The Five Cinematic Masterpieces Pierce Brosnan Recommends

Pierce Brosnan has inhabited some of the most iconic roles in cinema history, but his own inspirations come from a deeply curated list of masterpieces. During a candid discussion with Rotten Tomatoes, the actor shared the five movies that have left the most significant impact on his life and career. For Brosnan, no list of greats is complete without the presence of Marlon Brando and the sprawling epic The Godfather.

Huge fan of Marlon Brando, Brosnan remarked while discussing the Francis Ford Coppola classic. 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 noted that the film serves as a pinnacle of American storytelling, anchored by a performance that he still finds deeply motivating. 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 added.

Brosnan’s taste also extends into the modern era, where he highlighted a specific year in filmmaking that produced two of his favorite works: There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men. He recalled watching both films back-to-back and being stunned by the level of craft on display.

Just outstanding work by director, writer, producers, actors, he said of the two 2007 releases. He specifically praised the magnetic presence of Javier Bardem and Daniel Day-Lewis, noting that both films sit on the bookshelf as bookends, really, to that special year of filmmaking.

When it comes to pure cinematic romance, Brosnan pointed toward Anthony Minghella’s The English Patient. He expressed immense respect for the lead performance, stating that Ralph [Fiennes] is a spectacular actor.

He emphasized that the combination of a powerful narrative and a haunting score is what truly resonates with him. It just always cuts to the marrow of your senses, so to speak, he explained, placing it firmly among his all-time essentials.

Finally, Brosnan looked back at the very beginning of his journey with the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. While the film is a universal masterpiece, for Brosnan, it is tied to his earliest professional steps after leaving drama school in 1976.

I did it as a musical when I left drama school… I wish I could say I played one of the main roles. I was just a chocolate tree, he shared with a laugh. Despite the humble role, the film remains indelible in his memory as a symbol of theatrical magic.

In early 2026, Pierce Brosnan continues to prove his versatility with a string of major releases. He recently starred in the biographical sports drama Giant, In the film, he plays the legendary Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, sporting a dramatic physical transformation to mentor a young Naseem Hamed.

The actor is also set to dominate the action genre once again with the upcoming reboot of Cliffhanger, scheduled for release on August 28. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the film features Brosnan as Ray Cooper, a mountaineer who must protect his family from kidnappers in the Italian Dolomites.

Additionally, Brosnan appeared in the Netflix hit The Thursday Murder Club, an adaptation of Richard Osman’s beloved mystery novel. Starring alongside Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley, he plays Ron Ritchie, a retired union leader turned amateur detective, a role that has earned him praise for his comedic timing.

Do you agree with these picks? Share your thoughts in the comments.