All 38 Patrick Swayze Movies in Release Order

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Patrick Swayze was an American actor and dancer. He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997, after which he won the Houston Film Critics Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Best known for embodying charming, comedic characters, such as Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing, his filmography showcases his range as an actor and sets his legacy in stone. Swayze passed away at the age of 57 from pancreatic cancer, an illness he had fought since January 2008 while simultaneously still trying to advance his professional career.

Patrick Swayze has been credited 52 times as an actor, out of which 38 are movie projects – including one uncredited appearance. In addition to the films he starred in, he also appeared in music videos, TV series, and miniseries. His acting career began when he landed his first role in 1979 and ended abruptly with his death in September 2009. Here is a list of all his 38 acting credits in movies!

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The Patrick Swayze movies in order (at a glance)

The list below showcases all the movies in which Swayze appeared as an actor. The titles are listed in chronological order.

  1. Skatetown U.S.A. (1979)
  2. The Comeback Kid (1980)
  3. Return of the Rebels (1981)
  4. Pigs vs. Freaks (1982)
  5. The Renegades (1982)
  6. The Outskirts (1983)
  7. Uncommon Valour (1983)
  8. Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)
  9. Red Dawn (1984)
  10. Youngblood (1986)
  11. Dirty Dancing (1987)
  12. Steel Dawn (1987)
  13. Tiger Warsaw (1988)
  14. Road House (1989)
  15. Next of Kin (1989)
  16. Ghost (1990)
  17. Point Break (1991)
  18. The Player (1992)
  19. City of Joy (1992)
  20. Father Hood (1993)
  21. Tall Tale (1995)
  22. To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
  23. Three Wishes (1995)
  24. Black Dog (1998)
  25. Letters from a Killer (1998)
  26. Forever Lulu (2000)
  27. Green Dragon (2001)
  28. Donnie Darko (2001)
  29. Waking up in Reno (2002)
  30. One Last Dance (2003)
  31. 11:14 (2003)
  32. Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)
  33. Icon (2005)
  34. Keeping Mum (2005)
  35. Christmas in Wonderland (2006)
  36. The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006)
  37. Jump! (2007)
  38. Powder Blue (2009)

Are the Patrick Swayze movies connected? Do you need to watch them in a specific order?

There is no apparent connection between any of the films in the list. Each movie is a standalone story, with only the three dance-related movies sharing a similar storyline. Because of this, when it comes to Dirty Dancing, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, and One Last Dance, the recommendation is to watch Dirty Dancing first, as that is the story that started it all. Notably, only The Fox and The Hound stands as a sequel, so while Swayze was not involved in making the original film, you should naturally watch the 1981 movie first.

What is the best way to watch Patrick Swayze movies?

As there is no connection between the films, the order in which one watches them is, consequently, irrelevant (apart from the aforementioned titles). Hence, as the films are also versatile in the genre, the watch order may as well be decided based on one’s preference rather than immediately settling for the chronological approach.

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The Patrick Swayze movies in order (chronologically)

Skatetown U.S.A. (1979)

The teen comedy revolves around two young men who entered a roller disco competition as rivals and ended up as friends.

The Comeback Kid (1980)

This TV movie focuses on a hapless former minor league pitcher, Bubba Newman (John Ritter), as he begins to coach a group of luckless, underprivileged kids.

Return of the Rebels (1981)

A group of elderly bikers gathers together after a quarter-century to support their former member, Mary Beth (Barbara Eden).

Pigs vs. Freaks (1982)

In this comedy-drama, the story revolves around a small town where the mainstream clashes with a hippie faction. They decide to settle their differences through a football game, with hippies as “freaks” and police officers as “pigs.” 

The Renegades (1982)

The 80’s crime drama revolves around the newly-recruited undercover investigators, who are also from the streets, tasked with preventing arms smugglers from supplying weapons to street gangs.

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The Outsiders (1983)

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders is a crime drama recognized by the Young Artist Foundation, as it awarded the film with three nominations (with one win). The movie focuses on a conflict between two gangs, as a member of one gang murders a member of the other.

Uncommon Valour (1983)

With Gene Hackman and Patrick Swayze in leading roles, the movie is set a decade after Colonel Jason Rhodes’s (Hackman) son disappeared in Vietnam. The now-retired U.S. Marine gathers a private rescue squad to locate and liberate American prisoners of war.

Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)

With graduation around the corner, an enthusiastic teenager yearns to decline a scholarship that would please his father and pursue a career in oceanography. However, a question lingers: has anyone dared to break free from the boundaries of Grandview and embark on a journey to seize new possibilities?

Red Dawn (1984)

John Milius’ 1984 action thriller Red Dawn is a war drama set in an alternate Cold War timeline. High school students face a foreign invasion by Soviet and Cuban forces. The students, who made a name for themselves as the “Wolverines”, formed a resistance movement in order to fight back.

Youngblood (1986)

This sports drama follows Dean Youngblood (Rob Lowe) as he is offered a chance at an ice hockey tryout in Canada. After being chosen and offered a position on a team, he must adapt and learn to play ice hockey the Canuck way. 

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Perhaps one of the classics to a number of film buffs, Dirty Dancing is a romance drama that follows the story of Baby Houseman (Jennifer Grey), the daughter of a wealthy and highly-respected family, and Johnny Castle (Swayze), a dance instructor. The film showcases fiery dancing choreographies, as the two start to develop feelings for each other.

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Steel Dawn (1987)

The Sci-Fi adventure follows a nomadic fighter traversing the barren desert in a post-apocalyptic setting. He stumbles upon a group of settlers threatened by a bloodthirsty gang leader who seeks to gain control over their water supply.

Tiger Warsaw (1988)

The drama centers around Tiger (Swayze), a man who returns home to face his past. Once known as Chuck Warsaw, he shot his father in an incident that left him partially disabled.

Road House (1989)

Rowdy Herrington’s action thriller, Road House, is a story of a sturdy, tough bouncer, Dalton, who has been hired to clean up and manage a rowdy bar called the Double Deuce. Located in a small town where a corrupt businessman is running, Dalton must face many challenges.

Next of Kin (1989)

This crime thriller follows a Kentucky police officer (Swayze) who seeks vengeance after his younger brother is killed by a Chicago crime syndicate. Starring alongside Swayze are Liam Neeson, Adam Baldwin, and Ben Stiller (to name a few).

Ghost (1990)

As another film that captured the audiences, Ghost is a story of a murdered man (Swayze) whose ghost lingers in the world of the living in order to protect his lover (Demi Moore). The heartfelt supernatural drama directed by Jerry Zucker won two Oscars at the 63rd Academy Awards.

Point Break (1991)

Following the success of Ghost, Point Break remains a gem to some film buffs to this day. A story of two young men on opposite sides of the law experiencing the rush and thrill of life, making the heat of almost every moment close to being tangible. Once Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) infiltrates a gang of surfers led by Bodhi (Swayze), the ride of his life begins.

The Player (1992)

This crime comedy revolves around a Hollywood studio executive who has been receiving death threats from one of the writers he turned down in the past but has no clue as to which writer it is. Swayze appears as himself in the movie and is not credited.

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City of Joy (1992)

Based on Dominique Lapierre’s novel of the same name, City of Joy follows an American doctor, Max Lowe (Swayze), who travels to India. He finds himself in an impoverished ghetto and decides to establish the “City of Joy” center.

Father Hood (1993)

Based on the true life stories of Michael J. Hardy, who kidnapped his daughter from foster care (and is credited as a “technical consultant”), the movie follows the adventures of a father (Swayze) who kidnaps his children from a bus.

Tall Tale (1995)

This family fantasy takes the viewers into a young boy’s imagination as he summons the legendary cowboy – Pecos Bill (Swayze). Together, they start to plan how to protect the family farm from a greedy land-grabber.

To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)

In a somewhat different role, Swayze is cast as Vida – a drag queen who travels cross-country with Noxeema (Wesley Snipes) and Chi-Chi (John Leguizamo), also drag queens. Once their car breaks down, the three get stranded in a small town, and their unexpected adventure commences.

Three Wishes (1995)

Martha Coolidge’s 1995 fantasy drama tells a story of a boy named Tom (Joseph Mazzello), who meets Jack (Swayze), a drifter who can grant three wishes. The delightful story, however, began with an unexplained act of charity, as Jeanne Holman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) picked up an injured tramp, little realizing who he actually was.

