All 62 Jack Nicholson Movies in Order (By Release Date)

Jack Nicholson is one of the most notable and talented actors of the 20th century. His diverse acting brought him great success in his illustrious career, including three Academy Awards. Despite being praised as an actor thriving in serious, psychological black comedies, for which he received most awards, Nicholson proved time and time again how talented he is, acting in comedies, dramas, and everything in between.

In this article, we will list all the movies Jack Nicholson filmed during his illustrious acting career by release date. Buckle up since Mr. Nicholson acted in sixty-two movies, so if you are interested, stay with us until the end.

Movies with stars near their titles are uncredited roles of Jack Nicholson.

List of Jack Nicholson movies in order

1. ‘The Cry Baby Killer’ (1958)

The movie that marked Jack Nicholson’s debut, The Cry Baby Killer, is a 1958 teen exploitation movie that follows a teenager, Jimmy Wallace, who panics when he thinks he committed manslaughter while fighting with other teenagers.

More than half of the movie sees Jimmy holding people hostage in the popular restaurant while the people and media are following what’s going on inside the building. It was not an exceptional movie, yet it displayed the talent of young Nicholson.

2. ‘Teenage Lovers’ (1960)

We start the sixties with the second movie of Jack Nicholson’s career, known as Teenage Lovers and Too Soon to Love. Richard Rush directed the movie and besides Nicholson, stars Richard Evans and Jennifer West. The movie follows the romantic relationship between a young man and a woman, with another man trying to steal her from him. Nicholson plays the other man, and Too Soon to Love is considered the first true American “new wave” movie.

3. ‘The Wild Ride’ (1960)

One of the movies that didn’t get that much love when it came out in 1960 is The Wild Ride. It was directed by Harvey Berman and starred Jack Nicholson as a rebel called Johnny. A young rebel spends his days driving dirt track cars between being a party maniac and a troublemaker. The Wild Ride got love much later and is considered a cult classic today.

4. ‘The Little Shop of Horrors’ (1960)

One of the B movies that became cult classics, The Little Shop of Horrors was the first true horror comedy film in which Jack Nicholson starred. Other actors include Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles, and Dick Miller. The movie follows a florist’s assistant who cultivates a plant that feeds on human blood.

Jack Nicholson had a small role in this movie, but his portrayal of Wilbur Force got him closer to Hollywood and better film roles. The Little Shop of Horrors got an Off-Broadway adaptation in 1986 and debuted on Broadway in 2003. That’s not bad for a B-rated movie.

5. ‘Studs Lonigan’ (1960)

Another movie on this list that is B-rated is Studs Lonigan. The source material of this movie is the parts of James T. Farrell’s novel trilogy of the same name. Jack Nicholson has a minor role but still attracts attention to his talent from film critics. The movie follows a young man trying to escape the Great Depression-riddled South Side of 1920s Chicago.

6. ‘The Broken Land’ (1962)

We continue into the 1960s decade with the Western directed by John Bushelman, The Broken Land. The movie follows a cowboy who comes to a small town that a corrupt local sheriff controls. Nicholson is in the supporting role once again and is portraying Will Brocious.

7. ‘The Raven’ (1963)

Jack Nicholson loved comedy horrors in the early stages of his career, and this time, he is in the supporting role of Rexford Bedlo. The movie director is Roger Corman, who loved making movies inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s work. The Raven follows the story of a magician turning into a raven who has to ask for help from a former sorcerer to return to his original state.

9. ‘The Terror’ (1963)

One of the first starring roles for Jack Nicholson, The Terror, is another horror movie on this list. The movie follows a French officer, Lieutenant Duvalier, who is separated from his unit and encounters a mysterious woman. It is revealed that a woman living in Baron Von Lepp’s castle had died 20 years prior.

10. ‘Ensign Pulver’ (1964)

Ensign Pulver is a sequel to the 1955 movie called Mister Roberts. It stars Robert Walker Jr., Burl Ives, Walter Matthau, and Tommy Sands, with features Millie Perkins, Larry Hagman, and Jack Nicholson. The movie follows an American cargo ship, U.S.S. Reluctant, anchored near a tropical island at the end of World War II, where the ship crew is going through many funny situations.

11. ‘Back Door to Hell’ (1964)

The Filipino-American movie Back Door to Hell was released in 1964. It follows a three-person team of American soldiers trying to prepare for General McArthur’s operation, which includes destroying Japanese communications in the Philippines. During the filming of this movie, Jack Nicholson wrote a script for the next movie on this list, which includes the same characters and setting.

12. ‘Flight to Fury’ (1964)

Flight to Fury is interesting since Jack Nicholson is both the movie’s writer and actor. It was released in 1964 and followed a battle over jewels aboard the plane that crashed in the Philippines. The native people of the Philippines try to kill the crash survivors and steal their belongings, including the jewels.

