10 Best Hugh Grant Movies of All Time

Hugh Grant is one of the most charming actors working out there, which is why he became such a household name through his rom-coms. Now, however, his career is arguably bigger than ever, with him starring in titles like Paddington 2 and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and even returning to TV with miniseries like A Very English Scandal and The Undoing.

Constantly getting rave reviews for his performances, many of Grant’s titles are worth watching just for him alone. Here are the 10 best Hugh Grant movies of all time.

 

10. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

Director: Sharon Maguire

Let’s be real: Renée Zellweger is practically the whole Bridget Jones franchise and deservedly so. Her performance as the quirky and awkward perpetual bachelorette is all shades of endearing, relatable, and hilarious. Still, Hugh Grant adds his own charm to the film series, so much so that his absence in the third film was a little hard to ignore.

The first film, Bridget Jones’s Diary, still remains the best film in the franchise, along with Grant’s best performance as Daniel Cleaver. Yes, the film is beyond cheesy and unrealistic, but with a charismatic cast and an abundance of great humor, it still remains a rom-com classic for the ages.

 

9. Notting Hill (1999)

Director: Roger Michell

You’ve got a lot of people to answer to if you dare proclaim you dislike Notting Hill. The 1999 film starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant is considered by many to be one of the greatest rom-coms of all time, even winning the Audience Award for Most Popular Film at the BAFTAs in 2000.

Even if you’ve never seen this movie, you most definitely have heard its most popular line: “I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” Roberts and Grant are wonderful in their roles and have great on-screen chemistry together, making this a rom-com winner.

 

8. Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)

Director: Stephen Frears

2016 was a year with a lot of great film releases — La La Land, Arrival, and Moonlight, just to name a few. A little lost in the ocean was the biopic Florence Foster Jenkins, which earned Meryl Streep her 20th Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. But while Streep is (as always) great, Hugh Grant stands his own against the legendary actress, delivering a performance that perfectly compliments Streep’s zaniness.

Based on the true story of the opera singer known for her terrible singing, Florence Foster Jenkins takes the stranger-than-fiction story and makes a crowd-pleasing biopic that never takes the easy route of treating Jenkins’s story like a spoof. It’s well worth watching for the performances alone.

 

7. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012)

Director: Peter Lord

This film was actually nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and while it definitely didn’t stand a chance against its fellow Disney and Pixar nominees, it’s most definitely deserving of its nomination. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! proves so much love and passion is still put into stop-motion animation, even if they’re far from the biggest animation money-makers.

Like many Aardman Animations films, the movie succeeds largely thanks to an incredibly humorous screenplay, one with clever gags and witty jokes left and right. Hugh Grant plays the Pirate Captain and brings so much life and charm to his character, he’s a blast even just to listen to. If you want a fast-paced animated comedy that’ll make you laugh your socks off, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! is the film for you.

 

6. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

Director: Mike Newell

Hugh Grant is often noted by many as the King of Rom-coms, since he’s played the romantic leading man in films like Music & Lyrics and Two Weeks Notice. However, the rom-com that made him a star in the genre was 1994’s Four Weddings and a Funeral, in which he plays a man that constantly meets a woman (played by Andie MacDowell) at, well, four weddings and a funeral.

It’s a delightfully funny film, one filled with the type of dry humor that’ll get even non rom-com fans to chuckle. Of course, for rom-com fans, this film has all the sweetness and laughs that are so beloved in the genre, especially since the two leads, Grant and MacDowell, are so charismatic, they’re endearing to watch fall in love. If you’re to watch any Hugh Grant romcom, this is the one to watch first.

 

5. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Director: Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley

The hype around the new Dungeons & Dragons film is well deserved — even if you have zero interest in playing the tabletop game, the film itself is so fun and exciting, you’re guaranteed to love it regardless. Hugh Grant wasn’t in the marketing much, but the actor ended up being the film’s most scene-stealing cast member.

Much like his role in 2017’s Paddington 2, Grant once again plays the villain here, and while he isn’t the only villain, he’s definitely the most entertaining one. Every scene with him is a joy to watch, and given how stellar every other cast member is as well, Honor Among Thieves ends up being a shining showcase of on-screen talent.

That’s not to downplay the off-screen talent, either — with strength in its visuals, screenplay, and direction, Honor Among Thieves starts the D&D franchise off with an absolute bang.

 

4. About a Boy (2002)

Director: Paul Weitz & Chris Weitz

It only made sense for Hugh Grant to star in an adaptation of a Nick Hornby novel. After all, the author’s works often have laid-back aimless men as their protagonists, the type of character Hugh Grant would seemingly knock out of the park. Fate worked its magic in 2002 when it gave us About A Boy, a movie which, to this day, still features one of Grant’s most tender performances.

The simple story of an adult man developing a friendship with a young boy, this movie really comes to life because of the performances from both Grant and Nicholas Hoult. The best scenes are the two just interacting. If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming coming-of-age — whether it be for a young male kid or a thirty-something-year-old man — About a Boy is a must-watch.

 

3. The Remains of the Day (1993)

Director: James Ivory

Based on the novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day is an elegant and poignant film, succeeding as both a visual treat and a fascinating character study of its protagonist, Stevens, played by Anthony Hopkins. Many times, his character is sad and even pitiful to follow along as we see him struggling to accept that his life may have been an entirely wasted opportunity, for he’s been a butler for a master who turns out to be a Nazi sympathizer.

Hugh Grant doesn’t have a big role in this one — out of all the films on this list, this is probably the character of his with the least amount of screen time, although Grant very much plays his character with tremendous skill. Still, this film is well worth a watch thanks to its genius direction and superlative performances, particularly those from Hopkins and Emma Thompson.

 

2. Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Director: Ang Lee

Arguably the best Jane Austen film adaptation there is, Sense and Sensibility is a gem of a romance film, sure to satisfy most Austen fans and even those who aren’t wild about the author. Emma Thompson shines as the lead, along with a cast filled with superb names like Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, and of course, Hugh Grant.

Grant gives a fantastic performance as Edward Ferrars, adding greatly to the film’s most meaningful moments. Director Ang Lee was the best choice for this project and would go on to direct a great number of acclaimed films, like Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi. If you are to watch any Jane Austen adaptation — or if you simply want to know why people are so obsessed with the author — Sense and Sensibility is your best film choice.

 

1. Paddington 2 (2017)

Director: Paul King

Paddington 2 once boasted a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score until a late review brought it down to a (still very impressive) 99%. Its incredibly high score makes perfect sense when you’ve seen the movie — it’s funny, tightly paced, beautifully shot, and filled with lovable stellar performances from its cast, including an outstanding one from Hugh Grant himself as Phoenix Buchanan, the film’s antagonist.

Given Nicole Kidman killing it as the antagonist of the first Paddington film, Grant had some huge shoes to fill — and right from his first scene, you immediately know he’s the man for the job. The actor steals every scene he’s in. You can tell he’s having so much fun in this role and that fun is infectious.

It’s always impressive to see an actor give their best performance so late into their career, and with Hugh Grant’s latest career renaissance, it’s pretty apparent the actor doesn’t plan on slowing down any time soon.

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