Pete Postlethwaite's 15 Best Movies Ranked

From Isla Sorna to Boston, Massachusetts, Pete Postlethwaite has appeared all over the map in his long and celebrated film career. Born in Lancashire, England, to a working-class family, Postlethwaite began his career on stage but quickly moved into film beginning in the mid-1970s. Initially working under his full name, Peter Postlethwaite, Postlethwaite eventually shortened his credited name for “Pete Postlethwaite” after appearing in Ridley Scott's premiere, The duelists and water land.

With a face that looks like it was carved from stone, hard eyes that seem to glow in the dark, and a raspy but crystal clear voice, Postlethwaite offers a screen presence that few have been able to match or imitate. He can play a scary villain just as well as a loving father. He's appeared in small independent films, big franchises, and many strange but fantastic films in between. Sadly, Postlethwaite passed away on January 2, 2011, but thankfully, he left an incredible legacy of performances for fans to remember him by.

15

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Pete Postlethwaite plays Captain Beams

Michael Mann Last of the Mohicans is an epic, sweeping war film based on the 1826 novel of the same name. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Nathaniel “Hawkeye” Poe, the adopted white son of a Mohican Indian, who falls in love with the commander of Fort William Henry in the Adirondack Mountains. Pete Postlethwaite plays Captain Beams, a commander at the fort who is stabbed to death while trying to protect the commander's daughters. As always, Postlethwaite is an intimidating presence and her death marks a real loss of security for the two girls.

14

Amistad (1997)

Pete Postlethwaite plays William S. Holabird

Stephen Spielberg Amistad is based on the true story of the Spanish slave ship, La Amistadat the beginning of the 19th century, when African men destined for slavery in America took control of the boat and almost escaped. The film mainly deals with the legal case that developed later. Pete Postlethwaite plays William S. Holabird, the U.S. attorney who brings piracy and murder charges against slaves. Postlethwaite is far from a sympathetic character in Amistadbut he makes Holabird's evil seem human and therefore more sinister, rather than cartoonish and malicious.

13

Alien 3 (1992)

Pete Postlethwaite plays David

One of the first films to bring Pete Postlethwaite to the attention of the general public was Alien 3David Fincher's ill-fated entry into a franchise that still continues almost half a century later. Postlethwaite plays David, one of the inmates of the foundry and prison planet, Fiorina “Fury” 161. David is notably more intelligent than some of the other men imprisoned with him, which makes his confrontation with the Xenomorph all the more shocking. There's a lot wrong with Alien 3but David is a bright spot, and Postlethwaite's announcement that he was ready for more blockbuster roles.

12

The Usual Suspects (1995)

Pete Postlethwaite plays Mr.

The usual suspects may be best known for the now-legendary twist at the end of the film, but the rest of the film also has a lot to offer. This crime thriller depicts the interrogation of Roger “Verbal” Kint (Kevin Spacey), who tells a twisty story about why he and his crew were at the scene of a massacre and fire. Its story involves a mysterious lawyer named Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite). Postlethwaite appears intermittently throughout the story, and his memorable face is pivotal to the film's ending and ensures that he will be enshrined in film history forever.

11

Dragonheart (1996)

Pete Postlethwaite plays Brother Gilbert of Glockenspur

Dragon Heart is a 1996 fantasy adventure that follows Sir Bowen (Dennis Quaid), a disgraced knight who forms a bond with the last dragon, Draco (Sean Connery). Together, the pair decided to stop the evil King Einon (David Thewlis), who has half of Draco's heart inside him. Bowen is assisted by Brother Gilbert of Glockenspur (Pete Postlethwaite), a monk and aspiring poet. Dragon Heart has grown in esteem over the years, and Postlethwaite's performance didn't need to age considering how good it was to begin with. He brings charm and humor to the film every time he appears.

10

James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Pete Postlethwaite plays the magician/narrator

For a certain age group of movie lovers, James and the Giant Peach it was his first introduction to Pete Postlethwaite. His haunting, magical, and awe-inspiring arrival in the film as the narrator and architect of James's (Paul Terry) escape from his evil aunts cemented the actor as a legendary figure in many young minds. Henry Selick hits the perfect tone with his stop-motion adventure, delving into the scary and moving, and Postlethwaite's powerful, almost otherworldly narration makes it a true children's classic.

9

Closing the Ring (2007)

Pete Postlethwaite plays Michael Quinlan

Pete Postlethwaite plays Michael Quinlan in Closing the Ringa romantic war film set over many years. In it, recently widowed Ethel Ann Harris (Shirley MacLaine) reflects on the complicated love life of her past. While her love was abroad during the war, his plane crashed and the ring he promised Ethel was taken by Michael, who did not return it. It's a somewhat complicated and operatic film, but the actors are all wonderfully prepared for the moving drama. Postlethwaite's sad recognition of his failures at the end may be the best scene.

