Chris Pine's Best Movies, Ranked by Metacritic
Chris Pine
Araya Doheny / Getty ImagesBorn into a family of actors, it seems almost inevitable that Chris Pine would inherit his parents' silver-screen talent — and he certainly has. In the past 20 years, Pine has worked his way up from a little-known TV actor to a full-fledged movie star, successfully establishing himself among Hollywood's most in-demand (and well-paid) performers.
Pine's acting days began in the early aughts when he landed minor, one-episode parts on popular TV shows including ER, The Guardian, CSI: Miami, and Six Feet Under. It wasn't long before he transitioned to film, appearing in a series of romantic comedies, includingThe Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and Just My Luck.
In 2009, Pine took a major step in his acting career when he played Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek — a role that he would reprise again in 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness and 2016's Star Trek Beyond. He's also in talks to star in a fourth installment of the series, which is scheduled to begin filming this fall.
Outside of Star Trek, Pine has also appeared in several other major movie franchises, including Wonder Woman and Spider-Man series, along with a number of dramas, comedies, and family-friendly flicks.
His latest work includes a leading role in the action film The Contractor, where he reunites with his The Finest Hours and Hell or High Water co-star, Ben Foster. Next up is a co-starring turn in the thriller All the Old Knives, alongside Thandiwe Newton.
Here, Metacritic highlights the top 10 movies Pine has acted in, ranked by Metascore.
Hell or High Water
Metascore: 88
Best for: Fans of modern Westerns and crime films
Where to watch:
Runtime: 102 minutes
Set in West Texas, Hell or High Water is the story of Toby (Pine) and Tanner Howard (Foster), two brothers who join together to save their family ranch from foreclosure. Out of desperation, the Howards decide to start robbing banks to get the money they need to buy back their land. The robberies catch the attention of the Texas Rangers, who assign officers Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) to investigate. Hell or High Water was nominated for a number of awards, including four Oscars, three Golden Globes, a BAFTA Award, and a SAG Award.
"In a word, Hell or High Water is terrific." — Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Metascore: 87
Best for: Families, comic book fans
Where to watch:
Runtime: 117 minutes
In 2018, Pine had a voice role in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the first animated Spider-Man movie. The film revolves on Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a New York City teen who steps up to become the new web-slinger after Peter Parker (Pine) is killed. As Morales gets comfortable with his new abilities, he's mentored by Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), another version of Spider-Man from a different dimension. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a critical and box office success, winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film and grossing more than $375 million in worldwide ticket sales.
"A joyful, trippy new incarnation of Spider-Man that you didn't know you needed." — Matt Maytum, Total Film
Star Trek
Metascore: 82
Best for: Fans of sci-fi and space movies
Where to watch:
Runtime: 127 minutes
Released in 2009, Star Trek is the first of three movies in the rebooted franchise and features the characters from the original series, played by a new cast. Pine co-stars as the rebellious James T. Kirk (originally made famous by William Shatner), who clashes with the logically-minded Spock (Zachary Quinto) aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise starship. Along the way, the pair take on the evil Nero (Eric Bana), the commander of the Romulan starship Narada. Star Trek won the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Makeup and received three other nominations at the 2010 Oscars.
"In the pop high it delivers, this is the greatest prequel ever made." — Ty Burr, The Boston Globe
Wonder Woman
Metascore: 76
Best for: Fans of superhero movies
Where to watch:
Runtime: 141 minutes
This 2017 superhero flick delves into the backstory of Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), a princess from the remote Amazonian island of Themyscira, who later becomes Wonder Woman. During World War I, she finds and rescues Steve Trevor (Pine), an American pilot whose plane crashed near her home on Themyscira. Together, they travel to Europe to help end the war, giving Diana the opportunity to uncover the depths of her super powers. Wonder Woman grossed more than $822 million worldwide and was followed up with 2020's Wonder Woman 1984 (with Gadot and Pine reprising their respective roles).
