While directors often work in various genres, Robert Rodriguez has particularly managed to find success in a number of very different genres that range from family-friendly children’s movies to artistic adaptations and even to gore-filled horror movies that have made him a fan-favorite to a wide selection of movie-goers.
However, a varied filmography that appeals to such a wide audience can sometimes be difficult for fans to rate a director like Robert Rodriguez based on his films. So we’ve turned to Metacritic’s diverse rating criteria to assemble a list that celebrates the best films from writer, director, composer, and co-founder of Troublemaker Studios, Robert Rodriguez.
10 From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) – 48
Robert Rodriguez directed 1996’s From Dusk Till Dawn, which was written by Quentin Tarantino, who also starred in the movie alongside George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, and frequent Rodriguez collaborators like Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, and Danny Trejo.
The movie follows two bank-robbing brothers on the run as they hijack a family’s RV to enter Mexico for a meeting at an unforgettable biker bar that happens to be filled with an ancient cult of vampires. While it isn’t the highest-rated film in Rodriguez’s catalog, horror fans won’t want to miss it.
9 We Can Be Heroes (2020) – 51
Following the cult success of Rodriguez’s family-friendly superhero movie The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D that first hit theaters in 2005, Netflix surprised fans with the release of a continuation from Robert Rodriguez in 2020 called We Can Be Heroes that featured the children of that world’s greatest heroes.
We Can Be Heroes included stars like Pedro Pascal, Boyd Holbrook, Christian Slater, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas alongside a new wave of young actors led by Yaya Gosselin as they formed together to save the adult heroes from an invading alien army.
8 Shorts (2009) – 53
2009’s Shorts was written and directed by Rodriguez and starred Jon Cryer, Leslie Mann, James Spader, Kat Dennings, William H. Macy alongside a youthful cast that appeared in a series of connected shorts that followed the path of a magical wishing rock as it chaotically moved through their lives.
The wishes quickly begin to spiral out of control throughout each segment of the film that leads to a chain of events that include booger monsters, giant robots, and even aliens to truly offer something for every member of the family.
7 Alita: Battle Angel (2019) – 53
Robert Rodriguez teamed up with producer James Cameron for 2019’s Alita: Battle Angel, which starred Rosa Salazar in the titular role alongside Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Keean Johnson, Ed Skrein, and Jackie Earle Haley.
The adaptation of Yukito Kishiro’s similarly-named manga explored a powerful android’s reawakening in a beautifully gritty cyberpunk world filled with cybernetically-enhanced bounty hunters and athletes of a dangerous sport called Motorball. Alita rose up the ranks in both organizations to find her new path and help break through the barriers of the dystopian class system.
6 Machete (2010) – 60
Danny Trejo’s Machete character first appeared in Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids franchise before starring in a fake trailer that was so well-received by fans it led to 2010’s spin-off film starring Trejo alongside a checklist of Rodriguez’s most frequent collaborators and other stars like Steven Seagal, Don Johnson, and Robert de Niro.
Machete followed the legendary Federale as he took on jobs and took out his enemies in a gory, action-packed celebration of the genre that led to 2013’s sequel Machete Kills and the rumored finale Machete Kills In Space that fans are still hoping to see on the big screen.
5 The Faculty (1998) – 61
1998’s The Faculty was directed by Rodriguez and starred Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Shawn Hatosy, and Laura Harris as a group of high school students who are forced to fight off a parasitic alien invasion that has taken over their teachers and threatens the entire town.
The film became a cult-favorite and has become a snapshot of both the 90s and the horror genre’s return to mainstream Hollywood after the success of films like Scream, which was also written by The Faculty‘s Kevin Williamson.
4 Spy Kids Franchise (2001/2002/2003/2011) – 71/66/57/37
Robert Rodriguez launched the hugely successful Spy Kids franchise in 2001 which introduced fans to siblings Carmen and Juni Cortez (played by Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara) as they are forced to follow in their parent’s (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) footsteps as high-tech spies after they go missing.
2002’s Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams and 2003’s Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over continued their adventures though received dwindling Metacritic scores, with 2011’s Spy Kids: All the Time in the World earning the lowest ranking of the series.
3 Mexico Trilogy (1993/1995/2003) – 73/55/56
Robert Rodriguez made his mark on cinema with 1993’s Spanish-American independent western El Mariachi, starring Carlos Gallardo as the titular mariachi who finds himself hunted due to a case of mistaken identity, forcing him to defend himself and setting the character on a new path filled with violence.
Antonio Banderas took up the role in 1995’s sequel Desperado as El Mariachi embarked on a mission of revenge that culminated in 2003’s once Upon A Time In Mexico, which collectively became known as the Mexico Trilogy.
2 Sin City (2005) – 74
Frank Miller teamed-up with Robert Rodriguez to adapt his hit comic series in 2005’s Sin City, which featured a dynamic and unique color palette and style that made the film a must-see for any fan of artistic cinematic explorations and hard-boiled pulp novels.
Sin City starred a cast filled with big-name actors in a series of interconnected stories set in the corrupt world of Basin City that left fans wanting more from Miller’s comic series. it wasn’t until 2014 that Miller and Rodriguez were able to return to that world with Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, which couldn’t quite match the previous film with a Metascore of 46.
1 Grindhouse (2007) – 77
Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino reunited for 2007’s Grindhouse, which celebrated the 70’s low-budget splatter/exploitation genre films with a pair of homage films released together like classic theater double features.
Rodriguez’s Planet Terror explored a world as it became overrun with a disgusting and gory zombie plague that played first in the Grindhouse double feature. Fake trailers from guest directors that included the first Machete trailer played during Grindhouse, with Tarantino’s violent car chase movie Death Proof finishing off the cinematic experience.
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