Best Rob Reiner Movies (December 2025)

The eldest child of actors Carl and Estelle Reiner, Robert “Rob” Reiner was born to make it big in Hollywood. He made his television acting debut at the age of 14, before studying at the UCLA Film School. Even then, he had plans to work on both sides of the camera.

Writer. Actor. Producer. Director. Rob Reiner filled all these roles over the course of his career. It is as a director he is most acclaimed, yet even here he defied convention. Whereas most directors tended to stick to certain genres, he refused to be pigeon-holed. The end result is one of the most diverse filmographies in film history.

Best Rob Reiner Movies of all time

The sheer variety of movies made by Rob Reiner makes straightforward analysis of his oeuvre difficult. It is also hard to pick out the best ones because so many of them are considered classics. With that in mind, the following list offers a wide sample of films in chronological order, rather than a definitively ranked list.

This is Spinal Tap (1984)

The first feature-length film Rob Reiner directed, This is Spinal Tap is regarded as one of the greatest film parodies of all time. The movie follows the titular English rock band, as they tour the United States to promote a new album. Hijinks ensue, as documentary maker Marty Di Bergi (Rob Reiner) chronicles the chaos.

Despite modest box office, the movie was a hit with critics and with real-world rock stars. Indeed, Ozzy Osborne claimed (in an interview with Conan O’Brien) that This Is Spinal Tap was a better depiction of the rock and roll world than most real documentaries. Indeed, he claimed some things in the movie (like getting lost finding the stage) had honestly happened to him.

Stand by Me (1986)

Based on the Stephen King novella “The Body,” Stand By Me was Rob Reiner’s first attempt at a serious drama. Nominally, the movie is a period piece about four childhood friends searching for a dead body in 1959. However, the central themes of friendship and coming-of-age are timeless, making the movie relatable to young people today.

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Princess Bride had one of the most difficult pre-production cycles of any movie in Hollywood history. While the novel by William Goldman was a hit and every big studio wanted to adapt it into a movie, nobody had any idea how to do it. Nobody, that is, until Rob Reiner, who was a huge fan of the book and appealed to William Goldman directly to help him bring it to life.

Legend has it that studio executives had trouble understanding what sort of film The Princess Bride was. Reportedly Rob Reiner was hounded throughout production about whether he was making a comedy, a romance, or a children’s fairy tale movie. Reiner’s response was pure poetry.  “It’s a story about love,” he said. “The kind that survives everything.” That is perhaps the simplest way to sum up The Princess Bride. At least, beyond the opening description of it being about “Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, (and) miracles.”

When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

Fresh out of college, Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) travel to New York City together. The conversations they have about relationships and Harry’s belief men and women can’t be friends lead to them losing touch. However, they keep running into each other over the next decade, eventually becoming friends and, ultimately, lovers.

When Harry Met Sally… was a personal movie for Rob Reiner. Harry was modeled on Reiner by screenwriter Nora Ephron and the plot based around Reiner’s experiences after his divorce. However, the original downbeat ending was changed after Reiner fell in love with with Michele Singer Reiner during its filming. Thus was a classic RomCom born.

Misery (1990)

With Misery, Rob Reiner once again partnered with William Goldman and once again adapted a Stephen King story. This movie, however, was a far cry from The Princess Bride and Stand By Me. It was a straight-up horror movie, in which a writer is abducted by an crazed fan. It is notable as the only one of Reiner’s movies to earn an Oscar, with Kathy Bates winning the Best Actress honor for her performance as the obsessive Annie Wilkes.

A Few Good Men (1992)

Inspired by real world events and based on the play of the same name, A Few Good Men marked the first time Rob Reiner tackled politics in a movie. The plot centers around a JAG team, called to defend two Marines accused of murdering a fellow Marine. However, rather than plea-bargain as expected, they honestly investigate the case and unearth an illegal conspiracy. It is notable as the Rob Reiner movie that earned the most major award nominations. Despite this, it did not win a single Oscar or Golden Globe Award.

The American President (1995)

President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) is trying not to rock the boat too much as he prepares to run for reelection. Despite this, the widower is inspired to court environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), asking her out to a state dinner. His rivals seize upon this to paint him him as lacking family values, even as they try to sink his new crime bill.

The American President was originally commissioned as a romance-focused drama for Robert Redford. However, when Rob Reiner was brought on to direct, he sought to explore the political realities of the movie’s concept. Despite this, the film is still viewed by many as a great romance.

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023)

Later in his career, Rob Reiner began producing documentaries as well as feature-length fiction. However, Albert Brooks: Defending My Life is just as funny as Reiner’s earlier comedies. This is largely due to the interplay between Reiner and Brooks, as they discuss his career.

Other comedians are interviewed about Brooks’ influence and his work. The sequences with Reiner and Brooks make the movie, however, as the two talk like the old friends they are. The film serves as both an amazing introduction to Albert Brooks and a fascinating overview of the first alternative comedian’s career.

How we chose the Best Rob Reiner Movies

Normally, the Best Of lists on ComingSoon are capped at five movies in total. Originally, the plan for this piece was to pick the best movie in five genres; comedy, romance, drama, period piece, and documentary. In the case of Rob Reiner, however, this proved impossible.

Ignoring how universally admired most of the movies of Rob Reiner are, they mirror their creator in defying convention. In many cases, they break the mold to establish new forms for other filmmakers. Would the mockumentary be a thing without This is Spinal Tap? How many RomComs would have never been made if not for When Harry Met Sally…?

Even with this caveat and breaking our own format, it was impossible to list all the great Rob Reiner movies in a single simple list. To those who are upset that we didn’t list their favorite, we apologize. While our choices may differ, we think it can be agreed that choosing between the Best Rob Reiner movies requires some difficult choices.

Source: Comingsoon.net