Jeremy Renner names his five favourite movies of all time
Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe has sparked success for a large swathe of contemporary actors, including the likes of Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Elizabeth Olsen and Chris Hemsworth, elevating otherwise obscure names into the public consciousness. One such name was Jeremy Renner, whose credits were impressive to any cinephile, but a little too invisible to the everyday viewer, until he jumped onboard the MCU as the arrow-slinging hero, Hawkeye.
It would certainly be a disservice to the Hollywood star to suggest that it was solely the work of the MCU that led him to such industry success, with the actor long-impressed in some of the biggest contemporary films long before 2012’s The Avengers. Starting off his career with a large number of minor TV appearances, Renner built his early filmography with the odd feature film role, even playing the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in a relatively unknown 2002 drama, directed by David Jacobson.
It would take five years for Renner to grasp a firm hold of the industry, however, appearing in the thriller sequel 28 Weeks Later in 2007, followed by the Best-Picture-winning flick The Hurt Locker in 2008 and the Ben Affleck crime film The Town in 2010. Gaining an Oscar nomination for both The Hurt Locker and The Town, Renner entered the new decade with significant critical momentum, as the MCU soon beckoned.
Many years later, Renner is considered a favourite among movie fans across the world, earning his place in a dazzling superhero team of commercial dynamite. Shortly after the release of The Avengers in 2012, Renner had the opportunity to sit down with Rotten Tomatoes to discuss his favourite films of all time, giving Marvel fans some tasty insight to chew on.
His first choice of five favourites is the 1995 historical thriller Braveheart, directed by Mel Gibson. “I love the simplicity of that world, I’m a cowboy at heart,” the actor says of the movie that tells the story of the Scottish warrior William Wallace who leads his homeland to freedom in late 13th century Great Britain. Calling the movie “beautiful,” Renner has a significant fondness for Gibson’s Best Picture winner.
Stanley Kubrick’s seminal classic A Clockwork Orange takes the second spot on his list, reporting, “I’ve seen about 35 times”. Continuing, he adds, “It’s an absolute acid-trip fantasy weird thing. I never did drugs growing up because I watched Clockwork Orange enough so I didn’t have to do drugs. There’s a lot of shock value to it, but I really appreciated it for that. It was really kind of interesting for me, and it all was put together in a very smart way, I believe”.
Moving from one of the most controversial films of all time to one of the most innocent and beloved, Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial takes third place on his list. Speaking about the movie, he states, “It certainly is a throwback to a really good time in my life. Being a young man, coming of age. And, come on, it’s a classic Spielberg movie. It’s beautiful and the music, it’s great. Fantastic”.
Sticking on the same vibe of family-friendly flicks, the fourth film on Renner’s list of favourites is the 1967 Disney classic The Jungle Book, from director Wolfgang Reitherman. “I love the music and the archetypes represented in the movie stick with me,” Renner states of the classic, expressing, “The characters just stand out as some of the best, and I love, love, love the music. There’s really good bad guys, really good good guys. I love it. Love it, love it”.
Frank Darabont’s 1994 classic, The Shawshank Redemption, boxes off the list of his all-time favourite, picking the movie that is often cited as the greatest ever made. Neatly explaining why he loves the prison drama so much, he states it’s: “A really simple story, really. And that’s why I really enjoy it. It’s a beautifully… It’s a masterpiece. It’s a masterpiece of filmmaking in its simplicity. Its characters are lovely and tormented and flawed and beautiful and heroic”.
Jeremy Renner’s favourite movies of all time
- Braveheart (Mel Gibson, 1995)
- A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971)
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982)
- The Jungle Book (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1967)
- The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont, 1994)