"Wonder Woman is exciting, romantic, funny — and my favorite DC Extended Universe movie to date." — Matt Singer, ScreenCrush
Star Trek Into Darkness
Metascore: 72
Best for: Fans of sci-fi action flicks
Where to watch:
Runtime: 132 minutes
Pine teamed up with director J.J. Abrams for a second time on 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness, the sequel to Star Trek. The film follows Captain Kirk as he returns to the U.S.S. Enterprise and leads a team to help defeat a threat coming from within their own ranks. Other returning cast members included Quinto as Spock, Simon Pegg as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, and Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura. Star Trek Into Darkness was the highest-grossing film in the rebooted series, taking home $467 million in worldwide box office sales. It also received Oscar and BAFTA Award nominations for Best Visual Effects.
"Into Darkness is a sleek, thrilling epic that's also a triumphantly witty popcorn morality play." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
Into the Woods (2014)
Metascore: 69
Best for: Fans of fairy tales and musicals
Where to watch:
Runtime: 125 minutes
Based on the book and musical of the same name, Into the Woods is a Disney-produced film that puts a new spin on several classic Brothers Grimm fairy tales. One of the stories revolves around Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), who receives her "happy ever after" when she gets to marry her prince charming (Pine) — until she realizes that not everything is as happy as it seems. The star-studdedcast also includes Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, James Corden, and Johnny Depp, whose performances helped Into the Woods earn nominations at the Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards.
"Another example of concept over coherence, but the entertainment value is considerable." — Rex Reed, Observer
Unstoppable (2010)
Metascore: 69
Best for: Thrill-seekers, action movie fans
Where to watch:
Runtime: 98 minutes
Unstoppable is a fast-paced action thriller inspired by a runaway freight train incident that took place in Ohio in 2001. In the movie (and in real life), the train was carrying toxic chemicals and seemingly destined for disaster. Pine plays Will Colson, a train conductor who must work with veteran engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) to stop the train and prevent catastrophic damage. Unstoppable, which was released in 2010, earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Achievement in Sound Editing. It was director Tony Scott's final film before his death in 2012.
"Unbeatable entertainment if you want to climb on board for the ride." — Pete Hammond, Boxoffice Magazine
Star Trek Beyond
Metascore: 68
Best for: Fans of sci-fi adventure movies
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Runtime: 122 minutes
Star Trek Beyond is the third film in the rebooted Star Trek series, with Pine, Quinto, Pegg, Saldana, and others reprising their roles from the previous two movies. The story picks up on the U.S.S. Enterprise, where the crew set out on a rescue mission — which has disastrous consequences. For this film, Abrams handed over the directorial reins to Justin Lin (but stayed on as a producer). Star Trek Beyond went on to gross more than $343 million worldwide and earn an Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling.
"Pandering? Yes. But pandering with polish." — Roger Moore, Movie Nation
Z for Zachariah
Metascore: 68
Best for: Fans of end-of-the-world films
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Runtime: 98 minutes
Loosely based on a 1974 novel by Robert C. O'Brien, Z for Zachariah is a sci-fi drama about a love triangle between three of the last people on earth. It follows Ann Burden (Margot Robbie), the lone surviving woman after a massive nuclear disaster that wipes out humanity. One day, she crosses paths with John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who has been desperately searching for anyone else who made it out alive. Eventually, the pair develop a bond — but it's put to the test when they meet Caleb (Pine), another survivor.
"The film works on its own terms, capturing, at least, the mournful vibe of O'Brien's book." — Stephanie Zacharek, Village Voice
Wonder Woman 1984
Metascore: 60
Best for: DC Comics fans
Where to watch:
Runtime: 151 minutes
Pine and Gadot reprise their roles as Steve Trevor and Diana Prince in Wonder Woman 1984, the follow-up to 2017's Wonder Woman. Set during the Cold War, Wonder Woman 1984 follows Diana as she copes with losing Steve, whose soul is reincarnated in another man (played by Kristoffer Polaha), while also battling new enemies who are determined to cause worldwide chaos and destruction. Patty Jenkins returned to direct and co-write the film, which struggled at the box office due to COVID-19. But despite these setbacks, a third movie is already in the works, with Jenkins and Gadot onboard.
"This is a throwback piece of pure pop entertainment." — Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times