10 Best Kevin Bacon Movies, Ranked

Kevin Bacon is one of the most instantly-recognizable stars of the last 50 years, and his filmography is stuffed with memorable classics. After appearing in a string of hits in the early '80s in supporting roles, Bacon was launched into stardom thanks to 1984's musical teen drama, Footloose. After such an auspicious start, Bacon resisted being typecast.

Unlike many of his '80s movie star counterparts, Bacon was never associated with one type of character. As such, he has amassed an impressive career with plenty of twists and turns. Sometimes playing the affable everyman and sometimes playing shocking villains, Bacon can transform himself for any role. Nevertheless, there's always a hint of himself in every part.

Kevin Bacon's best movies aren't just the greatest ones he's starred in, but also the films most pivotal to his career. Even when playing a minor role, Bacon often steals the show. He never fails to make an impression, and he's touched nearly every genre. Instead of playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, why not go straight to the source?

10 Frost/Nixon (2008)

More than a decade after he had great success with director Ron Howard on Apollo 13, Kevin Bacon reunited with the filmmaker for Frost/Nixon. The film dramatizes the events of the legendary series of interviews between British journalist David Frost and disgraced former President, Richard Nixon. Bacon stars as Nixon's post-Presidential Chief of Staff, Jack Brennan.

The brilliance of Bacon's performance in Frost/Nixon is that he isn't bowled over by the powerful chemistry between Michael Sheen and Frank Langella in the title roles. His turn as Brennan is appropriately forceful, but that inkling of humanity slips through. The film itself is a tense interpersonal drama, though the Best Picture nominee has faded somewhat into the background.

9 The Woodsman (2004)

Never one to shy away from challenging parts, The Woodsman is probably the most intense role in Kevin Bacon's entire filmography. Bacon headlines as Walter, a convicted sexual offender who tries to put his life back together after serving a 12-year prison sentence. At once the movie is creepy and enthralling, and it's all because of Bacon's performance.

The film deftly handles some of the heaviest subject matter possible, and it manages to weave an interesting narrative as well. Bacon's blank-slate approach to acting is on full display, and his performance allows the audience to put their own ideas onto Walter. Understated and thoughtful, The Woodsman is the kind of movie that's usually enjoyed once.

8 Diner (1982)

Diner is one of the most underrated movies of the 1980s, and it features one of Kevin Bacon's first great roles. In 1959, a gang of friends gets up to their old hijinks as they grapple with growing up. The '80s was known for its abundant '50s nostalgia, but Diner isn't dragged down by rosy idealism.

Bacon plays Fenwick, whose tough home life has left him a drunken shell. He does a lot of heavy lifting, and his character is crafted to offer a dark alternative to his fellows' Peter Pan-like resistance to the real world. Despite being essentially aimless, Diner gets by on the strength of its characters and the refined nature of its themes.

7 National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)

Getting his motion picture career off to a good start, Kevin Bacon played a small role in the uproarious college comedy, Animal House. In 1962, Faber College's Delta house fraternity has finally rubbed the Dean the wrong way, and he is determined to bring them down. Bacon plays Chip Diller, a stuck-up pledge at the opposing Omega fraternity.

Despite it being his debut, Bacon makes a big impression as he becomes the lackey to the movie's villain. Animal House set the standard for every college comedy that followed, and kicked off the raunchy gross-out comedy trend that would carry over into the '80s. Animal House is without a doubt one of the best comedy films of the 1970s.

Kevin Bacon's star-making film, Footloose is one of those defining teen movies that has stood the test of time. Bacon plays big-city teen, Ren, who moves to a conservative Midwestern town that has banned dancing. Though its premise is silly, Footloose captures the simple angst of teens, all set to a soundtrack of toe-tapping '80s tunes.

Ren is all personality, and Bacon excels as the precocious hero who aims to take on the system. Footloose isn't a perfect movie, but it gets by on an abundance of charm. Many '80s films have faded over time, but Footloose remains relatable to successive generations. As for its importance to Bacon's career, Footloose is perhaps the pinnacle.

5 Tremors (1990)

Monster movies came back into fashion in the 1990s, and Tremors might have had something to do with that. The denizens of the Southwestern town of Perfection are suddenly attacked by subterranean monsters and must band together to survive. Bacon plays a somewhat dim-witted handyman named Val, who wants to leave Perfection to find a better life.

Though Tremors gets by on monster movie cheese, it features an airtight script and strong characters. Bacon is joined by genre stalwarts like Fred Ward and Michael Gross, and it punches way above its weight class overall. Horror had an identity crisis in the 1990s, but Tremors was one of the most original movies the genre produced during the decade.

4 A Few Good Men (1992)

The late Rob Reiner delivered one of his greatest works with A Few Good Men, and he cast Kevin Bacon in a dynamic role. The film follows a military lawyer who is tasked with defending two marines who are charged with the murder of a fellow soldier. The legal procedural leans heavily on the performances of its leads, including Bacon.

He plays Captain Jack Ross, the prosecutor. Instead of being a stone-cold villain, Bacon presents Ross as a conflicted man, and he is torn between duty and his loyalty to the military hierarchy. Though the performances of Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise overshadow everything else, Bacon's turn as Captain Ross is another crucial piece of the film's success.

3 JFK (1991)

Oliver Stone's sweeping conspiracy epic, JFK, made a controversial splash in the early 1990s. The ensemble story follows New Orleans DA Jim Garrison, who digs deep into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, arguing against the accepted theories. Kevin Bacon is one of dozens of stars who appear, but he makes a big impression.

Bacon's O'Keefe is a sex worker who is a key witness that links Oswald to the assassination. Bacon is allowed free rein to experiment a bit, and it's unlike any other performance from the actor. Decades later, JFK continues to fascinate audiences. It isn't just because of its conspiracy, but also because it's an expertly crafted thriller.

2 Mystic River (2003)

Scoring six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Mystic River is one of Kevin Bacon's most decorated films. He stars as a Detective who must investigate the death of one of his friend's daughters, but the gruesome case strikes far too close to home. Compared to co-stars Tim Robbins and Sean Penn, Bacon takes a back seat.

Nevertheless, Mystic River is still an illustration of Bacon's talents. He doesn't need to be bombastic to carry the film, and his character is the emotional center. A highlight of Clint Eastwood's directorial career, Mystic River is a gem of 21st century neo-noir, and hasn't lost its luster like so many other Aughts Oscar favorites.

1 Apollo 13 (1995)

Recounting one of the most harrowing moments in American space travel, Apollo 13 is the perfect historical blockbuster. On their way to land on the moon, a disaster forces the crew of Apollo 13 to use all their wits and technical know-how to get back home. With its intricate attention to detail, Apollo 13 is a marvel of cinematic achievement.

Kevin Bacon plays pilot Jack Swigert, and he holds his own alongside Tom Hanks and Bill Paxton. What works best about Apollo 13 is that it boils down the technical aspects into understandable tidbits, and it hammers the complex story into an engrossing film narrative. It isn't just one of Kevin Bacon's best performances, but his most effective movie overall.