Ewan McGregor's Best Movies, Ranked by Metacritic
Ewan McGregor
Getty ImagesDo you love Ewan McGregor? That's no surprise. The charming Scottish chap seems to have collected fans of almost every genre.
His projects are great for rom-com lovers, Star Wars fans, those who want stories ripped from real headlines, and even people seeking a dark and moody '90s tale. No matter your taste, good 'ole McGregor comes through with a strong performance, and even better, many of his projects are applauded by critics and have received a positive audience rating, too. That's what you call a winning record. (It also doesn't hurt that he is an actual award winner, having taken home a BAFTA Scotland Award for Trainspotting and a Hollywood Film Award for August: Osage County, to name a few in film alone.)
McGregor has also taken part in some very memorable television series. He won an Emmy for his performance as the eponymous fashion designer in Netflix's limited series Halston; he played the "Parking Lot King of Minnesota" in the third season of anthology drama Fargo on FX, for which he won a Critics Choice Award and a Golden Globe; and most recently, he reprised his role as Star Wars Jedi Master in Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi. McGregor is a real chameleon!
But while we're impressed by his small-screen work, we're choosing to focus on his film collection for the forthcoming list of his best projects, which we ranked by Metascore. Here are his top 10 films; can you binge them all in a weekend? We believe in you!
Trainspotting
Metascore: 83
Best for: Fans of dark comedy and addiction stories
Where to watch:
Runtime: 133 minutes
This gritty film from 1996 has a cult following and is a fan favorite for many McGregor loyalists — and anyone else who likes a dark dramedy. McGregor stars as Mark Renton, a heroin addict who is reaching a fork in the road. He attempts sobriety, and he even makes a big physical move to get away from his old life, but he finds he can't fully leave behind that part of him, especially when one of his friends (played by Robert Carlyle) shows up at his house while he is on the run. Trainspotting isn't for the faint of heart and has been called one of the most important anti-drug movies because it shows the dangers without being too preachy.
"Extraordinary, entertaining cinema." — Barry Walters, SF Examiner
Beginners
Metascore: 81
Best for: Rom-com devotees
Where to watch:
Runtime: 145 minutes
Get the tissues out because in this romantic comedy, McGregor stars as a man named Oliver who is grappling with a few emotional things. His dad has recently died, but not before coming out as gay and living with a much younger man. Oliver also meets an intriguing French woman at a party and is inspired to ask her out. This one will make you feel all the feelings.
"The movie darts, dreams, and sometimes seems to dance." — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Metascore: 80
Best for: Sci-fi lovers and Chewbacca diehards
Where to watch:
Runtime: 136 minutes
While McGregor only appears as the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in this installment of Star Wars, you'll appreciate his role for its greater importance in the franchise. And — no spoilers — the movie will leave you crying before it's done, at least, if you've grown attached to a certain main character. The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after the Galactic Civil War and begins with Leia (Carrie Fisher) searching for her missing brother. You can't exactly dive into this series in the middle, so make sure you catch up with the previous installments first.
"Perhaps the greatest triumph of Star Wars: The Force Awakens is that it justifies the enormous hype." — Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The Ghost Writer
Metascore: 77
Best for: Thrill seekers and fans of spy dramas
Where to watch:
Runtime: 128 minutes
After being hired to ghost write the memoir of a former prime minister (played by Pierce Brosnan), McGregor's character ends up on the run in this film from controversial director Roman Polanski. As it turns out, the former government official is being investigated for the abduction of suspected terrorists, ans someone out there doesn't want this book published. McGregor's character narrowly escapes Martha's Vineyard, jumps off a ferry, receives mysterious notes — you know, spy stuff. This movie is comes with an almost unexpected an adrenaline rush if you judge it just by its title.
