This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

List of Terrence Malick Movies: Ranked Best To Worst

1. Badlands (1973)
14
2
Badlands
PG
14
2

During 1950s in a small town of South Dakota, teenaged Holly and somewhat-older garbage-collector, Kit, fall in love. Kit fatally shoots Holly’s father when he takes objection to their relationship. Holly leaves with Kit, making it appear that they died in house fire. But a bounty is declared on their head as they continue killing people while heading towards Badlands of Montana. 

Directed By:
Terrence Malick
2. Days of Heaven (1978)
14
2
Days of Heaven
PG
14
2

In 1916, Chicago steel-worker Bill flees to Texas with girlfriend and sister, after a fight with foreman. While working for a rich but dying farmer, Bill and girlfriend Abby pose as siblings. When the farmer proposes marriage Bill encourages Abby, so as to claim his wealth. Later, the farmer realizes the truth, but by then Abby has fallen in love with him.

Starring:
Richard Gere, Sam Shepard, Brooke Adams, Robert J. Wilke, Linda Manz
Directed By:
Terrence Malick
3. Dirty Harry (1971)
14
3
Dirty Harry
R
14
3

This is the first film of the Dirty Harry series. When a psychopath sniper, called the ‘Scorpio Killer,’ terrorizes San Francisco, Harry Callahan, the SFPD inspector with ‘dirty’ attitude, is assigned to apprehend him. Harry succeeds in nabbing the criminal who is released over legal procedures. When Scorpio strikes again by kidnapping a school bus, only ‘Dirty’ Harry can save the situation.

Starring:
Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, Reni Santoni, John Vernon, Andrew Robinson
Directed By:
Don Siegel
4. The Thin Red Line (1998)
18
2
The Thin Red Line
TV-MA
18
2

Based on the eponymous novel by James Jones, The Thin Red Line is a war drama revolving around a group of soldiers fighting to capture Guadalcanal for the Allied Forces during World War II. Featuring a brilliant star cast of Sean Penn, John Travolta, George Clooney, Jim Caviezel, and more, this film focuses on American soldiers trying to capture Japanese bunkers.

Directed By:
Terrence Malick
5. The Endurance (2000)
11
3
The Endurance
G
11
3
Starring:
Liam Neeson, David Cale, John Henry Cox, Julian Ayer, John Blackborow
Directed By:
George Butler
7. Happy Times (2000)
11
2
Happy Times
PG
11
2
Starring:
Xuejian Li, Benshan Zhao, Jie Dong, Lifan Dong, Biao Fu
Directed By:
Yimou Zhang
8. The Beautiful Country (2004)
11
2
The Beautiful Country
R
11
2
Starring:
Nick Nolte, Tim Roth, Bai Ling, Damien Nguyen, Thi Hoa Mai
Directed By:
Hans Petter Moland
9. The Gravy Train (1974)
11
2
The Gravy Train
R
11
2

This action crime comedy film revolves around two rural West Virginia brothers, who leave home and choose to become fugitives. Shortly after, they rob an armored car.

Starring:
Margot Kidder, Stacy Keach, Barry Primus, Frederic Forrest, Richard Romanus
Directed By:
Jack Starrett
10. Amazing Grace (2006)
11
3
Amazing Grace
PG
11
3

Amazing Grace is a biographical drama film which takes us to 18th century England. The film revolves around William Wilberforce and William Pitt, two politicians who begin a battle to abolish the slave trade in Great Britain.

Starring:
Benedict Cumberbatch, Albert Finney, Romola Garai, Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Gambon
Directed By:
11. Everybody's Everything (2019)
10
2
Everybody's Everything
TV-MA
10
2
12. Lanton Mills (1969)
10
2
Lanton Mills
10
2

Tilman and Lanton Mills are two cowboys who decide to rob a bank, and set off on horseback for their mission. However, on the way, they decide to stop to see their boss, but they discover that he has been murdered by John Sparks, another cowboy.  

Starring:
Harry Dean Stanton, Warren Oates, Tony Bill, Paul Ehrman
Directed By:
Terrence Malick
13. The Tree of Life (2011)
10
2
The Tree of Life
PG-13
10
2

Critically acclaimed, experimental-drama film, The Tree of Life, is based in Texas in 1950s. It explores the story of a father, a mother and three brothers, through the eyes of the youngest son Jack. He takes the viewers into his life and mind as a middle-aged adult, who is going through an existential crisis, while reminiscing his childhood struggles.

Starring:
Jessica Chastain, Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Hunter McCracken, Laramie Eppler
Directed By:
Terrence Malick
14. The New World (2005)
11
2
The New World
PG-13
11
2

Set up against a historical backdrop, the film focuses on the passionate native princess, Pocahontas. In love with John Smith, an ambitious English soldier taken prisoner by the natives, she helps him in many ways before being banished by her father. Although Smith reciprocates her love, his career is equally important to him. So, he leaves for England while Pocahontas is told that he has died. 

Starring:
Colin Farrell, Jonathan Pryce, Ben Mendelsohn, Christopher Plummer, Noah Taylor, Christian Bale, Q'orianka Kilcher
Directed By:
Terrence Malick
15. Undertow (2004)
10
2
Undertow
R
10
2

Following the death of his wife, a man takes takes his sons to rural Georgia, where they lead a reclusive lifestyle. Their lives take another turn for the worse when the brother of the man arrives, hoping to claim a stack of gold coins their father left them.

