15 Best John Travolta Movies, Ranked

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John Travolta rose to fame when he first played Vinnie Barbarino in “Welcome Back, Kotter” in 1975. Before the show came to an end four years later, the actor’s career exploded in a big way. He had an Academy Award nomination under his belt and starred in one of the top-five-grossing films of the decade. In the years since, Travolta has had distinct ebbs and flows in his career. In the 1990s, he was well-known for making comebacks, something we’re jonesing to see again. 

Travolta has appeared in a wide range of films, from comedies and musicals to dramas and actioners. No matter the genre, there’s something you can almost always count on from the star: dancing! You can see him bust a move in some unlikely projects, making it the physical equivalent of Arnold Schwarzenegger saying, “I’ll be back.” 

Due to some major flops like “Battlefield Earth” and “Gotti,” which earned a rare 0% Rotten Tomatoes score, movie fans can sometimes forget just how talented Travolta is. Throughout his career, he’s been nominated for two Oscars, two acting Emmys, a BAFTA, and seven Golden Globes. He’s an incredibly unique actor who oozes charisma and brings an engaging eccentricity to his roles. Even the “bad” movies can rarely be blamed on Travolta’s performance. 

With 100 acting credits to his name, Travolta has had an undeniably interesting career, but these are John Travolta’s best movies. 

When it comes to Travolta’s collaborations with legendary Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo, “Broken Arrow” is not the most talked-about entry. However, Woo changed Hollywood action films, and “Broken Arrow” is still a decent little flick. The 1996 film stars Travolta and Christian Slater as Air Force pilots who are carrying B83 nuclear bombs during a classified exercise. Things quickly take an unexpected turn when Travolta’s Major Vic “Deak” Deakins turns on Slater’s Captain Riley Hale. Deak plans to blackmail the government by threatening to detonate the warhead. 

Ultimately, the movie showcases a different side of Travolta. At this point in his career, he hadn’t played many straight-up villains. Even the morally questionable characters in his filmography were ones you usually rooted for. Deak, on the other hand, was a chain-smoking egomaniac who’s fun to hate. 

While “Broken Arrow” was a box office success, it received mixed reviews. Interestingly, it is the only movie in the history of “Siskel & Ebert & the Movies” that got Roger Ebert to change Gene Siskel’s review from a positive to a negative. Despite its low Rotten Tomatoes score and last place position on our list, “Broken Arrow” has enough action to make it worth your time. 

“Primary Colors” is often reduced to Travolta doing a Bill Clinton impression, but his performance as fictional Governor Jack Stanton goes above and beyond what you’d see during a “Saturday Night Live” sketch. Written by Elaine May and directed by Mike Nichols, the story was inspired by Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign and based on Joe Klein’s book, “Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics.”

In the 1998 film, Travolta embodies the Clinton-like character as he sets out to win the Democratic Party nomination. Despite his charisma and passion for politics, Jack’s proclivity for women endangers his campaign. The project had the opposite reception as “Broken Arrow,” receiving positive reviews while doing poorly at the box office. 

While Travolta earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor (oddly in the Comedy or Musical category), it was Kathy Bates’ performance as investigator Libby Holden that stood out during awards season. She got a nod for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards. May also earned a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination at the Oscars and won a BAFTA. 

John Travolta knows how to embody a role, and one of his most amusing performances comes in the form of Michael, the titular angel in Nora Ephron’s 1996 dramedy. In “Michael,” Travolta doesn’t play a typical divine messenger. He’s an uncouth, cigarette-smoking slob. However, he’s still kindhearted and performs a few selfless miracles while taking a road trip with the staff members of a tabloid. 

In addition to Travolta’s role, “Michael” also includes a great dynamic between William Hurt and Andie MacDowell. You’ll also see big names such as Bob Hoskins, Robert Pastorelli, Teri Garr, Jean Stapleton, and more. More importantly, there is some great dog-acting from a very good boy named Sparky.