13. ‘The Shooting’ (1966)

The 1960s were designed for Western movies, and Jack Nicholson wasn’t afraid to participate. Monte Hellman and Jack Nicholson once again joined forces, and this time, The Shooting follows two men hired by a mysterious woman to accompany her on a journey to a small town across the desert.

During the travel, a mysterious man is keen on killing all three of them. The Shooting isn’t the first time behind the cameras, previously working on Back Door to Hell and Flight to Fury.

14. ‘Rise in the Whirlwind’ (1966)

Ride in the Whirlwind is an American Western film released in 1966, and it stars Cameron Mitchell, Millie Perkins, Jack Nicholson, and Harry Dean Stanton. The movie follows three cowboys who are forced to become outlaws because the local authorities misidentify the group. Monte Hellman and Jack Nicholson joined forces once again, and this time, Nicholson was acting, producing, and writing for Ride in the Whirlwind.

15. ‘Hells Angels on Wheels’ (1967)

As you can already notice, after over eight years as an actor, Jack Nicholson finally started getting starring roles in movies, one of which was Hells Angels on Wheels from 1977.

Richard Rush and stars Adam Roarke and Sabrina Scharf with Jack Nicholson directed the movie. Hells Angels on Wheels follows the story of a gas-station attendant Poet whose life changes when he joins the Hell’s Angels Biker Gang. However, even his troublemaker persona cannot handle the brutality these bikers spread around them.

16. ‘The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre’ (1967)*

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre is an American gangster movie directed by Roger Corman and released in 1967. The movie was based on real events when Al Capone ordered George “Bugs” Moran to kill seven Northside gang members in 1929. Jack Nicholson has an uncredited role in the movie. However, it’s worth mentioning it.

17. ‘Psych-Out’ (1968)

Psych-Out is a 1968 American psychedelic film about hippies, psychedelic music, and drugs that kickstarted during that era. Besides Nicholson, Susan Strasberg and Bruce Dern also star in the movie. It follows a deaf runaway who arrives in San Francisco during the height of the hippie movement and is looking for her brother Steve.

18. ‘Head’ (1968)*

This movie is interesting since it is mainly a satirical musical adventure film that Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson produced. Head stars then notable television rock group the Monkees, who are at the movie’s center. Specifically, Head follows the story of the Monkees, who are tossed into psychedelic, plotless, funny situations. Jack Nicholson has only a cameo in this movie, but it’s worth mentioning.

19. ‘Easy Rider’ (1969)

With the 1960s decade ending, more movies started having serious themes about the careless and crazy lifestyle the hippies brought to the United States. This movie follows the story of two bikers who travel through the American South and carry profits from cocaine deals. Easy Rider is a significant movie in Jack Nicholson’s career since it brought him the first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

20. ‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever’ (1970)

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is an American musical comedy-drama fantasy film starring the most notable Broadway and musical actor of all time, Barbra Streisand.

The movie follows a troubled young woman who seeks professional help and ends up in a tragic Victorian romance from the past. Jack Nicholson showed versatility in his acting by portraying Tad and slowly but surely cemented himself as one of the most intriguing Hollywood actors.

21. ‘The Rebel Rousers’ (1970)

As you can see from the list of movies we wrote until this point, Jack Nicholson loved roles that included rebel bikers. Easy Rider was a huge success a year prior, and the cast of the previous movie decided to come back in another independent project.

The movie starred Cameron Mitchell, Jack Nicholson, Diane Ladd, Bruce Dern, and Harry Dean Stanton. It follows the story of a man named Paul looking for his pregnant girlfriend Karen and encountering a dangerous motorcycle gang. The group wants to hurt pregnant Karen, and now Paul needs to turn to the local law enforcement, who are not very helpful.

22. ‘Five Easy Pieces’ (1970)

The decade of the seventies marked a change in the creation of movies, and their style changed greatly from the previous decade. The Vietnam War and other troubles the post-WWII generation went through started coming to the Silver Screen, and “ordinary” people and their stories became important to viewers, actors, and directors.

Five Easy Pieces tells the story of a blue-collar oil rig worker, Bobby, who returns to his home in Washington, where he needs to deal with his old privileged life as a prodigy classical pianist. Another important movie for American cinematography and the first Academy Award nomination for Jack Nicholson in his career.

23. ‘Carnal Knowledge’ (1971)

The movie focuses on the sexual development and preferences of two friends who meet at the college and proceed to live out their lives with different partners.

24. ‘A Safe Place’ (1971)

Jack Nicholson continues his acting career in another psychological drama, this time A Safe Place. The movie focuses on the life of a mentally vulnerable young woman, Noah, who goes back in time to find her lost innocence. Noah eventually meets two men who will change her life forever.

