Bruce Dern Movies: Release Order

1960 - 202459 Films103h 36m3.3 Average

Bruce Dern's complete theatrical filmography showcases one of cinema's most distinctive character actors. Starting with small roles in Hitchcock and Roger Corman productions in the 1960s, Dern became a defining presence of the New Hollywood era with memorable villain turns and complex character studies.

This comprehensive watch order spans his entire career from early supporting roles through his Oscar-nominated performances in Coming Home and Nebraska, including his collaborations with auteur directors like Hitchcock, Hal Ashby, Alexander Payne, and Quentin Tarantino. The list focuses on theatrical releases and substantial direct-to-video films where Dern had narratively significant roles rather than brief cameos.

There are 2 other watch orders available – see the links up above.

1
Wild River poster

Wild River

19601h 50m4.2
Director: Elia Kazan
Cast: Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick, Jo Van Fleet, Albert Salmi, Jay C. Flippen

A Tennessee Valley Authority bureaucrat faces local resistance while overseeing dam construction in rural Tennessee, particularly from an elderly woman who refuses to leave her island home and her widowed granddaughter with whom he becomes romantically involved.

DramaRomance
2
Marnie poster

Marnie

19642h 10m4.1
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery, Diane Baker, Martin Gabel, Louise Latham

A compulsive thief finds her criminal activities exposed by her new employer, who uses this knowledge to manipulate her into an increasingly complex psychological game.

ThrillerMysteryRomanceCrime
3
The Wild Angels poster

The Wild Angels

19661h 27m2.8
Director: Roger Corman
Cast: Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd, Buck Taylor

A motorcycle gang's pursuit of their stolen bike leads to violent confrontations with both rival gangs and police in a small town. The escalating conflict spirals into chaos and destruction as tensions reach a breaking point.

DramaAction
4
The Trip poster

The Trip

19677m3.2
Director: Shamus Culhane

An office worker's cruise vacation takes an unexpected turn when he becomes stranded on a tropical island, where he befriends a helpful ape companion.

Animation
5
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre poster

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre

19671h 40m3.5
Director: Roger Corman
Cast: Jason Robards, George Segal, Ralph Meeker, Jean Hale, Clint Ritchie

A dramatization of the infamous 1929 Chicago gangland massacre where Al Capone's men, disguised as police officers, gunned down members of rival gang leader Bugs Moran's crew in a North Side garage on Valentine's Day.

HistoryCrime
6
The War Wagon poster

The War Wagon

19671h 41m3.9
Director: Burt Kennedy
Cast: John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Howard Keel, Robert Walker Jr., Keenan Wynn

An ex-convict plans to rob his former adversary's gold-laden stagecoach with the help of a partner whose loyalties may be questionable.

WesternActionCrime
7
Waterhole #3 poster

Waterhole #3

19671h 35m3.2
Director: William A. Graham
Cast: James Coburn, Carroll O'Connor, Margaret Blye, Claude Akins, Timothy Carey

A professional gambler discovers a map leading to buried Confederate gold in the desert, but he's not the only one hunting for the treasure.

WesternComedy
8
Will Penny poster

Will Penny

19671h 50m3.7
Director: Tom Gries
Cast: Charlton Heston, Joan Hackett, Donald Pleasence, Lee Majors, Bruce Dern

An aging cowboy takes a job patrolling ranch property and discovers a stranded woman and her son have taken shelter in his mountain cabin. As winter sets in, the unlikely companions develop a deep bond while weathering the harsh season together.

WesternRomance
9
Hang 'Em High poster

Hang 'Em High

19681h 54m3.9
Director: Ted Post
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Inger Stevens, Ed Begley, Pat Hingle, Ben Johnson

After surviving a lynching, Marshall Jed Cooper returns to his lawman duties with a personal mission to track down the nine men who tried to hang him. This classic Western follows his quest for justice in the unforgiving frontier.

WesternDrama
10
Psych-Out poster

Psych-Out

19681h 41m2.4
Director: Richard Rush
Cast: Susan Strasberg, Dean Stockwell, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Adam Roarke

A deaf runaway named Jenny arrives in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district searching for her missing brother and falls in with a psychedelic rock band who help hide her from the authorities. Set against the backdrop of 1960s counterculture, she navigates the world of hippies, music, and love beads while pursuing her quest.

