Pierce Brosnan Reveals Five Films He Believes Are Perfect
Pierce Brosnan has played spies, heroes, and larger-than-life characters, but when it comes to movies he truly loves, his choices are very personal. In a recent interview with Rotten Tomatoes, the actor opened up about the films that shaped his taste and inspired him long before he became a star.
Brosnan said there are five movies that stand above the rest for him. At the top of the list is The Godfather. He spoke with real admiration about Marlon Brando’s performance and the lasting power of the film.
Huge fan of Marlon Brando, Brosnan said during the interview. For this man to come out of the shadows playing Don Corleone was just captivating. And it never disappoints; to this day, it doesn’t disappoint.
He explained that the film meant even more to him when he was young and preparing for drama school. The music, the story, the whole trilogy — It was very much connected to my youth as a young man about to go off to drama school, he said.
Brosnan also pointed to two films from 2007 that left a deep impression on him. Those were There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men. He recalled watching them close together and being amazed by the level of filmmaking.
Just outstanding work by director, writer, producers, actors, he said. He added that the performances by Daniel Day-Lewis and Javier Bardem still stand out to him. They sit on the bookshelf as bookends, really, to that special year of filmmaking.
Another film that holds a special place for Brosnan is The English Patient, directed by Anthony Minghella. For him, the movie represents pure cinematic emotion.
Ralph [Fiennes] is a spectacular actor, Brosnan said. He also praised the overall feeling of the film. It just always cuts to the marrow of your senses, so to speak.
The final movie on his list takes him back to the very start of his career. That film is the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. Brosnan said it connects directly to his early days in theater after leaving drama school. I did it as a musical when I left drama school, he shared. I wish I could say I played one of the main roles. I was just a chocolate tree.
Even with that small part, the film stayed with him and continues to represent the magic of storytelling. As of early 2026, Brosnan remains extremely active. He recently appeared in the biographical sports drama Giant, where he plays Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle after undergoing a major physical transformation for the role.
He is also set to return to action with the reboot of Cliffhanger, scheduled for release on August 28, 2026. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the film places Brosnan in the role of Ray Cooper, a mountaineer facing danger in the Italian Dolomites.
On top of that, he stars in the Netflix film The Thursday Murder Club alongside Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley. The movie is based on Richard Osman’s novel and features Brosnan as a retired union leader turned amateur detective.
Do you agree with his picks, or would you choose different films for a perfect list?
