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- All of Henry Cavill's movies, ranked
All of Henry Cavill's movies, ranked
Kirstie Renae
- Henry Cavill is well known for his movie roles, but he currently stars on Netflix's "The Witcher."
- The actor's highest-reviewed films include "Enola Holmes" and "Enola Holmes 2" on Netflix.
In the thriller "The Cold Light of Day" (2012), Henry Cavill starred as Will Shaw.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 4%
Summary: Businessman Will Shaw (Cavill) travels to Spain with his family, including his father (Bruce Willis), who turns out to be a secret spy. One afternoon he finds that everyone has been kidnapped and held for ransom. Shaw has 24 hours to meet the kidnappers' demands or risk losing his family forever.
Critics felt that Cavill's performance didn't live up to other action stars of the time, and most wished Willis had a more prominent role in the film.
"Bruce Willis disappears, Henry Cavill takes center stage, and the bottom falls out," wrote Keith Garlington for Keith and the Movies.
He appeared as Detective Walter Marshall in "Nomis" (2018).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%
Summary: Lieutenant Marshall (Cavill) and his police force get wrapped up in a dangerous situation involving a criminal who has a history of abducting and murdering women.
Although "Nomis," also known as "Night Hunter," promised action and a thrilling storyline, most reviewers didn't think the movie lived up to the hype.
David Nusair called the film "hopelessly anticlimactic" in his review for Reel Film Reviews.
Cavill played Clark Kent/Superman in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 29%
Summary: Two years after Superman (Cavill) battled Zod (Michael Shannon), the city of Metropolis is reeling from the damage left behind. Many people, including Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), blame Superman and consider him a threat and embark on a vendetta to end the hero.
Despite its star-studded cast and great special effects and the general hype leading up to the film, reviewers overwhelmingly found it to be scattered and unsatisfying.
Roxana Hadadi wrote for Chesapeake Family Life, "'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice' pits the two superhero titans against each other with beautiful visuals, far too many characters, and a meandering, borderline nonsensical plot."
In "Tristan + Isolde" (2006), the actor played Melot.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 31%
Summary: Following the fall of the Roman Empire, an English orphan named Tristan (James Franco) meets an Irish princess named Isolde (Sophia Myles). The two begin a forbidden love affair despite Isolde's engagement to a lord who just so happens to be the man who raised Tristan.
Cavill played Melot a dwarf who's sent to spy on the clandestine couple.
The consensus among critics regarding the film was that it fell flat, didn't meet the high points of romanticism it shot for, and was missing the necessary chemistry between the leads.
"The two leads, James Franco and Sophia Myles, generate a modicum of chemistry, despite being penned in by a clunky script," wrote Andrew Pulver for The Guardian.
Cavill made a surprise cameo as Superman in DC's "Black Adam" (2022).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 38%
Summary: When Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) is freed after 5,000 years of captivity, he aims to unleash rage-fueled justice against superheroes from the Justice Society.
Some critics thought "Black Adam" relied too heavily on CGI action sequences and didn't live up to the excitement that was generated around Johnson's DCU debut.
"Even the rock-solid charisma of Dwayne Johnson rolls off a cliff with this noisy and disappointingly boring load of CGI-laden superhero tosh," wrote Larushka Ivan-Zadeh for Metro. "A DCU fail."
Cavill returned as Superman in "Justice League" (2017).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 39%
Summary: Batman (Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) recruit a superhero team to defend the world against a new threat.
Critics largely determined that DC's attempt at creating an MCU-quality film failed.
"All of Snyder's DC films — 'Justice League' included — seem more concerned with the repercussions of actions than with the actions themselves," Noel Murray wrote for The Week.
The war drama "Sand Castle" (2017) starred the actor as Corporal Syverson.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%
Summary: Based on a true story, the film follows an inexperienced American soldier as he is deployed to Iraq in 2003 and sent on a mission where he discovers the horror of war.
Reviews for "Sand Castle" were generally split between critics who enjoyed the engaging storytelling and those who believed the film didn't offer anything special to the war genre.
"It's that paradigm shift of war in the buzzing age of mass media: There is literally nothing more horrific than war, and yet nothing seems to become overfamiliar more quickly through modern media saturation," wrote Ignatiy Vishnevetsky for the AV Club.
"Immortals" (2011) featured Cavill as a stonemason named Theseus.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 49%
Summary: In ancient Greece, a mortal man named Theseus (Cavill), is chosen by Zeus (Luke Evans) to fight King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) before he gains access to a weapon that will destroy humanity.
Reviewers enjoyed the film's visuals but felt the storyline was lackluster.
Kimberley Jones wrote for the Austin Chronicle, "The Greek myths, of course, will endure. The same cannot be said for Singh's silly, self-serious, instantly forgettable, and inaptly named 'Immortals.'"
He appeared as Evan Marshall in the horror film "Blood Creek" (2009).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%
Summary: Two brothers (Cavill and Dominic Purcell) stumble into an occult experiment at a farmhouse and quickly learn that the sinister roots of the experiment lie in Nazi ideas.
With a 50/50 split on Rotten Tomatoes, "Blood Creek," also known as "Creek" and "Town Creek," was considered just OK by most critics.
"It's ugly, raw, and marginally tasteless, so perhaps the irksome inability to clearly see what's going on is an unintentional gift," wrote film critic Brian Orndorf.
