Top Ten Roman Polanski Movies
AMC Movie List

Top Ten Roman Polanski Movies

Controversial life, controversial art. How would you rate the director's English-language efforts? Rank your favorites.

rank title points votes your vote
1 Chinatown
Perhaps the director's most famous work, this 1974 neo-noir classic features legendary turns by Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. 66 144
2 Rosemary's Baby
Mia Farrow's eerie portrayal of a newlywed who finds out she's carrying the devil's child, anchors this beloved supernatural drama. 63 141
3 The Pianist
This Oscar-winning drama portrays Polanski's escape from the Warsaw Ghetto through the eyes of Adrien Brody's piano-playing Jew. 62 150
4 The Ninth Gate
Johnny Depp's patented quirk-filled performance and Polanski's deftly filmed locales make this supernatural thriller cook. 22 100
5 Frantic
Harrison Ford stars in this critically-lauded 1998 thriller as a surgeon forced into intrigue when his wife goes missing while on vacation in Paris. 7 75
6 Bitter Moon
This 1994 drama finds the director in familiar waters, exploring the darker side of sexuality with stars Hugh Grant and Kristin Scott Thomas. -2 70
7 The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me but Your Teeth Are in My Neck
An old-fashioned gothic oddity, this lavish, over-the-top 1967 comedy is a departure from Polanski's body of work. -4 74
8 Death and the Maiden
Starring Sigourney Weaver as the torture victim at the heart of its story, this critically-lauded drama is a riveting work of suspense. -6 56
9 Oliver Twist
Polanski plays it somewhat safe with the umpteenth adaptation of the Charles DIckens tale, recounted in exacting period detail. -12 62
10 Pirates
This dark 1986 comedy stars Walter Matthau as the cannibalistic Captain Red, a pirate who gets in all manner of swashbuckling hijinks. -20 58