78 John Cusack Movies & TV Shows, Ranked Best to Worst

Stand by Me is a coming-of-age movie centering on the lives of four friends, Gordon ‘Gordie’ Lachance, Christopher ‘Chris’ Chambers, Theodore ‘Teddy’ Duchamp, and Vernon ‘Vern’ Tessio. On their quest to find a dead body, the four boys battle personal demons and a gang led by John ‘Ace’ Merill, only to return home permanently changed by their experience. 

A puppeteer, Craig Schwartz, working as a file clerk on the seventh and half floor of a building discovers a door that gives access to the mind of actor John Malkovich for fifteen minutes. He teams up with his co-worker to earn some money selling a trip to the actor’s mind. However, things soon go awry with even Malkovich failing to take control of his mind.

Based on the eponymous novel by James Jones, The Thin Red Line is a war drama revolving around a group of soldiers fighting to capture Guadalcanal for the Allied Forces during World War II. Featuring a brilliant star cast of Sean Penn, John Travolta, George Clooney, Jim Caviezel, and more, this film focuses on American soldiers trying to capture Japanese bunkers.

The Player is an American satirical black comedy film, which tells the story of Hollywood film producer Griffin Mill, who starts receiving threats anonymously. However, he is certain that David, a scriptwriter is behind it. He invites the latter to sort things out, but things take an ugly turn, and he ends up murdering him.  

Rob Gordon, a struggling vinyl record store owner and compulsive list-maker, is yet again ditched by his current girlfriend Laura for refusing to commit. He decides to make a list of his top five breakups and seeks out his previous partners in an attempt to understand his failures in making those relationships work.

David Shayne is a young and idealistic playwright who moves to Broadway in 1928. A gangster agrees to fund his debut play on the condition that David casts his demanding and talentless girlfriend as the actress. David turns into a cheating writer by the time of the opening night.

Love and Mercy is a biographical drama film, revolving around the life of Brian Wilson, co-founder and leader of the rock band The Beach Boys.  The film mainly focuses on the days when he struggled with his mental illness.

Loosely inspired by Agatha Christie's 1939 whodunit And Then There Were None, the film Identity tells the story of ten strangers who arrive at an isolated hotel. They become temporarily cut off from the rest of the world and are mysteriously killed off one by one. 

Martin Blank, a professional contract killer, who is unhappy with his work, receives an assignment in Detroit. His secretary persuades him to attend his ten-year high school reunion in Detroit suburb, Grosse Pointe. Putting his professional thoughts aside, he tries to re-connect with his school girlfriend; but things turn difficult when two NSA agents plus a contract hit-man come chasing after him. 

An average, unambitious high-school senior, Lloyd Dobler, falls in love with pretty school valedictorian Diane Court, who has received a British college scholarship. Though she too loves Lloyd, her protective father doesn’t approve of the non-achieving boy and wants Diane to pursue her academic goals. She has a difficult decision to make; however, everything alters as some dark secrets come to light.

Loosely based on the life of Eugene Allen, the movie tells the story of African-American Cecil Gaines who went from being an enslaved plantation worker to a butler at the White House in 1957. He becomes a witness to some of America’s most iconic political moments, including the birth of the Civil Rights Act. 

Brilliant but not-so-telegenic reporter Aaron Altman, whose work mostly goes unappreciated, is secretly in love with Jane, the talented but high-strung news producer. The new inexpert anchor Tom Grunick’s good personality attracts Jane, though she despises the trend of entertainment news he represents. With Aaron considering Tom as personal and professional rival, Jane must take the difficult decision between style and substance. 

Eight Man Out is a sports drama film which revolves around the team Chicago White Sox, who are going to play against the Cincannati Reds in an International series in 1919. Although the team is popular, the players are not satisfied with the wages. A group of professional gamblers offer some of the team’s best players a good sum of money to lose the series.