In "Whatever Works" (2009), the actor played the role of Randy James.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%
Summary: After middle-aged Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David) fails a suicide attempt, he gives up his lavish lifestyle to live in New York City's Chinatown and marries a young former beauty pageant queen (Evan Rachel Wood).
Cavill appeared in the film as Randy.
Reviewers were generally split on the Woody Allen film. Half of the critics liked the script's pacing while the other half felt the concept wasn't fresh enough.
"What's Woody Allen's worst film? Look no further," wrote Tim Robey for The Telegraph.
Cavill's first role as Superman came in "Man of Steel" (2013), which documented Clark Kent's origin story.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 56%
Summary: After a child from another planet is sent to Earth to be raised by human parents (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane), Clark Kent (Cavill) grows up and learns about his superhuman abilities.
For the most part, critics agreed that the film was good. Reviewers enjoyed the action and unique vision but missed the humor and memorable moments from the Superman franchise.
"'Man of Steel' plunges headfirst into a loud, breathless science-fiction slugfest, offering much spectacle but little wonder," Keith Phipps wrote for The Dissolve.
"The Man From U.N.C.L.E." (2015) featured Cavill as a CIA agent.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%
Summary: In the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Cavill) and KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) are forced to work together against a common enemy.
The film, which is based on the 1964 TV series of the same name, received favorable reviews from most critics.
"'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' is not the action movie of the summer — but it's the one I enjoyed the most," wrote Alex Abad-Santos for Vox.
"Zack Snyder's Justice League" (2021) featured Cavill as Superman in an extended director's cut of the 2017 film.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%
Summary: Bruce Wayne (Affleck) forms a team of superheroes to protect the world from a catastrophic threat. The 2021 film was a four-hour extended edition from director Zack Snyder.
This director's cut was well-received by critics and audiences alike, the latter of which fought hard for the film to become a reality. Critics enjoyed the film's visuals and tone, especially in comparison to the original cut.
"'Zack Snyder's Justice League' shows Snyder's evolution from a director known for emphasizing style over substance to a man who understands why we love superhero myths, whether they live in the DC Universe or Marvel's," Melanie McFarland wrote for Salon.
He played Albert Mondego in "The Count of Monte Cristo" (2002).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 73%
Summary: An innocent young man (Jim Caviezel) is imprisoned after his best friend (Guy Pearce) betrays him for the love of a beautiful woman (Dagmara Dominczyk), causing the young man to go on a mission of revenge.
Cavill portrayed Albert Mondego in the film adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' novel.
Most reviewers enjoyed the film. It was received as a classic swashbuckler that paid off despite not bringing anything particularly new to the table.
"Dumas's classic tale is such a rattling good yarn, there's nothing you can do to derail it as it hurtles down the track," wrote Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian.
Cavill played the role of Humphrey in "Stardust" (2007).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%
Summary: In an effort to win over the woman he loves, a young man (Charlie Cox) travels to a magical fairy realm to retrieve a fallen star, only to find a woman (Claire Danes) in need of rescuing. He learns he's not the only person after this star after dangerous run-ins with witches and diabolical princes.
Cavill played Humphrey in the film, which was based on Neil Gaiman's novel of the same name.
Although most critics agreed the film didn't bring anything new or inventive to the world of fantasy, they also felt it was still entertaining, whimsical, and funny.
"Brings an emphatically welcome revisit to the science-fiction-infused fantasy subgenre," wrote Mike Massie for Gone With the Twins.
He played Stephen Colley in "I Capture the Castle" (2003).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
Summary: In 1930s England, a young girl (Romola Garai) and her sister (Rose Byrne) struggle to save their family from poverty and decide one should become betrothed to a rich family.
The majority of critics enjoyed the film and felt it adequately captured the charm, romance, and wistfulness of the book by Dodie Smith it was based on.
"With eloquent dialogue but scant smoldering passions, the mushy machinations nicely nudge director Tim Fywell's gentle little film," wrote Bruce Westbrook for the Houston Chronicle.
In "Enola Holmes" (2020), Cavill starred as the titular character's older brother, Sherlock Holmes.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Summary: When Sherlock (Cavill) and Mycroft Holmes' (Sam Claflin) teenage sister, Enola (Millie Bobby Brown), decides to go searching for their missing mother, she must outwit and out-sleuth her brothers.
Overwhelmingly, critics enjoyed the movie's precociousness and wit, with most praising Brown's performance.
Maureen Lee Lenker wrote for Entertainment Weekly, "While the mystery might be elementary (my dear, notably absent, Watson), the storytelling is winkingly subversive, proclaiming that a new and welcome game is afoot."
The actor reprised his role as Sherlock in "Enola Holmes 2" (2022).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Summary: Enola Holmes (Brown), now a professional detective, takes on a case of a missing girl that unravels into a bigger mystery than expected.
The sequel was well-loved by critics and audiences.
"Despite following the same formula as its predecessor, 'Enola Holmes 2' keeps up the charm and humour with a crafty mystery filled with entertaining twists and turns," wrote Laura Sirikul for Empire.
Cavill's highest-rated film was "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" (2018).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Summary: In the sixth installment of the "Mission Impossible" franchise, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team of IMF operatives pair up with a CIA assassin named August Walker (Cavill) to prevent a nuclear attack.
With a near-perfect critical rating, "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" was hailed for its high-impact action sequences, practical special effects, and Cruise's performance.
"The thought crosses the mind: Where can it go from here? The answer is pretty much everywhere. It keeps on going and going, following one exciting sequence with another and then another," wrote Mick LaSalle for SFGate.
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