Our team compiled the best Arnold Schwarzenegger movies and here is what they came up with
Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most iconic actors in Hollywood, known for his roles in action films and his larger-than-life personality. Throughout his career, Schwarzenegger has starred in many popular movies that have become cult classics, grossing billions of dollars at the box office and earning him critical acclaim. In this article, we will take a look at some of the most popular Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, including a detailed summary of each film, their MPAA rating, box office numbers, year of release, and other actors starring in them. We will also explore why Arnold Schwarzenegger was appreciated in each of these films.
Here are the 26 best Arnold Schwarzenegger movies to check out on the streaming service.
1. The Terminator (1984)
Rated R, grossed $78 million, released in 1984. Starring Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, and Paul Winfield. The film is set in the year 2029, where a cyborg assassin called the Terminator (Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Hamilton), the mother of a future leader of the human resistance against machines. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the cold and emotionless Terminator was appreciated for its stark contrast to his previous comedic roles.
2. Predator (1987)
Rated R, grossed $98 million, released in 1987. Starring Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, and Bill Duke. The film follows a team of commandos, led by Schwarzenegger’s character Dutch, who are hunted by an extraterrestrial predator on a remote jungle planet. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the tough and resourceful Dutch was praised for its physicality and intensity.
3. Twins (1988)
Rated PG, grossed $111 million, released in 1988. Starring Danny DeVito, Kelly Preston, and Chloe Webb. The film follows the story of twin brothers, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character Julius and DeVito’s character Vincent, who were separated at birth and reunite as adults. Schwarzenegger’s comedic timing and chemistry with DeVito were well received by critics and audiences alike.
4. Total Recall (1990)
Rated R, grossed $261 million, released in 1990. Starring Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, and Ronny Cox. The film is set in a dystopian future where Schwarzenegger’s character, Douglas Quaid, begins to question his own identity after visiting a memory-implantation service. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of Quaid, a man torn between reality and fantasy, was praised for its depth and complexity.
5. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Rated R, grossed $520 million, released in 1991. Starring Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and Robert Patrick. The sequel to “The Terminator”, the film picks up where the first film left off and follows the story of Sarah Connor and her son, who are once again targeted by a new Terminator, this time sent back in time to protect them from a more advanced model. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the reprogrammed Terminator, who becomes a protector of the Connors, was appreciated for its emotional range and humanity.
6. Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Rated PG-13, grossed $202 million, released in 1990. Starring Penelope Ann Miller, Pamela Reed, and Richard Tyson. The film follows the story of an undercover police officer, Schwarzenegger’s character John Kimble, who goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher to catch a drug lord. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of a rough-around-the-edges cop who struggles to connect with children was praised for its humor and heart.
7. True Lies (1994)
Rated R, grossed $378 million, released in 1994. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, and Bill Paxton. The film follows the story of Harry Tasker (Schwarzenegger), a secret agent who leads a double life as a computer salesman. When his wife (Curtis) discovers his true identity, she gets caught up in his latest mission. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the suave and charismatic Tasker was appreciated for its comedic timing and action sequences.
8. Eraser (1996)
Rated R, grossed $242 million, released in 1996. Starring Vanessa Williams, James Caan, and James Coburn. The film follows the story of a U.S. Marshal (Schwarzenegger) who is tasked with protecting a key witness in a weapons case. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the tough and resourceful Marshal was praised for its intensity and physicality.
9. Jingle All the Way (1996)
Rated PG, grossed $129 million, released in 1996. Starring Sinbad, Phil Hartman, and Rita Wilson. The film follows the story of a workaholic father (Schwarzenegger) who goes on a wild goose chase to find the perfect Christmas toy for his son. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the desperate and bumbling father was appreciated for its humor and heart.
10. End of Days (1999)
Rated R, grossed $66 million, released in 1999. Starring Gabriel Byrne, Robin Tunney, and Kevin Pollak. The film is set in the end of the millennium, where Schwarzenegger plays a retired police officer who is chosen to protect a young woman from the Devil himself. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the gritty and flawed protagonist was praised for its depth and intensity.
11. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
Rated R, grossed $433 million, released in 2003. Starring Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, and Kristanna Loken. The third installment in the Terminator franchise, the film picks up where the second film left off and follows the story of John Connor (Stahl) as he battles a new, advanced Terminator sent from the future. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the reprogrammed Terminator once again earned acclaim for its emotional range and humanity.
12. The Expendables (2010)
Rated R, grossed $274 million, released in 2010. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Jet Li. The film follows a team of elite mercenaries, led by Barney Ross (Stallone), as they take on a dangerous mission in South America. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the grizzled and experienced Trench Mauser was appreciated for its nostalgia and nostalgia.
