The best Michael Caine movies
The top 3 according to 731 votes from people: The Man Who Would Be King (1975) · Zulu (1964) · The Dark Knight (2008). (Updated Oct 24, 2025.)
From Zulu, Alfie and The Ipcress File to Get Carter and Alfred the butler in The Dark Knight: the Michael Caine films that top the rankings of Looper and Collider.
Top 15
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1
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
John Huston: Caine and Sean Connery as two ex-soldiers who become kings in Kafiristan.
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2
Zulu (1964)
The defence of Rorke's Drift; his breakthrough as Lieutenant Bromhead.
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3
The Dark Knight (2008)
Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler and conscience, in Nolan's best Batman.
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4
Alfie (1966)
A London womaniser who talks straight to camera; his first Oscar nomination.
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5
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Woody Allen: the role that won him his first Oscar.
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6
The Ipcress File (1965)
Harry Palmer, the bespectacled spy who is the anti-Bond.
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7
Sleuth (1972)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz: a deadly game of wits with Laurence Olivier.
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8
Children of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuarón: the aging hippie Jasper in a world without births.
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9
The Quiet American (2002)
A British reporter in 1950s Saigon, from Graham Greene's novel.
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10
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
Two con men compete on the French Riviera, with Steve Martin.
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11
The Italian Job (1969)
Charlie Croker, a gold heist in Turin and the Mini Cooper chase.
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12
The Prestige (2006)
Nolan: Cutter, the stage engineer between two rival magicians.
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13
Get Carter (1971)
A London gangster goes north to avenge his brother.
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14
Dressed to Kill (1980)
Brian De Palma: a psychiatrist in an erotic thriller.
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15
Inception (2010)
Nolan: Miles, the architect's mentor.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 15… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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16
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Scrooge played completely straight among the Muppets.
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.
Is something missing?
Comments (5)
Get Carter should be top 3, no question
agreed, that ending on the beach still gets me
the muppet christmas carol on a best of list lol. respect
Children of Men being this high makes me happy, Jasper is such a lovely character
The Man Who Would Be King at #1 is spot on. Caine and Connery together, nothing better