Gerard Butler has rewarded his audience with more than 70,000 films in his two-decades-old career. He was instantly noted by the audience for his ruggedly charming looks. Though it’s hard for us to imagine him doing anything but acting, did you know he was studying to become a lawyer? His good looks gave him an opportunity to be a part of a play and since then he knew what he wanted to be.
Like every other established actor, he started off with small roles in movies and made sure his talent gets noticed. The 2000 release, Dracula, gave him the big break with fans going gaga over Gerard Butler while directors and producers wanted him in their next projects. As an actor, he never let his good looks hinder the type of roles he portrayed. From romance to historic drama to action thrillers, you will find everything in this list of top 10 Gerard Butler movies.
How to Train Your Dragon
The animated movie, How to Train Your Dragon, by DreamWorks animation was released in 2010. The adorable filmography grabbed the attention of the audience all across the globe with even more adorable characters. The plot follows the story of a young boy named, Hiccup, who is keen on joining the fight against dragons. But his father refrains him from doing so due to his clumsy and careless nature.
This is one of the Gerarld Butler movies that helped him prove his talent as a voice actor. He voiced the character of the village chieftain Stoick who is also against Hiccup participating in the war. Stoick’s character contributes to the emotional factor of the movie as his and Hiccup’s arguments put viewers in conflict.
| IMDb Rating: 8.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 99% |
Watch the trailer for How to Train Your Dragon:
300
No one can forget Gerard Butler from the 2006 historical action film, 300. The cinematography definitely was way beyond excellence with the top-notch action scenes to the whole set-up, all credit goes to Zack Synder. Apart from all the technical details, what grabbed everyone’s attention was Gerard Butler’s abs! Of course, his acting as well, but you know what we are trying to say *wink*.
The movie is about the famous Battle of Thermopylae fought in 480 BC between the Persian Empire and an alliance of Greek city-states. Butler played the lead character of King Leonidas and was appreciated for his realistic portrayal of the character. He even underwent strict physical transformation to do justice to his role.
| IMDb Rating: 7.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 61% |
Check out the trailer for 300:
Coriolanus
Talk about Gerard Butler movies and not mention Coriolanus? Nah, we aint not sinners! The movie is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s well-known tragic play of the same name with a modern touch. Before literature lovers can freak out, let us assure you the movie was everything but tragic. In the safe hands of Director Ralph Fiennes, the movie did full justice to Shakerpeare’s masterpiece.
Ralph Fiennes also played the lead role of Caius Martius Coriolanus, a great soldier and the hero of Rome. butler can be seen playing the role of Tullus Aufidius, Coriolanus’s sworn enemy. Even with the modern setting, the movie has successfully captured the intensity of emotions and human connections.
| IMDb Rating: 6.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92% |
Here is the trailer for Coriolanus:
The Phantom of the Opera
When the movie was released in 2004, no one could believe Gerard Butler could impress his audience with his singing talent. The Phantom of the Opera is the movie adaptation of Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical of the same name.
Gerard Butler played the gloomy lead character of The Phantom and Emmy Rossum played Christine. The plot revolves around a French Opera House where some dark events follow and when the Phantom falls for one of his students, Christine. He is willing to go to extreme extents to make his eternal bride and indulges in some maniac activities. Butler was praised for his acting and his efforts for singing his parts given that he has never been trained for singing before the movie.
Insider Goof: Since the character required some singing skills apart from the complicated acting, Hugh Jackman, was supposed to play the lead. But due to his busy schedule, Gerard Butler was signed for the movie.
| IMDb Rating: 7.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 33% |
Trailer for the movie The Phantom of the Opera:
The Vanishing
The psychological thriller was released in 2018 and is one of the most underrated Gerard Butler movies. The movie is based on the infamous case of the 1900 disappearance of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse crew. The movie premiered at the Sitges Film Festival.