DramaThrillerMusic
11
Castle Keep poster

Castle Keep

19691h 45m3
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Peter Falk, Bruce Dern, Patrick O'Neal

During the Battle of the Bulge, a ragtag squad of American soldiers takes shelter in an isolated castle owned by an eccentric count, who hopes they will help defend it against advancing German forces.

ComedyDramaWar
12
The Cycle Savages poster

The Cycle Savages

19691h 22m2.1
Director: Bill Brame
Cast: Bruce Dern, Melody Patterson, Chris Robinson, Maray Ayres, Karen Ciral

A biker gang leader becomes enraged when an artist sketches his crew and plots violent revenge against the man's hands.

DramaAction
13
Support Your Local Sheriff! poster

Support Your Local Sheriff!

19691h 32m4
Director: Burt Kennedy
Cast: James Garner, Joan Hackett, Walter Brennan, Harry Morgan, Jack Elam

A drifter takes on the job of sheriff in a wild west town purely for the money, planning to leave if trouble gets too serious.

ComedyWestern
14
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? poster

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

19692h4.5
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Gig Young, Red Buttons

During the Great Depression, desperate contestants compete in a grueling dance marathon for a $1,500 prize, enduring physical and emotional exhaustion as their hopes and dreams slowly crumble under the relentless pressure.

15
Bloody Mama poster

Bloody Mama

19701h 30m2.8
Director: Roger Corman
Cast: Shelley Winters, Pat Hingle, Don Stroud, Diane Varsi, Bruce Dern

Based on the true story of Kate "Ma" Barker, this Depression-era crime drama follows a domineering mother who transforms her sons into a notorious gang of bank robbers and criminals in 1930s America.

CrimeDrama
16
Rebel Rousers poster

Rebel Rousers

19701h 18m1.8
Director: Martin B. Cohen
Cast: Cameron Mitchell, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd, Jack Nicholson, Harry Dean Stanton

When a motorcycle gang arrives in a small coastal town, businessman Paul Collier must fight to protect his pregnant girlfriend Karen from the violent bikers. With little help from local authorities, Paul faces a desperate struggle against the menacing gang led by the ruthless Bunny.

CrimeDrama
17
Drive, He Said poster

Drive, He Said

19711h 35m3.2
Director: Jack Nicholson
Cast: William Tepper, Karen Black, Michael Margotta, Bruce Dern, Robert Towne

A college basketball star navigates relationships and friendship while his buddy desperately tries to avoid being drafted for the Vietnam War.

ComedyDrama
18
The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant poster

The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant

19711h 27m1.1
Director: Anthony M. Lanza
Cast: Bruce Dern, Pat Priest, Casey Kasem, Albert Cole, Berry Kroeger

A scientist conducting head transplant experiments decides to graft a dying psycho-killer's head onto his caretaker's mentally disabled son after a violent home invasion. This bizarre B-movie horror explores the grotesque results of the doctor's unethical medical procedure.

HorrorScience Fiction
19
The Cowboys poster

The Cowboys

19722h 14m4.1
Director: Mark Rydell
Cast: John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Bruce Dern, Colleen Dewhurst, Alfred Barker Jr.

When his experienced cattlemen abandon him for gold mining, rancher Wil Andersen must train a group of young boys to help drive his cattle herd to market. Under Andersen's guidance, the boys learn the hard work of being cowboys while facing the dangers of the frontier.

WesternAdventureDramaAction
20
The King of Marvin Gardens poster

The King of Marvin Gardens

19721h 43m3.1
Director: Bob Rafelson
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Ellen Burstyn, Julia Anne Robinson, Scatman Crothers

A radio personality from Philadelphia gets drawn into his dreamer brother's latest scheme to build a paradise on a Pacific Island, but complications arise as his brother fronts for the local mob in Atlantic City.

21
Silent Running poster

Silent Running

19721h 29m3.5
Director: Douglas Trumbull
Cast: Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, Jesse Vint, Mark Persons

In a future where Earth's flora has gone extinct, an ecologist aboard a space station tends to the last remaining greenhouse with his robot companions. When ordered to destroy it for cargo space, he must choose between duty and preserving the final remnants of nature.

AdventureScience FictionDrama
22
The Laughing Policeman poster

The Laughing Policeman

19731h 52m3.5
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Cast: Walter Matthau, Bruce Dern, Louis Gossett Jr., Albert Paulsen, Anthony Zerbe

A San Francisco detective becomes obsessed with solving a mass shooting on a city bus that killed his partner and several passengers. His investigation uncovers connections to an earlier murder case.

