The 14 best Arnold Schwarzenegger movies of all time and where to watch them now (2024)

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14. "The Long Goodbye" (1973)

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Though he doesn't say a word in the scene he's in, Schwarzenegger is tough to miss. The huge, then-aspiring actor shows up as a thug during a scene in which his boss tells his whole crew to take off their clothes to show their honesty. Maybe this was the only way the director Robert Altman could figure how to show off Arnold's best feature.

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13. "Killing Gunther" (2017)

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It's perhaps Schwarzenegger's most outlandish performance of his career (outside the commercials he's done in Japan). Playing the world's most notorious hitman, Schwarzenegger pops in once in a while during the movie wearing outlandish clothes and even sings country music as a group of less-skilled hitmen try to take him out.

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12. "Maggie" (2015)

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Schwarzenegger shows off his serious side in this drama set after a zombie pandemic. In the movie, he plays a father who learns that his daughter (Abigail Breslin) is infected and will soon turn into a zombie. You got to give it to Arnold for taking a big swing with this one.

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11. "Last Action Hero" (1993)

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It was a bust in theaters, but since then this ambitious action/comedy has found a loyal fan base. What audiences have finally realized is the entire movie is just a spoof on the genre that Schwarzenegger helped create.

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10. "Commando" (1985)

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Schwarzenegger is a man who will stop at nothing to get his daughter back in this classic action movie. This is Arnold at his most action-packed.

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9. "The Running Man" (1987)

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Schwarzenegger is perfect here as a police helicopter pilot wrongly convicted of a headline-grabbing massacre who now has to fight for his freedom while starring in a TV show in which convicts try to evade mercenaries.

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8. "Conan the Barbarian" (1982)

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With the help of the director John Milius, Schwarzenegger finally became a movie star. Though at the time he was still known mostly for being a king in the body-building world, the Conan role (don't forget the so-bad-it's-good sequel, "Conan the Destroyer") showed he had the talent to make it in action movies.

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7. "The Terminator" (1984)

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Two years after "Conan," Schwarzenegger's star power was solidified when James Cameron cast him as the unstoppable Terminator. It's the role for which he will forever be remembered, especially for one line he delivers: "I'll be back."

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6. "Pumping Iron" (1977)

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This documentary on the contestants of the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe competitions shows Schwarzenegger at his zenith in the body-building world. A scene-stealer throughout, it's obvious Schwarzenegger already had the swagger of a star.

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5. "Total Recall" (1990)

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Schwarzenegger gets trippy in this look at a man trying to understand whether he's living in reality or just some fantasy created by a corporation. It's wild to think that in the same year we got this movie, the star also gave us "Kindergarten Cop."

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4. "Twins" (1988)

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By 1988, Hollywood executives wanted Schwarzenegger to do only one thing: action movies. And who could blame them? They were bringing in huge coin because of that.

But the actor wanted to prove he could do more, so he teamed up with Ivan Reitman and Danny DeVito for this comedy. Now studios had two ways for Arnold to bring in money.

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3. "Kindergarten Cop" (1990)

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Two years after "Twins," Reitman and Schwarzenegger teamed up again for this comedy in which Arnold plays a cop working undercover as a kindergarten teacher. Hilarity ensues as he's up against a classroom full of rambunctious kids.

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2. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991)

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Who knew the "Terminator" franchise (and Schwarzenegger) could pull at the heartstrings while also bringing some amazing action, but that's why "T2" is so beloved.

By the ending, you don't want to see the T-800 go, but it's for the best (well, until more ideas came up on how to keep the franchise going).

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1. "Predator" (1987)

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Schwarzenegger has everything working for him in this movie: the story, the supporting cast, the score, and the great one-liners ("stick around," "if it bleeds, we can kill it," "GET TO THE CHOPPER!").

This is a timeless action movie, and Arnold has never been better.