Not Only Tony Stark: 8 Best Robert Downey Jr. Movies & TV Series, Ranked by IMDb
From funny antics in teen comedies to intense dramas that have earned him critical acclaim.
Robert Downey Jr. is known as a genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist whose earnings rival those of blockbuster movies.
But before donning the Iron Man armor, the actor experienced a difficult journey filled with both highs and devastating lows.
8. 'Gothika', 2003
IMDb Score: 5.8/10
A female psychiatrist becomes a patient at a hospital for the criminally insane. She is accused of a murder that she believes she did not commit. As she tries to remember what really happened, she uncovers a terrible secret.
On the set of Gothika, Robert, who had reached a professional and moral low, met producer Susan Levin. When they began a relationship, she gave him an ultimatum: if he didn't kick his addictions, she would leave him.
Downey entered rehab and, after recovering, proposed to his girlfriend.
7. 'Weird Science', 1985
IMDb Score: 6.6/10
High school students Gary and Wyatt are social outcasts with no love life who are bullied by their peers and teachers. Inspired by Frankenstein, they decide to create the perfect woman who can fulfill their deepest desires.
The result is Lisa, a captivating woman with model looks and genie magic.
With Lisa's help, Gary and Wyatt become the most popular students in school. However, the consequences of the experiment are immediate.
6. 'The Sympathizer', 2024
IMDb Score: 6.8/10
It is 1975, the end of the Vietnam War. A captain in the pro-American South Vietnamese army works for a ruthless secret police general and a corrupt CIA agent.
When it becomes clear that the Viet Cong are about to take Saigon, the military elite evacuate to Los Angeles. There, the general devises a plan for revenge, appointing the captain as the key executor.
However, no one knows that the loyal aide-de-camp is actually a longtime communist spy. The longer the double agent works undercover, the harder it becomes for him to determine whose side he's on.
5. 'Tropic Thunder', 2008
IMDb Score: 7.1/10
Hollywood producer Les Grossman decides to make a film based on a book by a Vietnam veteran. British director Damien is hired, but immediately faces challenges: the lead role is given to fading action star Tugg, and his colleague Kirk is so devoted to the character that he changes his skin color.
The project also features rapper Alpa Chino and the obnoxious comedian Jeff Portnoy, who is known for his love of below-the-belt humor.
When the budget runs out, Grossman sends the crew into the jungle, where the actors accidentally stumble upon the Flaming Dragon gang.
4. 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang', 2005
IMDb Score: 7.4/10
Harry, a petty thief from Los Angeles, is trying to evade the police when he accidentally stumbles onto the set of a detective film. There, he's mistaken for a rookie actor and invited to a party.
There, he meets Harmony, an old friend, and Perry, a private investigator assisting the screenwriters. After the wild party, they witness a brutal murder. Now, the trio must figure out who committed the crime and survive.
3. 'Chaplin', 1992
IMDb Score: 7.5/10
Downey Jr.'s dramatic talent truly blossomed in the biopic Chaplin. By perfectly capturing the facial expressions and physical mannerisms of his subject, the young actor won a BAFTA and received his first Oscar nomination.
Unfortunately, the sudden fame that came his way nearly ruined his life. He had already struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction, and after Chaplin, the actor began regularly finding himself in scandalous situations, ultimately becoming persona non grata.
2. 'Zodiac', 2007
IMDb Score: 7.7/10
San Francisco is in a panic over the brutal murders committed by a mysterious serial killer. The criminal, dubbed the Zodiac, constantly stays one step ahead of the police, seemingly playing a game of cat and mouse with them.
He disappears without a trace, then reappears and leaves new victims. When another body is found, detectives conclude that the murder is the work of a copycat.
However, journalist Robert Graysmith believes the real Zodiac is still at large. Graysmith embarks on his own investigation to uncover the identity of one of the most notorious serial killers of the 20th century.
1. 'Oppenheimer', 2023
IMDb Score: 8.2/10
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In 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. Scientists received alarming news that the Nazis were close to creating weapons of mass destruction. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the secret Manhattan Project at Los Alamos with the goal of beating the Germans at all costs.
The project was led by the talented physicist Robert Oppenheimer, who gathered the world's best minds around him. A race against time ensues, with world domination at stake.
The biopic about the father of the atomic bomb earned Downey Jr. the long-awaited Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Rear Admiral Lewis Strauss.