“Michael” opened to middling reviews, but its ’90s feel has only made it more endearing with age. It’s the type of film that would never get made today, and it makes you feel nostalgic for movies that were shown repeatedly on cable. “Michael” wasn’t out there winning any awards, but it was another ’90s box office success for Travolta. 

“Phenomenon” has a surprising amount in common with “Michael.” It was also released in 1996, was successful at the box office, and aged into the perfect time capsule. Both films mix fantasy elements into a grounded drama, but “Phenomenon” is a little more saccharine. Directed by Jon Turteltaub, the film stars Travolta as George Malley, a man who gains superintelligence and telekinesis after seeing a bright light flash in the sky. Sadly, his newfound powers turn out to be the side effect of an illness. 

While a premise like this sounds ridiculous on paper, the movie works. Travolta’s performance is sweet and tender, and the lived-in small town setting helps you care about every character in the film. Yes, it’s a little corny, but it’s a lovely story about acceptance, and a must-see if you’re craving a ’90s tearjerker. The movie includes a stellar supporting cast, including Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, and Robert Duvall. 

Another tidbit about “Phenomenon” is that the soundtrack was incredibly successful. It sold 1.5 million copies while topping the Billboard 200 album chart and was released on vinyl in 2020. 

Easily one of the weirdest movies in John Travolta’s filmography, “Look Who’s Talking” marked the actor’s first significant comeback. The ’80s were a rough decade for him until Amy Heckerling’s 1989 comedy became a smash hit. Despite mixed reviews, the movie was number one at the box office for five weekends in a row and became Travolta’s highest-grossing movie in 11 years. 

The premise was simple: What if the audience could hear a baby’s thoughts? The baby in question was voiced by Bruce Willis, who made us all wish babies had his voice. However, foreign celebrities took on the voice role in their respective countries. That brilliant marketing decision was conjured up by Travotla and helped the movie become an overseas success. 

In addition to being about a baby who talks, “Look Who’s Talking” also saw a cute romance unfold between Travolta’s James Ubriacco and Kirstie Alley’s Mollie Jensen. While the movie is bizarre by today’s standards, it’s undeniably charming. It also spawned two sequels, “Look Who’s Talking, Too” and “Look Who’s Talking Now,” but you won’t find either of those on this list (or many other lists of good movies). The second installment is a bit mean-spirited, and the third jumped the shark with talking dogs. 

While the ’80s proved to be a tough time for Travolta’s career, the decade started strong. James Bridges’ 1980 romance, “Urban Cowboy,” starred Travolta as Bud Davis, a southern boy who moves to Pasadena, Texas, and falls in love with Sissy (Debra Winger)… and mechanical bullriding. Bud and Sissy quickly get married, but things turn sour when Bud forbids Sissy from riding the bulls. 

“Urban Cowboy” is yet another Travolta movie that sounds incredibly outlandish on paper. All that fuss over mechanical bullriding? But the film was praised for its societal criticisms and helped revive mainstream country music. There’s an authentic feel to the film that is relatable, even for those unfamiliar with the South. The chemistry between Travolta and Winger is strong despite Bud being hard to like. 

One humorous detail about the film is that the big mechanical bull-riding contest is happening in the bar at the same time as a dance contest, which seems way more suited for Travolta’s talents. But don’t worry, he still dances in the movie. While he didn’t receive any accolades for playing Bud, Winger got nominated for a BAFTA and Golden Globe. 

A decade ago, an “Urban Cowboy” TV remake was announced, but it only got as far as the pilot. 

The 2007 version of “Hairspray” was adapted from the 2002 Broadway musical, which in turn was based on John Waters’ 1988 film. In every adaptation of the story, the character Edna Turnblad is always played by a man in drag. Divine originated the role, Harvey Fierstein played her on stage, and John Travolta played the part in Adam Shankman’s film. The movie musical was a critical and financial success, and marked one of Travolta’s most controversial roles.

