Steve Buscemi is an endlessly entertaining actor who is a joy to see whenever he appears on the screen. The acclaimed character actor has a unique presence and energy on screen that is impossible to ignore. He is completely compelling and fascinating no matter the role he is playing.
Buscemi has the ability to he truly unsettling and laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes in the same roles. He tends to favor smaller projects but always seems to find interesting material that allows him to come off his remarkable talent. Here are Steve Buscemi’s best movies, according to IMDb.
Ghost World (7.3)
Ghost World is a unique teen drama based on an acclaimed underground comic book from Daniel Clowes. Thora Birch plays a sarcastic and cynical high schooler with a deep disdain for just about everyone she meets. After pulling a cruel prank on an outcast (Buscemi), Birch finds herself drawn to the awkward man.
The movie is a thoughtful and funny story of outcasts told in a way not normally seen in movies. It is an interesting story of how this girl seems to try so hard to prove she doesn’t care while secretly having the same anxieties as everyone else.
Living In Oblivion (7.5)
Buscemi has built an amazing career largely through independent films and is something of an icon in those kinds of movies. Living in Oblivion feels like a complicated love letter to that kind of filmmaking with Buscemi playing the dialogue director of a low-budget film during one grueling day on set.
The film is a funny and clever look at all the blood, sweat and tears that goes into a film like this and all the uphill battles that need to be won to get the film made. Buscemi is great in the lead role and he is backed by such talent as Catherine Keener and Peter Dinklage.
Mystery Train (7.6)
Buscemi seems to have made a good impression on some of the best modern filmmakers, appearing in several of their movies. One of his frequent collaborators is Jim Jarmusch. Their first film together was Mystery Train which told three separate stories all revolving around a Memphis hotel and the spirit of Elvis Presley.
The movie features the kind of strange sense of humor and unique storytelling that Jarmusch uses in many of his films. It is a unique and entertaining anthology filled with laughs and interesting characters.
Barton Fink (7.7)
As we will see throughout this list, Buscemi has been a frequent collaborator with the Coen Brothers, appearing in some of their best movies. Barton Fink was the Coens’ fourth film and starred John Turturro as the titular character, a celebrated New York playwright who reluctantly takes a job in Hollywood as a screenwriter. Buscemi plays the bellhop at the seedy hotel Fink stays in.
The movie is filled with the kind of humor and colorful characters you’d expect from the Coens. Turturro is great in the lead role and John Goodman gives a wonderful supporting performance as his friendly neighbor in the hotel. It’s a fun and surreal look at Hollywood of yesteryear.
Miller’s Crossing (7.8)
Buscemi worked with the Coens for the first time in this compelling gangster film. Miller’s Crossing stars Gabriel Byrne as a hard-drinking right-hand man of an Irish gangster who becomes caught up in a war with a rival gang that has him questioning his loyalties. Buscemi plays a fast-talking player mixed up in the story.
The film is a brilliant addition to the gangster genre while subverting the genre in interesting and clever ways. The complex and twisty story is propelled by dry wit, exciting violence and some great dialogue like only the Coens can write.
Big Fish (8.0)
Buscemi partnered with another unique and versatile director in Tim Burton’s Big Fish. The film is a magical fairy tale about an older man who is dying and recounts his life to his adult son. As with most of the old man’s stories, the tall tales seem a little too fantastical to be true. Buscemi plays a struggling poet the man meets in his younger days.
The movie feels like an ideal story to fit Burton’s particular skills as a filmmaker. It is a sweet and moving tale that is able to embrace a larger-than-life kind of storytelling.
Monsters Inc. (8.0)
Buscemi’s distinct voice proved perfect for this charming Pixar adventure. Set in a world in which monsters scare children to power their city, two monster best friends must deal with a small child who found her way into their world. Buscemi plays a rival monster and antagonist for the story.
Monsters Inc. is another fine example of the imaginative work being done at Pixar and the amazing stories they are able to tell. The animation is exhilarating, the humor is fitting for all audiences and the story is genuinely moving.
Fargo (8.1)
Buscemi joined the Coens once again for one of their most beloved films. In Fargo, Buscemi and Peter Stormare play two criminals hired by a man to kidnap his own wife for ransom money. The plan spirals out of control with deadly consequences as a friendly local sheriff (Frances McDormand) begins investigating the crimes.
The movie is a violent and quirky black comedy that perfectly cements the Coens as some of the most unique storytellers in the film business. The cast is incredible with Buscemi giving a hilarious performance as the verbose good and McDormand is fantastic as a kindly hero.
The Big Lebowski (8.1)
Buscemi’s last Coen Brothers movie to date is widely regarded as one of the funniest movies of all time. The Big Lebowski stars Jeff Bridges as The Dude, a Los Angeles stoner who is mixed up in a complex kidnapping plot after a case of mistaken identity. Buscemi plays Donny, The Dude’s silent bowling buddy.
The movie is a brilliantly hilarious take on old noir films with a lazy and incompetent hero at its center. Bridges is perfect in the lead role, John Goodman is outrageously funny, and Buscemi nearly steals the show with almost no dialogue.
Reservoir Dogs (8.3)
Buscemi had the opportunity of being a part of Quentin Tarantino’s debut film with Reservoir Dogs. The film follows a group of thieves who, following a heist gone wrong, must find out who among them is the rat that sold them out to the cops. Buscemi plays Mr. Pink, one of the thieves.
The movie is an exhilarating and entertaining introduction to Tarantino’s unique filmmaking voice. The characters are all memorable, the dialogue pops off the screen, and the violence is shocking and brutal. It is an unforgettable ride with a master filmmaker in the making.
