The 20 best Josh Brolin movies

One of Brolin’s most acclaimed movies is Joel and Ethan Coen’s No Country for Old Men , which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2007. Brolin plays Llewyn Moss, a hunter who discovers two million dollars from the aftermath of a drug deal. As a result, he is pursued by serial killer Anton Chigurh, who is after the money. While Javier Bardem may have won an Academy Award for his chilling lead performance, Brolin is also in fine form and deserves recognition, too. 

Brolin is the mad titan Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, serving as the franchise’s main antagonist over several years. In the film, Thanos is on a mission to collect all of the Infinity Stones, which will allow him to wipe out half of humanity. The Avengers must try to find the stones before he does. Brolin is unrecognizable in this CGI-heavy role, which renders the actor large and purple. He perfectly encapsulates the brutality of Thanos, making the character the ultimate Marvel villain. 

After having successfully found all of the Infinity Stones and wiping out half of humanity at the end of Infinity War, Thanos returns more powerful than ever in Avengers: Endgame. Five years after the events of the previous film, the remaining Avengers use time travel to stop Thanos from ever getting his hands on the Infinity Stones. The iconic villain has his final showdown with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, concluding the Infinity Saga chapter and becoming one of the highest-grossing movies ever.

Brolin is one of many now successful adult actors who found fame as a child in the ‘80s classic The Goonies . The story follows a group of kids whose homes are being demolished for development. To save their homes, they venture on a quest to find pirate treasure. Brolin plays Brand, the older brother of the protagonist Mikey. Brolin was only sixteen at the time of filming, and starred alongside Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Ke Huy Quan, Martha Plimpton, and more.

Brolin features in a mammoth ensemble cast for director Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic Dune. Set on the desert planet of Arrakis, the film follows Paul Atreides, the heir of a noble family at war, trying to control the galaxy’s most precious resource. Brolin plays Gurney Halleck, the weapons master of House Atreides who trains Paul in combat. Dune is a technical and visual masterpiece that also stars Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, and more.

Brolin, along with many other actors, returns as weapons master Gurney Halleck in Dune: Part Two . The sequel sees Paul Atreides unite with the Fremen as he seeks revenge against those who destroyed his family. He is also plagued by visions of a dark future. Halleck helps Paul fight against the evil House Harkonnen, which includes villains played by Dave Bautista and Austin Butler. The film marks the third collaboration between Brolin and Villeneuve after Part One and Sicario.

One of the most talked-about horror movies of 2025 was Weapons, from Barbarian director Zach Cregger. When a group of kids from the same class, except for one, mysteriously vanish on the same night and at the same time, a community is left reeling and searching for answers. Brolin plays Archer, an overly concerned parent of one of the missing students. When the police fail in their search, he takes matters into his own hands, along with the help of their teacher, played by Julia Garner. 

Aside from Thanos, Brolin has also portrayed another Marvel character, although not within the MCU. He plays Cable in Deadpool 2, which sees Ryan Reynolds return as the titular, smart-mouthed mercenary. He assembles a group of mutants to protect a young boy with abilities from Brolin’s time-traveling cyborg. Cable starts out as the film’s antagonist, but as his true intentions and background are revealed, he falls into the anti-hero category along with Deadpool. 

Brolin collaborated with director Paul Thomas Anderson for the neo-noir dark comedy Inherent Vice , also starring Joaquin Phoenix and Benicio del Toro. Set in the drug-fueled city of Los Angeles, the film follows Doc, a private investigator, who looks into the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend and her billionaire boyfriend. Brolin plays Lt. Det. Christian F. 'Bigfoot' Bjornsen, who clashes with Doc during the investigation. It’s a real treat to see Brolin alongside Phoenix. 

Directed by Ridley Scott, American Gangster is a true-crime story that features A-listers Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe. The film follows Detective Roberts, played by Crowe, as he hunts for Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, played by Washington. Brolin features as corrupt police officer Detective Trupo, who works with Frank and clashes with Roberts. As the title suggests, the film is a must for lovers of classic gangster films, thanks to its gritty and intense tone. 