Black Dog (1998)

The story began when a task that included the FBI and ATF joined forces went terribly wrong. The truck that carries weapons explodes, and its driver ends up dead. This is where we meet Jack (Swayze) – an ex-convict recently released from prison who is coerced into driving another truck from Atlanta to New Jersey.

Letters from a Killer (1998)

Engulfed in mystery, this thriller follows Race Darnell (Swayze) who is wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. While serving his sentence as an innocent man, mysterious letters start to arrive from an anonymous sender who believes his story to be true.

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Forever Lulu (2000)

This rom-com focuses on a rather unconventional woman named Lulu McAfee (Melanie Griffith), who, driven by her romantic instincts, searches for her former college love (Swayze) in order to locate their son, whom she had placed for adoption sixteen years ago.

Green Dragon (2001)

This post-war drama tells a story of a group of Vietnamese refugees who are brought to an American relocation camp after the Vietnam War ended in 1975.

Donnie Darko (2001)

This gripping Sci-Fi mystery is an unmissable piece for any cinephile. The story written by the film director himself, Richard Kelly, is a mind-boggling mystery box that commences when a troubled adolescent narrowly escapes a strange incident and becomes haunted by hallucinations of an individual wearing a rabbit costume, who compels him to engage in a sequence of unlawful acts.

Waking Up in Reno (2002)

The story follows two couples who decide to go on a trip to see a monster truck show that is being held in Reno, but their trip gets them entangled in comedic situations.

One Last Dance (2003)

The story revolves around three aging dancers – Travis (Swayze), Chrissa (Lisa Niemi), and Max (George De La Pena) – who are presented with a final opportunity to rediscover their passion.

11:14 (2004)

This crime drama is an interesting take on events leading up to a car crash, as it in fact, shows the perspectives of the same proceedings from five different people.

Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)

Swayze takes up the role of a dance instructor once again in this romance drama directed by Guy Ferland. The film follows a high school senior, Katey Miller (Romola Garai), who moves to Havana and befriends a charismatic waiter, Javier (Diego Luna), who introduces her to the vibrant Cuban dance scene. Together, they enter a dance competition.

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George and the Dragon (2004)

The fantasy adventure directed by Tom Reeve tells a tale of a knight (James Purefoy) whose quest in the Crusades has ended, but his story is far from over. As he embarks on a journey away from the battlefield, he faces a fearsome dragon, and his name becomes a legend.

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Icon (2005)

As an outbreak of a mysterious disease in Russia evokes curiosity among British agents, due to the fact that the outbreak happens when the country’s elections are taking place. They decide to send an American agent who used to live there to investigate the case.

Keeping Mum (2005)

The story follows a pastor engrossed in the idea of creating the perfect sermon, leaving him oblivious to his wife’s infidelity and his children’s mischievous behavior. Two videos related to this film were released the following year: Deleted Scenes and Funnies.

Christmas in Wonderland (2006)

As chance wills it, during a shopping trip to a mall, the Saunders siblings stumble upon counterfeit money and unintentionally assist in apprehending the ones responsible while uncovering a surprising secret about Santa Claus in the process.

The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006)

Cast as the voice actor of Cash, Swayze takes part in the adventure that follows the original film, The Fox and the Hound, from 1981 that captured the hearts of many Disney fans.

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Jump! (2007)

The biopic focuses on the trial of Philippe Halsman (Ben Silverstone) that took place in Austria in 1928. During the trial, he faced unjust accusations in an anti-Semitic environment. After being wrongly convicted, he managed to flee to the United States amidst World War II and rose to become one of the most globally renowned photographers.

 Powder Blue (2009)

The last project he was involved in as an actor was Timothy Linh Bui’s Powder Blue. The story focuses on a group of four individuals from Los Angeles – a mortician, an ex-convict, a despondent former priest, and a stripper – who find themselves unexpectedly connected due to a series of coincidences.

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Where to watch Patrick Swayze movies?

Unfortunately, some TV movies from the ’80s are hardly accessible nowadays. The best bet for any of the less-known movies would be Amazon Prime / Prime Video, while more popular and recent films, such as Dirty Dancing and Ghost, can also be streamed on Apple TV, Peacock TV, Vudu, or Netflix, depending on their current roster of available films per region.

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