James Mangoldmight not quite be a household name as far as filmmakers go, but he’s made some surprisingly good movies in the last few decades. More than that, his filmography stands out for being one that’s hard to pin down or define clearly, given he’s proven to be skilled at making movies across multiple genres. He also holds the distinction of being the only filmmaker not namedSteven Spielbergto direct anIndiana Jonesmovie.
Nothing demonstrates the diversity of his body of work like going through it and highlighting some of the best entries within it. The following movies make a good case for Mangold being a director who deserves to be a little more well-known than he is, with solid superhero films, biopics, crime films, and even Westerns, to name just a few of the genres he’s tackled in his filmmaking career.
10’The Wolverine' (2013)
ThoughThe Wolverineis a flawed movie featuring the titularX-Menmember played byHugh Jackman, one thing’s for sure: it’s at least better than 2009’sX-Men Origins: Wolverine. This one features Logan/Wolverine going to Japan, and encountering a Japanese soldier he saved at the end of World War II, yet is now interested in obtaining Wolverine’s healing ability that makes him borderline immortal.
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Jackman and Mangold would team up again for a much better superhero movie in 2017, but there’s enough good inThe Wolverineto please most fans of the character. The Japan setting is fun, and much of the action is solid: it’s only in the final act that things fall apart a little. There,The Wolverinearguably begins to lose its way.
9’Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' (2023)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinyis the fifth movie featuring the titular character, and it is not one of the best by any means, nor can it quite rank as a highlight withinHarrison Ford’sbody of work. Negativity aside, it’s not a terrible movie and finds some fun places to go and things to do, potentially making it a solid enough watch for some of the series' fans.
It was never going to be an easy movie to make, given Ford’s age and the fact it’s always going to be difficult to live up to the legacy of such a long-running series. Mangold deserves credit for making this at least decent, with bursts of genuinely entertaining scenes here and there, and what’s — on paper at least — a decent send-off for Indy.
8’Cop Land' (1997)
One of James Mangold’s first movies, the first thing aboutCop Landthat jumps out is how amazing the cast is here. It’s a film that starsSylvester Stalloneplaying against type as a fairly mild-mannered, even shy police officer, with actors likeHarvey Keitel,Ray Liotta, andRobert De Niroall putting in solid supporting performances.
While this ambitious movie feels like it was cut down when it came to runtime, and not allowed the space it needed to tell a complex crime/drama story with various characters all intersecting, it’s still a solid film and very much watchable for fans of crime movies. It also has a particularly strong ending, with that conclusion and the admirable work from a great cast making it easy to recommend.
7’Heavy' (1995)
Heavy’sa movie that came out even beforeCop Landand is probably one of the most obscure feature films directed by James Mangold. It’s a small-scale character drama/romance movie centering on a shy, overweight man who falls for a young woman only to feel too insecure to tell her how he feels.
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It plays this for drama more than anything else and is the quiet kind of indie movie that got very popular in the 1990s and led to some of the most well-known directors today first getting noticed.Heavyis that kind of movie for Mangold and deserves credit because just a few years later, he worked with even bigger actors and noticeably larger budgets.
6’Identity' (2003)
Avery well-made and consistently entertaining thriller,Identityis a movie where the less said about the twist-filled plot, the better. It’s initially about a group of people who all end up in a remote motel during a very heavy storm, only to find that someone among them poses a genuine threat and that all their lives are soon shown to be in danger.
It takes inspiration fromAgatha Christie’s,And Then There Were Nonebut does end up going in some other interesting — and odd — directions. Not everything holds up fantastically well, but it’s a very enjoyable ride and well worth a watch for anyone who likes fast-paced mystery/thriller movies.
5’Walk the Line' (2005)
Though it might be harder to take seriously in a post-Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Storyworld,Walk the Lineis still a very well-made and compelling music biopic. Its central character is famed country music starJohnny Cash, with the film covering his dramatic career and his relationship with fellow singer/songwriterJune Carter.
It’s a movie worth watching for the performances, withJoaquin Phoenixgetting an Oscar nomination for playing Cash andReese Witherspoonwinning an Oscar for playing Carter. It hits all the familiar beats you’d expect from a biopic like this, but it hits them all well and with enough confidence to make this an overall engaging and easy-to-admire watch.
4’Ford v Ferrari' (2019)
Though it’snot an action movie in the traditional sense,Ford v Ferrariis undeniably exciting and able to get the heart racing, even for viewers who aren’t usually interested in car racing. It’s another biopic from Mangold, this time focusing on the rivalry between the two titular companies during the 1966 Le Mans race in France.
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It boasts compelling performances from starsChristian BaleandMatt Damonand has some seriously impressive racing sequences that prove to be fast-paced and very immersive. It was a well-received film that not many people seem to talk about or remember nowadays, but it holds up and is worth a look for anyone who might’ve missed it back when it was released in 2019.
3’Girl, Interrupted' (1999)
Afilm largely set inside a psychiatric hospital,Girl, Interruptedmight be James Mangold’s most challenging movie but also one of his best. It starsWinona RyderandAngelina Jolie(the latter winning an Oscar for her performance) and is based on the memoir of Susanna Kaysen, who stayed in a psychiatric hospital for almost two years when she was a young woman.
It takes an understandably intense look at mental health and notably shows how it wasn’t understood particularly well in the late 1960s, which is whenGirl, Interruptedis set. Its premise and subject matter don’t make it a fun watch, but it is a very well-made and overall compelling drama.
2'3:10 to Yuma' (2007)
3:10 to Yumais the second adaptation of the short story of the same name byElmore Leonard: both adaptations end up differing a good deal, particularly as they go on. The core premise, however, is the same for each: it involves one man being hired to take a notorious outlaw to a train that will transport him to his trial, only to find himself dealing with said outlaw’s gang, who are constantly on his trail.
It’s an exciting, action-heavy, andoften quite emotional Westernthat maintains a fast pace for the duration of its runtime, making it an incredibly entertaining watch. Christian Bale andRussell Crowelead a fantastic cast, and as far as modern Westerns of the 21st century go,3:10 to Yumais undeniably up there with the best.
1’Logan' (2017)
There’s no doubt about it:Loganis absolutely the best movie of James Mangold’s career so far. After the flawed but mostly solidThe Wolverine, this one ended up being theWolverinemovie that fans probably always wanted, sending the character off on one (purportedly) final, exciting, and extremely moving story that would have to beone of the best sequels in recent memory.
Beyond being bittersweet, it’s also notable for being one of the most brutal mainstream superhero movies of all time, making use of its R-rating to show the reality of what would happen if a guy with razor-sharp retractable claws actually got into a series of hand-to-hand fights.Deadpool 3has ensured it won’t be the last time Jackman appears in his most well-known role, but even then,Loganremains a great movie, and one with a dramatic sense of finality (that hopefully won’t be too tarnished by any future appearances).
