicated entry in the horror genre, But again reveals how exceptionally talented he is in creating standout movies in any genre.

1

2001: A Space Odyssey

Released in 1968

Finally, the number one movie directed by Kubrick has to be his classic sci-fi story, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film redefined what a sci-fi movie could be, and it explored concepts that were way beyond its time in 1968, with AI at the heart of the story. The film has some of the most iconic visuals and scenes in any of Kubrick’s work, and clearly shows his talents for photography that were honed years before he started making films.

In addition to his triple duty role as director, writer and producer for 2001Kubrick also took the position of director and designer of special photographic effects. This movie redefined sci-fi, and it remains one of the best films of all time. 2001With its sci-fi genre, it was a perfect match for Kubrick with the experimental nature of the genre and the possibility to run wild with imagination. As a result, the film stands out as Stanley Kubrick’s greatest work in cinema, and the best film he ever made.