Al Pacino’s not only an actor, he’s a movie phenomenon. With over five decades in Hollywood, Pacino has etched out a body of work that encompasses mob sagas, character studies, mental illness dramas, and even rom-coms. Few stars have achieved the range, intensity, and duration he’s shown over the years. Whether detonating with unbridled rage or speaking in hushed, gut-wrenching monologues, Pacino’s had a magnetic presence for audiences since the beginning. His performances stick with us long after the credits have run, making him one of the all-time screen legends. Here’s a top 14 countdown of some of his most memorable films, ranging from the merely iconic to the downright legendary.
14. House of Gucci (2021) — Aldo Gucci
In Ridley Scott’s debauched crime-drama about power and betrayal within the Gucci family, Pacino took over the role of Aldo Gucci, astute but beleaguered patriarch. Pairing his scenes with Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, and Jared Leto, among others, Pacino indulged in the film’s exaggerated melodrama to excess. He’s game, authoritative, and sometimes bigger than life, entirely comfortable in this extreme world of excess and scandal. Though the film split critics, Pacino’s scenes are a pleasure to behold; he chews the scenery shamelessly, reminding viewers that even in the twilight of his career, he remembers how to play with a role.
13. You Don’t Know Jack (2010) — Dr. Jack Kevorkian
Playing the polarizing doctor who became the face of the right-to-die controversy, Pacino delivered a rich, unflinching performance in this HBO biopic. Portraying Dr. Jack Kevorkian involved juggling compassion with a clinical, unforgiving detachment, and Pacino performed the feat with astounding accuracy. His portrayal won him an Emmy and a Golden Globe, demonstrating he was still at the height of his powers deep into his 70s. The role also permitted him to explore deeply human issues, morality, mortality, and personal conscience while revealing a less boisterous, more subdued aspect of his art.
12. Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) — Willy Bank
Pacino infused his signature vigor into Steven Soderbergh’s third Ocean’s film as the smooth, condescending casino mogul Willy Bank. With his larger-than-life presence, he was the ideal opposite of Danny Ocean’s team. Each smirk, each meticulously delivered insult, each moment of him indulging in his own authority is wickedly fun. Pacino had a clear blast portraying the bad guy in this case, and his performance provided the A-list cast with the added fuel it took to make the franchise fresh again. He transformed what might have been a cliché into one of the series’ most iconic villains.
11. Any Given Sunday (1999) — Tony D’Amato
In Oliver Stone’s gritty, frenetic football drama, Pacino portrayed Tony D’Amato, a veteran coach fighting to keep together a broken team and a declining career. The movie is boisterous, noisy, and intense, but Pacino anchors it with heart and weight. His locker room pep talk, “life is a game of inches,” is still one of the most stirring monologues in sports movie annals. Aside from the incendiary monologues, however, Pacino added a depth of vulnerability, conveying the isolation and desperation of a man whose best days are already behind him. It’s a classic Pacino part: incendiary, soulful, and indelible.
10. Sea of Love (1989) — Detective Frank Keller
This underappreciated neo-noir gem features Pacino as Frank Keller, a tired detective solving a series of murders while embroiled in a torrid affair. Following a series of loud, bigger-than-life performances throughout the ’80s, this movie provided an opportunity for him to dial it back and act something rougher and more intimate. His rapport with Ellen Barkin sizzles, injecting a sense of danger and vulnerability into each scene they share. Pacino’s performance of a man torn between his cop instincts and his need to connect raises what might otherwise have been a run-of-the-mill thriller into something much more interesting.
9. Scarecrow (1973) — Francis Lionel “Lion” Delbuchi
Early in his career, Pacino teamed with Gene Hackman in this moving road drama about two vagrants forming an improbable bond. Though less well-known than some of the other films he did in the 1970s, Scarecrow is a subtle masterpiece, and Pacino’s performance as the optimistic, soft-spoken “Lion” demonstrates just how talented he already was as a young actor. He plays wonderfully against the cynicism of Hackman, producing a couple that is honest and intensely moving. The movie is a reflection on dreams, disillusionment, and the tenuous ties of friendship, and Pacino brings it a beating heart.
