Most people remember Javier Bardem as the strong-jawed psychopath that killed people with a very peculiar weapon in the Coen Bros' No Country for Old Men. However, his career fortunately expands massively towards other territories and genres. Coming from Spain, Bardem was an early icon in Pedro Almodóvar's universe and this gave him the dramatic stature needed to make a big entrance in Hollywood.
An Academy Award winner, Bardem has built a career in cinema that speaks for itself, and transcends language barriers all around the world. This is how Rotten Tomatoes ranks the top 15 films of one of Almodóvar's favorite actors to work with.
15 Mother! (2017) - 68%
The weird but ultimately fascinating film by Darren Aronofsky, Mother! is a great example of Bardem's ability to tackle minor roles without shedding off the credibility that's typical of his performances. In the film, Bardem plays Him, a poet married to a disturbed young woman who finds her husband, and everything surrounding them, may not be as good as they seem.
14 Being the Ricardos (2021) - 68%
In Being the Ricardos, Bardem plays Desi Arnaz, the real-life husband of Lucile Ball and her on-screen partner. In the film, Lucille and Desi face a crisis regarding Lucy's past that will put their careers and relationship in jeopardy. Even if there's no resemblance to Arnaz, Bardem does great as the famous TV star who wasn't the ideal husband everyone thought he was.
13 Jamón Jamón (1992) - 69%
In Bigas Luna's Jamón Jamón, Bardem plays Raúl, an underwear model who Silvia's mother-in-law hires in order to get her to fall in love with him. What follows is a complicated and never ending loop of affairs that have to do with the past in a weird town that depends on a business of prostitution and ham. This is one of Bardem's first roles.
12 Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022) - 72%
In Lyle, Lyle, Crocodyle, Bardem plays Hector, the owner of the softhearted crocodile who has an incredible ability to sing, but has never done so because of stage fright. Hector is father figure, who can also sing really well, and constantly tries to convince Lyle of his skills. This underrated family musical is definitely one you shouldn't miss.
11 Before Night Falls (2000) - 74%
Julian Schnabel's Before Night Falls features Bardem in the best role of his career. In the film, Bardem plays Reinaldo Arenas, the real-life Cuban poet who spent half his life trying to leave the oppressive regime that led the country he was born in. Bardem's performance is staggering and deeply emotional. How he lost to Russell Crowe in the Best Actor race in the Oscars that year is uncanny.
10 Everybody Knows (2018) - 78%
The film Everybody Knows tells the story of a kidnapping that goes wrong after it sparks some questions about paternity. We will leave it that, as this crime mystery film is one of those that's better seen than spoiled. Bardem plays Paco, a man who's forced to involve himself in trying to rescue the daughter of the woman he once was in love with.
9 Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) - 80%
Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona tells the story of two young men who find themselves entangled in a love triangle with a mysterious artist they meet in Barcelona during a summer trip. The thing is the artist, played by Bardem, is still in love with his ex, and she gets pissed after she finds out Juan Antonio likes the two foreign girls. This one's supposed to be sexy, but it's actually a very sad and compelling film.
8 Mondays in the Sun (2002) - 80%
Released in 2002, Mondays in the Sun tells the story of a group of men who were once workers in the docks but are now part of a unemployment wave in Galicia. Bardem is great as Santa, one of the workers who's forced to deal with the suicide of one of his best friends.
7 Live Flesh (1997) - 80%
By this point, Bardem was already a much sought actor in Spanish cinema. However, Almodóvar always made sure to have a place for him in his movies. Live Flesh (also known as Carne Trémula), tells the story of a man holding a grudge and trying to find the love of his life after leaving prison. The thing is she's married to the man he once shot and left paralyzed from the waist down.
6 Dune (2021) - 83%
Bardem's role in Dunewas unfortunately very short. However, it was good enough to make us excited for his potentially longer participation in the second chapter of Villeneuve's science fiction epic. In the film, Bardem plays Stilgar, the leader of the Fremen who challenge Paul to the duel that ultimately puts him in a position to join the tribe.
5 The Sea Inside (2004) - 84%
Alejandro Amenábar's The Sea Inside is a great film with exceptional performances. In the film, Bardem plays Ramón Sampedro, a quadriplegic who became an activist for euthanasia in a battle that lasted almost 30 years. This one snatched the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2005, and it's one of the most underrated performances by Bardem in this list.
4 Collateral (2004) - 86%
In Michael Mann's Collateral, Bardem plays a key figure in a night of chaos for a cab driver who simply picked up the wrong passenger. Felix Reyes-Torrena is the chatty drug lord that will stop at nothing before serving justice under his own rotten system. Bardem's role is sadly too short, but essential to the film.
3 Skyfall (2012) - 92%
By this point, you must have realized Bardem is good at playing antagonist roles. In Skyfall, his Raoul Silva is a cyberterrorist whose agenda is much more horrific than James Bond thought of at first. Skyfall is undoubtedly one of the best Bond films in recent years with a villain that's wicked, bizarre, and essential to M's role in this specific film. This one is a modern classic.
2 The Good Boss (2021) - 93%
The director of Mondays in the Sun, Fernando León de Aranoa, reunites with Bardem for 2021's The Good Boss. The film tells the story of a leader who will do anything in his power to get an award for his company's excellence. The film starts off as a comedy, but slowly it begins tilting toward drama as Bardem's Julio runs out of time.
1 No Country For Old Men (2007) - 93%
It's no coincidence Bardem's highest-rated film is also the one he won an Oscar for. No Country for Old Men is a modern Western thriller made by the Coen Bros in 2007, and it tells the story of a sheriff trying to catch a cold-blooded serial killer whose only intention is to find the money someone else found. Yeah, we guess he also enjoys the sadistic act of killing people with his captive bolt pistol. Bardem's performance in this one is simply unforgettable.
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