10 Best Tom Hanks Movies, Ranked

Tom Hanks is one of the most reputed actors we’ve got from the Hollywood film industry. He’s a living legend who is known for his stellar performance in several films. He has given us masterpieces like Forrest Gump, Cast Away, The Green Mile, and many more. As an avid fan, if you are planning to explore the best works by him, here are some of the best Tom Hanks movies that you should watch. 

10. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

• Release Date: November 22, 2019
• IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.2/95%
• Director: Marielle Heller
• Cast: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Cooper

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a biopic of the famed TV Presenter Fred Rogers aka Mister Rogers. The film was released in 2019, and it became a hit because the fandom was shaken to the core watching the stellar performances of Matthew Rhys and Tom Hanks. The former portrayed the troubled journalist, Lloyd Vogel, who was assigned to interview the popular television personality Mister Rogers, portrayed by Tom Hanks. The biological film came out as a cinematic masterpiece, and the other thing that captivated the viewers was the beautiful messages by Hanks’ Mister Rogers.

This Tom Hanks movie follows a journalist named Lloyd Vogel, known for his cynical writing. He gets assigned to interview Fred Rogers for a 400-word article. With time, Lloyd and Rogers form an unlikely friendship after getting acquainted with each other.

9. A League of Their Own

• Release Date: July 1, 1992
• IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.3/83%
• Director: Penny Marshall
• Cast: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Jon Lovitz, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall, Bill Pullman

Did you know about the women’s professional baseball team that existed in 1943? No, right? No one cared about the team until the film, A League of Their Own made people learn about them. Following the release of this film, the team finally earned the recognition they had awaited for several years. It was a women-driven film that saw Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan, the manager.

During World War II, women got a chance to shine by bagging the vacant job positions when men were busy with the war. Like the other jobs, baseball teams also struggled to hire people, and that’s when the owners of the baseball teams decided to establish a women’s team. That’s when two sisters, Dottie and Kit, get recruited for the first professional women’s baseball league.

8. A Man Called Otto

• Release Date: December 29, 2022
• IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.5/70%
• Director: Marc Forster
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Truman Hanks, Mike Birbiglia

To be honest, I haven’t watched a film as beautiful as A Man Called Otto. This Tom Hanks film comes with a vibe similar to Disney’s UP. However, in UP, Carl becomes determined to find the dream destination of his deceased wife, and in A Man Called Otto, the 63-year-old widower decides to end his life after losing his wife to death. The film makes us realize the mental state of an elderly individual when they lose their beloved soulmate.

Following his wife’s death, Otto Anderson is pushed to take retirement from his job, and that’s when he loses every reason to live. However, when an over-friendly and quick-witted woman named Marisol moves into his neighborhood with her family, she helps Otto start living his life again.

7. Cast Away

• Release Date: December 22, 2020
• IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.8/88%
• Director: Robert Zemeckis
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy

Cast Away is an underrated gem that motivates you when life gets harsh. It gives you laughter and makes you cry a bit. The majority of us neglect the small things life has blessed us with, and this movie makes us realize what would happen if the blessings were snatched away from us one day. What will you do? Will you give up, or will you try to fight the odds until your last breath? Among the survival projects the industry has flooded us with, Cast Away stands out in the crowd. Be it the brilliantly crafted story, cinematography, or the locations, this Tom Hanks movie is a must-watch.

The story revolves around Chuck Noland, a FedEx executive, who crash lands on a deserted island while traveling on a flight for a business trip. Following the unfortunate incident, his life takes a drastic turn, and he realizes that now it’s only survival that he should be thinking of.

6. Philadelphia

• Release Date: December 22, 1993
• IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.7/81%
• Director: Jonathan Demme
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen, Antonio Banderas, Joanne Woodward

I won’t lie; this movie is very depressing. However, once you start watching it, you won’t leave your seat without praising it. That’s how well-made Philadelphia is. Apart from the storyline, the family dynamic of the lead character impressed the viewers. I mean, who has this kind of family where not even a single member opposes what you do? The main character is homosexual, and his parents, his siblings, and everyone in the family are ultra-supportive of him. Doesn’t the description sound like a dream family everyone deserves?

