AS ONE OF THE most prolific actors in Hollywood, Chris Hemsworth has fronted a plethora of big budget films. Of them, some have been good, others have been bad, but with the 40-year-old’s chiselled visage in a major role, they’ve never been ugly. From Star Trek and Ghostbusters to Extraction and the Marvel cinematic universe, Hemsworth has featured in various blockbuster franchises over the last decade and a half, most notably bringing to life everyone’s favourite Norse god. But as one of the film industry’s biggest stars, even Hemsworth’s non-franchise appearances put eyes on screens.

True to form, 2024 has been a busy year for Hemsworth. Just this month, he attended his first Met Gala and served as the event’s co-chair, made an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival (and violated the dress code by not wearing a tie), and now with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, he’s added yet another blockbuster film to his resumé. Hemsworth’s latest role in Furiosa has him looking markedly different, with less of an emphasis on bulging biceps and a larger focus on a prosthetic nose. Nevertheless, moving away from his well-worn look appears to have paid off, as Furiosa has received rave reviews – despite some box office struggles.

So, where does Furiosa rank among Hemsworth’s filmography? To find out, we’re taking a look back at the actor’s illustrious career and ranking his films from worst to best. And for the sake of brevity, we’ll be leaving out minor roles and cameo appearances, because Hemsworth has quite the cinematic CV.

27. Red Dawn

Even Hemsworth himself would probably admit that Red Dawn isn’t his best work. Here, he joins a cast of young stars, including Josh Hutcherson and Josh Peck, but the premise of Red Dawn is just downright silly, there’s no way around it. The film is a remake of a far more successful 1984 picture of the same name and centres around North Korea staging an airborne invasion of Spokane, Washington, only to be foiled by the town’s high schoolers. As you might’ve guessed, it was a box office bomb.

26. Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters is one of those weird franchises where one good film has led to countless mediocre sequels and reboots. One such reboot occurred in 2016, facing backlash for what was considered a tokenistic female-led cast – with a side of Hemsworth. At one point in time, the film’s trailer was the most disliked YouTube video ever, and the reviews didn’t get much better after the film’s release.

25. Men in Black: International

Seriously, is there a franchise Hemsworth hasn’t been a part of? Hemsworth’s contribution to the Men in Black universe was a lowlight in his career. This was the first and only time Men in Black moved away from Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones’ characters. Audiences weren’t pleased, and the franchise hasn’t been heard from since.

24. Thor: The Dark World

The first marvel entry on this list, The Dark World is the weakest of the Thor films, but it was still a massive box office success. Once considered the worst of all MCU films, until Marvel’s recent string of misses, The Dark World is long, drab, lacking in memorable moments, and even its director called the film a “particularly wrenching” experience.

23. The Huntsman: Winter’s War

The sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman dumps Snow White and focuses on the Huntsman, which was a mistake. Winter’s War couldn’t quite live up to its predecessor, and the franchise ended here.

22. Spiderhead

Much-hyped psychological sci-fi thriller Spiderhead probably wasn’t worth all the anticipation attached to it. The film follows inmates with a great deal of freedom in an opulent prison. In exchange for their privileges, the inmates must participate in a series of experiments in which they’re subjected to mind-altering drugs. An intriguing premise? Maybe. But critics felt the film thought it was much smarter than it actually was.

21. Vacation

We weren’t entirely sure where to rank Vacation, as Hemsworth only fulfils a role that is relatively minor, but still prominent enough to earn consideration. As far as Hemsworth himself goes, the actor is one of the film’s highlights, delivering a few laugh out loud moments in his limited scenes – which do include a prosthetic penis. As for the film itself, Vacation is essentially a rehash of the same worn-out plotlines that plagued the previous instalments in the Lampoon’s franchise.

20. Thor: Love and Thunder

Hear us out. We think Love and Thunder gets a bad rap. Sure, it doesn’t live up to the previous Thor film, Ragnarok, but it has its moments. Hemsworth, as usual, shines in his most notable role, and this is definitely better than The Dark World.

19. Snow White and the Huntsman

The first instalment in the Huntsman franchise had a lot more going for it than its sequel. A more grown-up retelling of the classic Snow White story, Snow White and the Huntsman made close to $400 million USD at the box office, spawning a sequel that simply doesn’t compare.

18. Ca$h

Ca$h is one of the lesser-known films in this list, but as Hemsworth’s first leading role, it was one of the first indications of his potential star power. Alongside Sean Bean, Hemsworth stars as Sam Phelan, who finds a briefcase full of cash, spends it, and must subsequently turn to a life of crime to pay off his debt to the briefcase’s original owner.

17. Blackhat

A box-office bomb if there ever was one, Blackhat made only $20 million USD against a $70 million budget. Despite this, its not half bad. Celebrated director Michael Mann helms this action thriller that follows a hacker who is released from jail to assist police after his old code is linked to a terrorist attack. This is Hemsworth when he moves away from the franchises to get serious.

16. A Perfect Getaway

You may not have even heard of it, but A Perfect Getaway was Hemsworth’s big break. The films centres around a pair of newlyweds whose tense Hawaiian honeymoon is marred by a series of murders in the area. Hemsworth is in a secondary role as the brilliantly named Kale Garrity, but it was here that Hollywood’s higher ups started to take notice.

15. The Cabin in the Woods

Right before he truly ascended to superstardom with the release of the first Thor film, Hemsworth took on a leading role in comedy horror The Cabin in the Woods. This was when the general public started realising Hemsworth was going to be the next thing, as his role in a horror film showed his range.