Gun manufacturer Vicksburg Firearms find themselves on trial. This pits corrupt jury consultant Rankin Fitch who uses all means to pick people sympathetic to the defense for jury duty against lawyer Wendell Rohr. But when juror, Nicholas Easter, and a mysterious woman Marlee reveal, they can sway the jury, things get complicated. 

Better Off Dead is a teen black comedy film which tells the story of Lane Myer, a high school student who starts thinking of suicide, after being dumped by his girlfriend for another guy. However, all of his attempts fail. His life takes a turn when he meets a French foreign-exchange student named Monique, who develops a crush on him.

Samantha Baker feels disappointed as everything appears to go wrong on her 16th birthday. The high-school senior she has a crush on isn’t aware that she exists, a geek she dislikes keeps pestering her for attention; what’s more, her own family forgets her birthday as her sister is getting married the next day. Can she hope to have a special 16th birthday?

The Sure Thing is a romantic comedy film which tells the story of Gib, who decides to meet his friend in California, who has arranged a meeting for him with a beautiful girl. He travels to California but he is forced to ride with Alison, a girl with whom he doesn’t have a very good relationship.

Bob Roberts is a comedy drama film which tells the story of a conservative millionaire named Bob Roberts, who launches an insurgent campaign against senator Brickley Paiste. Meanwhile, an investigative journalist attempts to connect Roberts to a drug-trafficking scheme.  

Ex-army ranger, Sergeant Cameron Poe, is granted parole and must fly back to his wife and child on board the Jailbird, a flight carrying some of the most violent prisoners. He must also survive a plot by Cyrus the Virus Grissom who wants to escape with all the prisoners. 

The Grifters is a crime drama thriller film which tells the story of Roy Dillon, a conman, whose life gets complicated when his estranged mother returns home, and doesn’t seem to like his girlfriend. Soon both women seem to battle for Roy’s attention.

An adaptation of Stephen King’s story of the same name, the movie centers on author Michael Enslin who has spent his life debunking supernatural phenomena. The movie has four different endings depicting Enslin’s fate following his horrific experiences in the haunted room 1408 of The Dolphin Hotel in New York. 

Both Jonathon Trager and Sara Thomas are in relationship with other people when they first meet in New York. However, they are still attracted to each other. When Jonathon wants to exchange contact information, Sara suggests that they leave it on fate to decide whether they should be together. A few years later, they still hope to meet each other despite both being engaged to be married.

Orson Welles tries to stage a musical titled ‘The Cradle Will Rock’, which is about a labor strike, but he receives pressure from an establishment who feels that it will cause unrest.

David is a science fiction writer who recently lost his wife. He soon comes across a hyper-imaginative young child named Dennis, who claims that he is from Mars, and thinks of adopting him.

Kleinman is a timid bookkeeper, who wanders around town and tries his best in finding a dangerous serial killer who is on the loose.  

Dawn and Heidi are two young girls whose parents serve in the US Army. Although their mother has passed away in Iraq, their father Stanley is unable to tell them about it. Instead, he decides to take his daughters on a road trip, and their innocent charm helps him to heal from his trauma.

This mystery drama film tells the story of a city reporter who is assigned to cover the story of a millionaire's murder. 

Fat Man and Little Boy is a historical drama film which is about the Manhattan Project, a secret wartime project in New Mexico commanded by General Leslie Groves, where the first atomic bombs were designed and built.

Three despondent friends get together to spend some time at a ski resort, after one of them faces medical issues. They are joined by a young Jacob. The four consume an illegal Russian drink and get transported back into time in 1986. They must do everything the same way as it happened to come back to present times, but then the desire to do unpleasant things differently is also there.

In the 19th century Baltimore, a serial killer is killing people and staging them based on Edgar Allen Poe’s horror stories. Detective Emmet Fields asks Poe to assist with the investigation but the killer then kidnaps Poe’s love Emily Hamilton and begins taunting him by leaving him clues to rescue her before time runs out. 