Philadelphia follows a homosexual lawyer, Andrew Beckett, portrayed by Tom Hanks. He gets suspended from the law firm despite working day and night on the cases. Beckett hires Joe Miller, a lawyer who is the only one willing to help him seek justice.

5. Apollo 13

• Release Date: October 11, 2013
• IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.7/96%
• Director: Ron Howard
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan

Apollo 13 is a film that’s a bit lengthy, but it doesn’t let you get bored even for a second, especially if you are someone who enjoys projects featuring space explorations. It’s one of the greatest films with some heavy performances. Once you start watching it, the film doesn’t let you take your eyes off the screen until the very end. Most often, space movies, while delivering great VFX, miss out on the character development or the overall narrative. Of course, Apollo 13 is about lunar exploration, but it doesn’t neglect its characters because of the other aspects. 

Based on the Apollo 13 lunar mission, the movie revolves around three astronauts who must make it back to Earth after an oxygen tank explodes due to an electric short.

4. Captain Phillips

• Release Date: October 11, 2013
• IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.8/93%
• Director: Paul Greengrass
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali

Captain Phillips is based on a true story and is a thriller movie solely driven by Tom Hank’s performance. Paul Greengrass is considered to be brilliant in thriller projects. His thriller films harbor so much tension that they can make viewers scream while watching the scenes on their screens. Besides that, the director’s camera tricks never disappoint.

Captain Phillips retells the story of the U.S. containers that the Somali pirates hijacked in 2009. We also get to witness how the ship’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips, and Somali pirate captain, Muse, handle the things that are way beyond their control.

3. Toy Story

• Release Date: November 22, 1995
• IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes: 8.3/100%
• Director: John Lasseter
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Jim Varney

This animated film comes from Pixar and sees Tom Hanks as the voice actor of Andy’s favorite toy, Woody. Toy Story has been one of the animated films with a massive fandom. The film franchise has blessed us with four incredible movies to date, and the fifth film will be released in 2026. With its fun-to-watch animation style and unique story, Toy Story caters to an audience of all age groups. Toy Story is one of those brilliant animated films that inspired several toy lines. The success of Toy Story inspired several other creators to pay respect and try their hand at animated movies. 

Andy Davis has a huge collection of toys that pretend to be lifeless when he or any human is around. They come to life when Andy is asleep or no one is in the room. Andy’s first favorite toy, Woody, forms an unlikely friendship with the new Space Ranger action figure, Buzz Lightyear, whom he once envied.

2. Saving Private Ryan

• Release Date: July 24, 1998
• IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes: 8.3/100%
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore

Based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s critically acclaimed book, Saving Private Ryan is said to be one of the greatest films to have ever created. When the film was released, several fans refused to rate it as they felt that the film had surpassed their expectations and no number could do justice to it. Despite featuring fictional characters, the film showcases the reality of war. The film doesn’t let you get up from your seats without breaking down in tears. The horrors of war shown in the film will definitely shake you to your core, making it one of the best Tom Hanks movies.

After the Normandy landings, a group of American soldiers chases the enemies to bring back a paratrooper to his home, as all his brothers have already died in action.

1. Forrest Gump

• Release Date: July 6, 1994
• IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes: 8.8/75%
• Director: Robert Zemeckis
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field

Forrest Gump is a film that was made to inspire the viewers. The film features a good storyline and, of course, a strong cast that gets you hooked to your screens from the very first moment. The movie teaches you that life isn’t as complicated as most people make of it. Tom Hanks portrays the character of Forrest Gump very beautifully. Gump is an innocent soul who is haunted by a disabled body and some medical condition that makes him less “intelligent.” 

However, Gump escapes the shackles of society to do everything in life and earns more wealth and recognition than the so-called intellectuals. Tom Hanks’ performance is legendary in the movie; in fact, it’s one of the first few films that made Hanks one of the most high-rated actors in the industry. Honestly, if you haven’t heard of Forrest Gump, you seriously have been living under a rock.