The Top 15 Best Ewan McGregor Movies Ranked

The modern DC Extended Universe has struggled with crafting compelling villains, but Ewan McGregor changed that with his uproarious performance as Roman Sionis, the Batman villain who takes on the "Black Mask" persona. Cathy Yan's underrated 2020 film "Birds of Prey" was a refreshing change of pace for the DCEU. Rather than the dark and gloomy Zack Snyder films, "Birds of Prey" has a sense of frantic comedy that completely fits the personality of the chaotic Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). McGregor is simply having a blast with his surprisingly uproarious performance as a self-centered mob boss.

Roman kidnaps Harley and orders her to steal a diamond for him, but she's quickly able to escape and begin forming her team of titular anti-heroes. Roman is hilariously overconfident, and while his indulgences are eccentric (he gathers statues of himself), he's not a complete fool. McGregor was able to chew the scenery without decreasing the stakes of the action.

The same year that Ewan McGregor announced himself to a new generation of young people with his appearance in "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace," he starred in a very underrated biopic that's made strictly for a much older audience. The world of financial thrillers can be hit-or-miss, but "Rogue Trader" tells a fascinating true story that is lurid, humorous, and insightful all at once. McGregor stars as Nick Leeson, a young trader at the Barings Bank whose financial mismanagement ended up collapsing the bank in 1995.

McGregor shows Nick's initial introduction to the trading floor, and how his reckless ambition allows him to quickly rise within the ranks. While he has a natural eye for good trades, Nick is also irresponsible and makes risky moves that he keeps under wraps. He is eventually pursued by the police for his crimes. McGregor turns Nick into a complex character who is not completely unlikeable, but rather a childlike hooligan who bit off more than he could chew.

"Our Kind of Traitor" is a fascinating departure from the typical adaptations of legendary spy novelist John le Carré. It contains no less of the meticulous political intrigue that le Carré is renowned for, but the story is centered around an everyman that gives it a Hitchcockian feel. Susanna White's adaptation of the novel made excellent use of Ewan McGregor as an audience surrogate getting used to the spy world for the first time.

McGregor stars as university lecturer Perry MacKendrick, who goes on vacation to Morocco with his wife Gail (Naomi Harris) in an attempt to rekindle their relationship after he had an affair. Perry has a casual tennis conversation with the eccentric Russian nationalist Dima (Stellan Skarsgård), whom he befriends. It's discovered that Dima is looking to turn himself over to MI6, and Perry becomes the negotiator between the government and the Russian mafia.

Stanley Kubrick's 1980 classic "The Shining" is considered by many as one of the greatest horror films of all time, so any attempted sequel had very high expectations. Not only is the original film iconic, but it is resolved on an ambiguous note that didn't need to be resolved. However, horror master Mike Flanagan took a refreshingly new take on the genre with 2019's "Doctor Sleep." Ewan McGregor stars as the now-grown Danny Torrance, who is suffering from the childhood trauma of his experiences at the Overlook Hotel.

Danny has become an alcoholic and struggles with guilt after accidentally causing the death of a woman. He attempts to enter rehab and moves to a small New Hampshire town, but he still feels the call of the magical force known as "the shining." Danny communicates via telepathy with the young girl Abra (Kyliegh Curran), who shares his powers. He must face the demons of the Overlook and the magical villain Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) as he and Abra work together.

The 2005 mystery "Stay" from director Marc Forster (with whom Ewan McGregor would reunite in a much different role for 2018's "Christopher Robin") is an underrated thriller. While it's a confusing initial watch, there are so many latent details and hints incorporated throughout that pay off beautifully by the film's conclusion. McGregor had to be willing to trust the unusual nature of the screenplay and give a grounded performance that didn't accidentally reveal any of the film's mysteries early on.

McGregor stars as Dr. Sam Foster, who works as a psychiatrist in New York while going through a happy relationship with his girlfriend Lila Culpepper (Naomi Watts). Sam meets with the young college student Henry Letham (Ryan Gosling), who has been referred to him for suicidal thoughts. Sam discusses the situation with Henry and discovers that he does not want to die, but rather believes without a shadow of a doubt that his death is impending. Sam realizes that this gives him little time to find out what's going on.

"The Impossible" is one of the most potently emotional films that Ewan McGregor has ever starred in, showcasing the challenges that an average family man goes through during a devastating disaster that caused the suffering of thousands. The film centers around the true story of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that wrecked the coasts of Khao Lak, Thailand. McGregor stars as Doctor Henry Belon, who is on Christmas vacation with his wife Maria (Naomi Watts) and their three sons Lucas (Tom Holland), Thomas (Samuel Joslin), and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast). The American upper-class family is caught in the middle of the devastating disaster and separated from each other.

McGregor and the co-stars playing his family faced numerous challenges with their roles. To start off, playing real victims comes with an added responsibility to them, and they certainly have to depict some of the most grueling moments imaginable. However, spotlighting a wealthier American family could have felt disrespectful considering the many Thailand natives who were affected and the permanent lasting damage on their homes. Thankfully, director J.A. Bayona incorporated a large international cast, and McGregor works expertly at interacting with the many characters who are caught up in the storm. Although "The Impossible" doesn't shy away from violence and hardship, it's an inspirational story about people connecting amidst a crisis.

Although Ewan McGregor is renowned for his ability to transform himself physically, portray prominent figures, and wow the viewer with his musical abilities, he's also able to step aside from the spotlight and play a normal guy. Mike Mills' 2011 romantic drama "Beginners" captured a realistic (if slightly idiosyncratic) story of fathers and sons, relationships, sexuality, and growing older. McGregor stars as Oliver Fields, an artist who works in advertising trying to cope with his father Hal's (Christopher Plummer) cancer diagnosis. Oliver has a complicated relationship with his father, who has recently come out as a homosexual man with a much younger love interest named Andy (Goran Višnjić). 

Oliver tries to care for his father while also pursuing the French actress Anna Wallace (Mélanie Laurent). Both Anna and Oliver are searching for a way to stay inspired as their artistic pursuits are diminished due to corporate politics within their respective fields. Plummer was one of the great movie stars, and in "Beginners" delivered the kind of late-career Oscar-winning performance that every actor yearns for, while McGregor is worthy of sharing the screen with him. They craft a nuanced, extremely touching relationship as two men who learn to understand one another.

Ewan McGregor in large part owes his career to the great British filmmaker Danny Boyle, who gave him his first role in 1994's "Shallow Grave." The acclaim for the low-budget thriller established McGregor as one to watch and helped introduce him to a larger mainstream audience. However, both Boyle and McGregor would see their careers taken to the next level with the 1996 adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel "Trainspotting." The result was one of the most important independent films of the '90s, a stylized and bold barrier breaker that became an international success.

"Trainspotting" is one of the most in-depth depictions of drug culture ever seen on film. A strange coming-of-age story of sorts, the film centers around friends Renton (McGregor), Spud (Ewen Bremner), Sick Boy (Johnny Lee Miller), Begbie (Robert Carlyle), and Tommy (Kevin McKidd) as they indulge in heroin and run away from the police. Soon their free-natured lifestyle becomes debilitating, but "Trainspotting" wasn't just iconic because of the graphic content. The film's bold stylistic choices focused heavily on Renton's voice-over, and McGregor is a terrific narrator for the sordid tale. "Trainspotting" forced McGregor to go through the emotional ringer as Renton learns to leave his friends behind, delivering some of the most brilliant monologues of his career. The parody of the "Choose Life" anti-drug campaign is utilized throughout and pays off wonderfully in the film's emotional conclusion.