Bruce Willis has starred in more than 100 movies since hitting the acting scene in the early 80s. Though he's perhaps best known as an action star, he has proved time and time again that he has the skill to navigate serious dramas as well as comedies. Unfortunately, Willis's legendary decades-spanning career has recently come to an end, as he has retired from the acting business following a diagnosis of aphasia.
Though Willis won't be adding any more films to his impressive resume, his retirement doesn't diminish the incredible mark his film catalog has left on pop culture. In honor of his iconic career, here are eight of the best Bruce Willis mysteries and thrillers.
Looper
This high-drama action thriller brings a sprinkle of science fiction to the genre. Mob assassin Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is given a mark that hits a little too close to home. Technology in 2074 allows the mob to send their targets back in time for assassination. And to 'close the loop', Joe is tasked with eliminating his older self (Bruce Willis).
Pulp Fiction
"Zed's dead, baby."
This iconic crime movie has a stacked cast, featuring Bruce Willis and his legendary line. The film follows two hitmen (John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson) who become tangled up in the paths of a dangerous gangster (Ving Rhames) and his wife drug-addicted wife (Uma Thurman), a desperate boxer (Willis), and a pair of low-rate robbers (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer).
Red
Former black-ops agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is retired and incredibly bored. The only joy he gets is from talking on the phone to his case worker, Sarah (Mary-Louis Parker) at the government pension processing center. But when the stifling calm of his life is disrupted by a high-tech assassin, Frank gets his old team back together to take out the would-be killers.
Die Hard
The beloved 1988 action thriller Die Hard is essential for any movie lover's collection. The subsequent sequels are incredible, too, depending on who you ask about which one...
John McClane (Bruce Willis) is a dedicated New York City cop who takes a trip to Los Angeles to pay his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), a visit for Christmas. Unfortunately, Holly and the others attending the work party at Nakatomi Plaza are taken hostage by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his group of cold-blooded thieves. With no way to get out of the building or seek help from the local authorities, John sets out to take matters into his own hands.
12 Monkeys
In this sci-fi thriller, a plague has devastated the world's population by the year 2035. Convict James Cole (Bruce Willis) is offered an opportunity for parole if he travels back in time to 1990 to stop the spread of this disease before it takes millions of lives. But as he tries to uncover the truth, Cole struggles to trust in his own sanity.
Bandits
Whoever said two heads are better than one? Bank robbers Joe (Bruce Willis) and Terry (Billy Bob Thornton) are bank robbers that leave a trail of mayhem in their wake. On the run, they come across disillusioned housewife Kate (Cate Blanchett), who they kidnap. But as both men start to develop feelings for her, Kate's indecision may ruin their partnership forever.
Unbreakable
In the aftermath of a horrific train wreck, David Dunn (Bruce Willis) emerges as the only survivor. What's even more strange is that there's not a scratch on him. When he meets the exceptionally frail Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), David soon discovers he is a superhuman who is extraordinarily durable and gifted with premonitions of the violent acts others have committed.
Mortal Thoughts
Hairdresser Cynthia Kellogg (Demi Moore) finds herself in a police interrogation room, questions about her potential involvement in a pair of murders. Slowly a story unravels, depicting her friend, Joyce (Glenne Headly), in a tumultuous marriage with lowlife James Urbanski (Bruce Willis). But how much of her story is true?
