Robert Altman Movies, Ranked

1. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

I think this has to be my favorite Robert Altman movie...right now. It's a revisionist take on the Western genre that stars Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in unforgettable roles. Altman deglamorizes the myths of the Old West, presenting a muddy frontier town where dreams go to die.

Vilmos Zsigmond's cinematography gives the film a dreamlike quality. And the Leonard Cohen soundtrack provides a chilling atmosphere.

2. The Long Goodbye (1973)

I love a film noir so much, and this is one of the best film noirs of all time. It takes us inside Raymond Chandler's classic detective Philip Marlowe, as he scours 1970s Los Angeles on a case.

Elliott Gould's mumbling portrayal of Marlowe perfectly captured the character for the modern world. The film's controversial ending is a testament to Altman's willingness to subvert audience expectations.

3. The Player (1992)

Hollywood loves a movie about Hollywood, and this film is no exception. The film's opening tracking shot gives us a dizzying array of celebrity cameos and immerses the viewer in the world of studio executive Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins).

Of course, from there we get sex, lies, murder, and all the other things that happen behind the scenes at a movie studio. It's hilarious and terrifying and exciting.

4. Nashville (1975)

Often cited as Altman's magnum opus, Nashville is a multi-layered tapestry of the American dream seen through the lens of the country music scene.

Yes, it's epic. Yes, the overlapping Altman dialogue here is fantastic. Yes, putting it third is controversial, but the guy made a lot of perfect movies!

Nashville is a towering achievement of American cinema and was part of the decade that changed movies forever.

5. 3 Women (1977)

For a while, I thought this might be Altman's best movie. It is one of my favorites, and just another perfect film that deconstructs characters in ways few other directors could even imagine.

Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek play two young women whose identities begin to merge in a desolate California desert town. It was based on a dream Altman had, and the result is a surreal exploration of the bonds between women.

6. M*A*S*H (1970)

The film that launched Altman into the mainstream was this irreverent anti-war comedy. Its cynical humor defined the era. And people have tried to copy it over and over since. The film's massive success spawned the long-running television series, and both titles have entered the cultural lexicon, being used by people who have never seen them.

7. Short Cuts (1993)

This movie is about a group of Los Angeles residents, and it's based on the short stories of Raymond Carver. It has some of the most beautifully drawn characters who yearn for different things and we see them try and fail to achieve them.

The stellar ensemble cast includes Julianne Moore, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Lemmon, who all deliver powerful performances.

8. Gosford Park (2001)

In one of his last great films, Altman expertly orchestrates a massive ensemble cast in this upstairs/downstairs murder mystery set in a lavish English country estate in the 1930s.

It's such a rich and exciting movie. You are steeped in this world and just feel sucked in as you pick apart who's doing what.

9. California Split (1974)

I just saw this movie for the first time last year. It's one of the most compelling films about gambling ever made. George Segal and Elliott Gould play compulsive gamblers who just can't stop. It's a raw and intimate portrait of two guys who we don't judge, but kind of feel guilty watching as they go up and down.

10. A Prairie Home Companion (2006)

Robert Altman's final film was released just months before his death. The movie is a fictionalized backstage look at the final broadcast of a long-running live radio variety show. It masterfully blends the folksy humor of its creator, Garrison Keillor, with Altman's signature directorial style. What you get at the finish is a celebration of performance and a moving meditation on mortality and how it all ends.

Summing It All Up 

These are my picks for Altman's top 10, but I legitimately think I am probably wrong on some of them. If you caught me in another mood, it may be totally scrambled, or even have Popeye on here.

His movies are challenging and smart, and engaging, and the more you watch, the more you'll really feel his influence.