Based on real-life Alaskan serial killer. Alaskan State trooper Jack Holcombe is assigned the case of 7 women who were tortured and murdered violently. Streetwalker Cindy Paulsen, who escaped the assault, named Robert Hansen, a respectable family man; but later, she is afraid to help. Holcombe, who believes Hansen to be the killer, must earn her trust to get evidence against Hansen. 

During the World War II, just before the Pearl Harbor attack, an American agent arrives in Shanghai, which at the time, was occupied by Japanese forces. When he learns that his friend Conner has been murdered, he tries to find out the mystery behind the death.

Max is a war drama film, based on fictional events, which revolves around a Jewish art dealer Max Rothman who develops a friendship with a young Adolf Hitler, due to both of them being war veterans and sharing an interest in art. Although he is aware of Hitler’s anti-Semitism, he feels sorry for Hitler, as he had lost everything after the war. He agrees to take some of Hitler’s paintings on a contractual basis.

One Crazy Summer is a romantic comedy film which tells the story of Hoops, a cartoonist, who is working on a teen love story, and Cassandra, a troubled young woman who is about to lose her home. When they meet and fall in love, Hoops decides to save Cassandra save her property from developers.

Peter and Tim, both law students, are good friends. Despite their friendship, both friends have different ideals and ethics. Peter wants to enter the world of politics, while Tim wants to go for a career with the Department of Justice, a fact that doesn't sit well with Diana, his girlfriend, who is the daughter of a Senator. She eventually ends the relationship, before Tim could even propose. The friendship between the two men is tested when Peter confesses to Tim that he is having a relationship with Diana, and he plans to marry her. 

A multi-millionnaire child star is trying to bag a comeback after his return from rehab when his estranged sister turns up with dark family secrets. Meanwhile, an ageing actress is trying to return to the big screen with a remake of her deceased film star mother's movie.

On Christmas Eve, mob-lawyer Charlie Arglist and his partner, pornographer Vic Cavanaugh, steal $2 million from their racketeer boss. When an ice-storm delays their getaway, Vic keeps the money as they split to avoid attention. Charlie meets up strip-club manager Renata, the object of his secrete desire. But with the passing night hours, the troubles increase for nervous Charlie and cool Cavanaugh. 

An innocent young boy is accidentally killed during a shootout between the police and the mob. Soon the Deputy Mayor steps in to investigate the matter and dig for answers.

Adult World is a comedy drama film which tells the story of a young girl, Amy, a recent college graduate who dreams of becoming a great poet. She takes up a job as a clerk at an adult bookshop, and soon meets her idol Rat Billings. She tries to convince him to take her on as his protégé.

An air traffic controller is known to be the best in the business, but his status is threatened when there is a newcomer. Their feud eventually goes beyond their workspace and it also threatens their personal lives and relationships.  

Sarah is a preschool teacher in her 40s, who recently went through a divorce. She finds herself in a complicated situation, after her sister creates a profile for her on a matrimonial website which leads to hilarious dates and encounters.  

Tom is a concert pianist who suffers from stage fright. He prepares for a performance but soon comes to know that a sniper has his gun aimed at him, and he will be shot by the sniper, if he even plays one note wrong.

This action adventure drama film tells the story of a merciless and corrupt Roman leader Tiberius, who arrives with a giant army to conquer the Silk Road. However, Huo An, the captain of the Silk Road Protection Squad stands in his way, and he is also aided by some of the defected Roman troops.

Dr John Harvey Kellogg runs a health facility, where he wants to promote his eccentric and progressive ideas about well-being.

Class is a romantic comedy drama film which tells the story of a young naïve country boy named Jonathan who gets a scholarship at a classy school in the city. He soon starts having an affair with a beautiful woman, who is much older. She ends their relationship upon discovering that he is just 17. During the Christmas holidays, he visits the home of Skip, his friend, and he discovers that the woman he had an affair with, was none other than Skip’s mother.

2012 tells the story of the destruction of Earth, due to a global cataclysmic event resulting from the heating of Earth’s core. A struggling writer Jackson Curtis tries to save his family as he tries to reach one of the nine secret arks designed by G8 nations to save at least a certain portion of humanity. 

