Ever since the debut of his 20-minute short film The Hard Case, Guy Ritchie has proven to be an immensely stylistic filmmaker capable of reinventing the British crime movie subgenre with his work in the late 1990s. Crime cinema certainly did not begin with Ritchie, as influential filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Michael Mann had already been pushing the subgenre forward with their work in the previous decade. However, the infusion of dark humor, nonlinear storytelling, chaotic non-sequiturs, and stylized action sequences have ensured that each of Ritchie’s projects feels unique to his specific worldview.
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It’s been an interesting few years for Ritchie, as he briefly flirted with blockbuster filmmaking by directing the live-action remake of the Disney animated classic Aladdin and the severely underrated fantasy epic King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. However, the release of Ritchie’s new Netflix series The Gentlemen indicates that the director is best when he’s returning to his roots. At their best, Ritchie’s electrifying films are entertaining and endlessly rewatchable, offering something new with each new viewing.
10 ‘Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre’ (2023)
Cast: Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett
Image via Lionsgate
Of all of Ritchie’s collaborators, his relationship with Jason Statham may be his most important. With his snarky attitude and ability to perform elaborate stunts, Statham proved to be a perfect fit to lead Ritchie’s ambitious spy thriller Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. Although the old-fashioned espionage caper features some memorable turns from both Aubrey Plaza and Carey Elwes, it’s the effortless charisma of Statham and Ritchie’s sly commentary on Hollywood cynicism that makes Operation Fortune so rewatchable.
Although there are more than enough comic hijinks involving side characters played by Josh Hartnett and Hugh Grant to keep the viewer entertained, the ending of Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre suggests that Ritchie might have another original franchise on his hands. While the film’s critical and commercial performance may have been a bit muted, it would certainly be interesting to see him reunite the cast for another installment that could get even wackier.
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9 ‘RocknRolla’ (2008)
Cast: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Idris Elba
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
The critical and financial disappointments of Swept Away and Revolver suggested that audiences may have fallen out of favor with Ritchie, as his style no longer felt as exciting as it had been in the immediate aftermath of his debut. However, Ritchie secured a major comeback with his action-packed thriller RocknRolla, solidifying his mastery of intricately told crime stories.
A brooding performance by Gerard Butler and memorable side performances from Idris Elba and the late great Tom Wilkinson gave even more great actors the chance to deliver Ritchie’s snappy dialogue. It’s a particularly rewatchable film for both hardcore and casual Ritchie fans because of how significantly it diverges tonally from his other projects. Indeed, and while it certainly contains the dark humor that’s ever-present in all of his projects, RocknRolla is a slightly darker film for Ritchie that reflects the realities of the criminal lifestyle.
RocknRolla
Release Date September 4, 2008
Runtime 114
Rent on Amazon
8 ‘Wrath of Man’ (2021)
Cast: Jason Statham, Josh Hartnett, Holt McCallany
Image via United Artists Releasing
Many filmmakers struggled to launch new crowdpleasers in the post-COVID era. However, Wrath of Man proved there is still a place for intimate and subversive action pieces from reliable directors as the film became an unexpected box office success. It also shows Ritchie’s willingness to step outside his comfort zone; Wrath of Man is a more oblique revenge thriller that felt directly influenced by classics like Death Wish and Point Blank.
One of the most interesting films in Ritchie’s catalog, Wrath of Man is uncompromisingly bleak and contains some truly shocking moments of violence. Anchoring it all is Statham in one of his best performances as a heartbroken security guard who goes on a dark path of vengeance after his son is killed by gangsters. The surprisingly emotional storyline certainly elevates Wrath of Man, proving Ritchie to be much more than just a superfluous stylist.
Watch on Amazon
7 ‘The Covenant’ (2023)
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Dar Salim, Jonny Lee Miller
Image via MGM
Although his endeavors in making large-scale blockbusters were certainly a notable shift from the low-budget neo-noirs he started his career with, The Covenant is unlike anything else Ritchie has ever done. The director ditches any self-imposed sense of irony or sarcastic banter to tell a grounded, relevant story about the relationship between a veteran U.S. Marine (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his loyal translator (Dar Salim).
The film’s closing title cards indicate that Ritchie had political motivations for telling this story about the brave men who were left behind in the Afghanistan War. While the more serious tone may surprise some of Ritchie’s fans, The Covenant is an effective military thriller anchored by two great performances. The strong chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Salim allows the film to reach deeply emotional places that could have easily felt saccharine had the approach not been well-measured.
Watch on Amazon
6 ‘Sherlock Holmes’ (2009)
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Image via Warner Bros.
Given that the characters belong to the public domain, there have been countless cinematic versions of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthuro Conan Doyle’s classic detective. However, Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes film radically reinvents the character by using his signature visual style to get into the famous sleuth’s worldview.
Getting to see how Holmes gathers clues and puts together his cases made Sherlock Holmes an immensely enjoyable viewing experience. There are allusions to many of Doyle’s classic stories, but Sherlock Holmes is really a buddy adventure set in the late 19th century. Despite the historical setting, the chemistry between Robert Downey Jr.’s Holmes and Jude Law’s Dr. John Watson has the sensibilities of a modern action comedy. Fast-paced, funny, and elevated by one of Hans Zimmer’s best scores, Sherlock Holmes is an endlessly rewatchable adventure that seems as fresh today as it was in 2009.