CrimeThrillerDrama
23
The Great Gatsby poster

The Great Gatsby

19742h 24m3.5
Director: Jack Clayton
Cast: Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Bruce Dern, Karen Black, Scott Wilson

A young Midwesterner living on Long Island becomes fascinated by his mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby and gets drawn into a world of obsession, wealth, and tragedy in 1920s America.

DramaRomance
24
Posse poster

Posse

19751h 32m3.2
Director: Kirk Douglas
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Bruce Dern, Bo Hopkins, James Stacy, Luke Askew

A politically ambitious marshal leads an elite posse on a mission to capture a notorious train robber and his gang in this western thriller.

Western
25
Smile poster

Smile

19751h 53m3.1
Director: Michael Ritchie
Cast: Bruce Dern, Barbara Feldon, Michael Kidd, Geoffrey Lewis, Nicholas Pryor

A behind-the-scenes look at California's "Young American Miss" beauty pageant, where organizers Big Bob Freelander and Brenda DiCarlo face personal challenges that threaten to disrupt their biggest event of the year.

Comedy
26
Family Plot poster

Family Plot

19762h3.9
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Barbara Harris, Bruce Dern, Karen Black, William Devane, Ed Lauter

A fake psychic and her taxi driver boyfriend become entangled with dangerous kidnappers while searching for a missing heir in this Hitchcock thriller.

ComedyCrimeThrillerMystery
27
Black Sunday poster

Black Sunday

19772h 23m3.8
Director: John Frankenheimer
Cast: Robert Shaw, Bruce Dern, Marthe Keller, Fritz Weaver, Steven Keats

An Israeli anti-terrorist agent races against time to stop a terrorist plot targeting the Super Bowl, involving a disgruntled Vietnam veteran working with the Black September organization.

ActionDramaThriller
28
The Driver poster

The Driver

19781h 31m4.2
Director: Walter Hill
Cast: Ryan O'Neal, Bruce Dern, Isabelle Adjani, Ronee Blakley, Matt Clark

A skilled getaway driver with an impeccable record becomes the obsession of a determined detective who will stop at nothing to catch him. When the cop sets up an elaborate sting operation, the driver must use all his cunning to stay one step ahead.

CrimeThrillerAction
29
Coming Home poster

Coming Home

19782h 7m4.1
Director: Hal Ashby
Cast: Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford, Robert Carradine

A Marine officer's wife in 1968 California reconnects with a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran, leading to an emotional journey that challenges her perspectives on love, war, and sacrifice.

DramaRomanceWar
30
Middle Age Crazy poster

Middle Age Crazy

19801h 37m1.6
Director: John Trent
Cast: Bruce Dern, Ann-Margret, Graham Jarvis, Deborah Wakeham, Eric Christmas

A married man approaching his fortieth birthday experiences a midlife crisis that disrupts his settled existence.

DramaComedy
31
Tattoo poster

Tattoo

19811h 43m2.3
Director: Bob Brooks
Cast: Bruce Dern, Maud Adams, Leonard Frey, Frederikke Borge, John Getz

An unbalanced tattoo artist becomes dangerously obsessed with a model he meets during a body-painting photo shoot, determined to permanently mark her with his art.

ThrillerDramaHorror
32
That Championship Season poster

That Championship Season

19821h 50m2.5
Director: Jason Miller
Cast: Bruce Dern, Stacy Keach, Robert Mitchum, Martin Sheen, Paul Sorvino

Four former high school basketball players reunite with their old coach for what begins as a friendly gathering, but evolves into a brutally honest confrontation about their lives and relationships. The emotional evening forces these middle-aged men to confront painful truths about themselves and their shared past glory from their championship season in 1957.

33
On the Edge poster

On the Edge

19861h 35m3.1
Director: Rob Nilsson
Cast: Bruce Dern, Pam Grier, Bill Bailey, Jim Haynie, John Marley

An aging professional runner makes one last desperate attempt at victory by training intensively for an extremely challenging marathon race.

34
1969 poster

1969

19881h 35m2.9
Director: Ernest Thompson
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Kiefer Sutherland, Bruce Dern, Mariette Hartley, Winona Ryder

Two rebellious young men in a small town struggle with adulthood and clash with their families over the Vietnam War. Their antiwar activism ultimately forces the entire community to reconsider its stance on the conflict.

