There are choosy actors, then there’sGerard Butler. The Scottish actor is known for hopping from low-budget movies to blockbusters and back. His recent film, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,is a certified hit whereas his prior work (Kandahar, distributed by the little-known Thunder Road Pictures), couldn’t make it past the $10 million mark. It’s the Butler way. Give him a good enough role and a great paycheck, and he’ll take it.
From300toOlympus Has Fallen, Butler’s films have stuck to the mind. Recently, even his modest flicks likePlaneandCopshophave performed well. However, the actor has numerous other little-known films that his fans and general audiences should see. These films might have only reached a few eyeballs but it’s never too late for anything to become big. Make your pick and stream.
10‘Coriolanus’ (2011)
Coriolanus
Coriolanus, made by Ralph Fiennes in his directorial debut, is an adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy of the same name. It concerns Caius Martius “Coriolanus” (Fiennes), a Roman general respected for his military conquests but hated for his arrogance. His downfall soon comes,forcing him to team up with his former enemy, Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler), in an attempt to regain lost glory.
A Perfect Roman Tale, Crafted in Britain
300fans will loveCoriolanuseven more, given its setting. The pulse-poundingsword-and-sandal flickis first and foremostan outstanding technical achievement,using superior VFX technology to make audiences feel like they are in Rome with these characters.It’s one of the most piquant visual trips you’ll ever experience in film. It gets very addictive once the team-up of former enemies happens. Unfortunately, this mind-blowing cinematic voyage hardly made any bucks at the box office, but it at least earned a Golden Berlin Bear Award nomination.
Stream it on Prime Video
9‘Fast Food’ (1998)
InFast Food, drifter Benny (Douglas Henshall) returns to his hometown to reunite with a lover and open a fast-food restaurant. He then links up with four former buddies (one played by Gerard Butler). Together, they convince each other to rob a local gangster.
Hardly About Food
The film leans on ensemble performances to raise it to heights of poignancy and cordiality. Butler shows promise, and the story flows quickly enough to eclipse all the production faults that might have popped up because of budget deficiencies. Though the tone is mostly gloomy, director Stewart Sugg does well by sprinkling in a few comedic moments. Amust-see British crime flick.
8‘Butterfly on a Wheel’ (2007)
Butterfly on a Wheel
Butterfly on a Wheel, also known asShatteredin the US, concerns Neil (Gerard Butler), a family man living happily in Chicago until his daughter gets kidnapped by the criminal Tom Ryan (Pierce Brosnan). At first, Tom appears to only want a ransom, but as time passes, his demands become more unreasonable. What will Neil do?
Doing Anything for Family
The film’s title alludes to a line in Alexander Pope’s poem “Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot”: “Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?” It is interpreted as questioning why anyone would put so much time and effort into achieving something minor, or hand out heavy punishment for a tiny offense.Gerard Butler is convincing in his role as a tormented man who’ll do everything for his daughter,and Brosnan makes us believe he was born to play a villain, even thoughmost of his filmsinvolve him saving others.
All 4 Gerard Butler Movies Releasing in 2025
There’s always something for Gerard Butler fans. In 2025, the actor stars in ‘Den of Thieves 2’ along with 3 other movies.
7‘Timeline’ (2003)
Timelinetrails a group of archaeological students (aided by a Scottish archaeologist played by Gerard Butler), as they search for a missing professor. They learn that he traveled to 14th-century France via a wormhole and got trapped there. They thus travel through time too, hoping to find him.
A Saccharine Blend of Science and History
The film was made by the great Richard Donner, best known forSuperman, but by the time it came out, the director was no longer as famous as he used to be, so people hardly cared. But it’s brilliant.
In unfamiliar terrain, the gifted filmmaker perfectly explores displacement and the steep cost of curiosity. There’sthe immediacy of a documentary and the beauty of a piece of art.Interestingly,Donner used very little CGI, relying on medieval reenactments instead.And he sure must have done something to get Butler as excited as we see him here.
6‘A Family Man’ (2016)
A Family Man
A Family Manmarked the directorial debut of Mark Williams, best known as the creator ofOzark. Here, the writer and director cast Gerard Butler as Dane Jensen,a competent Chicago-based corporate headhunter who is having the time of his life until he gets pitted against another high-performing employee.Worse still, his son gets a worrying diagnosis, leaving Dane torn between work and family.