Rent on Amazon
5 ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ (2011)
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace
Image via Warner Bros.
Downey Jr. gives one of his best performances in the first Sherlock Holmes. However, he’s in equally high spirits in the sequel, which manages to go to even darker and more absurd places than its predecessor. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows contains more of what worked about the first film: more sleuthing, additional elaborate setpieces, and great banter between Downey Jr. and Law.
Once Ritchie established his version of Sherlock Holmes, he had ambitious ideas of where to take the franchise next. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows brought back an iconic Holmes antagonist with Jared Harris’ Professor James Moriarty. The battle of wits between Holmes and his most ruthless nemesis made Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows one of the most rewatchable films ever made about the world’s greatest detective. Downey Jr. and Harris are magnetic together, each trying to outdo the other and meeting halfway. It’s a remarkable battle of wits that is further enhanced by Ritchie’s distinctive flair.
Rent on Amazon
4 ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ (2015)
Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Superman might be the character most people think of when discussing Henry Cavill. However, Cavill proved himself capable of leading a franchise with his performance in Ritchie’s old-fashioned spy thriller The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Loosely inspired by the classic 1960s television series of the same name, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. teamed up Cavill’s charismatic spy Napoleon Solo with the headstrong KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) and the American mechanic Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander) for a rollicking international adventure.
As one would expect from Ritchie, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a perfect balance of cheeky humor and extravagant action set pieces. Cavill is at his dashing best as Solo, supported by a stellar cast that includes a deliciously wicked Elizabeth Debicki. While it, unfortunately, did not perform well enough to generate interest in a sequel, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a refreshing homage to the spy genre that didn’t take itself too seriously. It’s stylish, funny, action-packed, and incredibly entertaining; in a fair world, this would’ve been Cavill’s main franchise.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Release Date August 13, 2015
Runtime 116
Rent on Amazon
3 ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ (1998)
Cast: Jason Fleming, Dexter Fletcher, Jason Statham
Image Via Gramercy Pictures
A filmmaker cannot always be judged by their directorial debut, as a first film is often an exercise in style more than it is a completely polished work. However, Ritchie established the fundamental qualities of his style with his outrageous directorial debut Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, a film that has been imitated countless times since.
While many great yet underrated British crime films have attempted to capture the same anarchic style Ritchie perfected, they haven’t captured the unique blend of spontaneity and irreverence that made Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels so influential. Relatively small-scale compared to his later work, Ritchie’s films continue to draw inspiration from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The film established his interest in the gangster culture of underground London and the electrifying world of illegal gambling and drug deals gone awry. It’s also incredibly fun, explosive, and irresistible, making it an ideal rewatch for fans of the crime genre.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Release Date August 28, 1998
Runtime 106 minutes
Rent on Amazon
2 ‘The Gentlemen’ (2020)
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Matthew McConaughey
Image via STXfilms
Although it briefly seemed like he would be shackled to massive blockbusters for the rest of his career, Ritchie returned to his roots with the delightfully absurd dark comedy thriller The Gentlemen. With stylistic allusions to films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, the film’s fourth-wall-breaking elements indicate a self-awareness on Ritchie’s part. The Gentlemen wasn’t just another gangster flick but a study by Ritchie on how he chooses to tell stories.
To top it all off, The Gentlemen may have the greatest cast of any Ritchie film. Between Charlie Hunnam as a hard-edged mob enforcer, Hugh Grant as an idiosyncratic journalist, Matthew McConaughey as a headstrong marijuana kingpin, Eddie Marsden as a self-obsessed publisher, and Colin Farrell as an eccentric hitman, The Gentlemen is packed with some of Ritchie’s best characters. It’s easy to see why this film is so ridiculously rewatchable; The Gentlemen is non-stop fun, an ever-entertaining film that asks little of its audience but gives so much in return.
Rent on Amazon
1 ‘Snatch’ (2000)
Cast: Jason Statham, Stephen Graham, Brad Pitt
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Although it’s unfair to say that he “peaked early” in his career, Ritchie has never made a film that’s as purely entertaining as Snatch. The ensemble-led London crime thriller exposes the strange, violent, and occasionally hilarious experiences intrinsic to the criminal lifestyle. Perfecting Ritchie’s penchant for nonlinear storytelling, Snatch is easily the most quotable of Ritchie’s films, crackling with some of the best one-liners and insults.
Often accused of being a director who favors style over substance, Snatch is proof of Ritchie’s ability to write great characters. Between letting Statham play a charismatic British gangster and casting Brad Pitt against type as a wild Irish boxer, Ritchie certainly proves that he can make the most of a great ensemble cast. Based purely on the film’s influence on his career and its raw entertainment power, Snatch is easily the most rewatchable entry in Ritchie’s canon thus far.
Snatch
Release Date September 1, 2000
Runtime 103
Watch on MGM+
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