2010’s True Grit is a remake of the 1969 western, directed by frequent Brolin collaborators Joel and Ethan Coen. The story follows Mattie, a young girl who teams up with hunter Rooster Cogburn to hunt down the man who killed her father, Tom Chaney. Chaney is played by Brolin, making for one of the actor’s many villainous roles. He stars along an all-star cast that includes Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, and Matt Damon, making for a memorable and improved remake.

Surprisingly, Brolin has only ever been nominated for one Oscar throughout his entire career, and that is for his performance in the biopic Milk. Milk follows American activist Harvey Milk, who fights for gay rights and became California’s first publicly gay elected official. Sean Penn won the Academy Award for his leading performance, but Brolin was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor as Dan White, Harvey’s hateful, unlikable, and bigoted political opponent. 

Before teaming up with director Denis Villeneuve for the Dune films, Brolin first worked with him on the 2015 cartel thriller Sicario . The story follows an FBI agent, played by Emily Blunt, who is enlisted by the government to bring down the leader of a powerful Mexican drug cartel. Brolin plays the CIA’s Matt Graver, who recruits Kate and works alongside her. The film also stars Benicio del Toro, and Brolin’s star power, combined with his and Blunt’s, is truly epic.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is the sequel to Sicario, released three years after the original. Brolin returns as Matt Graver alongside Benicio del Toro, as the U.S.-Mexican border drug war continues to escalate. The film also stars Isabela Merced, who later broke out in Superman and The Last of Us. While the absence of the previous director, Villeneuve, and star Blunt is deeply felt, the sequel still manages to be an action-packed and intelligent enough outing that justifies its existence. 

W. is a biographical film directed by Oliver Stone and follows the life of former President George W. Bush. It uses a non-linear style to tell its story, chronicling the events from his time in college to his presidency. It uses satire and comedic elements, making it stand out from different biopics of the same kind. While the film received mixed reviews, particularly due to its political themes, there’s no denying the brilliance of Brolin’s performance. He is worth the price of admission alone.

Another Brolin/Coen Brothers collaboration, Hail, Caesar! is a love letter to the Golden Age of Hollywood. In this star-studded ensemble piece, Brolin plays fixer Eddie Mannix, who works for Capitol Pictures. His job is to clean up and solve problems for them, but this becomes complicated when one of its stars is kidnapped. This fun and chaotic romp also stars George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ralph Fiennes, and many more.

From Joseph Kosinski, the director of F1 and Top Gun: Maverick, Only the Brave tells an incredible true story of heroism and selflessness. It is based on the events of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of firefighters who fought a devastating fire in California. Brolin plays Superintendent Eric Marsh, who leads his crew and risks everything as other fire departments ignore warnings. The film also stars Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, and Jennifer Connelly.

Another film that sees Brolin battling against the elements is 2015’s Everest , also based on true events. Set in 1996, the film follows two groups on an expedition to scale Mount Everest. When a freak storm hits, their adventure turns into a fight for survival. Brolin stars as Beck Weathers, a doctor from Texas, who was thought to be dead during the incident, but miraculously survived. The film also features Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, and Robin Wright. 

In the Valley of Elah is another true story in the Brolin catalog, even though the names of characters and locations have been changed. It follows Hank Deerfield, a former military man, as he searches for his son after he disappears on tour duty. When he finds his son's body, he investigates the case himself and looks for the killers. Brolin portrays Chief Simon Buchwald in a smaller supporting role. The highly acclaimed crime drama also stars Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, and Susan Sarandon.

Planet Terror, directed by Robert Rodriguez, was released as a double-feature titled Grindhouse with Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof in 2007. It is set in a town where a dangerous government experiment unleashes gas that turns all its citizens into flesh-eating zombies. The film combines elements of comedy, horror, and action, and sees Brolin as the corrupt Dr. William Block. Planet Terror pays homage to the ‘70s films that inspire it narratively and stylistically.