Sex, Lies, Ocean’s, and Magic Mike: Ranking Steven Soderbergh’s 20 best films

The return of Mike is as good a time as any to consider the work of the director whose lens first captured Channing Tatum’s exotic dancer in all his magic. Director-writer-editor-cinematographer Steven Soderbergh can seemingly do it all, from heist comedies to gritty crime thrillers to social statement films and, of course, lots and lots of Channing Tatum. Perhaps Soderbergh remains such an essential creative force in Hollywood because of how wildly varied his filmography has been since the indie breakout that was Sex, Lies, And Videotape. Whether you’re in the mood for his Oscar-winning fare like Traffic and Erin Brockovich or oddball character studies like The Informant! or Behind The Candelabra, a Soderbergh film has an entertainment value guarantee. Let’s round up and rank his best ones, shall we?

20. No Sudden Move (2021)

is a heist flick that doesn’t have the energy, flair, or insouciance of the series or , but it does showcase the workman-like professionalism of a director who read a script he liked and decided to shoot it. Comfortably in his crime film wheelhouse, Soderbergh assembles quite the cast, led by Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro as hired thugs in ’50s-era Detroit who are recruited for a simple (yeah, right) “babysitting” job. The destination is not as exciting as the journey, but that’s okay when you’re escorted by David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Bill Duke, Brendan Fraser, and the late Ray Liotta. No Sudden Move is a satisfying and nifty little crime thriller, proving that even Soderbergh’s minor films, the ones he directs strictly as a lark, never fail to satisfy. [Mark Keizer]