Starring:
Dermot Mulroney, Kristen Stewart, Jamie Bell, Robert Longstreet, Terry Loughlin
Directed By:
David Gordon Green
16. Voyage of Time: Life's Journey (2016)
10
2
Voyage of Time: Life's Journey
PG-13
10
2
Starring:
Cate Blanchett, Jamal Cavil, Maisha Diatta, Yagazie Emezi, Daryl James Harris II
Directed By:
Terrence Malick
17. Drive, He Said (1971)
9
2
Drive, He Said
X
9
2
Starring:
Bruce Dern, Cindy Williams, Karen Black, Henry Jaglom, Robert Towne
Directed By:
18. Deadhead Miles (1973)
9
2
Deadhead Miles
R
9
2

Deadhead Miles is a comedy film which revolves around a long-distance trucker and his experiences with different people on the road.  

Starring:
Charles Durning, Alan Arkin, Hector Elizondo, Paul Benedict, Oliver Clark
Directed By:
Vernon Zimmerman
19. The Better Angels (2014)
9
2
The Better Angels
PG
9
2
Starring:
Jason Clarke, Diane Kruger, Brit Marling, Wes Bentley, Braydon Denney
Directed By:
A.J. Edwards
20. Pocket Money (1972)
9
2
Pocket Money
PG
9
2
Starring:
Lee Marvin, Paul Newman, Wayne Rogers, Strother Martin, Hector Elizondo
Directed By:
Stuart Rosenberg
21. To the Wonder (2012)
8
2
To the Wonder
R
8
2

While in Paris, Neil falls in love with Ukrainian divorcee Marina and invites her with her daughter to his native Oklahoma. But as their passion cools, they drift apart; Marina befriends fellow-exile Catholic Priest Father Quintana, and later returns to France as her visa expires. Neil renews his friendship with childhood sweetheart Rachel, but is unwilling to commit. Then Marina returns to Oklahoma. 

Starring:
Olga Kurylenko, Javier Bardem, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Tatiana Chiline
Directed By:
Terrence Malick
22. Knight of Cups (2015)
8
2
Knight of Cups
R
8
2

Rick is a successful screenwriter living in Los Angeles, California, but his life is filled with emptiness. He searches for love and for himself via a series of adventures with six different women.

Starring:
Isabel Lucas, Dane DeHaan, Nick Kroll, Dan Harmon, Freida Pinto, Joel Kinnaman, Nick Offerman
Directed By:
Terrence Malick
23. Song to Song (2017)
8
2
Song to Song
R
8
2

A struggling musician in Texas is determined to achieve stardom. She soon gets involved with endless love triangles, and betrayals. She soon starts feeling guilty about her actions.

Starring:
Val Edward Kilmer, Holly Hunter, Natalie Portman, Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, Tom Sturridge, Rooney Mara
Directed By:
Terrence Malick
24. Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience (2016)
11
2
Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience
G
11
2
Starring:
Brad Pitt, Jamal Cavil, Maisha Diatta, Yagazie Emezi, Daryl James Harris II
Directed By:
Terrence Malick
25. Almost Holy (2015)
11
2
Almost Holy
R
11
2
Starring:
Gennadiy Mokhnenko
Directed By:
Steve Hoover
26. Red Wing (2013)
10
2
Red Wing
PG-13
10
2
Starring:
Bill Paxton, Luke Perry, Frances Fisher, Glen Powell, Breann Johnson
Directed By:
Will Wallace
27. Together (2018)
10
2
Together
10
2
Directed By:
Terrence Malick
28. The Unforeseen (2007)
10
2
The Unforeseen
10
2
Starring:
Willie Nelson, Curtis Peterson, Gary Bradley, Ann Richards, Roy Butler
Directed By:
Laura Dunn
29. Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry (2016)
10
3
Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry
10
3
Starring:
Wendell Berry, John Berry Jr., Mary Berry, Tanya Berry, John Logan Brent
Directed By:
Laura Dunn, Jef Sewell
30. Bear's Kiss (2002)
10
2
Bear's Kiss
10
2
Starring:
Keith Allen, Maurizio Donadoni, Sergey Bodrov, Joachim Król, Rebecka Liljeberg
Directed By:
Sergei Bodrov
31. Endurance (1998)
9
2
Endurance
G
9
2
Starring:
Haile Gebrsellasie, Shawananness Gebrselassie, Yonas Zergaw, Tedesse Haile, Bekele Gebrselassie
Directed By:
Bud Greenspan, Leslie Woodhead
32. The Vessel (2016)
9
2
The Vessel
PG-13
9
2
Starring:
Martin Sheen, Lucas Quintana, Jacqueline Duprey, Aris Mejias, Hiram Delgado
Directed By:
Julio Quintana
33. The Spearhead Effect (2017)
7
1
The Spearhead Effect
7
1
Starring:
Alex McArthur, Darlene Vogel, Jaime Gallagher, Paul Schackman, Caleb Alexander Smith
Directed By:
Caleb Alexander Smith, Brandon Moore