The 15 Leonardo DiCaprio Films That Rank As The Best
Few modern film careers have been mapped as clearly through turning points, bold risks, and unforgettable collaborations.
Early fame can trap performers in a single image, yet certain actors keep reshaping expectations by choosing roles that challenge both audience comfort and industry assumptions.
Leonardo DiCaprio fits that rare category, moving between intimate character studies and large-scale crowd-pleasers while keeping the focus on performance.
Directors have used his intensity to raise the temperature of thrillers, dramas, and period pieces, and his best work often hinges on small choices that reveal fear, ambition, or moral compromise.
This ranking spotlights 15 films that represent his strongest screen moments, the projects that define his range, and the performances that still spark conversation years later.
Disclaimer: This ranking reflects editorial opinion informed by general critical reception, audience response, awards attention, and cultural impact, so individual favorites may differ.
1. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Jordan Belfort’s wild ride through corruption and excess becomes absolutely electric when DiCaprio takes the wheel. Every scene crackles with energy that makes you feel like you’re right there in the chaos.
His performance turned this biographical story into one of those films you can’t stop talking about.
Scorsese and DiCaprio teamed up once again to create pure movie magic.
The actor commits fully to showing both the thrilling highs and devastating lows of Belfort’s life. Honestly, it’s the kind of role that reminds everyone why he’s considered one of the greats.
2. Inception (2010)
Dreams within dreams become the ultimate playground when DiCaprio plays Cobb, a thief who steals secrets from people’s subconscious.
Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending masterpiece needed an emotional anchor, and that’s exactly what this performance delivers.
You’ll be thinking about the spinning top for days after watching.
Action sequences that defy gravity get balanced perfectly with real human emotion about loss and redemption.
DiCaprio makes you care deeply about whether Cobb ever gets home to his kids. This blockbuster proved big-budget spectacles could have genuine heart at their core.
3. Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Ernest Burkhart emerges as one of DiCaprio’s most unsettling and complicated characters in this historical crime drama.
Set during the Osage murders of the 1920s, his portrayal shows a man caught between loyalty and terrible choices. Scorsese directs with careful attention to this dark chapter of American history.
Critics couldn’t stop praising how DiCaprio brought depth to such a morally complex role. The film earned a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and sparked important conversations about justice.
4. The Departed (2006)
Going undercover in the Irish mob sounds terrifying, and Billy Costigan’s stressed-out energy proves it.
DiCaprio plays a cop living on the edge, never knowing if his cover will be blown. The tension builds until you’re practically holding your breath during every scene.
This crime thriller won four Academy Awards including Best Picture, and for good reason.
Working alongside Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson, DiCaprio holds his own in every confrontation.
5. Titanic (1997)
This role made DiCaprio a global superstar basically overnight when Titanic became the biggest movie phenomenon of the late ’90s.
Standing at the bow of that ship became one of cinema’s most iconic moments. His chemistry with Kate Winslet turned a historical disaster into an unforgettable love story.
This film defined an entire era of moviegoing and launched DiCaprio into a different stratosphere of fame.
People still debate whether Jack could’ve fit on that door! The performance captured hearts worldwide and proved he could carry a massive blockbuster.
6. Blood Diamond (2006)
Danny Archer smuggles conflict diamonds through war-torn Africa in one of DiCaprio’s most physically intense roles.
His accent work and commitment to the character’s moral journey impressed critics everywhere.
The film tackles serious issues about exploitation while delivering edge-of-your-seat action.
Working alongside Djimon Hounsou, DiCaprio created a propulsive thriller with real stakes and consequences. Every chase scene and narrow escape feels genuinely dangerous.
7. The Aviator (2004)
Howard Hughes was a complicated genius, and DiCaprio captures both his brilliance and his struggles with mental health beautifully.
Scorsese’s biographical epic spans decades of Hughes’ life as an aviation pioneer and film producer. The attention to detail in recreating old Hollywood glamour is absolutely stunning.
Performance-focused rankings consistently place this near the top of DiCaprio’s career achievements.
