Ranking Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks movies from worst to best
Over one of the longest and most fruitful careers in Hollywood, Steven Spielberg has worked with many great actors. Huge names such as Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise have darkened Spielberg’s doorway more than once, but there is one actor he has come back to, time and again, someone else who’s had a long and fruitful career, Tom Hanks. Both were titans of the industry and Oscar winners before their first collaboration but since have become synonymous with one another, like Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio or Alfred Hitchcock and James Stewart.
Steven Spielberg has now cast Tom Hanks a total of five times, making him one of the director’s most frequent collaborators in front of the camera. Even before this, Spielberg supported some of Hank’s films, such as The Money Pit and Joe Versus the Volcano, as an executive producer. But the duo are predominantly known for their work in a director-actor pairing. Their first collaboration of this nature came in the form of 1998’s Saving Private Ryan, a film they were both looking to be a part of. Unaware of each other’s interests, the duo, who were close personal friends and had been for years at that point, had a decision to make when they found out about their shared interest in the project. They worried about spoiling what had become a great friendship by working so closely together.
Luckily for us, they decided it was worth the risk, and luckily for them, their friendship must have remained intact as they went on to make some great films together, films that showed us the horrors of war, the mischievousness of youth and the triumph of good men. Their similar cinematic styles had a hand in telling these thematically large stories. Tom Hanks is known as the nicest guy in Hollywood, his films with Spielberg used this charisma well, while the director made the kind of heart-warming, dramatic and accessible films that Hanks seems to gravitate towards.
Take a look at our ranking of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ collaborations and see what makes this partnership so great.
The Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks collaborations ranked
5. The Post ( 2017)
Though he is known as the father of the blockbuster, every now and again, Spielberg delivers a straightforward drama. The Post stars Meryl Streep as Katharine Graham, owner of the Washington Post, who must choose between the future of her paper and journalistic integrity when the Pentagon Papers come into her possession. Co-starring Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee, the executive editor who acts as a voice of reason and is always entertaining doing so through the film.
The mature nature of this film fits where Spielberg was in his career. However, the film does, at times, struggle to keep the tension up when compared to other journalism thrillers like All the President’s Men. This is the only reason why this otherwise quality film finds itself at the bottom of this list.
4. The Terminal (2004)
Tom Hanks plays Viktor Navorski, one of the kindest characters ever put to screen. Navorski arrives at JFK Airport and finds himself unable to go home or leave the building after a coup in his home country that happened while he was in the air. Cue Hanks being adorable, warming the hearts of those around him in what becomes months stuck in the terminal.
This is again a quieter film than we’re used to from Spielberg, but its wholesome nature plays to his strengths. He knows you need a little dark to see the light. Believe it or not, there’s a lot of sadness in what might be called an otherwise mushy film. Even the most cynical of hearts will be melted by Viktor’s enduring spirit and kindness.
3. Bridge of Spies (2015)
Much like The Post, this is another mature true story, only one which is arguably more interesting. When suspected Russian spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is captured in 1950s America, no self-respecting lawyer will defend him except James Donovan (Hanks), who believes everyone deserves a fair trial. Here Hanks plays another character whose virtuous nature is infectious.
Spielberg’s film puts you in a tangible version of 50s America and later Berlin. You can really understand the mood of the moment here in a way few films achieve. The central performances from its leads ground the moral dilemmas and allow you to see history from a human perspective.
2. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
One of those films that feel like required viewing for any film fan, Saving Private Ryan is often held up as one of Steven Spielberg’s best. The film sees Tom Hank’s Captain Miller leading a unit through the Normandy Invasion of World War II. Spielberg’s first collaboration with Hanks, the film looks at the horrors of war with a fresh flare. Similar settings and topics had been covered before, but this film was prepared to get grittier and nastier than had been attempted before.
From the iconic Omaha Beach opening to its bloody end, the film feels the closest a civilian will get to experiencing war. Hanks is great here, leading an ensemble cast while Spielberg directs the film like a tightly run ship -all making for one of the greatest war films of all time.
1. Catch Me if You Can (2002)
Spielberg and Hanks’ best collaboration came in the form of this quality crime caper. In this unbelievable true story, Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) discovers he has a talent for deception after running away from home. Soon he’s impersonating and defrauding people all over the country, but as his cons become bolder, he catches the attention of F.B.I agent Carl Hanratty. Catch Me if You Can captures the mischievous ingenuity of youth.
However, the true genius that lies at the heart of this film is its use of Hanks. In the beginning, he is used in an antagonistic role (uncommon for him) but over the course of the story, you gradually warm to him. Until the end, you see things entirely from Carl’s point of view, as does Frank. Catch Me if You Can is the best film Spielberg and Hanks made together because it has all of the elements on show in the others which gel together here to make one incredibly entertaining and emotional whole.