The plot revolves around three men, James, Thomas, and Donald played by Butler, Peter Mullan, and Connor Swindles respectively. The three men work as lighthouse keepers but soon start discovering some dark truths about the place. Just when you think the plot can’t get any darker, it does. The Vanishing is the kind of movie that will stay with you even after days of watching.
| IMDb Rating: 5.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 85% |
Enjoy the trailer for The Vanishing:
Copshop
Copshop is one of Gerard Butler new movies. If you are a sucker for action movies, this one hit just the right spot for you. Starring Butler as a lethal hitman, Bob, and Frank Grillo as a con man, Teddy, the movie was released in 2021.
Teddy has to keep himself safe at any cost as he has no one to trust. In desperation, he comes up with an apparently foolproof plan to get himself arrested intentionally with the help of a rookie cop. But his foolproof plan is challenged when he sees Bob in the same police station. His survival is in danger and what follows is an action-packed adrenaline-filled event and the rat race to survive at all costs.
| IMDb Rating: 6.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 82% |
Watch the trailer for the movie Copshop:
Greenland
The 2020 Gerard Butler movie is built around an apocalypse event where a planet-killing comet races towards Earth and people are willing to extreme extents for the sake of their survival. Butler plays the character of John Garrity, an engineer, who is asked to report to a secret bunker.
John takes his wife and his diabetic son with him in hopes of keeping them safe in the bunker. They face a brutal dilemma when their son is denied access to the bunke and his wife gets separated due to some confusion. The movie very well portrayed the dark side of society and the human mind when challenged with extreme situations.
| IMDb Rating: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 78% |
Here is the trailer for Greenland:
Den of Thieves
Den of Thieves or Criminal Squad is a heist action film released in 2018. The movie is a multi-starrer with Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, Curtis Jackson, Evan Jones, Dawn Olivieri, Mo McRae, and Max Holloway. The movie is part of the best Gerard Butler movies not just for his work but for the best in class action scenes and realistic portrayal of crime scenes.
The movie is about a group of cops trying to stop the robbery of the Federal Reserve Bank by the most successful group of criminals. The first half of the movie might seem a bit slow with each of the character’s background stories, but the second half makes up for it. Butler plays the character of ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien, a drunk detective who has too much to deal with in his personal life which reflects in his professional life as well.
| IMDb Rating: 7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 41% |
Trailer for the movie Den of Thieves:
The Ugly Truth
The rom-com was released in 2009, starring Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl in the lead. Katherine plays the character of, Abby, a TV producer who has to hire a misogynistic relationship advisor, Mike Chadway, against her will for the sake of TRP.
Abby and Mike have opposite views on life and romance but when they know more about each other it seems to balance out perfectly. And yes you guessed it right, eventually, they fall for each other. The movie might seem a bit cliche but trust me it has got more to offer than just two opposite people coming together. The movie very well addresses some misogynistic and sexist topics without offending any of the groups.
| IMDb Rating: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 14% |
Enjoy the trailer for The Ugly Truth:
Olympus Has Fallen
The 2013 political action thriller Olympus Has Fallen was well received by the audience and critics. The movie got a sequel in 2016 titled London Has Fallen and then a third part in 2019 titled Angel Has Fallen. The movie was a box office success grossing over $170 million.
Olympus is the secret service code for the White House. The movie is based on the terrorist attack on the White House and the President being kidnapped. Aaron Eckhart plays the role of President Benjamin Asher while Butler plays the role of Mike Banning, former Presidential Secret Service Agent. While everything seems out of control, Mike is the only person who can help the force take over the White House and free the President.
| IMDb Rating: 6.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 50% |
Check out the trailer for Olympus Has Fallen:
Conclusion
This list is just a glimpse of the Gerard Butler movies. If you dive deeper into his filmography you will come across some interesting and underrated gems. In his two decades of career, there has not been any moment where he took his audience for granted and it reflects in the quality of his work. Hope you were able to find at least one of your favorite Gerard Butler movies on the list and discover some new favorites.
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Soumya Nair is an entertainment industry enthusiast who loves to write and bring in all the gossip and news to everyone interested. She always make sure to keep a keen eye on everything that goes behind the glam and glitter of the industry.
