The thought of some of the best Johnny Depp movies reminds one of his spectacular transformations. Be it the marvellous red bandana-clad Captain Jack Sparrow, the knife-wielding Edward Scissorhands, the vengeful barber in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the eccentric candy baron Willy Wonka or the Mad Hatter, every Johnny Depp character has garnered critical praise, with the movies scoring high IMDb ratings.
Debuting in 1984 with A Nightmare on Elm Street, Johnny Depp films have attracted audiences who appreciate a unique plot. He donned the director’s hat for the first time for The Brave (1997). Years later, Depp is helming the biographical drama Modi, which is based on the life of Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani. It stars Al Pacino, Riccardo Scamarcio, Antonia Desplat, Stephen Graham, Bruno Gouery, Ryan McParland. In January 2024, he released some of the production images. This marks his first major film project since his public lawsuit victory over Amber Heard and is a highly anticipated film.
Here are some of the best Johnny Depp movies with high IMDb ratings
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
About the film: As the first instalment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, this movie introduced Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and catapulted him to become a mainstream actor. This, along with the ensuing films in the franchise, is regarded as his most prolific body of work.
Awards won: Depp won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role at the 2004 Screen Actors Guild Awards. The film was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Actor in a Leading Role — the first for Depp.
Watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on Disney+Hotstar.
Platoon (1986)
IMDb rating: 8.1
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe
Synopsis: Chris Taylor (Sheen), a young novice soldier, is sent to fight in Vietnam. Owing to his limited experience in field, he realises that his presence doesn’t matter. He is caught between two non-commissioned officers (NCOs), the ill-tempered Staff Sergeant Robert Barnes (Berenger) and the more cooperative Sergeant Elias Grodin (Dafoe). Chris experiences war brutality meted out by comrades and goes through a moral dilemma.
Awards won: Won four Oscars in 1987 — Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound and Best Film Editing. Won three Golden Globes in 1987 and two BAFTAs in 1988.
Watch Platoon on Amazon Prime Video.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
IMDb rating: 7.9
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Kathy Baker, Vincent Price
Synopsis: High up on a solitary hill, a scientist, who goes by the name The Inventor (Price) dies after nearly creating an artificial man named Edward (Depp). Since then, Edward, who has long sharp blades for fingers, has lived alone. His unusual and rather scary looks made him feel like a fish out of water in society. However, a kind-hearted lady named Peg (Wiest) takes him to her home. Although things start well, they soon take a wrong turn when Edward falls in love with Peg’s daughter Kim (Ryder).
About the film: Edward Scissorhands marked Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s first collaboration. It was a huge hit, earning over USD 86 million worldwide during its runtime.
Awards won: Nominated for the 1991 Oscar for Best Makeup. Depp earned his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.
Watch Edward Scissorhands on Disney+Hostar.
Ed Wood (1994)
IMDb rating: 7.8
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Martin Landau, Patricia Arquette
Synopsis: Ed Wood follows the life and dreams of failed filmmaker Ed Wood Jr (Depp). Owing to his absolute lack of talent and crass productions, he is seen as a Hollywood outcast. However, Ed refuses to give in to such negativity and creates films with the help of once-famous Bela Lugosi (Landau) and a crew of misfits. He keeps his dreams alive and never lets go of his aspirations to become a renowned name.
Awards won: Landau won the 1995 Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. The film bagged the Academy Award for Best Makeup. While Depp won a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, Burton was nominated for the 1995 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Donnie Brasco (1997)
IMDb rating: 7.7
Director: Mike Newell
Cast: Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen, Al Pacino, Bruno Kirby
Synopsis: Undercover FBI agent Joseph Pistone (Depp) finds his way into the Bonanno crime family as gangster Donnie Brasco. He befriends their close ally and hitman Lefty Ruggiero (Pacino), who in turn teaches him tricks of the trade, and the two develop a real friendship. However, Donnie’s life begins to fall apart because of the dual identities he must comply with. At one point, he has to decide whether to complete the mission that would result in giving up his trusted best friend.
