Ranking the films of Danny Boyle from worst to best
Whilst the likes of Mike Leigh, David Lean, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger represent some of the finest British filmmaking minds of the past, it is the likes of Lynne Ramsay, Steve McQueen, Jonathan Glazer and Danny Boyle who are pioneering the modern art form. Helming 13 movies over the course of 28 years, Boyle has become a national treasure of British filmmaking.
As one of the greatest filmmaking talents ever to come out of the United Kingdom, Boyle has become something of a national icon in recent years, particularly after his efforts in conducting the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. Before 2012, of course, he was already a popular name, having created Shallow Grave, The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio, 28 Days Later with Cillian Murphy and Sunshine.
As a result of this consistent success, as well as the release of the Best-Picture winner Slumdog Millionaire in 2008, Boyle has become one of the most trustworthy names in all of British cinema, creating unique pieces of cinema that have yet failed to inspire and amaze. Tracking each of his films from 1994 to the modern day, take a look at our ranking of all of Danny Boyle’s feature films below.
Ranking every one of Danny Boyle’s films from worst to best
13. A Life Less Ordinary (1997)
For our money, Boyle’s 1997 film A Life Less Ordinary is the filmmaker’s worst of his current filmography, which is pretty good going when considering that the movie is really not that bad at all. A middling kooky comedy crime caper, the film tells the story of a desperate man who kidnaps the daughter of his former boss, only for two angels to descend to earth and see if love could flourish between the two of them.
Starring a host of American stars such as Cameron Diaz, Stanley Tucci and Holly Hunter alongside Ewan McGregor, A Life Less Ordinary was the director’s first foray into Hollywood.
12. Trance (2013)
Boyle’s star-studded 2013 film Trance just doesn’t work. Though it shoots for the stars, it’s undeniable that the film misses the mark, becoming something of a mess when it comes to the final act. Starring the likes of James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson, Vincent Cassel and Danny Sapani, the cast suggests something different and magnificent, and whilst the project is, no doubt, unique, it is quite short of exceptional.
Telling the story of an art auctioneer who becomes mixed up with a group of criminals partners, at least the story and many of its beats are original.
11. Yesterday (2019)
If you like saccharine cinema, Boyle’s 2019 collaboration with Richard Curtis is for you, with Yesterday being so unbearably sweet that it actually works. The director’s most recent movie follows a struggling musician who realises that he’s the only person on earth who remembers the Beatles after waking up from a cycling collision. This all leads him to go about re-creating the band’s music and sponging off their success.
But, it is thanks to the charming central performance of Himesh Patel that turns the film into far more of a compelling watch than it should be. Together with Lily James, Ed Sheeran and Ellise Chappell, Patel knocks it out of the park.
10. The Beach (2000)
One of British director Danny Boyle’s earliest career successes, The Beach also featured the arrival of writer Alex Garland who wrote the original novel and would later be responsible for Ex Machina and Annihilation.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, The Beach is the dream of an adventurous, love-fueled gap year rolled into the excitement of a two-hour film that accurately captures the freedom and insanity of such wild journeys. Also featuring the likes of Tilda Swinton and Robert Carlyle, the film would quickly become a cult classic, as well as the favourite movie of budding travellers around the world eager to recapture the beauty and simple pleasures of new experiences.
9. T2 Trainspotting (2017)
Fans and critics weren’t too sure what to think when Danny Boyle announced a sequel to his iconic British movie Trainspotting, releasing the film in 2017 to decent critical and commercial opinions across the board. The sequel didn’t move mountains, with the story picking up 20 years after the original film, following Mark Renton’s (Ewan McGregor) return to Scotland to reunite with his old problematic friends.
A worthy follow-up to the original, packed with a decent amount of dramatic weight, Boyle’s sequel wasn’t unnecessary, but it doesn’t make it higher onto the list of his very best films, for good reason.
8. Millions (2004)
Danny Boyle is at his best when he’s working with well-written characters in a well-contained narrative, with his 2004 movie Millions being a great representation of the director’s skills. Based on the novel of the same name by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Millions follows the story of a 7-year-old boy who has to question his morals and ethics when a bag containing £1 million in cash lands by his feet.
