The 10 best Kevin Costner movies of all time, ranked

While he’s mostly known nowadays for being a king of television, Kevin Costner’s best movies prove that he’s always been one of our greatest big screen stars.

If Kevin Costner’s filmography proves one thing, it’s that he’s brave. While the ex-Yellowstone cast member has seen his fair share of flops and failures, he’s also starred (and produced, and directed) some of the biggest hits ever known to man.

As an advocate for the Western and a lover of all-American storylines, Costner has carved himself out a spot in cinematic history. He’s taken a turn at most genres, donning a cowboy hat just as easily as he might uncover a political conspiracy or bring a baseball team to victory.

From Razzies to riches, here are the ten best Kevin Costner movies ranked.

10. Waterworld (1995)

Universal Pictures

What it’s about: Most of Earth is underwater after the ice caps melted, leaving behind a small group of humans who’ve adapted to live in the new aquatic world. When a loner known as the Mariner is charged with protecting a woman and a young child, he has to help them find the legendary “Dryland”.

Why we like it: Put the knives down. Yes, historically speaking, Waterworld has been crowned as one of the biggest flops of all time. (Even though technically the action flick did make its money back in home video sales.) But Waterworld’s spot in Kevin Costner’s filmography is emblematic of who he is as a star.

Costner is a man who is willing to take the biggest risks (financially and critically) to produce something spectacular. It’s why Waterworld is so polarizing, and yet, it’s why we still talk about it today. Even as a Hollywood low point, Waterworld is swashbuckling fare with impressive stunts and an unhinged wildness. 

9. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Warner Bros.

What it’s about: An adaptation of the classic tale, Prince of Thieves follows Robin Hood and his band of merry men as they attempt to take back Nottingham from the ruthless grasp of the evil Sheriff. 

Why we like it: In a similar vein to Waterworld (and, honestly, a lot of other entries on this list), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves didn’t necessarily get a hugely positive critical response. But I’ll be damned if it’s not a good time, topped with some incredibly questionable accents and a scenery-chewing performance from the late Alan Rickman. 

Robin Hood is soft and romantic while still feeling like an action movie from Hollywood’s golden age, prioritizing energy and scale over realism and logic. There’s not much defense against the argument that Kevin Costner is almost entirely miscast as the titular hero, but hey, when has Robin Hood ever had a perfect go-around?

8. Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024)

Warner Bros.

What it’s about: The first installment in Costner’s four-part Western epic, Horizon: An American Saga, follows the lives of several groups throughout the Old West: a mother and daughter duo who survived a vicious attack, a group of bandits out to hunt the scalps of Native Americans, and a traveling convoy of settlers. 

Why we like it: The stakes were always high for Costner’s American Saga. When it boiled down to the two options – continue Yellowstone or opt for his 30 year passion project instead – the choice was obvious for Costner. In a way, his entire filmography was building up to this very moment. Was it worth it? … Sort of!

There’s nothing hugely groundbreaking about Horizon, but perhaps that’s the point. In a time when Westerns thrive mostly on the small screen, Costner wanted to tell an epic, multi-layered story about the trials and tribulations of making your way in the Old West. That’s exactly what he did. And the grand scope of the setting, score, and dirtied characters certainly brings the spirit of old Westerns back to life.

7. The Bodyguard (1992)

Warner Bros.

What it’s about: When a professional bodyguard is hired to protect a famous popstar after she’s received worrying death threats, the two opposing figures learn to get along and soon after fall in love.

Why we like it: The backlash against The Bodyguard is truly one of cinema’s biggest overreactions. Seven nominations at the Razzie Awards is an insult to what is one of the most successfully horny movies of the ‘90s! 

Yes, it’s a little corny. Yes, it’s played for drama. But when Costner and Whitney Houston shared the screen, there was an undeniable magic there. Costner knew how to lean into the stoic, hard-to-please badass role just as much as Houston knew how to play the strong-willed, independent superstar. It would have been nice to see Costner in more sweeping romantic roles, but if The Bodyguard is all we have, then that’s more than enough. Frank Farmer, we’ll always love you.

6. Silverado (1985)

Columbia Pictures

What it’s about: A band of rogue cowboys find themselves defending the small town of Silverado, which has been corrupted by a vicious rancher and sheriff. 

Why we like it: Dances With Wolves kickstarted the ‘90s back into Western fever, but before then, it wasn’t exactly a brilliant decade. In fact, most ‘80s Westerns left much to be desired, with Silverado being the exception. 

