10 Best Viggo Mortensen Movies

By Vlad Zakh · December 29, 2025

Viggo Mortensen turned down blockbuster after blockbuster before finally becoming a star in his forties, and has since chosen roles almost entirely for how strange or difficult they are. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King lets Aragorn claim his birthright, A History of Violence resurfaces a diner owner’s killer past, Eastern Promises pulls a Russian mob driver deeper into the organisation, and Captain Alatriste follows a mercenary through 17th-century court intrigue. Green Book, A Dangerous Method, Captain Fantastic, Far From Men and Hidalgo round out the list.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

IMDb ★ 9.0 RT 94% Metacritic 94

The final battle for Middle-earth unfolds as the fellowship's quest reaches its end.

Directed by Peter Jackson · 3h 21m · Rated PG-13

Won 11 Oscars215 wins & 124 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A History of Violence (2005)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A quiet small-town diner owner's buried past as a killer resurfaces after one act of self-defence.

Directed by David Cronenberg · 1h 36m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Captain Alatriste (2006)

TMDB ★ 6.3

A weathered mercenary swordsman navigates court intrigue and war in 17th-century Spain.

Directed by Agustín Díaz Yanes · 2h 25m · Rated PG

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Eastern Promises (2007)

IMDb ★ 7.6 RT 89% Metacritic 83

A midwife's discovery pulls her into the London branch of the Russian mafia.

Directed by David Cronenberg · 1h 40m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar28 wins & 74 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Far From Men (2014)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A schoolteacher in colonial Algeria is ordered to escort a prisoner across dangerous, war-torn terrain.

Directed by David Oelhoffen · 1h 50m

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Green Book (2018)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 77% Metacritic 69

A Black pianist and his working-class white driver tour the segregated Deep South together.

Directed by Peter Farrelly · 2h 10m · Rated PG-13

Won 3 Oscars58 wins & 125 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A Dangerous Method (2011)

TMDB ★ 6.5

The complicated relationship between Freud and Jung plays out through a shared patient.

Directed by David Cronenberg · 1h 39m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Captain Fantastic (2016)

TMDB ★ 7.9

A father raising his six children off the grid must reintegrate them into society after a family tragedy.

Directed by Matt Ross · 1h 59m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Hidalgo (2004)

TMDB ★ 6.7

Viggo Mortensen plays a grieving cowboy who, with his mustang, enters a brutal 3,000-mile endurance race across the Arabian desert.

Directed by Joe Johnston · 2h 16m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

G.I. Jane (1997)

TMDB ★ 6.2

A determined female Navy officer becomes the first woman to attempt an elite combat training programme.

Directed by Ridley Scott · 2h 05m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

10 Best Viggo Mortensen Movies

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

A History of Violence (2005)

Captain Alatriste (2006)

Eastern Promises (2007)

Far From Men (2014)

Green Book (2018)

A Dangerous Method (2011)

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Hidalgo (2004)

G.I. Jane (1997)

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