There’s no doubt Tom Hanks is one of the country’s most beloved actors. Though he has a more humble view, saying on Twitter, “I’m that actor in some of the movies you liked and some you didn’t.” The multiple Oscar-winning star has an impressive filmography, both as an actor and as a director.
Which of Hanks’ movies are his greatest performances could be endlessly disputed — is it in “Philadelphia” or perhaps “Toy Story”? — but the same may be said about his disappointing roles. We turned to data to settle the debate.
To determine the best and worst Tom Hanks movies, 24/7 Tempo developed an index based on several measures from the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes. The index is a composite of each movie’s IMDb rating, Rotten Tomatoes audience score, and Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score. All ratings were weighted equally. Only films with at least 25,000 reviews on IMDb, 5,000 audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and 10 Tomatometer critics reviews were considered. Only movies in which Hanks is billed as one of the top four characters were included.
Throughout his career so far, Hanks was nominated for five Oscars, winning two consecutively (Best Actor for “Philadelphia” in 1994 and “Forrest Gump” in 1995). Despite not being nominated for almost two decades prior to 2020 — for “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” in which he plays the legendary children’s TV host Fred Rogers — Hanks was still doing some remarkable work. Half of his best 10 movies were released between 2000 and 2020.
Hanks may have added a few more films to the top of the list — or to the bottom — had he not missed a chance to star in some Hollywood blockbusters — here are 30 actors who turned down blockbuster roles.
Click here for Tom Hank’s best and worst movies
49. The Circle (2017)
> IMDb rating: 5.3 out of 10
> RT audience score: 21%
> RT critics score: 16%
> Co-starring: Emma Watson, John Boyega, Ellar Coltrane
> Director: James Ponsoldt
[in-text-ad]
48. The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)
> IMDb rating: 5.6 out of 10
> RT audience score: 26%
> RT critics score: 16%
> Co-starring: Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith, Kim Cattrall
> Director: Brian De Palma
24/7 Wall St.
47. Inferno (2016)
> IMDb rating: 6.2 out of 10
> RT audience score: 36%
> RT critics score: 23%
> Co-starring: Felicity Jones, Irrfan Khan, Ben Foster
> Director: Ron Howard
46. Larry Crowne (2011)
> IMDb rating: 6.1 out of 10
> RT audience score: 41%
> RT critics score: 37%
> Co-starring: Julia Roberts, Sarah Mahoney, Roxana Ortega
> Director: Tom Hanks
[in-text-ad-2]
45. The Man with One Red Shoe (1985)
> IMDb rating: 5.7 out of 10
> RT audience score: 40%
> RT critics score: 47%
> Co-starring: Lori Singer, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning
> Director: Stan Dragoti
44. Volunteers (1985)
> IMDb rating: 5.5 out of 10
> RT audience score: 33%
> RT critics score: 58%
> Co-starring: John Candy, Rita Wilson, Tim Thomerson
> Director: Nicholas Meyer
[in-text-ad]
43. The Da Vinci Code (2006)
> IMDb rating: 6.6 out of 10
> RT audience score: 57%
> RT critics score: 26%
> Co-starring: Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Ian McKellen
> Director: Ron Howard
42. Dragnet (1987)
> IMDb rating: 6.0 out of 10
> RT audience score: 41%
> RT critics score: 50%
> Co-starring: Dan Aykroyd, Christopher Plummer, Harry Morgan
> Director: Tom Mankiewicz
41. Nothing in Common (1986)
> IMDb rating: 5.9 out of 10
> RT audience score: 40%
> RT critics score: 54%
> Co-starring: Jackie Gleason, Eva Marie Saint, Hector Elizondo
> Director: Garry Marshall
[in-text-ad-2]
40. Punchline (1988)
> IMDb rating: 5.9 out of 10
> RT audience score: 43%
> RT critics score: 56%
> Co-starring: Sally Field, John Goodman, Mark Rydell
> Director: David Seltzer
39. The Ladykillers (2004)
> IMDb rating: 6.2 out of 10
> RT audience score: 43%
> RT critics score: 54%
> Co-starring: Marlon Wayans, Irma P. Hall, J.K. Simmons
> Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
