Say what you like about his acting skills, but the savviest directors working at the time would useArnold Schwarzeneggeras a benefit. With a tremendous working relationship, Schwarzenegger andJames Cameronwould collaborate on three separate movies (the first twoTerminatormovies andTrue Lies), crafting some of the greatest movies the sci-fi action genre has ever seen. Could his role as an emotionless killing machine be played by anyone else, at least with such cold believability? Likewise, would The Predator look as deadly if it didn’t stand so high above someone as already massive as Schwarzenegger? Probably not.
Updated June 24, 2025: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated byDanilo Raúl
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a success story. Whatever the man wanted, he achieved and dominated at the highest of levels. Fascinated by politics, and a real-life example of the American Dream, by the 2000s, Arnold Schwarzenegger would go on to govern a whole U.S. state no less. With his return to acting after his time in office from 2003-2011, we may be light on as many classics, but we have seen an older and more thoughtful version of the muscle-bound, heavily accented human vending machine that we saw in his 80s heyday.
It’s interesting to see a matured, wiser manon and off-screen, comparing Schwarzenegger in retrospect to the coked-up hair-metal days of the 1980s, a Planet Hollywood-toting gargantuan who reflected that decade, and who once described lifting weights to the sensation of having an orgasm. These are the best Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, ranked.
16Junior (1994)
Junioris an underrated film made by Arnold back during his comedy phase. To put it bluntly,Junioris a movie where Arnold gets pregnant as he seeks to test a drug that can cure infertility and avoid miscarriages. The story is directed by Ivan Reitman, with Kevin Wade and Chris Conrad providing the script.
The cast features Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, and Emma Thompson. Playing Dr. Alex Hesse, the scientist tests the experimental drug he created on himself instead of discarding his life’s work. It blends sci-fi, humor, and heartfelt moments, exploring fatherhood, gender roles, and unconventional relationships. It stands out for the pleasant comedic timing of Arnold in this unexpected role.
15The 6th Day (2000)
Imagine losing your conscience and waking up believing you had the weirdest dream ever. You drive back home, and when you’re about to enter your house, you realize you’re already in there celebrating your son’s birthday. This is the type of nightmare scenario explored by the movieThe 6th Day. This Underdog is directed by Roger Spottiswoode, with a solid script written by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley.
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In the film, we have Arnold playing Adam Gibson, a man who discovers he’s been cloned after a botched assassination attempt. Adam embarks on a mission to reclaim his identity and uncover the conspiracy, with two leading the same life. It’s a solid offering released in a time of new clinical developments regarding cloning. The film exploresthe ethical consequences of this procedureand how it could impact society if the tech falls into the wrong hands.
14Jingle All the Way (1996)
Before the internet took over our shopping habits, parents had to duke it out on Christmas Eve to get the hottest toys in the store.Jingle All the Wayis a relic of those times, as Schwarzenegger plays Howard Langston, a workaholic father determined to get the hottest toy of the year, a superhero named Turbo-Man, for his son on Christmas Eve.
This hilarious film is directed by Brian Levant, with a script by Randy Kornfield. It features Arnold alongside comedians Sinbad and Phil Hartman. The film explores the lengths parents had to go to get a seasonal toy back in the day, with shady scalpers selling knock-offs,to other deluded parents fighting over the toy in the aisle. This film is filled with holiday chaos and funny mishaps, capturing the seasonal spirit for the whole family.
13Sabotage (2014)
After his political stint as Governor of California, Arnold returned to Hollywood, choosing his parts more carefully. He made several films teaming up with fellow action star Sylvester Stallone and played a few morally grey characters. InSabotage, he plays John “Breacher” Wharton, the leader of a DEA task force investigating a powerful drug cartel.
This perfectly paced action flick is directed by David Ayer, based on a story written by Skip Woods.Breacher has a commanding presenceand leads a team of faithful subordinates, played by working actors such as Sam Worthington and Olivia Williams. After the team makes a few bad choices, they become the cartel’s target without realizing one single team member is responsible for every death in the squad.
