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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchFor a first watch, start with The Godfather for Duvall’s defining supporting performance, or Tender Mercies to see his Oscar-winning work in a leading role. This ranking weighs each film’s critical standing, the prominence and accomplishment of Duvall’s part, and the movie’s importance to his career. It is an editorial judgment, not a definitive consensus; a film’s place on the list is not a verdict on Duvall’s talent.
How this ranking works
The order balances three things: the film’s broader critical standing, the quality and centrality of Duvall’s performance, and its importance to his career. Accessibility for a new viewer also helps break close calls. Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer ranking offers a useful reception comparison, but it aggregates critics’ scores rather than measuring Duvall’s acting. Its February 16, 2026 guide reports 97% for The Godfather and 96% for The Godfather Part II; those figures can change as the review pool changes. See Rotten Tomatoes’ Robert Duvall film guide.
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Robert Duvall’s best movies, ranked
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Tender Mercies (1983)
Duvall’s lead performance as Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholic and country singer, makes this the strongest showcase for his range. His restrained portrayal earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor and a Golden Globe. The film ranks first here because the role’s emotional depth and career significance outweigh the stronger aggregate Tomatometer showing for the two Godfather films. The Academy’s 1984 awards record lists his win for the film.
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The Godfather (1972)
As Tom Hagen, the Corleone family’s adopted son and lawyer, Duvall gives a controlled, consequential performance in a film widely regarded as a landmark of American cinema. It earned him his first Academy Award nomination. Rotten Tomatoes’ February 16, 2026 guide places it first among his films, with a reported 97% Tomatometer score. The guide’s ranking reflects critics’ reviews, not an acting score.
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Apocalypse Now (1979)
Duvall’s supporting turn as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore is brief compared with a lead role, but it is one of his most culturally recognized performances. His portrayal earned an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win. The film’s place near the top reflects the force of that sharply drawn character as well as the movie’s stature. The Golden Globes’ awards record lists his win.
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The Godfather Part II (1974)
Duvall returns as Tom Hagen, bringing the same calm authority to a darker, more expansive continuation of the Corleone story. It is a major film and a strong Duvall performance, though Hagen remains one part of a large ensemble. Rotten Tomatoes’ February 16, 2026 guide ranks it second among Duvall films and reports a 96% Tomatometer score. That published order is a useful reception benchmark, rather than a ranking of his individual performances.
Rank #2
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The Apostle (1997)
Duvall wrote, directed, and starred in this portrait of a preacher in crisis, making it his most complete creative statement among these choices. His work as both filmmaker and performer earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The film ranks highly for career significance and for the way it places his performance at the center of the story. The Cannes filmography credits him as actor and director.
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The Great Santini (1979)
Duvall plays a domineering Marine pilot and father whose military habits collide with family life. The role earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Its forceful lead performance makes it essential viewing, even if the film is less immediately accessible to some viewers than the top entries. The Academy’s 1981 awards record lists the nomination.
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Network (1976)
In this satirical drama about television news and corporate power, Duvall plays network executive Frank Hackett, a significant supporting role within a crowded ensemble. It is a worthwhile choice for viewers interested in his ability to project institutional authority without making the character the film’s sole focus. The Television Academy includes Network among his substantial film roles. Read the Television Academy profile.
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To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Duvall made his screen debut as the reclusive Boo Radley in this adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel. The role is small, but the performance’s restraint and the film’s lasting place in American cinema make it an important starting point for tracing his career. The film is commonly dated to 1962; some biographical accounts give a different year for the credit, so the release year is used here. Cannes’ filmography confirms the role.
Rank #4
Where to start if you have not seen his films
- For a defining supporting performance: choose The Godfather, then follow it with The Godfather Part II.
- For a lead role: start with Tender Mercies, the performance that won Duvall the Academy Award for Best Actor.
- For a vivid character turn: choose Apocalypse Now and watch for Kilgore’s memorable supporting role.
- For Duvall as a filmmaker: watch The Apostle, which he wrote, directed, and starred in.
What about Lonesome Dove?
Lonesome Dove belongs outside a feature-film countdown: it is a television miniseries. Duvall played Gus McCrae, a role the Television Academy identifies as his favorite, and he won a Golden Globe for the production. If your question is whether it is a movie, the precise answer is no—it is a miniseries, and one of his essential screen performances. The Television Academy profile discusses the role; the Golden Globes record lists the win.
Awards context
The Associated Press reported seven Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe wins for Duvall in 2026. Those counts span his career and multiple kinds of work; they are not a count of film-only awards. His Golden Globe wins include Apocalypse Now and Tender Mercies, as well as the television productions Lonesome Dove and Stalin. Separately, the Television Academy records two Emmy wins, including his acting win for Broken Trail. The Associated Press obituary, Golden Globes’ awards record, and Television Academy profile document those distinctions.
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