Tough Choices
We’d normally not expect to see Butler in a movie like this, but he delivers. It’s hard to keep his eyes off him as he glides through his methodical strides to understand the whys and wherefores of his newest assignment. And as he goes about his business, the atmospheric, intelligent drama maintains a sense of foreboding throughout, leavened by dialogue that is full of dry wit. You’ll learn a thing or two about how to balance work and family.
5‘Beowulf & Grendel’ (2005)
Beowulf & Grendel
Beowulf & Grendel’s plot is plucked from the anonymously written Old English epic poem,Beowulf. Events center on Beowulf (Gerard Butler), a hero of a Germanic tribe, ashe assists a Danish king in his fight against the monster Grendel.
Another Wonderful Adaptation of a Popular Poem
The poem has been adapted several times, most memorably in 2007 in a movie starring Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, and John Malkovich is the most familiar. However, the Butler version feels more real and is more visually pleasing becauseit was shot on location, with limited CGI. Another perfect choice forthose who prefer seeing Butler with a sword instead of a gun.
4‘Dear Frankie’ (2004)
Dear Frankie
What happens when a child asks a mother where their real father is? What happens when the mother lies that the man is a merchant seaman on the MS Accra, only for the real ship to show up soon? Such is Lizzie’s predicament inDear Frankie. Rather than panic,she hires a stranger (Gerard Butler) to pretend to be the dadand is soon swallowed into a bewildering, tentative romance.
Love Born Out of Deception
This delightful, subtle charmer is full of warmth, heart, and wisdom. It also rings consistently true, recapturing those universal burgeoning pains experienced by children of single parents. The exquisite Greenock setting (admittedly with some heavy Scottish accents to decipher) and powerhouse performances make this worth watching and repeating. Butler, in particular, is adorable as the stranger who agrees to make the situation easier for Lizzie.
3‘Chasing Mavericks’ (2012)
Chasing Mavericks
Chasing Mavericksis the stranger than fiction tale of daredevil surfer, Jay Moriarity, who sought to conquer the biggest waves in the world and, unfortunately, died in a freak ocean accident. The film focuses on his attempt to maneuver the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the strongest waves on Earth,with the help of local surfing legend Frosty Hesson (Gerard Butler).
Fun Before the Storm
Even though we are aware the story ends tragically,Chasing Mavericksfinds a core of humor and humanity in the duo that counter-balances the fear we have for Jay. Through great cinematography and wonderful dialogue, the film also gives us plenty of joyousBaywatch-ish moments. Undoubtedly one ofthe best biopics of the 2010s
Has Fallen: Every Movie in Gerard Butler’s Action Franchise, Ranked
With news of Night Has Fallen in development, here’s a look at Gerard Butler’s entire action franchise and where every movie ranks.
2‘Harrison’s Flowers’ (2000)
Harrison’s Flowers
Gerard Butler always looks like he’d be perfect in war movies. Unfortunately, he never signs up for them as often as we’d like. Luckily, there’sHarrison’s Flowers, a gem from the early 2000s that follows a desperate wife as she searches for her missing photojournalist husband in war-torn Yugoslavia.Gerard Butler plays Chris Kumac, another war photographer who helps the woman in her search.
The Power of Resilience.
Harrison’s Flowersworks by endlessly evoking hope in the audience.We are never sure whether the search will yield fruit, but we stay with the characters as they try. The film flopped at the box office, but it was a great launching pad for most of its stars. Adrian Brody famously stated that he wouldn’t have been cast in The Pianist if he hadn’t starred in this war-romance drama.
1‘Playing for Keeps’ (2012)
Playing for Keeps
Gerard Butler stars inPlaying for Keepsas George Dryer, a former soccer star struggling to woo his ex-wife.The fact that he is now broke certainly doesn’t help. Thankfully, an opportunity arises when his son’s school announces an opening for a coach. George applies and gets the job, but things get more complicated, especially when some of the single moms and those in unhappy marriages start eyeing him.
An In-Demand Butler
A film that also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Uma Thurman ought to have been a hit, butPlaying for Keepswasn’t. Watching it, you’ll fail to understand why, as there’s hardly anything worth criticizing. The romance arcs are tastefully done and Butler is very convincing as a man who has all the ladies jumping with their stilettos the moment they see him. The time for a revisit is now.