A charming tale that taps into childhood curiosity and wonder, Boyle’s take is an easy-watching joy that might even make you shed a tear in the process.
7. 127 Hours (2010)
Boyle’s 2010 six-time Oscar-nominated drama starred James Franco in one of his most celebrated roles shortly before he was shunted from Hollywood for his sexual misconduct. Still, the film remains thoroughly enjoyable, with the director managing to make the story of a man trapped between two rocks in the middle of nowhere into a pretty gripping piece of cinema that will keep you hooked till the very end.
Unlucky to miss out on the Oscar for Best Leading Actor, Franco carries the film with his performance and natural charisma.
6. Sunshine (2007)
Underrated, not just in the filmography of Danny Boyle, but also in the collection of 21st-century science fiction movies, Sunshine is an eerie piece of cinema with an innovative and fascinating premise. Written by Alex Garland, the film follows a team of international astronauts who are sent on a dangerous mission in the year 2057, their journey takes them across the solar system with a nuclear fission bomb with the intention of reigniting the dying sun.
An eerie, memorable watch, Boyle’s film is made great by a terrific script from Garland and a handful of great performances from the likes of Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Cillian Murphy and Michelle Yeoh.
5. Steve Jobs (2015)
There are few icons as influential to the makeup of the 21st century as Apple founder Steve Jobs. Brought to life by Michael Fassbender in this rousing biopic of the inventor’s life that explores the digital revolution at the dawn of the new millennium, director Danny Boyle does an excellent job of underlining the efforts of Jobs in sculpting what we now recognise as the home computer.
Joined by an equally impressive supporting cast that includes Seth Rogen, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Katherine Waterston and Sarah Snook, Boyle’s 2015 film captures the life of an icon with extraordinary scope.
4. Shallow Grave (1994)
The director’s debut feature film, Shallow Grave, is among one of his very best, demonstrating the popular theory that when a filmmaker is limited by budget and resources, they can create some of their finest work. Starring Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston and Kerry Fox, the tale follows three friends who discover their new flatmate dead but loaded with cash, leading them into quite a moral quandary.
A crime thriller at its heart, Boyle’s 1994 film is also a rousing drama and rib-tickling comedy. As a selection box of all that the director can do, it’s an utter joy.
3. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Helping to bring lead actor Dev Patel to the very forefront of modern cinema, Slumdog Millionaire was an awards sensation when it was released in 2008, hauling in a total of eight Academy Awards. An epic coming-of-age story, the film is based on the book Q&A by author Vikas Swarup, following a Mumbai teenager as he reflects on his life after being accused of cheating on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?.
Led by terrific performances across the board and deft direction by Danny Boyle, the critical success of Slumdog Millionaire was long-deserved for the filmmaker.
2. 28 Days Later (2002)
Before 2002, zombies were idiotic meat parcels, pinatas of guts, goo and copious blood for characters to rip apart and stick into blenders. Granted, the terrifying, infected monsters that sprint around the city of London in 28 Days Later may not technically be zombies, but the film certainly changed the way we looked at the undead.
Danny Boyle’s landmark debut horror movie is a visionary masterpiece. With help from a terrific script from Alex Garland, which not only establishes an apocalyptic London with deft imagination but also manages to contain an excellent, isolated story within the world itself. Waking up from a coma to the windswept tumbleweed of central London, Jim (Cillian Murphy) staggers through the city, searching for survivors and sanctuary. It was a zombie movie that would change everything.
1. Trainspotting (1996)
Based on Irvine Welsh’s novel of the same name, Danny Boyle’s 1990s classic Trainspotting is the director’s pièce de résistance, and one of British cinema’s most iconic contemporary films.
Tracking the chaotic lives of heroin addicts in Edinburgh, McGregor plays Renton, living unemployed with his parents in the suburbs, who decides to clean up and wean himself off the drug; a task easier said than done considering the irresponsible influence of his friends. Leading the charge as the central protagonist, McGregor is magnificent in his nuanced portrayal of a drug addict on the verge of recovery, so good in fact that his role here would catapult him to international success as well as shining acclaim later in his career.