[in-text-ad]
38. Angels & Demons (2009)
> IMDb rating: 6.7 out of 10
> RT audience score: 57%
> RT critics score: 37%
> Co-starring: Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård
> Director: Ron Howard
37. Turner & Hooch (1989)
> IMDb rating: 6.2 out of 10
> RT audience score: 51%
> RT critics score: 52%
> Co-starring: Mare Winningham, Craig T. Nelson, Reginald VelJohnson
> Director: Roger Spottiswoode
36. The Money Pit (1986)
> IMDb rating: 6.4 out of 10
> RT audience score: 58%
> RT critics score: 50%
> Co-starring: Shelley Long, Alexander Godunov, Maureen Stapleton
> Director: Richard Benjamin
[in-text-ad-2]
35. Bachelor Party (1984)
> IMDb rating: 6.3 out of 10
> RT audience score: 56%
> RT critics score: 54%
> Co-starring: Tawny Kitaen, Adrian Zmed, George Grizzard
> Director: Neal Israel
34. Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
> IMDb rating: 5.9 out of 10
> RT audience score: 54%
> RT critics score: 63%
> Co-starring: Meg Ryan, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack
> Director: John Patrick Shanley
[in-text-ad]
33. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
> IMDb rating: 6.9 out of 10
> RT audience score: 61%
> RT critics score: 45%
> Co-starring: Thomas Horn, Sandra Bullock, Max von Sydow
> Director: Stephen Daldry
32. A Hologram for the King (2016)
> IMDb rating: 6.1 out of 10
> RT audience score: 54%
> RT critics score: 70%
> Co-starring: Omar Elba, Sarita Choudhury, Ben Whishaw
> Director: Tom Tykwer
31. The Polar Express (2004)
> IMDb rating: 6.6 out of 10
> RT audience score: 63%
> RT critics score: 56%
> Co-starring: Chris Coppola, Michael Jeter, Leslie Zemeckis
> Director: Robert Zemeckis
[in-text-ad-2]
30. The ‘Burbs (1989)
> IMDb rating: 6.9 out of 10
> RT audience score: 71%
> RT critics score: 53%
> Co-starring: Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Corey Feldman
> Director: Joe Dante
29. Cloud Atlas (2012)
> IMDb rating: 7.4 out of 10
> RT audience score: 66%
> RT critics score: 66%
> Co-starring: Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving
> Director: Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
[in-text-ad]
28. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
> IMDb rating: 6.7 out of 10
> RT audience score: 73%
> RT critics score: 70%
> Co-starring: Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Parker Posey
> Director: Nora Ephron
27. The Terminal (2004)
> IMDb rating: 7.4 out of 10
> RT audience score: 74%
> RT critics score: 61%
> Co-starring: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chi McBride, Stanley Tucci
> Director: Steven Spielberg
26. Splash (1984)
> IMDb rating: 6.3 out of 10
> RT audience score: 58%
> RT critics score: 91%
> Co-starring: Daryl Hannah, Eugene Levy, John Candy
> Director: Ron Howard
[in-text-ad-2]
25. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
> IMDb rating: 6.8 out of 10
> RT audience score: 75%
> RT critics score: 75%
> Co-starring: Meg Ryan, Ross Malinger, Rita Wilson
> Director: Nora Ephron
24. Greyhound (2020)
> IMDb rating: 7.0 out of 10
> RT audience score: 75%
> RT critics score: 79%
> Co-starring: Elisabeth Shue, Stephen Graham, Matt Helm
> Director: Aaron Schneider
[in-text-ad]
23. Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
> IMDb rating: 7.0 out of 10
> RT audience score: 73%
> RT critics score: 82%
> Co-starring: Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
> Director: Mike Nichols
22. The Post (2017)
> IMDb rating: 7.2 out of 10
> RT audience score: 73%
> RT critics score: 88%
> Co-starring: Meryl Streep, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk
> Director: Steven Spielberg
21. A League of Their Own (1992)
> IMDb rating: 7.3 out of 10
> RT audience score: 84%
> RT critics score: 79%
> Co-starring: Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna
> Director: Penny Marshall
[in-text-ad-2]
20. Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
> IMDb rating: 7.5 out of 10
> RT audience score: 84%
> RT critics score: 79%