After a stray bullet kills a child, a group of women decide to organize against the on-going violence and crime going on in Southern Chicago. Eventually, this  becomes a big movement that gains nationwide attention.

America’s Sweethearts is a romantic comedy film which tells the story of a movie publicist who has to deal with the split of the co-stars of his movie, while keeping journalists as bay, while a reclusive director is holding the print of his film hostage. 

Based on Pete Dexter’s 1995 novel, which in turn was inspired by a true story, the film follows a Miami reporter, who returns to his hometown in Florida to exonerate a death row inmate on the request of his girlfriend. She has fallen in love with the convict after exchanging letter with him without ever meeting him face to face.              

Detective Mike Fletcher's daughter, Abby, is kidnapped by a serial killer who preys sex workers. He and his partner, Kelsey Walker, set out to find Abby. Will they be able to reach out to her before she becomes the next victim?

Frank Carden is a professional assassin who is hired to kill Lydell Hammond, a reclusive billionaire. However, he gets injured and is soon identified by the police. While he is being driven through the wilderness by the marshals, Carden’s men try to rescue him, and the car crashes, killing all the marshals. A father and son who were hiking through the wilderness decides to bring Carden to the authorities by themselves.   

A CIA covert operative Emerson Kent is assigned to kill a bar owner. However, before being shot, the man reveals that he is a former agent who wanted to retire. Kent is also forced to kill a witness who had seen him commit the murder. However, his boss Grey wants him to kill the man’s daughter as well. Despite Kent’s protests, Grey kills the young woman himself. Kent is haunted by the memories of the woman for a long time, and he is unable to get over it.

An American private corporation takes over a war-torn nation and hires a hitman to kill a local politician. The hitman is supposed to pose as the corporation’s trade show representative who must organize the wedding of a Middle Eastern pop star, which will allow him the opportunity to kill his target.  

Dragna is a crime lord who hires a professional killer to complete few tasks for him. After the job is done, the killer is asked to wait at a motel. He soon feels that it might be a trap.

The Prince is an action thriller film which tells the story of Paul, a retired assassin, who learns that his daughter has disappeared all of a sudden. He sets out to find her, but soon he realizes that he will have to return to his old ways.

Distorted is a mystery thriller film which tells the story of Lauren and Russell, a young couple, who move into a new apartment equipped with modern security features. Shortly after, Lauren starts to have strange nightmares and they feel that the owner of the house might be up to something.  

Just when a strange cell-phone electronic signal, ‘The Pulse,’ resonates through the phone networks around the world, all the users abruptly turn into bloodthirsty savage maniacs, killing whoever or whatever they come across. Graphic artist Clay Riddell is one amongst a group of survivors in New England, who makes a desperate attempt to reach his estranged wife and son to save them. 

In 1916, Anastasia, the daughter of Czar Nicholas II, gets separated from her grandmother. Years later, she is found by two con men but she has very vague memories of her childhood. The con men, who think she is just a look alike of the princess, decide to take her to her grandmother and earn a reward. However problems await them in form of Grigori Rasputin.

Igor is an animated horror comedy film which takes us to a world of mad scientists and their evil inventions. In this world, there is a talented lab assistant of an evil scientist who dreams of becoming a scientist himself after winning the annual Evil Science Fair. However, this causes displeasure among others in the Evil Science Community.

Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is having difficulty adapting Susan Orlean's book The Orchid Thief into a screenplay. His agonies enhance with the arrival of his confident twin brother, Donald who is essentially cheerful. Charlie enlists Donald’s help in writing the screenplay and interviewing Orlean. Finding her answers unconvincing, they decide to follow her.

This comedy sci-fi film tells the story of Nick and Jacob, who decide to help their friend, Lou, who is in trouble. Therefore, they use a time machine in order to travel back in time. Unfortunately, things don’t go as they plan.