14. Avengers: Age of Ultron

While its frequently considered the weakest Avengers film, Age of Ultron has its merits. Namely, the film expanded the Avengers team, adding a few new heroes to the ensemble cast. But even with slightly less screentime, Thor (and Hemsworth), still stand out.

13. Thor

The one that started it all, Thor introduced its titular character and his trademark ripped physique to the MCU, launching Hemsworth’s name into the stratosphere. In comparison to the three other Thor films, the original is one of the stronger showings and by extension, one of Hemsworth’s best efforts.

12. 12 Strong

As Thor started to take more of a backseat in the increasingly crowded MCU, Hemsworth started to branch out into other projects. 12 Strong is a product of this period, with Hemsworth starring as Captain Mitch Nelson, the leader of an elite special forces team vastly outnumbered in enemy territory in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

11. In the Heart of the Sea

Inspired by the events that inspired a book, In the Heart of the Sea was Hemsworth’s second outing with director Ron Howard and tells the story of the events that gave Herman Melville the idea for Moby Dick. The film follows the ill-fated voyage of the whaling ship Essex as it encounters a monstrous sperm whale, leaving the crew stranded at sea for months. Hemsworth plays Owen Chase, a seasoned sailor and the first mate of the Essex, alongside Cillian Murphy and Tom Holland.

10. Extraction

As Thor’s importance in the MCU has dwindled, Hemsworth has diversified his acting portfolio over the last five years. Extraction headlines the era we’re calling new-Hemsworth. This section of new-Hemsworth positions the actor as elite mercenary Tyler Rake, who is dispatched to take on dangerous missions no one else would dare to attempt. He also, thankfully, keeps his Australian accent here. Extraction became the most-watched original film in Netflix’s history, with over 99 million viewers during the first four weeks.

9. Extraction 2

This was a close one, but we’re taking Extraction 2 over the original by the slimmest of margins. There may not be an actor more cut out for a John Wick/Jason Bourne type of role than Hemsworth, and it’s shocking that it took this long for that role to present itself. This time around, Tyler Rake rescues a crime lord’s family from a prison in Georgia – the country, not the American state – and its action sequences are even more thrilling than the previous movie’s.

8. Star Trek

This is another one of those ‘rating the film rather than Hemsworth’s role’ entries. For while Hemsworth does play an important part as the dearly departed father of main character James T. Kirk in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek, it’s anything but Hemsworth’s film. Nevertheless, Star Trek honours its pedigree and serves as the ideal starting point for the reboot timeline.

7. Bad Times at the El Royale

Bad Times at the El Royale is one of those ‘love it or hate it’ films. Set in the late ‘60s, the film focuses on a group of six strangers – with Hemsworth playing a sadistic yet charming cult leader – whose paths cross at a hotel on the California–Nevada border. Each member of the group has secrets, and they’re intent on keeping their cards close to their chest, but their pasts will inevitably intersect with fatal consequences. Perhaps a touch longer than it needed to be, Bad Times at the El Royale is one of Hemsworth’s most intriguing roles.

6. Avengers

After half a decade of hype-building and exposition, Avengers finally brought together the most iconic superheroes of the 21st century for one New York City-saving romp. Of course, Hemsworth shines particularly bright due to his distinctness from the other overtly American heroes, and the fact that his brother is the primary villain.

5. Thor: Ragnarok

This is Thor at his offbeat, light-hearted and aggressively-muscled best. Taika Waititi took the helm for the third film in the Thor series, repairing it beyond measure after the disaster that was The Dark World. Under Waititi’s guidance, Thor’s storyline went from one of the weakest and oddly dark of the Avengers, to one of the most expansive and tonally flexible in the MCU. It’s a pity Waititi couldn’t keep the momentum going with Love and Thunder, but Ragnarok will always be remembered as one of the best non-Avengers films in the MCU.

4. Rush

Ron Howard’s biographical sports drama Rush stars Hemsworth as one half of a historic F1 rivalry. Hemsworth plays 1976 F1 champion James Hunt, who engages in an intense feud with fellow champion Niki Lauda. The pair’s rivalry ultimately pushes each to improve their craft, resulting in sporting glory and life-threatening consequences. This is the only film that Hemsworth has received any awards season buzz for, with Rush winning a BAFTA and being nominated for two Golden Globes. But alas, nothing for Hemsworth.

3. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Big call, we know. But we’re ready to label Furiosa as one of Hemsworth’s best films. Building off the success of Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa provides a captivating backstory for one of the franchise’s most intriguing characters. Hemsworth makes his mark with a memorable performance as biker warlord Dementus – and it’s not just his larger than usual nose that stands out.

2. Avengers: Endgame

Before Avatar was re-released in 2022, Endgame was the highest grossing film of all time, and we expect it to regain that title when it eventually gets its own re-release for some sort of anniversary. There’s more than money to Endgame though. As the finale to the most-watched film franchise in history, Endgame finishes the stories of a slew of beloved characters, but thankfully leaves Hemsworth’s Thor unscathed, despite a massive transformation.

1. Avengers: Infinity War

This pick may ruffle some feathers, but we won’t budge on our belief that Infinity War is superior to Endgame, and that it’s Hemsworth’s best film. Infinity War shatters the optimistic ending of Ragnarok, providing another twist in Thor’s journey and the opportunity for one of Hemsworth’s best performances in the entire franchise.

Related:

A definitive ranking of Christopher Nolan’s best films

The best biopics of all time, ranked