25. ‘The King of Marvin Gardens’ (1972)

Another drama on this list focuses on the lives of two brothers, David and Jason, who live absolutely different lives. David is a depressed radio host, while his brother is an extrovert con man working in Atlantic City. Jason calls David for his new scheme, leading to the brothers dealing with their vast differences.

26. ‘The Last Detail’ (1973)

This time, Jack Nicholson is back to his roots, comedy – at least in some parts. This comedy-drama deals with two sailors escorting an emotionally withdrawn recruit from the Virginia base to Maine. The movie received critical acclaim, receiving nominations for Academy Awards and The Golden Globes.

27. ‘Chinatown’ (1974)

One of the best movies Jack Nicholson was a part of is definitely Chinatown. This masterpiece was directed by Roman Polanski and written by Robert Towne and starred Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. It focuses on the private investigator Jake Gittes, who is eventually hired by a woman named Evelyn Mulwray, a wife on suspicion that her husband is cheating on her. Her husband, Hollis Mulwray, a chief engineer at the Department of Water and Power, suddenly dies, and the minor case of indefinitely becomes much worse.

28. ‘The Passenger’ (1975)

This movie follows Anglo-American journalist David Locke, who assumes the identity of the deceased businessman to film his documentary in the Republic of Chad. However, Locke doesn’t know the dead businessman is an arms dealer with dangerous connections.

29. ‘Tommy’ (1975)

A satirical operetta fantasy movie with a star-studded cast follows a blind and deaf boy who becomes the pinball champion and the cult leader.

30. ‘The Fortune’ (1975)

The Fortune is a black comedy film that follows two con men trying to steal money from a rich heiress in the 1920s.

31. ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ (1975)

One of the best Jack Nicholson movies of all time, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, follows a veteran of the Korean War who pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution. McMurphy decides to rally the rest of the patients to take over the mental institution.

32. ‘The Missouri Breaks’ (1976)

In Montana in the 1880s, Tom Logan leads a gang of horse thieves who target the rancher David Braxton. However, the rancher hired a mercenary, Lee Clayton, to hunt down Tom Logan and his goons.

33. ‘The Last Tycoon’ (1976)

The movie is based on the unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, ‘The Last Tycoon.’ It follows an ambitious and ruthless executive producer working during the Golden Age of Hollywood. The movie focuses on Monroe Stahr’s career and downfall, as he cannot adapt to the new era.

34. ‘Goin’ South’ (1978)

‘Goin’ South’ is directed and written by Jack Nicholson. It follows a horse thief and an outlaw, Henry Lloyd Moon, whom the wealthy bachelorette saves from the impending death.

35. ‘The Shining’ (1980)

A successful, critically acclaimed horror film directed by Stanley Kubrick, it features Jake Torrance, a recovering alcoholic and a writer who accepts the job as a caretaker at an isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado. He takes his son Danny and his wife Wendy, but things get complicated when Jack starts losing his mind. ‘The Shining’ is one of the best horror movies ever made.

36. ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’ (1981)

The movie focuses on Frank Chambers, a drifter who stops on his journey at the diner outside of Los Angeles. He meets Cora Smith, a beautiful young woman who runs the diner with her much older husband, Nick Papadakis. Frank and Cora immediately enter the love affair and conspire to kill Nick.

37. ‘Reds’ (1981)

American journalist John Reed traveled to Russia and became involved in the Bolshevik Revolution, which fascinated him to the point of returning to the U.S. and bringing communist values to his home country. He meets an aspiring suffragist, Louise Bryant, who is intrigued by Reed’s enthusiasm and ideals. Reed’s ideals will lead him to his downfall.

38. ‘The Border’ (1982)

Another neo-noir on this list focuses on Charlie Smith, an immigration enforcement agent who gets involved in human trafficking across the border. However, after one Mexican mother loses her young daughter to the smugglers, Charlie decides to take a stand against the corruption on the borders of the United States of America.

39. ‘Terms of Endearment’ (1983)

The movie follows the relationship between mother and daughter, Aurora and Emma, over 30 years, as they face the joys and difficulties of their own lives. It is a very heartwarming story about mother and daughter.

40. ‘Prizzi’s Honor’ (1985)

‘Prizzi’s Honor’ is an American black comedy movie that features Charley Partanna and Irene Walker, two assassins hired to kill each other.

41. ‘Heartburn’ (1986)

Heartburn features two film stars, Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, who play Mark Forman and Rachel Samstat, two magazine writers from totally different branches, who get married and face obstacles in their relationship.

42. ‘The Witches of Eastwick’ (1987)

This supernatural comedy film features three women who are unaware of the power of words – their wishes of what they want in the man come true when a mysterious Daryl Van Horne suddenly enters their lives and changes them forever.

43. ‘Elephant’s Child’ (1987)

An animated movie featuring Jack Nicholson as the star voice actor.

