10 Terence Stamp Movies That Are Required Viewing

Terence Stamp, the British star famous for playing the Superman villain General Zod, died on Sunday, August 17, 2025, at the age of 87. Known for his sophisticated antagonist roles, he received numerous awards during his career, including a Golden Globe, a Cannes Film Festival Award, and a Silver Bear, as well as nominations for an Oscar and two BAFTAs. Empire also named him one of the 100 Sexiest Film Stars of All Time in 1995.

Ever a hardworking actor, Stamp starred in over 70 movies, the biggest chunk of them receiving great reviews from critics. Anyone who has just been introduced to the Englishman might thus have a hard time deciding what to watch. The best advice would be to cover his entire catalog from the ‘60s to the ’90s, but if you don’t have time to do that, here’s what you ought to prioritize.

The following 10 movies not only showcase Terence Stamp at his best, but also tick several other quality boxes.

10

‘The Hit’ (1984)

When London gangster Willie Parker (Terence Stamp) decides to ‘sing’ in the opening minutes of The Hit, his associates look him in the eye in the courtroom and promise him that they’ll whack him one day. True to their word, they soon find him in Spain, where he is living under police protection. Luckily for him, the two hoodlums sent to kill him disagree while driving him to his execution spot. What will happen?

Nothing’s Going According to Plan

A smart, Hitchcockian-style crime thriller with a psychological punch, The Hit finds Stamp in top form playing a tough-minded, calm, and disillusioned turncoat ready for whatever fate throws his way. Peter Prince’s sharp screenplay packs in authentically heated dialogue, several instances of hair-raising suspense, and entrancing, full-fleshed characterizations. Who would have thought that gangsters could wow us this much without having to pull a gun? Rumors of a remake surfaced in the 2010s, but the idea appears to have been scrapped.

9

‘Last Night in Soho’ (2021)

Last Night in Soho is about Eloise “Ellie” Turner (Thomasin McKenzie), a reclusive teenager who begins having strange visions of the ‘60s as soon as she moves to London for fashion school. She experiences the fast life through the eyes of Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), an aspiring Monroe-like singer who is coveted by all men: gentlemen and predators. But there’s a shocking turn.

Something Sinister in the ’60s

The psychological horror marked the final film roles for Terence Stamp, Diana Rigg (best known for playing the Bond girl, Tracy di Vicenzo), and Margaret Nolan. Stamp is brilliant as an unnamed mysterious silver-haired gentleman who has a history with Sandie, though Ellie can’t figure out how. All told, this colorful yet distressing study of emotional anguish is first-rate. Sign up for Last Night in Soho and watch Edgar Wright paint pictures in a way he has never before.

8

‘Teorema’ (1968)

In Teorema, a mysterious, attractive stranger (Terence Stamp), simply credited as The Visitor, shows up at a villa and seduces each family member in turn: the matriarch, patriarch, son, daughter, and maid. His actions awaken suppressed sexual desires, and when he suddenly leaves, the family is devastated. Unable to switch back to their previous existence, everyone spirals into a crisis.

A Problem They Never Asked For

Nominated for the Golden Lion at the 29th Venice International Film Festival, Teorema impresses with its plot and performances. Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini fashions a dandy and shocking psychological thriller that works its dread progressively, like a train crash replayed in slow motion. Stamp is a marvel, but Laura Betti is every bit as impressive in the thorny role of the maid. Pasolini would later be charged with obscenity by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Rome but was eventually acquitted.

7

‘Get Smart’ (2008)

Based on the ‘60s spy comedy television series of the same name, Get Smart stars Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart, a clumsy analyst for the secret U.S. agency CONTROL. Following an attack at the headquarters, he is unexpectedly promoted to field agent, partnered with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), and thrown into the deep end, where he has to stop the terrorist Siegfried (Terence Stamp) from blackmailing nations using nuclear weapons.

An Unforgettable TV-to-Movie Adaptation

Director Peter Segal (best known for Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult) knows all about making great action-themed comedy movies, and Get Smart will crack you up from the opening minute to the last. And he couldn’t have cast anyone better for the villain. Even the film’s somewhat deliberate silliness can’t manage to undermine the seriousness that Stamp puts into his work. Better than the TV show? Depends on which generation you belong to.

6

‘The Collector’ (1965)

Freddie (Stamp) from The Collector is a normal young man in every way but one: he exhibits an unhealthy desire for love. He knows he must walk a fine line between charming girls and begging them, but he just can’t seem to find the balance. After winning a lot of money from football pools and purchasing a 17th-century farmhouse, he kidnaps an art student (Samantha Eggar), hoping to torment her until she surrenders herself to Stockholm Syndrome.