13. Terminator Genisys (2015)
Rated PG-13, grossed $440 million, released in 2015. Starring Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, and J.K. Simmons. The fifth installment in the Terminator franchise, the film explores an alternate timeline where the events of the first two films are altered. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the reprogrammed Terminator once again earned acclaim for its emotional range and humanity.
14. Killing Gunther (2017)
Rated R, grossed $1.7 million, released in 2017. Starring Taran Killam, Hannah Simone, and Cobie Smulders. The film follows a group of assassins who attempt to kill the world’s greatest hitman, Gunther (Schwarzenegger), but find themselves in a battle with the eccentric and unpredictable killer. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the eccentric and unpredictable Gunther was appreciated for its humor and action sequences.
15. Escape Plan (2013)
Rated R, grossed $137 million, released in 2013. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jim Caviezel, and Vincent D’Onofrio. The film follows the story of a structural security expert (Schwarzenegger) who must break out of the world’s most secret and secure prison with the help of a convicted hacker (Stallone). Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the expert in structural security was appreciated for its intelligence and physicality.
16. The Expendables 2 (2012)
Rated R, grossed $305 million, released in 2012. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Jet Li. The sequel to “The Expendables,” the film follows the team of elite mercenaries as they take on a new mission to take down a ruthless arms dealer. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the grizzled and experienced Trench Mauser once again earned acclaim for its nostalgia and nostalgia.
17. Commando (1985)
Rated R, grossed $57 million, released in 1985. Starring Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, and Dan Hedaya. The film follows the story of a retired special forces operative (Schwarzenegger) who is called back into action to rescue his daughter from a ruthless dictator. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the tough and resourceful operative was praised for its intensity and physicality.
18. Red Heat (1988)
Rated R, grossed $48 million, released in 1988. Starring James Belushi, Peter Boyle, and Ed O’Ross. The film follows the story of a Soviet police officer (Schwarzenegger) who travels to the United States to capture a drug lord and teams up with a Chicago police detective (Belushi) to do it. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the stoic and determined police officer was appreciated for its intensity and action sequences.
19. The Running Man (1987)
Rated R, grossed $38 million, released in 1987. Starring María Conchita Alonso, Richard Dawson, and Yaphet Kotto. The film is set in the future where a wrongly convicted man (Schwarzenegger) must compete in a brutal game show where criminals fight for their lives. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the determined and resourceful protagonist was praised for its intensity and action sequences.
20. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Rated R, grossed $68 million, released in 1982. Starring Sandahl Bergman, James Earl Jones, and Gerry Lopez. The film follows the story of Conan (Schwarzenegger), a barbarian warrior who seeks revenge against the warlord who killed his family and enslaved him. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the fierce and ruthless Conan was appreciated for its intensity and physicality.
21. Predator 2 (1990)
Rated R, grossed $57 million, released in 1990. Starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, and Ruben Blades. The sequel to “Predator,” the film takes place in Los Angeles and follows a police officer (Glover) as he battles a new Predator that has arrived on Earth. Schwarzenegger did not appear in this sequel.
22. Sabotage (2014)
Rated R, grossed $17 million, released in 2014. Starring Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, and Terrence Howard. The film follows the story of a DEA task force (led by Schwarzenegger) who are betrayed and left for dead by one of their own. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the grizzled and experienced leader of the task force was appreciated for its intensity and action sequences.
23. Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018)
Rated R, grossed $40 million, released in 2018. Starring Dave Bautista, Jaime King, and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. The sequel to “Escape Plan,” the film follows the story of a structural security expert (Schwarzenegger) who is framed and sent to the most dangerous prison in the world. He must now use all his expertise to break out and clear his name. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the expert in structural security once again was appreciated for its intelligence and physicality.
24. The Expendables 3 (2014)
Rated PG-13, grossed $214 million, released in 2014. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Jet Li. The third installment in the “The Expendables” franchise, the film follows the team of elite mercenaries as they take on a new mission to take down a ruthless arms dealer. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the grizzled and experienced Trench Mauser once again earned acclaim for its nostalgia and nostalgia.
25. Batman and Robin (1997)
Rated PG-13, grossed $238 million, released in 1997. Starring George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell, and Uma Thurman. The film follows the story of Batman (Clooney) and Robin (O’Donnell) as they battle the villainous Mr. Freeze (Schwarzenegger) and Poison Ivy (Thurman). Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the tragic and tragic Mr. Freeze was appreciated for its depth and complexity.
26. Conan the Destroyer (1984)
Rated PG, grossed $31 million, released in 1984. Starring Grace Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, and Mako. The sequel to “Conan the Barbarian,” the film follows Conan (Schwarzenegger) as he is hired by a queen to find a magic horn that will save her kingdom. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the fierce and ruthless Conan once again was appreciated for its intensity and physicality.