Top 10 Best Mel Gibson Movies

Gibson's breakthrough role as policeman Max Rockatansky in a decaying Australia set the tone for an action franchise that is still getting new installments decades later. The low budget and raw style gave the film a lasting cult status.

As one of two young Australian soldiers heading to the Gallipoli front during World War I, Gibson shows an early, vulnerable side of his acting. The film builds steadily toward one of the most harrowing final scenes in Australian cinema.

Gibson directed and starred as William Wallace, the Scottish freedom fighter who rebels against English occupation. The film won him the Oscar for Best Director and defined the Hollywood historical epic for years.

As director of this controversial but hugely successful drama about the final hours of Jesus, Gibson chose an uncompromising approach with dialogue in Aramaic and Latin. It became one of the most profitable independent productions ever.

In this Maya epic, spoken entirely in Yucatec Maya, Gibson follows a young hunter who must escape a sacrificial ritual. The jungle chase scenes are among the most physical work he has ever directed.

As a former priest confronted with mysterious crop circles along with his family, Gibson shows he can also convince in a restrained, suspense-driven role. The tension builds slowly through sound and suggestion rather than explicit violence.

As the unpredictable detective Martin Riggs, alongside Danny Glover's steady Roger Murtaugh, Gibson set the tone for the 80s buddy cop film. The chemistry between the leads carried the series through four films.

Gibson directed this war drama about Desmond Doss, an army medic who saved dozens of lives without a weapon during the Battle of Okinawa. The film marked his return behind the camera after a long absence from the Hollywood spotlight.

As first officer Fletcher Christian in this version of the mutiny on the Bounty, Gibson stars opposite Anthony Hopkins as Captain William Bligh. The film opts for a psychological angle over pure adventure.

In Franco Zeffirelli's adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Gibson proves he can handle classical material. His performance received mixed but mostly positive reviews, especially for the physical intensity he brought to the role.