# The best Jack Nicholson movies

Twelve Oscar nominations and three wins: Jack Nicholson's greatest performances, based on the rankings of Variety, Collider and Gold Derby.

- 242 votes · 14 items
- May 22, 2025 · Mitchell King
- https://even.best/en/l/4068/the-best-jack-nicholson-movies

## Top 10

1. **Chinatown (1974)** (30 · ▲31 ▼1) — Private eye J.J. Gittes and the Los Angeles water scandal.
2. **One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)** (20 · ▲20 ▼0) — Randle P. McMurphy against Nurse Ratched: his first Oscar.
3. **The Departed (2006)** (16 · ▲19 ▼3) — Boston mob boss Frank Costello, for Scorsese.
4. **The Shining (1980)** (14 · ▲17 ▼3) — Jack Torrance and the Overlook Hotel, for Kubrick.
5. **Five Easy Pieces (1970)** (12 · ▲17 ▼5) — A drifting ex-pianist, and his first lead Oscar nomination.
6. **Batman (1989)** (11 · ▲15 ▼4) — Tim Burton's Joker.
7. **As Good as It Gets (1997)** (11 · ▲12 ▼1) — A misanthropic novelist with OCD: his third Oscar.
8. **The Last Detail (1973)** (11 · ▲12 ▼1) — Two navy sailors escorting a young prisoner.
9. **Prizzi's Honor (1985)** (11 · ▲12 ▼1) — A mob hitman in love with a rival killer, by John Huston.
10. **A Few Good Men (1992)** (10 · ▲12 ▼2) — Colonel Jessup on the witness stand, written by Aaron Sorkin.
11. **Terms of Endearment (1983)** (9 · ▲11 ▼2) — The retired astronaut next door: his supporting Oscar.
12. **About Schmidt (2002)** (8 · ▲12 ▼4) — A retired actuary on a road trip, by Alexander Payne.
13. **Easy Rider (1969)** (8 · ▲10 ▼2) — The alcoholic lawyer George Hanson, his breakout role.
14. **Reds (1981)** (7 · ▲10 ▼3) — Playwright Eugene O'Neill in Warren Beatty's epic.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.