12Maggie (2015)
This is such an out-there movie. WhenMaggie, a movie dubbed as ‘Schwarzenegger Vs. Zombies,’ was first announced, most fans assumed this was going to be some ’80s blood-fest more in the vein of McBain’s inclusion inThe Simpsons. However,Maggieturned out to be a sentimental meditation on grief and a father/daughter bond that is surprisingly moving and real. Since Arnie returned to acting, his movies have reflected a more measured actor willing to tap into his own emotions and put down the machine gun. This movie may be a little slow, and hardcore zombie fans may not gel with it, but we highly recommend checking it out.
11Commando (1985)
Without a doubt, the silliest one on this list,Commandois beat for beat the plot ofTakenbut done 20 years earlier. Arnold plays a man called John Matrix (yeah) and kills off the men who abducted his daughter one by one on his warpath to rescue her. It’s ridiculous just how many things are blown up in this picture, and Schwarzenegger looks appropriately humongous. Unlike the rest of the films on the list, it’s a testament to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s savvy career choices that this really is the only out-and-out action movie here. Check out the tool shed scene, in particular for some deadly-ass henchmen kills.
10End of Days (1999)
A real black sheep now,End of Daysdoes not get anywhere near the love it deserves but pitches Arnold against Satan himself.End of Daysis a horror/action hybrid that sees Schwarzenegger protecting a woman on the eve of the millennium and plays heavily with themes of the occult, religion, and Satan worship. It’s so far out to see Schwarzenegger as this mourning, broken alcoholic, especially when matched up against Gabriel Byrne’s manipulative and tempting Satan, one of the most charismatic and evil portrayals of Lucifer on screen going.
9The Running Man (1987)
Forgive the tacky chrome pajama costumes, and this sci-fi flick becomes so much fun, with an arcade video game feel to it. Based on a (wildly different) short story by Stephen King, the action element is cranked up once again as Arnold is wrongly imprisoned and must fight his way out against specialized freaks sent to stop him.
The Running Man, through the guise of bloody action/sci-Fi (Schwarzenegger’s niche), parodies the world’s obsession with reality TV, ramping it up to its most extreme where people willingly view death as if it were lottery numbers. This sort of idea has been done many times since (Black Mirror,Gamer, The Hunger Games), but this really is the OG, with Richard Dawson featuring as the pitch-perfect smarmy host. If it actually happens, anEdgar Wright-directed remakeis in the works and sounds amazing.
8Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Kindergarten Copre-unites Arnold Schwarzenegger and director Ivan Reitman for a hilariously silly comedy with an irresistible heart. The film is incredibly important in Schwarzenegger’s career, playing to the actors' strengths as both an action hero and comedic actor. Without Schwarzenegger’s brooding presence and hilarious comedic timing, there would have been an important element missing from the movie.
The film allows Schwarzenegger to demonstrate his softer side in this film, making these softer moments some of the best moments in the film. Schwarzenegger’s irresistible chemistry with the annoying but adorable Kindergarten kids makes it so difficult not to fall in love with his character and the film.
7Last Action Hero (1993)
This movie gets way too much flack. BeforeWes Craven’s metaNew NightmareorScream,Last Action Herogot the biggest star on the planet to send himself up as a fictional character dropped into the real world. Bombing at the box office on release, with weak reviews and overshadowed byJurassic Park,Last Action Herohas only gotten better with age, as action movies have remained aggressively dumb.
With its massive set pieces, plays on classics, an original track from AC/DC, and turned-all-the-way-up characters (Charles Dance is a devilishly English villain, and Danny DeVito voices an animated cat), this is a movie that lampoons Hollywood while existing solely because of it.Last Action Hero—on and off-screen—is a hulking reel of celluloid fit to explode at any second and should be hailed for its ridiculousness.