Not everyone liked Travolta’s interpretation of the overbearing Baltimorean mamma. In fact, /Film’s Peter Sciretta named him “the only bad part of the film” in his 2007 review. While Travolta’s take was quite different from Divine’s and Fierstein’s, there’s a lot to enjoy about his performance. It’s certainly silly, but it works for a movie as boisterous as “Hairspray.” Travolta was clearly having a blast and seemed deeply happy to be back in his musical element. His take on Edna had its fans, considering he was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Whether or not you like Travolta in “Hairspray,” the film is undeniably joyous. The entire cast delivers, the musical numbers are delicious, and the original’s spirit remains intact. 

Terrence Malick’s 1998 war epic, “The Thin Red Line,” is filled with major stars. However, the project was drastically changed in the editing process, which led to multiple actors’ roles being cut. That includes Travolta, who has one scene alongside Nick Nolte. Famously, Adrien Brody made the movie thinking he was the lead, only to see the project was completely changed at the film’s premiere.

Calling this film “a John Travolta movie” is a bit of a stretch, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of the best movies the actor is in. Adapted from James Jones’ 1962 novel, the WWII action/drama follows various soldiers on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Throughout its 171-minute runtime, the movie delivers a tense and upsetting look at war. 

The star-studded cast includes Adrien Brody, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Jared Leto, John C. Reilly, Sean Penn, Jim Caviezel, Elias Koteas, and Ben Chaplin (and it cut Bill Pullman and Mickey Rourke). It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. 

“Get Shorty” is easily one of the most fun movies in Travolta’s filmography. Barry Sonnenfeld’s 1995 comedy was based on Elmore Leonard’s novel and followed Travolta as Chili Palmer, a Miami-based loan shark who wants to work in the movie business. It took a call from Quentin Tarantino for Travolta to join the production, and it’s a good thing he did… “Get Shorty” scored Travolta his first Golden Globe win since taking home the Henrietta Award in 1979. 

The movie also stars Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, Dennis Farina, and Danny DeVito. Unfortunately, Travolta filled Hackman with rage during the movie’s production. Despite some on-set tension, the film marked yet another critical and financial success for Travolta in the ’90s. 

In 2005, Travolta reprised his role in a sequel titled “Be Cool,” which we do not recommend. 

“Welcome Back, Kotter” may have made Travolta a TV star, but it was “Saturday Night Fever” that made him a movie star. John Badham’s 1977 film was the 11th-highest-grossing movie of the decade, and it earned Travolta his first Academy Award nomination. In the film, he played Tony Manero, an Italian-American who spends his free time dancing at a disco in Brooklyn. “Saturday Night Fever” had a huge impact on pop culture and is still considered one of the best dance movies ever made. However, it is often misremembered as a feel-good picture. 

“Saturday Night Fever” is an excellent film, but you may be surprised by its darkness. While Travolta’s dancing is lively, the movie is ultimately a drama about growing up and learning hard truths about yourself. Tony is not a particularly nice guy, and the women in the film are treated poorly. 

When making the movie, Travolta’s fame threw a wrench in his research plans, but it all worked out in the end. In addition to earning Travolta an Oscar nomination, “Saturday Night Fever” had one of the most successful movie soundtracks of all time. It also spawned a sequel titled “Staying Alive,” which was panned by critics. However, it’s more carefree than its predecessor, and a good watch if you want to see Travolta dance. 

While Brian De Palma’s “Carrie” isn’t exactly a loyal adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, it is considered by many to be one of the great horror films. The 1976 production starred Sissy Spacek as the titular Carrie White, and one of her many tormentors is played by John Travolta. His character, Billy Nolan, is dating Nancy Allen’s Chris Hargensen, Carrie’s biggest bully (well, second to her mother). Billy and Nancy’s final prank on Carrie turns deadly when her rage is ultimately unleashed. 

It’s always fun to see Travolta in an early role like this. He has minimal screentime, and he plays a real a**hole, but that doesn’t stop his presence from shining through. Also, no one could rock a ’70s look quite like him.

