The Best Sam Mendes Movies, Ranked
23 credits from 1993 to 2024, ranked by the Movie Echo Score — a blend of critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. 1917 (2019) comes out on top with a score of 80. The biggest box office hit is Skyfall (2012) with $1.11B worldwide. Below: the best films by genre and by decade, the most awarded and the newest releases.
Biggest Sam Mendes Box Office Hits
Sam Mendes's films have made $2.3B worldwide in total. Skyfall (2012) is the biggest hit at $1.11B, ahead of 1917 (2019) ($446M). Lifetime grosses, with each film's domestic share.
- 1
Skyfall 2012 · Action $1.11B $304M dom. - 2
1917 2019 · Drama $446M $159M dom. - 3
American Beauty 1999 · Drama $356M $130M dom. - 4
Road to Perdition 2002 · Adventure $181M $104M dom. - 5
Jarhead 2005 · Biography $97.1M $62.7M dom. - 6
Revolutionary Road 2008 · Drama $76M $22.9M dom. - 7
Away We Go 2009 · Drama $15.8M $9.45M dom. - 8
Empire of Light 2022 · Drama $11.4M $1.18M dom. - 9
National Theatre Live: The Lehman Trilogy 2019 · Drama $7.87M $326K dom. - 10
National Theatre Live: The Motive and the Cue 2024 · Drama $1.43M
The Best Sam Mendes Movie in Every Genre
The best-rated film in each genre Sam Mendes has worked in, the genres with the most films first. Drama leads with 8 films, and 1917 (2019) is the pick of them.
The Best Sam Mendes Movie of Each Decade
One pick per decade of Sam Mendes's career, newest decade first: the best-rated film of each ten years, from 1990s to 2020s.
Most Awarded Sam Mendes Movies
Sam Mendes's films with wins at the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database, the most decorated first. American Beauty (1999) leads with 22 wins from 37 nominations.
The Latest Sam Mendes Movies
The most recent films Sam Mendes is credited on, newest first — starting with National Theatre Live: The Motive and the Cue (2024). Open any of them for the cast, ratings, box office and where to watch.
- National Theatre Live: The Motive and the Cue 2024 · Director
- Empire of Light 2022 · Director
- 1917 2019 · Director
- National Theatre Live: The Lehman Trilogy 2019 · Director
-
SPECTRE 2015 · Director -
National Theatre Live: King Lear 2014 · Director - Skyfall 2012 · Director
- Away We Go 2009 · Director
- Revolutionary Road 2008 · Director
- Jarhead 2005 · Director
- Road to Perdition 2002 · Director
- American Beauty 1999 · Director
The Best Sam Mendes Movies: Questions & Answers
The best-rated, highest-grossing, most awarded and newest Sam Mendes films, answered from the rankings on this page.
What is the best Sam Mendes movie?
1917 (2019) is the best-rated Sam Mendes film, with a Movie Echo Score of 80, ahead of Empire of Light (2022) (60). The Movie Echo Score blends critic reviews, audience ratings and how well a film has lasted.
1917: cast, ratings & box office What is the highest-grossing Sam Mendes movie?
Skyfall (2012) made the most at the box office, with $1.11B worldwide, followed by 1917 (2019) with $446M. Together, Sam Mendes's films with box office figures have made $2.3B.
Which Sam Mendes movie won the most awards?
American Beauty (1999) is the most decorated Sam Mendes film, with 22 wins from 37 nominations across the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database.
What is the best Sam Mendes drama movie?
1917 (2019) is the best-rated of Sam Mendes's drama films, with a score of 80. In other genres: Skyfall (action), Jarhead (biography) and Road to Perdition (adventure).
What is the newest Sam Mendes movie?
The newest film on Sam Mendes's filmography is National Theatre Live: The Motive and the Cue (2024), directed by Sam Mendes.
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