44. ‘Broadcast News’ (1987)

The movie features an incredibly talented news producer, Jane Craig, a rookie reporter with an affinity for tabloid news, Tom Grunnick, and a talented but unremarkable reporter, Aaron Altman, who find themselves in a love triangle.

45. ‘Ironweed’ (1987)

The movie follows the story of a homeless couple, Francis Phelan and Helen Archer, after the post-Great Depression era. Francis is an alcoholic struggling with his past, while Helen is terminally ill, and the duo try to live their lives in an extremely difficult era for the American people.

46. ‘Batman’ (1989)

Jack Nicholson plays a notable and vile DC comic book supervillain, the Joker, who goes against the vigilante and protector of Gotham City, a Caped Crusader named Batman.

47. ‘The Two Jakes’ (1990)

Another neo-noir movie in Jack Nicholson’s repertoire is The Two Jakes. The movie is the sequel to the successful Chinatown, and most actors reprise their roles, including Jack Nicholson. It focuses on Jack Gittes, who once again investigates the infidelity and conspiracy around the oil.

48. ‘Man Trouble’ (1992)

Harry Bliss runs a guard dog service when a serial killer surfaces in Los Angeles. Joan Spruance moves in with her sister after she receives threatening phone calls. Harry comes into the picture when Joan hires his guard dog to protect her.

49. ‘A Few Good Men’ (1992)

This movie is one of the best legal dramas of the last three decades, focusing on two U.S. Marines accused of murdering a fellow Marine and the tribulations surrounding the case.

50. ‘Hoffa’ (1992)

This biographical crime drama focuses on the Teamsters Union leader, Jimmy Hoffa, and his life before his mysterious disappearance in 1975.

51. ‘Wolf’ (1994)

This horror film focuses on the struggling publisher, Will Randall, who gets bitten by a wolf and gains powers that will eventually turn him into a supernatural creature from the folklore myths.

52. ‘The Crossing Guard’ (1995)

The movie follows the jewelry store owner, Freddy Gale, who tries to kill the murderer of his young daughter. ‘The Crossing Guard’ is written and directed by Sean Penn.

53. ‘Blood and Wine’ (1996)

One in many neo-noir crime dramas in Nicholson’s repertoire, ‘Blood and Wine’ follows Alex Gates, a rich wine merchant who distances himself from his family. His life starts worsening after he steals a diamond necklace, and his estranged wife, Suzanne, will complicate things.

54. ‘The Evening Star’ (1996)

The sequel of the successful ‘Terms of Endearment,’ follows the elderly Aurora Greenway, whose life gets complicated after her daughter Emma passes away. Aurora must deal with her rebellious grandchildren, who seemingly lost their way after their mother died.

55. ‘Mars Attacks!’ (1996)

This comedy science-fiction movie directed by Tim Burton focuses on the Martian invasion of Earth and the reason why the aliens “attacked” humanity.

56. As Good as It Gets (1997)

This critically acclaimed movie follows a bigoted, miserable, OCD-affected Melvin Udall, who is forced to care for his gay neighbor’s dog and consequently meets the only woman who can tolerate him.

57. ‘The Pledge’ (2001)

A neo-noir movie with mystery elements follows the veteran Nevada detective, Jerry Black, who vows to the mother of the murdered girl he will find the real killer. Black thinks the police arrested the wrong man. He dedicates his life to finding the true individual responsible for the murder of many young girls in that area.

58. ‘About Schmidt’ (2002)

The movie follows Schmidt, a retired insurance salesman, on a journey of self-discovery after his wife died. Needless to say, for the first time in a long time, Schmidt needs to find the meaning of his life again, and that’s the whole premise of the movie.

59. ‘Anger Management’ (2003)

A wealthy businessman is sentenced to anger management treatment under the surveillance of a therapist who uses unconventional methods to help his patients.

60. ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ (2003)

Something’s Gotta Give is a romantic comedy that follows a wealthy sixty-something Harry Sanborn, who only dates women under 30 years of age. Marin Klein is his most recent girlfriend, and the two accidentally stumble upon her mother, a playwright, Erica Barry. Harry and Erica eventually fall in love, but their complicated feelings for each other could potentially ruin their loved ones.

61. ‘The Departed’ (2006)

Another incredible crime thriller movie directed by Martin Scorsese follows the story around the Irish mob boss Frank Costello, who plants a spy within the Massachusetts State Police. On the other side, the police tasks their officer to infiltrate the Irish mob to help them build a case against Costello. Two men encounter each other and must find a way to discover their real goals.

62. ‘The Bucket List’ (2007)

The final movie of Jack Nicholson’s illustrious career, ‘The Bucket List,’ follows two cancer patients escaping the hospital and living their last moments to the fullest.