Tom Hardy's 6 Greatest R-Rated Movies (He Barely Speaks In #1)

Tom Hardy has become one of the most prominent and well-known actors in Hollywood today, especially when it comes to R-rated movies. Hardy showed off his impressive acting talents in a handful of movies in the 2000s before breaking out in Christopher Nolan’s Inception and The Dark Knight Rises.

Even Tom Hardy’s big screen debut came in a movie that was rated R, Black Hawk Down. While it is also one of his best films, Black Hawk Down doesn’t count among his best R-rated projects because he has such a small role in it.

Since then, Hardy has delivered Academy Award worthy performances, led an entire superhero franchise, and even played twins in one case. Some of these roles came in films that are rated R, which means not everyone has been able to check them out. Giving them a chance provides a closer look at just how good Tom Hardy is.

Legend (2015)

The only thing better than Tom Hardy in a starring role is two Tom Hardys in a starring role. That was the driving force behind interest in Legend, a movie that sees Hardy portray real-life twin brothers Reggie and Ron Kray, notorious gangsters from the ’60s.

Legend is based on John Pearson’s novel The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins and chronicles their lives from their rise in crime to their ultimate convictions and sentencing for the things they did.

Tom Hardy is indeed fantastic as both brothers, easily displaying the differences in their mannerisms and personalities. While Legend ultimately received relatively mixed reviews (it sits at 60% on Rotten Tomatoes), it was Hardy’s acting that was considered a highlight.

Hardy was nominated for several awards and, among them, won a British Independent Film Award for Best Performance by an Actor. Despite its obvious flaws that hold it back from being a great film, Legend is a must-see for any fan of Tom Hardy because he’s just so good in it.

The Bikeriders (2024)

Tom Hardy as Johnny looking pensive in The Bikeriders

Tom Hardy’s most recent R-rated movie is Havoc, a high-octane action film that went straight to Netflix this year and proved to be a huge hit. While it is among Hardy’s best R-rated movies, his film from a year prior, The Bikeriders, is just a bit better.

The Bikeriders is different for Tom Hardy, as it’s a grounded crime thriller that sees him take on a role as the leader of the Vandals Motorcycle Club, which is based on the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. As Johnny Davis, Hardy is extremely charismatic.

This is a case of Hardy not leading a movie though, as The Bikeriders is more centered on the relationship between Kathy and Benny (Jodie Comer and Austin Butler), a couple whose whirlwind romance leads to a marriage as we see their ups and downs dealing with club life.

The Bikeriders focusing on those two allows Hardy to become a scene-stealing supporting player and that’s something he’s done well in throughout his career, from Inception to Dunkirk. There’s a lot of compeтιтion but this is among Hardy’s best supporting work.

The Revenant (2015)

Tom Hardy with flecks of snow covering his fur clothing in The Revenant

Speaking of movies where Tom Hardy delivers a great supporting performance, there’s The Revenant. This 2015 movie was a big deal after it hit theaters thanks to all the buzz it received for Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance, which finally won him his long-awaited Oscar.

The Revenant centers on a frontiersman named Hugh Glᴀss (DiCaprio) and his quest for vengeance after those close to him left him for ᴅᴇᴀᴅ following a bear attack. It’s a captivating tale of survival driven by the performances of its actors.

While DiCaprio won his Academy Award for this film, Tom Hardy was up for Best Supporting Actor as part of the film’s 12 nominations. It’s his sole Oscar nod. He played John S. Fitzgerald, a man who wants to smother Glᴀss and acts as the main antagonist.

The movie uses its R-rating to the fullest extent, holding nothing back when it comes to showcasing the brutal nature of this 1800s setting and the bear attack itself. It’s a gritty movie that Tom Hardy is perfect in, going toe to toe with DiCaprio in each scene.

Warrior (2011)

Tom Hardy without a shirt on in Warrior.

While The Revenant marked Tom Hardy’s first and only Academy Award nomination to date, he could’ve received one for his role in Warrior. His co-star Nick Nolte did, and Hardy shares some magnificent scenes with him as they play a father and son duo. Hardy also added 30 pounds of muscle for the role.

The premise of Warrior centers on two brothers, Tommy (Hardy) and Brendan (Joel Edgerton), who are estranged but come back together when both enter an MMA tournament. The movie expertly blends the exciting fight scenes with the emotional family drama.

Knowing that mixed martial arts is a violent sport, Warrior is another movie that utilizes that R-rating well. The fight sequences see some barbaric hits land and real combat sports stars like Kurt Angle and Nate Marquardt are included, adding to the realism.

Tommy is one of Tom Hardy’s most complex characters. He’s not over the top like some other characters and is instead a former U.S. Marine struggling with his familial relationships as well as his own personal demons.

Bronson (2008)

A few years before breaking out with Inception, Tom Hardy may have put in the best performance of his career. It came in the R-rated movie Bronson, a biographical drama about the real Charles Bronson, known as Britain’s most notorious prisoner.

Bronson’s initial sentence wasn’t overly long but he routinely got into violent altercations at every turn and kept adding time to his sentence. In fact, it reached a point where he’s still in prison today despite first going in way back in 1974.

Directed and co-written by Nicolas Winding Refn, Bronson is told in an intriguing format, using a vaudeville theatre style and the sounds of a live audience at times. It sounds mad, but it works brilliantly and a large reason for that is Hardy.

Tom Hardy’s performance as the тιтular character is masterful. You never know what he’s going to do next and he’s chilling in every scene. Hardy’s work was met with widespread acclaim and it made him an actor to watch going forward.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Tom Hardy grips a steering wheel in a scene from Mad Max: Fury Road

Tom Hardy might have better performances and he might have more award nominations for other roles but it’s next to impossible to top Mad Max: Fury Road. Released 30 years after the most recent Mad Max film, nobody expected this to be as good as it was.

Mad Max: Fury Road was a mᴀssive critical hit, sitting at a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earning a whopping 10 Academy Award nominations, winning six of them, mostly for technical achievements.

The action scenes in Mad Max: Fury Road were sH๏τ without the use of CGI, which is astonishing when you watch and see what they were able to pull off. It’s the greatest work in the outstanding career of legendary filmmaker George Miller.

Tom Hardy plays Max Rockatansky, taking over the role made famous by Mel Gibson. The part features very little speaking but Hardy nails every expression and his chemistry with other cast members, especially Charlize Theron, is fantastic. Mad Max: Fury Road is Tom Hardy’s best film, R-rated or not.