8

The Omen (2006)

Pete Postlethwaite plays Father Brennan

2006 The omen It may not be as shocking and revolutionary as the original film, but it's still one of the best horror remakes to come out in the 21st century. Pete Postlethwaite plays Father Brennan in this version, the priest who claims to have been there when Damien (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) was born, eventually revealing that the mother was a jackal and that Damien is the Antichrist. It takes strength of delivery and a powerful voice to say a line like that and make it as scary as the originaland Postlethwaite plays it completely straight, heightening the horror.

7

Distant Voices, Still Lifes (1988)

Pete Postlethwaite plays the father/Tommy Davies

Distant voices, still lives is made up of two separate films, shot two years apart, but with the same cast and crew. Postlethwaite plays the father of the central Davies family, Tommy Davies. It's a beautifully constructed and unusual film that manages to weave two separate stories into a coherent whole. Postlethwaite is violent and abusive as Tommy, a scourge to his entire family, and his performance is almost alarming in its rawness. As the film progresses to his later years, Tommy's inability to deal with his past actions is written painfully on Postlethwaite's face.

6

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Pete Postlethwaite plays Roland Tembo

Jurassic Park: The Lost World is an underrated entry into the Jurassic Park and World franchise, which takes place a few years after the events of the first film and features some of the best action in the franchise, as well as a bold story that never lets up. Pete Postlethwaite stars as Roland Tembo, whose name alone places him in the highest echelons of “cool” characters. He is capable and intelligent, and much more complex than his desire to hunt animals for sport would suggest. When he faces a roaring T. rex, the audience believes Roland will make it out alive.

5

The Constant Gardener (2005)

Pete Postlethwaite plays Dr. Brandt

The Constant Gardener is a 2005 drama based on John le Carré's 2001 novel and starring Ralph Fiennes as Justin Quayle, a British diplomat in Kenya who must solve the case of his murdered wife, Tessa (Rachel Weisz), which is shown primarily in a flashback of their courtship. . Pete Postlethwaite plays Dr. Lorbeer, the inventor of a new drug, Dypraxa, which has been linked to the deaths of local residents. Lorbeer is a man tormented by guilt and although Postlethwaite plays him with pride, the pain of his actions weighs heavily on his shouldersa juxtaposition that Postlethwaite describes perfectly.

4

Weakened (1996)

Pete Postlethwaite plays Danny

Brass is a little-seen comedy-drama that deserves much more love. Loosely based on the UK miners' strike of the 1980s, Brass follows Gloria Mullins (Tara Fitzgerald), an agent for the British Coal Board, who goes to the town of Grimley to determine whether her mining operation, which employs most of the town, is profitable. She comes across the town's impressive brass band, led by Danny Ormondroyd (Pete Postlethwaite), who is a proud man trying to keep his teammates' spirits afloat in the toughest of times. Notably, one of Danny's lines opens Chumbawamba's “Tubthumping.”

3

The City (2010)

Pete Postlethwaite plays Fergus “Fergie” Colm

Ben Affleck The city is an intense, exciting and intelligent heist film starring Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively and Pete Postlethwaite. In the crime-ridden neighborhood of Charleston, Boston, a group of thieves pulls off one last heist before the FBI finally tracks them down. Operating the criminal organization is Fergie, the florist (Pete Postlethwait), whose love of bushes hides a sadistic streak. Every word out of Postlethwaite's mouth is chilling, and he barely needs to look at Affleck to make the bigger man cringe.

2

Among Giants (1998)

Pete Postlethwaite plays Ray

Among Giants stars Pete Postlethwaite as Ray, a downtrodden, middle-aged father of two who is separated from his wife. When he and his friends are hired to take on a dangerous and hidden job painting electricity poles, Ray meets happy-go-lucky Australian backpacker Gerry (Rachel Griffiths). The pair begin a relationship that strains their other friendships, and as time passes, both participants are unsure of what they want. It is one of the few romantic performances of Postlethwaite's career.and he portrays his character's longing with a deeply moving performance.

1

In the Name of the Father (1993)

Pete Postlethwaite plays Giuseppe Conlon

In the Name of the Father is a biographical crime drama based on the true story of the Guilford Four, four men who were wrongly convicted of the 1974 Guildford pub bombings that killed four off-duty British soldiers and civilians. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Gerard Patrick “Gerry” Conlon and his father, Patrick “Giuseppe” Conlon, is played by Pete Postlethwaite. Postlethwaite received an Oscar nomination for his role as Gerry's desperate and beleaguered father. Your intensity and fear for your son is heartbreaking and his silence in the face of Day-Lewis' anger is as powerful as any line reading.