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For a dude who dropped out of school at the age of 15, Guy Ritchie has certainly done well in life. He doesn’t have the most extensive filmography, but there are five films he’s directed that you should watch if you’re a fan of anything that’s quality. That’s not to say that every Guy Ritchie film is a hit, as seen by the box office bomb Swept Away, but he definitely has a number of other films that are all around great. Here are 5 Guy Ritchie films you need to watch.
1. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
This British black comedy is filled with an ensemble cast that even includes Sting from the Police. It’s a heist film, so if you’re into those, you should be turning this movie on right now. After a genius card player loses in a rigged game, Eddie (Nick Moran) and his friends now owe Harry (P. H. Moriarty) £500,000. Thanks to that, the group of friends decides to rob the gang that works out of the apartment next door.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is gritty, twisted, comedic, and an excellent start to Guy Ritchie’s feature-length film career. It was nominated for several awards, even winning a few. If you’re looking for an introduction to Guy Ritchie, give this one a try.
2. Snatch (2000)
Another British crime film, Snatch stars Jason Statham, Stephen Graham, Brad Pitt, and others in two intertwined plots. It’s fast-paced, well-edited, and oddly comedic. The first plot deals with the search for a stolen 86-carat diamond, while the second sees a boxing promoter getting pressured by a ruthless and viscous gang boss and his cronies. Guy Ritchie does British gang films well, and Snatch is no exception.
3. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Guy Ritchie might have done Sherlock Holmes the justice he deserves with his 2009 film that brought the character to life. Well, Robert Downey Jr. definitely helped, but Guy Ritchie’s direction and ability to craft an action-packed plot helped in no small part by his previous experience with British gangster films. Fans of detective films, whodunnits, action, and British crime shouldn’t skip out on this retelling of a classic character.
4. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
The sequel to the first installment is just as good and a must-watch if you’re a fan of Guy Ritchie and detective films. Plus, it’s got Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Jared Harris; what’s not to like? This film picks up after the events of the first and, this time, focuses on antagonist Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), a man who is hellbent on sending the world into war for his own profit. The action sequences are top-notch, but certain characters are definitely underutilized—still, it’s a great watch.
5. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Also one of the best Henry Cavill films, The Man from U.N.C.L.E is an excellent spy-action movie set during the Cold War. A criminal organization is threatening to throw the world into a nuclear winter after they set their sights on causing a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union.
To stop the plot before it results in the end of the world, the CIA sends secret agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) on a mission alongside KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Arnie Hammer) to save the world. Their only lead is the daughter of a missing German scientist, but if they find her, they can avoid catastrophe.