Awards won: The film earned an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published in 1998.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1997)
IMDb rating: 7.7
Director: Lasse Hallström
Cast: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Darlene Cates
Synopsis: Gilbert Grape (Depp) lives a very commonplace life in the small midwestern town of Endora with little to look forward to. However, he has concerns bigger than any other person of his age — Gilbert must fend for his mentally challenged younger brother Arnie (DiCaprio) and his obese mother Bonnie (Cates). Despite his aspirations to grow older, he toils at a grocery store for his family. Gilbert’s life gets a breath of fresh air with the arrival of the free-spirited Becky (Lewis).
About the film: It is based on Peter Hedges’ 1991 novel of the same name.
Awards won: DiCaprio received his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 19 in 1994. He also received a Golden Globe nomination in the same category.
Finding Neverland (2004)
IMDb rating: 7.7
Director: Marc Forster
Cast: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman, Freddie Highmore
Synopsis: Set in 1903 London, playwright James Matthew Barrie’s (Depp) latest play Little Women failed, and he is under pressure from theatre owner Charles Frohman (Hoffman) to come up with something impressive. Out on a walk, he meets the recently widowed Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Winslet) and her four young sons. James becomes their close friend as he connects with the boys who influence him with childish imaginations. He is inspired to write about a band of boys who refuse to grow up, and there comes the hit play, Peter Pan. The titular character is based on Sylvia’s third son Peter Llewelyn Davies (Highmore), who remains distant from James and is reeling from his father’s death.
Awards won: Among seven nominations, including Best Actor for Depp, Finding Neverland won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score. While Depp received a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Best Actor, Highmore was nominated for a supporting role.
Rent Finding Neverland on Amazon Prime Video.
Blow (2001)
IMDb rating: 7.5
Director: Ted Demme
Cast: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Franka Potente, Paul Reubens, Ethan Suplee
Synopsis: George Jung (Depp) spends his childhood in poverty as his father is unable to fend for them. George is adamant about turning the tables for him and takes his friend Tuna’s (Suplee) advice and begins to deal in marijuana. He becomes a big shot in California in the 1960s. However, when arrested, George learns about cocaine. Upon his release, he rises to become the largest importer of cocaine in America from Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel, at the cost of a hefty penalty.
Rent Blow Amazon Prime Video.
Dead Man (1995)
IMDb rating: 7.5
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Cast: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer
Synopsis: William Blake (Depp) is a soft-spoken accountant from Cleveland in the late 1800s. He spends the remnants of his savings to travel to the western frontiers of America to make a fresh start. But his efforts go in vain as he learns the position is no longer available. Severely wounded, both physically and spiritually, from escaping a bunch of looters, William encounters a native American called Nobody (Farmer) who thinks a presumably dead poet with the same name has returned. The two become companions and embark on a spiritual journey across the wilderness.
Awards won: Jarmusch was nominated for the 1995 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)
IMDb rating: 7.5
Director: Terry Gilliam
Cast: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire
Synopsis: Journalist Raoul Duke (Depp) and his attorney friend Dr Gonzo (del Toro) embark on a road trip in a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race. They carry a suitcase full of drugs which the duo consume at an alarming rate. They offer a lift to a hitchhiker (Maguire) and continue their journey. The hitchhiker, however, escapes, leaving the two worried about the consequences. The sequence of events after they reach the race makes this a fun watch.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-Which is Johnny Depp’s best movie?
Some of Johnny Depp’s best movies include Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Platoon, Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood.
-When was Johnny Depp’s last movie released?
Jeanne du Barry was Depp’s last movie, released in 2023.
-What was Johnny Depp’s first big hit?
Johnny Depp debuted in the film industry with A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), which grossed USD 25,504,513 worldwide after release and has a 7.4 IMDb rating.
-How successful is Johnny Depp?
A slew of high-end brand endorsements, a long filmography and varied interests in direction and music have made Johnny Depp a successful actor. He has a net worth of USD 150 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, as of 20 December 2023.