"The Ghost Writer is the kind of impeccable adult entertainment, able to alternate edge-of-your-seat episodes with bleakly comic moments, that Hitchcock used to specialize in." — Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Metascore: 74
Best for: Action-adventure junkies
Where to watch:
Runtime: 145 minutes
Set more than 150 U.S. soldiers who are tasked with capturing top lieutenants of a renegade warlord and delivering supplies to civilians in Somalia, the Ridley-Scott written, produced, and directed film follows an intense and heart-pumping battle that includes a firefight, downed helicopters, and soldier capture. Josh Hartnett is at the center of the film, but McGregor plays a member of the special forces, too. The movie is based on true events from 1993.
"It takes its place on the very short list of the unforgettable movies about war and its ineradicable and immeasurable costs." — Richard Schickel, Time
The Impossible
Metascore: 73
Best for: Thrill seekers
Where to watch:
Runtime: 113 minutes
Imagine being on a family vacation and then a tsunami comes. This disaster movie based on a real woman's experience during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami stars McGregor as Henry Bennett, a husband and father who must try to reunite himself and his two youngest sons with his wife Maria (played by Naomi Watts) and oldest boy (played by Tom Holland). The search is made even more harrowing by physical injuries from the storm and a hospital mixup that marks Maria down under the wrong name.
"An extraordinarily gut-wrenching, intense story of survival against all odds." — Marc Mohan, The Oregonian
Nora (2000)
Metascore: 70
Best for: Romance enthusiasts and James Joyce fans
Where to watch: Google Play, iTunes, Pluto TV, Tubi,
Runtime: 106 minutes
An Irish poet falls in love on the street, how charming. This film follows the love story of real-life novelist and poet Joyce (played by McGregor) and his wife Nora (Susan Lynch), who connect instantly and leave Ireland to set up a life together. While he is consumed by concern about his work (this is in his pre-published days), she keeps him grounded and happy.
"This nicely acted study of a love that survived all manner of trauma is a must-see for Joyce fans, feminist historians great and small and admirers of the Emerald Isle." — Bill Gallo, New Times
Little Voice (1998)
Metascore: 68
Best for: Music lovers
Where to watch:
Runtime: 97 minutes
Not to be confused with the short-lived Apple TV+ drama of the same title, this feature film from the turn of the 21st century follows the life of a young singer (Brenda Blethyn) who uses her voice to grieve the death of her father. After imitating the voices of such Hollywood starlets as Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland, an agency approaches her and offers to make her a star. McGregor plays Billy, a telephone operator who supports her dreams in the opening act and — spoiler alert — ultimately saves her life in the end.
"By offering opportunities to laugh, cry, and cheer, Little Voice satisfies in a big way." — James Berardinelli, Reel Views
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Metascore: 68
Best for: Fantasy lovers
Where to watch:
Runtime: 140 minutes
McGregor once again plays the beloved Obi-Wan in this installment of Star Wars. The movie premiered in 2005 and takes place three years after the beginning of the Clone Wars. Prepare to watch some Jedi Knights attack the Separatists, and then — we're sorry to say — the bad guys win and Obi-Wan must go into hiding. This film is the first in the second series of Star Wars films, setting up the rise of Leia and Luke once again.
"All the Star Wars movies will continue to entertain us for many years to come. They were grand fun, and this last one's a corker." — Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
T2 Trainspotting
Metascore: 67
Best for: Trainspotting fans
Where to watch:
Runtime: 117 minutes
McGregor picks up his character from the original Trainspotting in a tale that takes place 20 years after the first movie but came out only a little more than a decade after the original (in 2017). His Renton is recovering from a heart attack and going through a divorce, but he has years of sobriety under his belt, when he returns home to Scotland and reunites with his old crew. Once back there, he attempts to help Spud (Ewen Bremner) get sober, too, but things get complicated when it comes out that he gave Spud some of the money he stole from his friends years earlier. This film also flashes back to show the characters in their adolescence to better explain who they became and why.
"Like its predecessor, T2 Trainspotting aggressively shocks and charms, a singular example of cinematic bravura now improbably duplicated." — Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times