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Actors & actresses

Best Tom Hanks movie

The 16 movies of the “Best Tom Hanks movie” bracket, with year, director, runtime and rating for each — then play the knockout tournament and let your own duels pick the winner.

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What is in this bracket

The bracket spans 31 years of cinema, from 1988 to 2019, with an average TMDB rating of 7.7/10. The dominant genres are Drama (14 movies), Comedy (5 movies), History (4 movies), Crime (3 movies). Steven Spielberg appears 3 times, Robert Zemeckis appears 2 times — a good sign of how much one filmography weighs on the outcome. Watching the whole line-up back to back would take about 35 hours. The 1990s are the best represented decade with 6 entries.

The highest-rated entry going in is Forrest Gump (1994) at ★ 8.5/10 — but a bracket is not a ranking: it only takes one duel against a favourite of yours for it to go out in the first round.

The full line-up (16 movies)

Seeded in the order they enter the bracket. 16 titles means 4 rounds and 15 duels to a champion.

  1. Forrest Gump 1994 · Robert Zemeckis · 142 min · ★ 8.5/10

    A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.

  2. The Green Mile 1999 · Frank Darabont · 189 min · ★ 8.5/10

    A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.

  3. Saving Private Ryan 1998 · Steven Spielberg · 169 min · ★ 8.2/10

    As U.S. troops storm the beaches of Normandy, three brothers lie dead on the battlefield, with a fourth trapped behind enemy lines. Ranger captain John Miller and seven men are tasked with penetrating German-held territory and bringing the boy home.

  4. Cast Away 2000 · Robert Zemeckis · 143 min · ★ 7.7/10

    Chuck Noland, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malaysia crashes at sea during a terrible storm. He's the only survivor, and finds himself marooned on a desolate island. With no way to escape, Chuck must find ways to survive in his new home.

  5. Toy Story 1995 · John Lasseter · 81 min · ★ 8/10

    Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.

  6. Philadelphia 1993 · Jonathan Demme · 126 min · ★ 7.7/10

    Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.

  7. Apollo 13 1995 · Ron Howard · 140 min · ★ 7.5/10

    The true story of technical troubles that scuttle the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970, risking the lives of astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew, with the failed journey turning into a thrilling saga of heroism. Drifting more than 200,000 miles from Earth, the astronauts work furiously with the ground crew to avert tragedy.

  8. Catch Me If You Can 2002 · Steven Spielberg · 141 min · ★ 8/10

    A true story about Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor. An FBI agent makes it his mission to put him behind bars. But Frank not only eludes capture, he revels in the pursuit.

  9. Captain Phillips 2013 · Paul Greengrass · 134 min · ★ 7.5/10

    The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

  10. Toy Story 3 2010 · Lee Unkrich · 103 min · ★ 7.8/10

    Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy's toys haven't been played with in years. With Andy about to go to college, the gang find themselves accidentally left at a nefarious day care center. The toys must band together to escape and return home to Andy.

  11. Big 1988 · Penny Marshall · 104 min · ★ 7.2/10

    When a young boy makes a wish at a carnival machine to be big—he wakes up the following morning to find that it has been granted and his body has grown older overnight. But he is still the same 13-year-old boy inside. Now he must learn how to cope with the unfamiliar world of grown-ups including getting a job and having his first romantic encounter with a woman.

  12. Road to Perdition 2002 · Sam Mendes · 117 min · ★ 7.4/10

    Mike Sullivan works as a hit man for crime boss John Rooney. Sullivan views Rooney as a father figure, however after his son is witness to a killing, Mike Sullivan finds himself on the run in attempt to save the life of his son and at the same time looking for revenge on those who wronged him.

  13. The Terminal 2004 · Steven Spielberg · 128 min · ★ 7.4/10

    An Eastern European tourist unexpectedly finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there.

  14. Sully 2016 · Clint Eastwood · 96 min · ★ 7.2/10

    On 15 January 2009, the world witnessed the 'Miracle on the Hudson' when Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 souls aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and career.

  15. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 2019 · Marielle Heller · 109 min · ★ 7/10

    An award-winning cynical journalist, Lloyd Vogel, begrudgingly accepts an assignment to write an Esquire profile piece on the beloved television icon Fred Rogers. After his encounter with Rogers, Vogel's perspective on life is transformed.

  16. Cloud Atlas 2012 · Lilly Wachowski · 172 min · ★ 6.9/10

    A set of six nested stories spanning time between the 19th century and a distant post-apocalyptic future. Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centurie

How this tournament works

  1. 16 movies enter a knockout bracket.
  2. Two titles face off at a time — you pick the one you would rather watch.
  3. Winners advance round by round until one champion is left: your pick for tonight.

There is no “right” answer and no algorithm deciding for you: the bracket only forces a series of small, easy comparisons instead of one impossible choice in front of a catalogue. You can also play it with friends — everyone votes the same duels from their own phone in a Brawl Room.

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