January 27th, 2017. So about 30 minutes ago, Cogerson Son #2 called the house and said…”You need to write a new UMR page.” I responded….”Uh-oh…who passed away?” When he said “John Hurt” ….many of his movies flashed through my head. So as a tribute to his movie career…I decided to list the movies that popped into my head when I heard this sad news.
John Hurt (1940-2017) was an Oscar® nominated actor whose career lasted for over 55 years. His IMDb page shows over 200 acting credits from 1962-2017. This page will ranks our personal favorite Top 15 John Hurt movies. Rest in Peace Mr. John Hurt
John Hurt Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort John Hurt movies by his co-stars
- Sort John Hurt movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort John Hurt movies by domestic yearly box office rank
- Sort John Hurt movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each John Hurt movie received.
- Sort John Hurt movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
My Top 15 John Hurt Movies
- Alien (1979) …one of the greatest science fiction movies of all-time….plus he is the focus of the most famous scene in the movie
- The Elephant Man (1980)….his performance as John Merrick…better known as the Elephant Man…is sensational….and well deserving of his Oscar® nomination that he received for the role
- Snowpiercer (2014)….yet another great science fiction role…one of my favorite movies of 2014
- Midnight Express (1979)….this is a brutal film to watch….it is after all about a Turkish prison….but Hurt received this first Oscar® nomination for this movie
- V for Vendetta (2006)….here is a common theme…John Hurt in another great movie that takes place in the future
- Owning Mahowny (2003)….Roger Ebert raved about John Hurt’s performance in this movie….and that got me to really appreciate the subtle great performance of Hurt in this one
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)….his role as Mr. Ollivander (played him 3 times) is pretty small…but his role as the wand seller introduced him to a brand new generation of movie fans
- Hellboy (2004) …..love this movie….and Hurt is a blast to watch….wish he had come back for a bigger role in the sequel
- 1984 (1984)….the George Orwell classic novel came to the big screen the same exact year the novel takes place…Hurt is stellar as the main character
- Contact (1997)…..this is actually one of my wife’s favorite movies….but I really like his performance as the crazed billionaire pulling all the strings
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)….ok….I strongly dislike this movie….but having a major role in a major franchise like this ….gets it listed here
- From the Hip (1987)….always thought his performance in this one was Oscar worthy….saw this in a packed theater that has highly entertained by this movie…added bonus…..my first date with my now wife ended with us watching this movie on DVD
- Heaven’s Gate (1980)….yes this is considered one of the biggest Hollywood bombs of all-time…but if you ever get a chance to see the director’s cut….you will find a great John Hurt performance
- Jake Speed (1986)….granted this has a horrible critic/audience rating…but I had fun watching it back on HBO in the 1980s…where it seemed to play all the time
- The Osterman Weekend (1983)…directed by Sam Peckinpah….co-starring the legend Burt Lancaster…John Hurt seems to be having fun playing the role
Hurt gave a strong supporting role in 10 Rillington Place opposite Sir Richard Attenborough. Rest in peace.
Hey Flora….gotta admit….not too award of 10 Rillingon Place…I will have to check that one down and watch it…thanks for the suggestion and the comment of Mr.Hurt. Rest in Peace.
R. I. P. to a spectacular actor
Hey Bob…I agree 100%
Sad to hear…nice write up…I have seen 6 of these that I can remember. I cannot remember where I saw/heard it that Ridley Scott did not tell the other actors what was going to happen with the alien coming out of the stomach….pretty cool tactic. RIP.
Hey BryRog57….I am sure if I had listed all of his movies…your tally would be much higher…..but 6 of my favorites is pretty impressive. Yep the trick Scott pulled off was a classic one indeed. Love watching that scene and seeing their faces. RIP.
I remember him for Alien but, my favorite roles of his were the small parts. V for Vendetta, Hellboy, Snowpiercer …etc…. a very distinct personality.
Hey Scotty…the three movies you listed are pretty good….and among my favorites as well. Thanks for stopping by our John Hurt tribute page.
Sad news. But looking at your favorite Hurt movies makes me appreciate the movies he left behind. Rest In Peace.
Hey SteinHOF….glad my list helped you appreciate his career a little it more. Sad day. Rest in Peace Mr. Hurt.