5 Best Tom Hanks Movies That Will Steal Your Heart

Tom Hanks, popularly known as America’s Dad, is one of the most influential actors in Hollywood. Within his long career, he has acted in some of the most mind-blowing movies of all time. Needless to say, they wouldn’t have been the same without his exceptional talent that comes into play every time he shows up on the silver screen. He isn’t America’s favourite movie star for nothing, right?

Here are the 5 best Tom Hanks movies, ranked:

5. Sleepless in Seattle

Starting at number 5, we have Sleepless in Seattle starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Directed by Nora Ephron, this movie is a classic rom-com. And let’s be honest, you can’t hate rom-coms, they’re always perfect for a night tucked in bed and a warm cup of tea. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are a classic choice for a great rom-com and when you add Mora Ephron into the mix, you just know you can’t go wrong.

Sleepless in Seattle is about a single parent Sam, who has still not come to terms with his wife’s death. So, his 8-year-old son pushes him to call into a late-night radio show, with the hopes of finding his father love again. This film is an adaptation of An Affair to Remember.

The movie and the pairing became so popular that Nora Ephron went on to cast the two in another of her classics, You’ve Got Mail.

Sleepless in Seattle is available to stream on Netflix.

4. Cast Away

Stepping away from the rom-com genre, we have Cast Away in the fourth position. FedEx superhero Chuck Nolan (played by Tom Hanks) finds himself marooned on an uninhabited island. He has no food, no water, and no means to survive or escape. Cast Away is a story of how he manages to finally escape, and everything that he loses in the process. What’s more astounding is that the movie is based on real events!

This may be, by far, Tom Hanks’ best performance. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Cast Away doesn’t shy away from showing just how heartless man has to be in order to survive. And yet, the underlying spirit of humanity remains unextinguished.

Cast Away is available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

3. Forrest Gump

One of Hollywood’s most thought-provoking movies, Forrest Gump is a classic 90’s movie all cinema lovers know about. Tom Hanks plays the lead here and does a dashing job of it. The film is about Forrest, a young boy with several disabilities, who grows up and finds himself to be in the middle of most key historical events.

With its meaningful dialogues, hilarious plotline, and an astounding performance by the cast, it easily becomes one of the best Tom Hanks movies. Though Forrest Gump is difficult to describe, it is so easy to watch. It flows at a nice pace and has great comedic timing, cutting in right when the tension gets too thick. Forrest Gump is a classic and must be watched by all cinephiles.

Forrest Gump is available to stream on Netflix.

2. The Terminal

Quite different from all the other best Tom Hanks movies, The Terminal is a refreshing and heartwarming tale of the unwavering human spirit that refuses to give up.

Victor Navorski is a citizen of nowhere. His home country is purged in war and immigration refuses to let him leave the New York City airport. Though the trailer made it out to be just another rom-com, The Terminal is so much more than that. Directed by Steven Speilberg, this Tom Hanks starrer is a charming film with just enough realism to make the whole concept utterly hilarious and believable.

Thanks to Speilberg’s master story-telling and Hank’s ability to bring the common man to life, this is a film that absolutely must be on your watch list.

The Terminal is available to stream on Netflix.

1. Saving Private Ryan

On the top spot, we have, of course, the 1998 Tom Hanks and Matt Damon starrer, Saving Private Ryan. Definitely one of the best war films out there, this Tom Hanks and Steven Speilberg collaboration is another that will leave you with chills. This movie is one of its kind, for it doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities of war. This is perhaps as close to the real deal as any human being should hope to be.

War films are a genre that boasts adrenaline-filled plotlines, gory twists and violence at the face of it all. Saving Private Ryan is anything but these conventions. It takes a step into what one may call a moral high ground, and stays there, throughout the second half of the film.

All in all, Saving Private Ryan is an overwhelming experience, and we mean that in the best way possible. This is easily one of the best Tom Hanks movies we’ve ever seen.

Saving Private Ryan is available to stream on Netflix.

Tom Hanks is well known for his talent his ability to do justice to various different genres. In fact, he isn’t just an actor, he is a genre in himself. He still remains one of America’s most celebrated actors and for good reason too. Some of the recent best Tom Hanks movies to check out include:

• A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
• Greyhound
• Inferno
• The Circle
• Sully: Miracle on the Hudson

Also Read: Marvel’s Loki Series: Tom Hiddleston Fans Share Memes of Excitement

What do you think – does this list do justice to everything that is Tom Hanks? Did we miss out on any movie? Let us know in the comments section below!