The Last of William Wyler’s 12 Oscar Nominations for Best Director

This dark, intelligent film by the great William Wyler boasts a powerhouse cast that also includes Mona Washbourne and Maurice Dallimore. But it is Stamp and Eggar who shine the most, earning acting awards from Cannes and Eggar getting an Oscar nomination, too. In a modern society that romanticizes courtships, the film sends an important, often unheeded message regarding going about it the right way: that the craving for a perfect partner should be counter-balanced by mellower interests and respect for the other party, in order to cultivate a balanced union.

5

‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace’ (1999)

Set 32 years before the original trilogy, The Phantom Menace is the first film of the prequel trilogy. It follows Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (EwanMcGregor) as they try to protect a teenage queen who is keen on resolving an interplanetary trade dispute.

The Saga Continues

For a moving, involving, good-looking, and relevant space opera sci-fi movie fit for the entire family, search no further than The Phantom Menace. George Lucas, who hadn’t touched a camera since the original Star Wars appears to not have lost his touch, but he couldn’t have created magic if it wasn’t for Neeson, McGregor, and the ever-formidable Stamp, who plays Finis Valorum (the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic),

4

‘Billy Budd’ (1962)

Stamp plays the titular character in Billy Budd, a good-hearted young sailor on service aboard the British naval vessel HMS Avenger during the Napoleonic Wars. Though considered naïve, his fellow crew members adore him, but the master-at-arms, John Claggart (Robert Ryan), hates him. One day, a confrontation between them results in Budd fatally striking Claggart. What happens now? Claggart. Though sympathetic, Captain Vere (Ustinov) enforces military law, leading to Billy’s execution.

Squabbles in the Sea

Boasting one of Stamp’s finest efforts (he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars), this bizarre tale of internal conflict gets the paranoiac handling from director Peter Ustinov, a well-known raconteur, and ace cinematographer Robert Krasker, whose haunting camerawork adds to the growing sense of unease. Budd is as much a victim of his own misguided desire to be cooler as he is of the creepy master-at-arms, and Stamp conveys his character’s plain naiveté beautifully.

3

‘The Limey’ (1999)

Hardened English career criminal Wilson (Stamp) is understandably devastated when he learns that his estranged daughter Jenny has died under unclear circumstances in Los Angeles. Determined to establish the truth, he heads to America, where his investigations lead him to Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda), a filthy-rich record producer. Will he get justice before the final credits pop up in The Limey?

Someone Has To Pay

Steven Soderbergh is the hit-and-miss king, but when he hits, he hits good. The Limey is one of his best efforts, and it is elevated by the use of atypical flashback sequences and Cockney rhyming slang. The editing techniques are also quite extraordinary. For example, the movie often features dialogue and background noise from previous or upcoming scenes juxtaposed with current events. Stamp’s performance earned him a Best Male Lead nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards.

2

‘Wall Street’ (1987)

Eager to impress his working-class father, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a junior stockbroker, does all he can to end up on the payroll of Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a legendary Wall Street player. But Gekko has gotten to the top by playing dirty, and Bud’s association with him will soon have deadly and far-reaching consequences on Wall Street.

Money Is Their Religion

Oliver Stone’s exquisitely photographed and well-acted “greedy businessman movie” is long at over two hours, but once you surrender to the rhythm, the scheming and emotional drama builds to an intolerable pitch. Overall, Wall Street is a mesmerizing end-justifying-means film with moments and quotes you won’t forget. “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good,” Gekko says, and Stamp has some great lines too, as Sir. Wildman, a British investor.

1

‘Superman II’ (1980)

In Superman II, the Man of Steel (Christopher Reeve) slips back into his annoying habit of wanting to retire from being a superhero in order to live a normal life with Lois. Thankfully (for fans), General Zod (Terence Stamp) escapes the Phantom Zone with his lackeys, aiming to conquer the planet. Consequently, Superman is forced to spring back into action.

The Director’s Cut Is More Refined

The cathartic sequel doesn’t match the first film in awesomeness, but it still glows by presenting heady bits of existential head-scratching moments. Stamp is aces as the eerily unreasonable Zod, and the composed Reeve does an excellent job of conveying his character’s painful indecision and desire to be happy. Regrettably, the film was marred by behind-the-scenes chaos, so, for a more refined version, check out Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut.