News Of The World & 9 Other Paul Greengrass Movies, Ranked According To Rotten Tomatoes

Director Paul Greengrass is most known for his contributions to the Jason Bourne franchise, but his career extends back to the 1980s when he got his start in television. In addition to the Bourne movies, he’s helmed a number of other important films that have earned him critical praise and award nominations.

He’s recently been tapped to direct the upcoming adaptation of the classic dystopian George Orwell novel 1984, and his latest film, News of the World, a Civil War-era western starring Tom Hanks, is in theaters now.

10 The Theory Of Flight – 50%

The Theory of Flight is Greengrass’s first film released widely enough to be noticeable, and it’s a strange one, to say the least. It’s a romance between a man who is sentenced to community service after jumping off a building in a shoddily made “flying” device and a woman dying of a degenerative motor-neuron disease.

As its Rotten Tomatoes score would suggest, critics were split down the middle on this one. Some admired it for its originality, while others found it too awkward to recommend.

9 Green Zone – 53%

For Green Zone, Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon reunited to make a film that stylistically resembles a Bourne movie, but isn’t. Instead, this film takes place in 2003, during the Iraq War, when a team of investigators searching for weapons of mass destruction find themselves in the middle of an insidious conspiracy and cover-up.

Critics appreciated the cinematic craftsmanship involved, but lamented the script’s uneven combining of facts and fiction, as well as its underdeveloped characters and cliched plot devices.

8 Jason Bourne – 54%

Released in 2016, nine years after The Bourne Ultimatum, Jason Bourne finds the title character pulled out of hiding by the CIA for yet another mission.

Critics and audiences were more or less on the same page with regards to this film. They didn’t necessarily dislike it, but they found it an uninspired and ultimately unnecessary addition to the Bourne franchise. It delivered all of the expected goods, but nothing more. As critic Sarah Michelle Fetters put it,”It’s not so much Jason Bourne is a bad action-adventure as it is a pointless one.”

7 22 July – 80%

Released on Netflix in 2018, 22 July is the disturbing true story of a terrorist attack that took place in Norway on July 22, 2011, in which 77 teenagers were murdered at a youth camp. Some critics thought it gave the terrorists unnecessary attention and notoriety, and some found it lacking in context and deeper meaning.

Generally, though, the consensus was positive. Critics warned audiences that this is a disturbing film to watch, but found it ultimately worthwhile for those who can stomach it.

6 The Bourne Supremacy – 82%

Greengrass wasn’t yet an established Hollywood heavyweight when The Bourne Identity was released in 2002, and so he got his start with the Bourne franchise by directing this impressive sequel to the acclaimed original film, which was directed by Doug Liman.

Audiences and critics were equally impressed by this thrilling installment, which solidified Paul Greengrass’s gig as the recurring Bourne director. The Bourne Supremacy was Greengrass’s first big-budget studio film, and because it was a box-office hit, it wouldn’t be his last.

5 News Of The World – 89%

Paul Greengrass is known for his handheld camerawork and fast-paced editing, and so News of the World marks a significant stylistic departure. It’s a slower, more traditionally shot Western starring Tom Hanks as a Civil War veteran who agrees to deliver a young girl, who has assimilated into a native American tribe, back to her family. Though a bit tamer than some in Greengrass’s filmography, the film is certainly not light on thrills.

Hanks’ performance has earned positive reviews, as has the film on the whole. Child actress Helena Zengel is also earning praise for her breakout role.

4 United 93 – 90%

Released just five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, United 93 is a dramatized account of the United Airlines flight that was hijacked by terrorists and then taken over by passengers to prevent it from hitting its desired target, which remains a mystery to this day.

United 93 earned Paul Greengrass a Best Director Oscar nomination and it is considered one of his best films to date. His choice to cast unknown actors, combined with his signature handheld cinematography, stripped this film of any Hollywood pretense, making it a fittingly sober tribute to the heroism of the fallen passengers.

3 Bloody Sunday – 92%

Four years after The Theory of Flight opened to mixed reviews, Greengrass’s follow up, Bloody Sunday, was a hit with critics and audiences alike. It recaptures the tragic real-life events of January 30, 1972, in which British soldiers opened fire on a crowd of peaceful Northern Irish protestors led by activist Ivan Cooper.

The film was shot in documentary style and won the Audience Award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. This was Greengrass’s breakout film, and landed him his career-defining job as the go-to director for the Bourne films.

2 The Bourne Ultimatum – 92%

Widely considered the most impressive in the Bourne series, The Bourne Ultimatum is an expertly crafted thriller boasting a terrific ensemble cast, a tight script, and exhilarating action sequences. Not only did the film win nearly universal acclaim from critics and audiences alike, it also won three Academy Awards, including one for its meticulous and precise editing.

Because this film was so good, many Bourne fans wish the series had stopped there as a simple trilogy, rather than continuing with Jason Bourne almost 10 years later.

1 Captain Phillips – 93%

A common theme throughout Greengrass’s filmography is the cinematic depictions of incredibly intense real-life occurrences. This time, Tom Hanks stars as the real-life “Captain Phillips,” whose containership is invaded by Somali pirates.

Tom Hanks was snubbed out of an Oscar nomination, but his co-star, Barkhad Abdi, was nominated for his chilling performance as the main kidnapper. Captain Phillips earned six Oscar nominations overall and is widely considered Greengrass’s crowning achievement thus far, along with the unforgettable United 93.

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