DramaWarRomance
35
The 'Burbs poster

The 'Burbs

19891h 42m3.9
Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Wendy Schaal

A suburbanite's peaceful vacation is disrupted when mysterious new neighbors move in next door, leading him and his friends down a paranoid path of amateur investigation and wild speculation.

ComedyHorrorThriller
36
After Dark, My Sweet poster

After Dark, My Sweet

19901h 54m2.9
Director: James Foley
Cast: Jason Patric, Rachel Ward, Bruce Dern, Rocky Giordani, Tom Wagner

Three desperate criminals attempt to kidnap a wealthy child in a scheme they hope will change their fortunes.

CrimeDramaMystery
37
Diggstown poster

Diggstown

19921h 38m3.5
Director: Michael Ritchie
Cast: James Woods, Louis Gossett Jr., Oliver Platt, Heather Graham, Randall "Tex" Cobb

A recently released ex-con sets up a high-stakes bet in a boxing-obsessed town, wagering that his aging fighter can defeat ten local opponents within 24 hours.

ComedyDrama
38
Wild Bill poster

Wild Bill

19951h 38m3
Director: Walter Hill
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Ellen Barkin, John Hurt, Diane Lane, Keith Carradine

A biographical drama following the legendary gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok as he arrives in the lawless town of Deadwood and reconnects with his old flame Calamity Jane.

WesternActionDramaHistory
39
Last Man Standing poster

Last Man Standing

19961h 41m3.5
Director: Walter Hill
Cast: Bruce Willis, Bruce Dern, William Sanderson, Christopher Walken, David Patrick Kelly

A mysterious gunfighter arrives in a Prohibition-era town torn apart by two warring gangs and plays both sides against each other for profit. As violence escalates, he must use all his cunning and firepower to survive the deadly game he's created.

CrimeActionDramaThrillerWestern
40
Mulholland Falls poster

Mulholland Falls

19961h 47m3.2
Director: Lee Tamahori
Cast: Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn

In 1950s Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman in this neo-noir thriller.

DramaMysteryThrillerCrime
41
Absolute Power poster

Absolute Power

19972h 1m3.7
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Judy Davis

A master thief witnesses a murder involving the President of the United States and must flee while possessing evidence that could bring down the most powerful man in the country.

CrimeDramaAction
42
All the Pretty Horses poster

All the Pretty Horses

20001h 57m3
Director: Billy Bob Thornton
Cast: Matt Damon, Henry Thomas, Lucas Black, Penélope Cruz, Rubén Blades

In 1949, a young Texan named John Grady loses his family ranch and heads to Mexico with his friend, seeking adventure and a new life as cowboys. Their journey south of the border becomes a coming-of-age tale that will test their limits and change them forever.

DramaRomanceWestern
43
Monster poster

Monster

20031h 50m4.2
Director: Patty Jenkins
Cast: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen, Annie Corley

Based on the true story of Aileen Wuornos, this biographical crime drama follows a highway drifter who becomes America's first female serial killer after a traumatic encounter leads her down a violent path.

CrimeDrama
44
Down in the Valley poster

Down in the Valley

20051h 52m3.1
Director: David Jacobson
Cast: Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Rory Culkin, Bruce Dern

A teenage girl falls for a mysterious stranger who dresses like a cowboy and claims to be a ranch hand, but her father, a lawman, grows increasingly suspicious of the young man's true identity.

DramaRomanceThrillerWestern
45
The Astronaut Farmer poster

The Astronaut Farmer

20071h 44m3.4
Director: Michael Polish
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Max Thieriot, Jasper Polish, Logan Polish

A former Air Force pilot turned rancher pursues his lifelong dream of space travel by building a rocket in his barn, despite facing opposition from government agencies and financial pressures.

Science FictionAdventureComedyDrama
46
Nebraska poster

Nebraska

20131h 55m4.4
Director: Alexander Payne
Cast: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk, Stacy Keach

An aging, alcoholic father convinces his estranged son to drive him from Montana to Nebraska to claim what he believes is a million-dollar sweepstakes prize.

DramaAdventure
47
The Hateful Eight poster

The Hateful Eight

20153h 8m4.6
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir

A group of bounty hunters and strangers take shelter from a blizzard in a remote cabin, where tensions rise and deadly secrets emerge in this tense Western thriller.