Compared to some of his later entries, Silverado may sometimes get lost in Costner’s filmography, but it’s a neat addition to the rest of the pack, standing out for its energetic action and apt tribute to the genre.

It emulates some of the most classic movies of its kind with impressive gunfights, sprawling and visually spectacular settings, and plenty of adventure. Plus, it’s always fascinating to witness Costner in his supporting cast era.

5. The Untouchables (1987)

Paramount Pictures

What it’s about: During the Prohibition era, law enforcement agent Eliot Ness assembles a team to take down the infamous Al Capone once and for all.

Why we like it: If you thought Kevin Costner in a Western or baseball movie was cool, then you’re not prepared for what’s coming when you see him in a mafia movie. It’s a cat-and-mouse movie of the best kind, retelling a real piece of history with an Ocean’s Eleven-style slickness.

It’s violent enough to attract fans of mobster tales, but The Untouchables succeeds in also tying in a dramatic tug-of-war between heroes and villains. Needless to say, a movie with Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, and Sean Connery shouldn’t require too much praise, but we’ll say it anyway: it’s one of the best modern mafia stories out there.

4. JFK (1991)

Warner Bros.

What it’s about: Charged with investigating the assassination of John F. Kennedy, New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison uncovers new details in the case that causes him to second guess the public’s opinion. As he digs deeper, the government pushes back on him.  

Why we like it: On the surface, JFK is a scathing political drama that keeps you trapped under the thumb of an unfolding conspiracy. But it’s also a masterclass in pace and editing, making you feel as though you’re traveling through Jim Garrison’s mind as he becomes entangled in a potentially dangerous thread of insights. 

It’s three and a half hours long and not for the faint of heart. But that time simply flies by if you allow yourself to succumb to the increasing chaos of paranoia and stress. You also have to acknowledge it plays with reality like a puppetmaster without a care for history, but it doesn’t matter. JFK is more a nightmare than a memory.

3. Field of Dreams (1989)

Universal Pictures

What it’s about: A struggling farmer starts seeing the ghosts of famous baseball players appear in his field, leading him to create a baseball diamond in his own backyard.

Why we like it: If John Mulaney’s speech at the Oscars didn’t already sell it to you, then you need only know that Field of Dreams is a true example of American sentimentality. One of Costner’s more family-friendly roles, Field of Dreams is a fairytale for the average man. 

The idea of a man being absorbed by one bizarre goal under the influence of ghosts might sound like it’s the tale of man’s descent into madness, but Field of Dreams is a charming story about what it means to believe. A sports movie for the ages and one of Costner’s greatest.

2. Dances With Wolves (1990)

Orion Pictures

What it’s about: When Lieutenant John Dunbar is assigned to a Civil War outpost, he becomes attached to a local tribe of Lakota Indians. As they grow closer, he finds himself drawn to their way of living and questions his own former life.

Why we like it: Everyone from your grandparents to the Library of Congress has declared Dances With Wolves as one of the best movies of all-time, and with good reason. It defined the Western for a new era and essentially solidified Kevin Costner as the genre’s darling. It effectively brought Westerns back from the dead, in a move he later tried to replicate with Horizon: An American Saga.

But Dances With Wolves outsteps Horizon on any day of the week. It’s emblematic of the ‘90s studio output: big, bold, and unwilling to put itself into a single box. It’s also like looking into an old painting, making it easy to understand why Costner was so drawn to the genre in the first place.

1. Bull Durham (1988)

Orion Pictures

What it’s about: In the minor-league baseball circuit, veteran player “Crash” Davis is charged with mentoring rookie pitcher “Nuke” LaLoosh. Meanwhile, the team’s groupie, Annie finds herself torn between the two different players.

Why we like it: If you were expecting to find another Western at the top of this list, you’d be mistaken. For as much as Costner loves to don a cowboy hat and call it a day, there’s so much joy to be found in his tributes to baseball and Americana.

Maybe it’s dramatic to say that Bull Durham was Challengers before Challengers was Challengers, but hey, if the boot fits! It’s a love triangle that takes place in the unusual world of minor league baseball, with the characters living so deeply within the league that it feels like you’ve been following them for years.

It’s charming and funny, without a doubt, but it’s also driven by the worrying question of when people should just grow up. Because of that, Bull Durham isn’t a cookie-cutter “sports movie” – it’s an unexpected and unforgettable take on love and baseball.

For more, take a look at all the new movies coming out soon. You can also see what new movies are on streaming this month, and find out what’s going on with Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2.