10 Worst Woody Harrelson Movies, Ranked According To IMDb

Woody Harrelson first rose to fame in the 1980s for his role in Cheers, and since then has gone on to lead a long and varied film career. Harrelson is known for playing all kinds of characters, from Captain Tony Stone in The Messenger, to bounty hunter Carson Wells in the Coen Brothers’ award-winning No Country For Old Men.

Harrelson has a flair for mastering all kinds of characters. With such a lengthy and diverse oeuvre, however, there are bound to be some projects that rate lower than others. Thankfully, since it’s Woody Harrelson, even some of his lowest-rated movies still make for an entertaining viewing experience, although perhaps not all.

10 The Walker (2007) – 5.8

Directed by the talented Paul Schrader, The Walker stars Woody Harrelson as male escort Carter Page III, who accompanies married women to social events. Many of the women are the wives of important characters in Washington D.C, and through his relationships with these women, Carter has come to know the secrets of everyone in D.C.

Through no fault of his own, Carter becomes embroiled in a murder investigation that threatens his comfortable lifestyle. Although Harrelson’s stylized portrayal of this character was met with solid praise, it didn’t manage to make it into his list of highly acclaimed performances.

9 Wilson (2017) – 5.8

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Wilson presents Woody Harrelson as the title character – a middle-aged, eccentric, single man. The movie follows Wilson as he discovers that he has a teenage daughter, and reunites with his estranged ex-wife Pippi (Laura Dern).

Although they haven’t seen each other in seventeen years, the pair set out to meet their daughter Claire (Isabella Amara). Throughout the movie, Harrelson embodies a character who succeeds in annoying almost everyone he meets but is determined to become a father figure to his newly discovered daughter.

8 Rampart (2011) – 5.8

The 2011 drama Rampart follows Woody Harrelson as corrupt policeman and war veteran – Dave Brown. Through his troublesome actions and frequent use of brute force, Brown brings controversy upon a police department that is already under scrutiny and is asked to retire.

Brown’s character is explored through his identity as a police officer, his relationship with drugs, and with his ex-wives. He is forced to face both past and present instances of perceived misconduct, and to justify his actions. Cynthia Nixon and Anne Heche as Brown’s ex-wives are just two among many well-known faces that feature in the movie in supporting roles.

7 The Duel (2016) – 5.8

In one of his lesser-known villain roles, Harrelson plays Abraham Brant in the 2016 Western The Duel. Brant’s control over a small town becomes threatened when undercover Texas Ranger David Kingston (Liam Hemsworth) arrives at Mount Hermon to investigate a series of murders.

Brant serves as both the mayor and preacher of this isolated town and accepts that Kingston is merely a traveler, unknowingly welcoming the son of a man that he was responsible for the murder of many years earlier. Despite its intriguing plot, the film never quite lives up to its potential.

6 Semi-Pro (2008) – 5.8

The 2008 comedy Semi-Pro stars Will Ferrell as Jackie Moon, owner of the failing ABA team the Flint Tropics. When the Flint Tropics are faced with the challenge of playing for their survival, Ed Monix (Woody Harrelson) enters as the former NBA Champion hired to coach the team to victory – or fourth place.

While Harrelson may be familiar in a comedic role, this was his first and only film project with Will Ferrell. The film received mixed reviews upon its release, and although it did quite well at the box-office, it has proven relatively irrelevant in both Harrelson’s and Ferrell’s careers.

5 Money Train (1995) – 5.7

The 1995 action comedy Money Train stars Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes as brothers and transit cops Charlie and John Robinson. Although the brothers work together as partners, they lead very different lives, and as Charlie’s (Harrelson) debt mounts, he pleads with his brother for help.

After a string of bad luck, Charlie hatches a plan to rob the New York subway money train, which John strictly opposes. While Harrelson and Snipes are known for working well together, Money Train didn’t grace the actors with the same high regard as their previous collaboration in White Men Can’t Jump.

4 Killer Instinct (1988) – 5.5

In the 1988 TV movie Killer Instinct, a young Woody Harrelson stars as attorney Charlie Long. Long works at a hospital on behalf of the patient’s rights, and becomes the primary ally of his colleague Dr. Lisa DaVito (Melissa Gilbert). Long and DaVito both believe that the system is not serving patients as it should.

DaVito is a young psychiatrist who disagrees with the hospital’s decision to release Freddie Zamora (Fernando Lopez), a patient of hers whom she believes is not ready to make it alone in the outside world. Once Freddie is released, Long and DaVito set out together to find Freddie before the police do, with disastrous results.

3 Play It To The Bone (1999) – 5.5

The 1999 comedy Play It To The Bone stars Woody Harrelson and Antonio Banderas as boxers and best friends who are given one last chance at success. Cesar (Banderas) and Vince (Harrelson) must fight each other under the agreement that the winner may then go on to fight for the middleweight title.

The catch is, that they must make their way to Vegas on short notice. Cesar enlists the help of his girlfriend Grace (Lolita Davidovich) – who also happens to be Vince’s ex-girlfriend – to drive them to Vegas in time for the fight. The film switches between comedy and sports flick, and despite the appeal of Harrelson and Banderas, it generated a relatively poor reception upon its release.

2 Surfer, Dude (2008) – 4.7

Surfer, Dude stars Matthew McConaughey as the laid-back, stoner surfer Steve Addington. Steve returns home to Malibu and his equally laid-back manager Jack Mayweather (Woody Harrelson) is tasked with informing Steve that he has run out of money. To make matters worse, Malibu is going through a wave drought, and Steve is deprived of the only thing he wants to do.

The film is a stoner comedy that seems more concerned with the actors having a good time than it is the finished product, and its 0% Rotten Tomatoes rating reflects that. While the pair have since proven that they can in fact work very well together, Surfer, Dude is not a strong testament to that.

1 Cool Blue (1990) – 4.5

Cool Blue introduced Harrelson as struggling artist Dustin Pennett. Everything changes for Dustin when he meets Christiane (Ely Pouget). After Dustin and Christiane spend the night together, he wakes up to find that she has disappeared. Dustin sets out to search for Christiane, finding a muse in the process.

Although not well-received upon its release in 1990, the romantic comedy provides an entertaining look at Harrelson and Hank Azaria in the early stages of their careers and also features a cameo from Sean Penn. Despite its cast and intriguing premise, Cool Blue is Harrelson’s lowest-rated film on IMDb.

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