8. Chinese Coffee (2000) — Harry Levine
Not only starring, but also directing, Pacino translated Ira Lewis’s play into a very personal chamber piece. The whole movie is played like a long, bitter argument between two old pals, with Pacino playing down-on-his-luck writer Harry Levine. Without car chases or shootouts, Chinese Coffee depends solely on dialogue and pure performance, and Pacino excels in its restraint. He conveys the petty, desperate, and occasional flashes of tenderness that attach to lifelong friendships, giving a performance that demonstrates his capabilities are not spectacle-only. Chinese Coffee may be diminutive in its scope, but it is monumental in emotional authenticity.
7. Frankie and Johnny (1991) — Johnny
Teamed once more with Michelle Pfeiffer, Pacino revealed his infrequently encountered romantic side in this sentimental dramedy. As Johnny, a former convict chef attempting to charm a cautious waitress, Pacino tones down his trademark intensity to portray a man filled with halting charm and longing. Their chemistry makes the tale work, and Pacino adds a warm, humane quality to the part that opens him up beyond gangsters and tough men. Although not as praised as some of his other works, it’s a gentle reminder of just how much range he really has.
6. Author! Author! (1982) — Ivan Travalian
Pacino is great in this underrated comedy-drama playing Ivan, a troubled playwright trying to deal with career stress and a life at home that’s also crazy. It’s a lighter part than people were accustomed to from him in the early ’80s, but he carries it off with affection and humor, turning Ivan both frustrated and likable. The movie is not going to have the cache of Serpico or The Godfather, but Pacino’s charm gets it by. He shows that his charisma is just as effective in down-to-earth, realistic parts as it is in grand crime epics.
5. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) — Ricky Roma
In David Mamet’s scathing examination of desperate real estate agents, Pacino is electrifying as Ricky Roma, the suave closer who can talk anyone into a sale. His quick wit and sly assurance electrify every scene he is in. Although Alec Baldwin’s “Always Be Closing” speech gets all the cultural references, Pacino’s slow-build performance is the real heart of the film. He is the epitome of ruthlessness, and he gives one of his finest and most restrained performances. This is Pacino using subtlety as a weapon, and it’s dazzling.
4. Scent of a Woman (1992) — Lt. Col. Frank Slade
Pacino eventually received his long-overdue Oscar for this performance as blind and bitter Vietnam War veteran Frank Slade, who schools a young man in some unforgettable lessons. Larger-than-life, volatile, and sometimes over-the-top, Slade is quintessential Pacino. His iconic “hoo-ah!” catchphrase proved a cultural touchstone, but beneath the bluster is a performance infused with sorrow, rage, and moments of tenderness. Love it or despise it, the role is classic Pacino big, bold, and impossible to miss.
3. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) — Sonny Wortzik
In Sidney Lumet’s gripping bank heist thriller, Pacino gave one of his most raw and human performances as Sonny, a desperate character attempting to rob a bank to fund his change operation for his accomplice. Based on real events, the film comes alive with chaos, paranoia, and social unrest, and Pacino pours all of it into a performance that’s both heartbreaking and electric. His raw passion screaming “Attica!” to incite the crowd outside is one of the most memorable moments of his career and of 1970s film.
2. Serpico (1973) — Frank Serpico
Portraying real-life NYPD whistleblower Frank Serpico, Pacino encapsulated the idealism and bravery of a man battling corruption in one of America’s most notoriously corrupt institutions. The performance called for grit, passion, and vulnerability, and Pacino gave all three in abundance. His unkempt appearance became legendary, but it was his complete immersion in the moral dilemma of the character that left such an enduring impression. Serpico is one of the benchmark performances of Pacino’s early work and is still a standard for cop dramas today.
1. Heat (1995) — Lt. Vincent Hanna
Few performances encompass Pacino’s full range as well as Vincent Hanna does in Michael Mann’s Heat. A relentless detective fixated on bringing down Robert De Niro’s master thief, Pacino is magnetically intense, explosively volatile, and utterly watchable. The iconic diner confrontation between him and De Niro, two acting giants going toe to toe for the first time on screen, is seared into movie lore. Every burst of fury, every exasperated sigh, every moment of fixation rings true.
Heat isn’t merely one of Pacino’s finest movies, as it’s a pillar of contemporary crime films. From small, intimate dramas to sprawling epics, Al Pacino’s career is a masterclass in versatility, intensity, and longevity. He’s not simply one of the greatest actors of his generation; he’s a performer who has defined what it means to command the screen. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just beginning to explore his work, these films offer a window into a career that’s nothing short of legendary.