Watching Hughes slowly unravel while accomplishing incredible things creates genuine emotional investment.
8. The Revenant (2015)
Surviving a bear attack and crawling through frozen wilderness pushed DiCaprio to his absolute physical limits. Hugh Glass’s journey of revenge and survival became the role that finally won him an Oscar.
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu filmed in brutal natural conditions that added raw authenticity.
This wasn’t just acting – it was an endurance test that became legendary behind the scenes. The bear scene alone sparked countless conversations about movie-making dedication.
DiCaprio’s punishing commitment created a career milestone that defined his awards-era signature perfectly.
9. The Great Gatsby (2013)
Jay Gatsby’s tragic hope and hidden emptiness needed an actor who could make you believe in impossible dreams. Baz Luhrmann’s maximal spectacle features elaborate parties and stunning visuals throughout.
DiCaprio anchors all that visual excess with a performance that makes Gatsby’s longing heartbreakingly real.
The green light across the bay becomes a powerful symbol in his hands.
He captures both the showman putting on parties and the lonely man desperately chasing the past. This adaptation brought F.
Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel to vibrant, emotional life.
10. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Rick Dalton’s insecurity about his fading career becomes surprisingly tender and funny in Tarantino’s Hollywood fairy tale.
DiCaprio plays a TV Western star worried about becoming irrelevant, and you feel every bit of his anxiety.
His chemistry with Brad Pitt creates one of cinema’s most enjoyable buddy dynamics.
The scene where Rick acts in a pilot episode showcases incredible range within a single sequence. He’s hilarious, sad, and completely relatable as someone fighting to stay relevant.
11. Gangs of New York (2002)
Revenge drives a young man in Martin Scorsese’s epic recreation of 1860s New York City, as he battles through the era’s violent underworld.
The huge-scale historical drama features elaborate sets and a heavyweight supporting cast led by Daniel Day-Lewis. DiCaprio holds the center admirably while surrounded by such intense performances.
Five Points becomes a character itself through Scorsese’s meticulous direction and production design.
The film explores themes of loyalty, revenge, and the birth of modern America.
12. Shutter Island (2010)
A mysterious disappearance at a psychiatric facility draws a U.S. marshal into the case, but nothing is quite what it seems.
This psychological thriller builds tension slowly, rewarding viewers who pay close attention to every detail. DiCaprio’s committed performance makes the second viewing even better than the first.
Scorsese crafts an atmosphere of dread that seeps into every frame of the film. The twist ending has sparked endless debates about what really happened.
DiCaprio delivers one of his most layered slow-burn performances that reveals new depths upon reflection.
13. Django Unchained (2012)
Southern charm masks pure evil in Calvin Candie, and DiCaprio clearly relished playing such a theatrical villain.
Tarantino’s revisionist Western let him explore his darker side with sharp, unsettling intensity. This scene-stealing turn proved he could be just as compelling as the bad guy.
The dinner table sequence showcases some of his most memorable villain work ever captured on film. He goes big and theatrical without losing the character’s genuine menace.
14. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Frank Abagnale Jr. cons his way through life by impersonating pilots, doctors, and lawyers before he’s even old enough to drink legally.
Spielberg directs this true story with a light touch that makes it endlessly rewatchable. DiCaprio brings pure charm to the role while never losing sight of Frank’s underlying vulnerability and loneliness.
The cat-and-mouse game with Tom Hanks’s FBI agent creates delightful tension throughout.
With a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics loved the entertaining narrative.
15. One Battle After Another (2025)
Bob, a former revolutionary, embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue his daughter in Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest action thriller.
This brand-new film has critics absolutely raving, earning a stunning 96% on Metacritic and 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. DiCaprio proves he’s still at the top of his game decades into his career.
Anderson’s direction combined with DiCaprio’s intensity creates something special that audiences can’t stop talking about.
The film became 2025’s highest-rated movie almost immediately after release. At fifty years old, he’s delivering performances that rival anything from earlier in his career.
