If you’re a Robert Downey Jr. fan and are looking to watch his best movies, check out our guide below to discover his 15 best films and where to watch them.
Robert Downey Jr. is one of Hollywood’s best and truest redemption stories. The son of director Robert Downey Sr., the actor hit the scene in the late ‘80s and rose to fame in the early ‘90s, even earning his first Oscar nomination for 1992’s Chaplin.
But a drug addiction was hindering Downey Jr.’s career and throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s he was arrested and jailed numerous times for drug-related offenses. Because of this, the actor spent years either starring in small indie films or holding only minor parts in mainstream movies.
His return to prominence is usually cited as 2006’s A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. The indie film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and focused on a young man’s life growing up in New York’s borough of Queens. Thanks to compelling performances, the movie was a hit at Sundance and went on to be nominated for numerous awards.
From there, Downey Jr.’s career quickly skyrocketed. The following year he starred in the serial killer thriller Zodiac, and in 2008 he became one of the biggest names in Hollywood. That year, Downey Jr. starred in both Iron Man and Tropic Thunder (a movie that earned him his second Oscar nomination). Since then, Downey Jr. has become almost synonymous with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), reprising his role as Tony Stark numerous times in The Avengers series and films like Captain America: Civil War.
In 2023, Downey Jr. starred in the biopic Oppenheimer, about the creation of the atomic bomb and its lasting consequences. For his role in the film, he won a Golden Globe Award as well as the coveted Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
With such a wide and varied filmography and a tumultuous and triumphant career that spans decades, there’s tons of excellent Robert Downey Jr. movies to watch. Check out our guide below to discover his 15 best movies and where to watch them.