“Carrie” was nominated for two Academy Awards, an accolade that’s still rare for horror films nearly 50 years later. Spacek was nominated for Best Actress, and Piper Laurie got a Best Supporting Actress nod for playing Carrie’s mother, Margaret White. 

Travolta is a unique actor who often makes delightfully odd choices, a description that fits another beloved star: Nicolas Cage. In John Woo’s 1997 film “Face/Off”, Travolta and Cage are given the ultimate acting challenge of playing each other. The movie is one of the best action films of the decade, and its bonkers premise makes it a singular viewing experience.  

In the movie, FBI agent Sean Archer (Travolta) must locate a bomb planted by Castor Troy (Cage), the man who murdered his son. Naturally, the only way to do that is to wear Castor’s face and trick his brother, Pollux Troy (Alessandro Nivola), into revealing the bomb’s location. Things go awry when Castor steals Sean’s face in return, a sequence that was pulled off with spectacular effects.

Both Travolta and Cage deliver perfect performances, but sadly, neither was recognized for their flawless work. Well, unless you count them winning Best On-Screen Duo at the MTV Movie Awards. “Face/Off” did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Effects Editing. 

“Grease” is a 1978 film based on the Broadway musical of the same name, and it was a mega hit. Randal Kleiser’s movie was the highest-grossing film of the year and the fifth-highest-grossing film of the decade. It remained the highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation until “Wicked” was released in 2024. “Grease” helped revive movie musicals, and it’s still beloved nearly five decades later. 

In “Grease,” Travolta plays Danny Zuko, a deeply cool greaser whose world gets turned upside down when his summer fling, Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John), ends up at his high school. Travolta fought tooth and nail to get Newton-John hired, which worked out for everyone. Both leads earned Golden Globe nominations, and the film scored a Best Original Song nod at the Oscars for “Hopelessly Devoted to You.”

The role further solidified Travolta’s heartthrob status and brought him to an even higher level of fame. It also wasn’t the actor’s first experience with “Grease.” He played Doody on Broadway in the early ’70s. In 1982, “Grease 2” was released in theaters and was a huge flop, but has since become a cult favorite. You won’t see it on this list, since it doesn’t feature Travolta, but we highly recommend it. 

Travolta’s second collaboration with Brian De Palma was the 1981 thriller, “Blow Out.” Unfortunately, the film floundered at the box office, despite great reviews, and marked the beginning of his tough decade. Now, it’s considered one of his best projects. Travolta plays a movie sound effects technician who accidentally captures an assassination. He reunited with Nancy Allen from “Carrie,” and the two deliver some of the best performances of their respective careers.

“Blow Out” has everything from extreme tension to stunning visuals. It’s a dark and disturbing film that would have easily been an Oscar contender if released at a different time. For some, it’s even become a must-watch every July 4th. 

When it comes to ranking John Travolta’s filmography, “Pulp Fiction” is an easy choice for the number one spot. While “Look Who’s Talking” can be credited with reviving Travolta’s box office career, it’s Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film that truly marked Travolta’s comeback. 

“The last success [I’d experienced] before ‘Pulp Fiction’ was the ‘Look Who’s Talking’ films, so getting the ‘Pulp’ offer was certainly a next-level, upper echelon opportunity more along the lines of the Oscar nomination-type performance of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and ‘Blow Out’ integrity,” Travolta explained to Variety in honor of the film’s 30th anniversary. “[Tarantino] raised the bar for me and gave me a second chance at a high-end career, one that he always wanted me to have.”

“Pulp Fiction” was a critical and box office success, and it’s still considered one of the best of the crime genre. In the film, Travolta played Vincent Vega, a heroin-loving gangster who has a string of bad days. Travolta’s performance in the film is unlike anything he had done before. He was cool and dangerous. Slick, but fallible, and incredibly funny. 

The movie was almost made in an entirely different format, but thankfully, it turned out the way it did. It earned Travolta his second Academy Award nomination. The film had seven nominations overall, and Tarantino took home the prize for Best Original Screenplay.