DramaMysteryWestern
48
Chappaquiddick poster

Chappaquiddick

20181h 47m3.3
Director: John Curran
Cast: Jason Clarke, Kate Mara, Ed Helms, Bruce Dern, Jim Gaffigan

The film chronicles the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident that derailed Ted Kennedy's political career when a fatal car accident claimed the life of campaign strategist Mary Jo Kopechne.

HistoryDramaThriller
49
White Boy Rick poster

White Boy Rick

20181h 51m3.5
Director: Yann Demange
Cast: Richie Merritt, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bel Powley, RJ Cyler

Based on the true story of Richard Wershe Jr., a teenager who became an FBI informant in 1980s Detroit before finding himself on the wrong side of the law.

CrimeDrama
50
The Mustang poster

The Mustang

20191h 36m3.9
Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre
Cast: Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Mitchell, Gideon Adlon, Connie Britton, Bruce Dern

A convict participates in a rehabilitation program training wild mustangs, gradually learning to confront his violent past while forming a bond with an especially challenging horse.

51
The Peanut Butter Falcon poster

The Peanut Butter Falcon

20191h 37m4.4
Director: Tyler Nilson
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson, Thomas Haden Church, John Hawkes

A down-on-his-luck crab fisherman helps a young man with Down syndrome escape from a retirement home to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler in rural North Carolina.

AdventureComedyDrama
52
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood poster

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

20192h 42m4.4
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley

In 1969 Los Angeles, fading TV western star Rick Dalton and his stuntman best friend Cliff Booth navigate the changing movie industry while living next door to rising actress Sharon Tate.

ComedyDramaThriller
53
Badland poster

Badland

20191h 57m3.3
Director: Justin Lee
Cast: Bruce Dern, Mira Sorvino, Kevin Makely, Jeff Fahey, Wes Studi

A detective hired to track down Confederate war criminals in the Old West encounters a mysterious pioneer woman who challenges his mission and beliefs.

Western
54
The Artist's Wife poster

The Artist's Wife

20201h 34m3
Director: Tom Dolby
Cast: Lena Olin, Bruce Dern, Juliet Rylance, Avan Jogia, Stefanie Powers

When renowned abstract artist Richard Smythson is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, his wife Claire faces a crisis as he struggles to complete the paintings for what may be his final exhibition.

55
The Gateway poster

The Gateway

20211h 31m2.7
Director: Michele Civetta
Cast: Shea Whigham, Olivia Munn, Taryn Manning, Frank Grillo, Bruce Dern

A social worker becomes involved when a single mother's ex-partner returns from prison and threatens to draw the family into criminal activities.

DramaThriller
56
Last Call poster

Last Call

20211h 41m2.5
Director: Paolo Pilladi
Cast: Jeremy Piven, Taryn Manning, Bruce Dern, Zach McGowan, Jamie Kennedy

A real estate developer faces a difficult choice when he returns to his old Philadelphia neighborhood and must decide whether to demolish or restore his family's bar.

Comedy
57
Death in Texas poster

Death in Texas

20221h 42m1.9
Director: Scott Windhauser
Cast: Ronnie Gene Blevins, John Ashton, Bruce Dern, Lara Flynn Boyle, Stephen Lang

A recently released ex-convict desperately searches for ways to save his dying mother who needs a liver transplant when all legal options have been exhausted.

CrimeDramaAction
58
Remember Me poster

Remember Me

20221h 16m2
Director: Christopher Jolley
Cast: Jeanie Gold, Eleanor Burke, Mike Zepher, Penelope Read, Joe Eason

After a serious car accident leaves her with memory loss and unable to walk, Rose awakens in an unfamiliar house where her mother and boyfriend claim to be helping her recover. As she tries to piece together her past, Rose begins to suspect that nothing is as it seems.

ThrillerHorrorMystery
59
Accidental Texan poster

Accidental Texan

20241h 43m2.8
Director: Mark Lambert Bristol
Cast: Rudy Pankow, Thomas Haden Church, Carrie-Anne Moss, Bruce Dern, Julio Cesar Cedillo

When aspiring actor Erwin gets stranded in Texas after blowing his first acting job, he teams up with a struggling oil driller and his partner on a wild scheme to strike it rich before the bank forecloses on their dreams.

ComedyDrama