> Co-starring: Emma Thompson, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell
> Director: John Lee Hancock
19. That Thing You Do! (1996)
> IMDb rating: 6.9 out of 10
> RT audience score: 78%
> RT critics score: 93%
> Co-starring: Liv Tyler, Charlize Theron, Tom Everett Scott
> Director: Tom Hanks
[in-text-ad]
18. Sully (2016)
> IMDb rating: 7.4 out of 10
> RT audience score: 84%
> RT critics score: 85%
> Co-starring: Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Valerie Mahaffey
> Director: Clint Eastwood
17. News of the World (2020)
> IMDb rating: 6.8 out of 10
> RT audience score: 89%
> RT critics score: 88%
> Co-starring: Helena Zengel, Tom Astor, Travis Johnson
> Director: Paul Greengrass
16. Road to Perdition (2002)
> IMDb rating: 7.7 out of 10
> RT audience score: 86%
> RT critics score: 81%
> Co-starring: Tyler Hoechlin, Rob Maxey, Liam Aiken
> Director: Sam Mendes
[in-text-ad-2]
15. Philadelphia (1993)
> IMDb rating: 7.7 out of 10
> RT audience score: 89%
> RT critics score: 81%
> Co-starring: Denzel Washington, Roberta Maxwell, Buzz Kilman
> Director: Jonathan Demme
14. Big (1988)
> IMDb rating: 7.3 out of 10
> RT audience score: 82%
> RT critics score: 97%
> Co-starring: Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard
> Director: Penny Marshall
[in-text-ad]
13. Cast Away (2000)
> IMDb rating: 7.8 out of 10
> RT audience score: 84%
> RT critics score: 89%
> Co-starring: Helen Hunt, Paul Sanchez, Lari White
> Director: Robert Zemeckis
12. Bridge of Spies (2015)
> IMDb rating: 7.6 out of 10
> RT audience score: 87%
> RT critics score: 90%
> Co-starring: Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan
> Director: Steven Spielberg
11. Forrest Gump (1994)
> IMDb rating: 8.8 out of 10
> RT audience score: 95%
> RT critics score: 71%
> Co-starring: Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field
> Director: Robert Zemeckis
[in-text-ad-2]
10. Apollo 13 (1995)
> IMDb rating: 7.6 out of 10
> RT audience score: 87%
> RT critics score: 96%
> Co-starring: Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise
> Director: Ron Howard
9. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
> IMDb rating: 7.3 out of 10
> RT audience score: 92%
> RT critics score: 95%
> Co-starring: Matthew Rhys, Chris Cooper, Susan Kelechi Watson
> Director: Marielle Heller
[in-text-ad]
7. The Green Mile (1999)
> IMDb rating: 8.6 out of 10
> RT audience score: 94%
> RT critics score: 78%
> Co-starring: Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt
> Director: Frank Darabont
8. Captain Phillips (2013)
> IMDb rating: 7.8 out of 10
> RT audience score: 89%
> RT critics score: 93%
> Co-starring: Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Catherine Keener
> Director: Paul Greengrass
6. Toy Story 2 (1999)
> IMDb rating: 7.9 out of 10
> RT audience score: 87%
> RT critics score: 100%
> Co-starring: Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer
> Director: John Lasseter, Ash Brannon, Lee Unkrich
[in-text-ad-2]
5. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
> IMDb rating: 8.1 out of 10
> RT audience score: 89%
> RT critics score: 96%
> Co-starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen
> Director: Steven Spielberg
4. Toy Story 4 (2019)
> IMDb rating: 7.7 out of 10
> RT audience score: 94%
> RT critics score: 97%
> Co-starring: Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale
> Director: Josh Cooley
[in-text-ad]
3. Toy Story 3 (2010)
> IMDb rating: 8.2 out of 10
> RT audience score: 90%
> RT critics score: 98%
> Co-starring: Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty
> Director: Lee Unkrich
2. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
> IMDb rating: 8.6 out of 10
> RT audience score: 95%
> RT critics score: 93%
> Co-starring: Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns
> Director: Steven Spielberg
1. Toy Story (1995)
> IMDb rating: 8.3 out of 10
> RT audience score: 92%
> RT critics score: 100%
> Co-starring: Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney
> Director: John Lasseter
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
