Kiefer Sutherlandwas first known as Donald Sutherland’s son, but he quickly made a name for himself with his acting in ’80s movies that we still remember today. The role most people know him for is24’s Jack Bauer, one of our first anti-heroes in one of the tensest, most exhausting shows ever. Be it as the good guy, the bad guy, or something in between, Sutherland’s performances were always memorable and unique. Here are Kiefer Sutherland’s best performances, ranked:
8Flatliners (1990)
Five medical students do secret experiments to research the science of the afterlife: they stop their own hearts and get brought back by their friends. But those experiments have consequences. Sutherland was the lead of this movie with an incredible cast: Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, and William Baldwin, and directed by the one and only Joel Schumacher. Sutherland’s performance is tormented and lost as they come, as he not only dies and comes back to life, but also has some underlining trauma from his youth, making his character scared and even haunted. Sutherland has always nailed darker performances, but this role let him perform the consequences of some of those acts.Flatlinerswas a success, to the point that they even madean unnecessary rebootwith Sutherland’s character in it.
7A Few Good Men (1992)
Military lawyer Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) must defend two Marines accused of murder. What he discovers is a lot more frightening.A Few Good Menis an incredible movie that found everyone in it at the height of their powers: both Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, but also director Rob Reiner and writer Aaron Sorkin. Sutherland plays 2nd Lt. Jonathan Kendrick, the commanding officer of the soldier who ends up getting murdered. It’s a small role, but one that resonates as Sutherland, in his short time in the film, creates a despicable character we love to hate; maybe the worst person in the whole movie: a real villain. And Sutherland makes a meal of it in the few scenes he shares with Cruise and Demi Moore.
Related:These Are the Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked
6Dark City (1998)
John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes up with no memories in a room with a dead sex worker covered in strange symbols. While escaping from the police, he discovers the real strange world he lives in.Dark Cityhas been compared toThe Matrix andInception(it precedes both), as there’s a creepy underworld that only a chosen one sees through. Sutherland plays Dr. Daniel Schreber in one of his most outlandish performances ever: he’s creepy, strange, eccentric, and isn’t trustworthy, but his acting shows us there’s something more underneath, and throughout the movie, we find out what it is. Sutherland has said this is his favorite of all his films, andone that deserves a reboot.
5Young Guns (1988)
Young Gunstells the story of Billy the Kid and his group of gunmen trying to avenge the murder of the rancher who had become their benefactor. Another movie where Sutherland is part of an incredible cast, as the film has Sutherland, Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jack Palance, and Terence Stamp. Sutherland plays Doc Scurlock, a bearded loyal gunman. Sutherland did this movie to show his range, as he was being typecast in villainous, intense roles, and this performance showed he could also do light, fun movies and be one of the good guys (see also his Athos inThe Three Musketeers).
4The Lost Boys (1987)
A family moves to the beach town of Santa Clara, and the oldest son starts hanging out with a group of strange teenagers who are also vampires.The Lost Boysis one of thebest vampire movies of the ‘80sand also was one of the first times when we associated vampires with punk rock and being cool as an outsider. Sutherland’s performance as David is a big part of that feeling, as he’s a charismatic, dangerous, creepy, fun, unique vampire leader in one of the cult classics from the ’80s, and one that shows the strange brilliance and artistry of director Joel Schumacher.
Related:The Lost Boys Star Kiefer Sutherland Apologizes for Making the Mullet Popular
3Phone Booth (2002)
Publicist Stuart Shepard (Colin Farrell) finds himself trapped in a phone booth while talking to an extortionist who will kill him if he leaves.Phone Boothhas a simple concept that only works because of the performances of Colin Farrell (one of his best ever), and Sutherland as the scary voice of The Caller. His performance is almost all voice acting, but he steals the show. He transmits to us how sinister, dangerous, and deranged his character is, as he’s doing all these horrible things while being very calm, and composed, making him even scarier. He steals the show on another Schumacher romp.
2Stand By Me (1986)
A writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends, to find the body of a missing boy.Stand By Mewas a generational movie that’s still in the zeitgeist. It had Stephen King’s story, Rob Reiner’s direction, and a group of very young actors starting in their careers: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, and Sutherland as the bully Ace Merrill. This character was one of the firsts that made Hollywood aware of who Sutherland was, as his character is as hateful as he is memorable. So much so, that Sutherland got typecast as a bad boy for many years. About his character,Sutherland told The Guardian: “Rob and I both agreed very strongly that there was no mushy side to this guy [villain Ace Merrill]. This is an a**hole to the marrow of his bones; unfortunately, every town seems to have one. He was a bully and the only way to make the character work was if you hated him.”
24was the show many remember Sutherland from, as his performance as Jack Bauer was excellent in a TV series with a unique format: every episode was an hour of the life of Bauer and the rest of his team trying to stop a terrorist attack by any means necessary (even torture). Sutherland nailed all the different acting challenges the show sent his way: he was tough, scary, resilient, exasperated, loyal, patriotic, kind, and even lovely with those whom he loved. He was traumatized, dangerous, tired, and every emotion in between, as the plot kept getting weirder and stranger in each season of the show.24only worked because of his performance and commitment.
Is24ever coming back?Kiefer Sutherland told Variety: “I have learned that you’re just better off not to be definitive about your answer of whether you will do something or not do something. I love playing that character. I do believe the story is unresolved. If something were to be written that made sense to me and that I thought was going to contribute to the franchise then I would be behind it, even if my participation in that were to be limited.”
