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Sean Penn

Director, Actor

Films to Rent

 
TapsTaps (1981)
Dir. Harold Becker
Feat. Sean Penn, Timothy Hutton, George C. Scott
A surprise box–office smash about a group of cadets who take over their military college, which is on the brink of being closed down. Inspired…
Fast Times at Ridgemont HighFast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Aro Favourite
Dir. Amy Heckerling
Feat. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sean Penn, Judge Reinhold
This early–80s teen pic survives a lot better than most, finding surprisingly subtle shades of the adolescent experience amid some frank…
Racing with the MoonRacing with the Moon (1984)
Dir. Richard Benjamin
Feat. Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, Nicolas Cage
A well–observed and resonant drama, about the last few days of boyhood for a couple of inductees into the US Marines in 1942. The cast all…
Falcon and the SnowmanFalcon and the Snowman (1985)
Dir. John Schlesinger
Feat. Sean Penn, Timothy Hutton
A composed intellectual convinces his wayward friend to sell federal secrets to the Russians. Stunning political drama featuring a stand–out…
At Close RangeAt Close Range (1985)
Dir. James Foley
Feat. Sean Penn, Christopher Walken
Sean Penn plays a wayward youth who reunites with his gangland father (Christopher Walken) with violent consequences. Sordid yet solid drama.
Shanghai SurpriseShanghai Surprise (1986)
Dir. Jim Goddard
Feat. Sean Penn, Madonna, Paul Freeman
Universally panned adventure flick stars Madonna as a missionary (!) on the hunt for medicinal opium (!) and then–husband Penn plays the…
ColorsColors (1988)
Dir. Dennis Hopper
Feat. Sean Penn, Robert Duvall
A grim portrait of law enforcement. Mismatched police partners are assigned to the rife gang–related problems in South–Central L.A.
Judgement in BerlinJudgement in Berlin (1988)
Dir. Leo Penn
Feat. Martin Sheen, Sean Penn, Sam Wanamaker
Stolid courtroom drama about the trial of an man who hijacked an airplane in order to flee East Germany for the West, Martin Sheen plays the American…
Casualties of WarCasualties of War (1989)
Dir. Brian De Palma
Feat. Sean Penn, Michael J. Fox, John Leguizamo
A squad of soldiers become caught in the moral dilemma of wartime Vietnam. Platoon leader Sean Penn goes beyond the call of duty while Michael J.…
We're No AngelsWe're No Angels (1989)
Dir. Neil Jordan
Feat. Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Demi Moore
Robert De Niro and Sean Penn team up as a couple of escaped convicts who cross the border in clergical attire.
State of GraceState of Grace (1990) Recommended
Dir. Phil Joanou
Feat. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Ed Harris
Penn returns to his Irish mob roots in New York's Hell's Kitchen to find tenuous–at–best relations with the neighbouring Mafia. Oldman…
Indian Runner, TheIndian Runner, The (1991)
Dir. Sean Penn
Feat. David Morse, Viggo Mortensen, Dennis Hopper
Sean Penn's interesting directing debut is a sly throwback to '70s road movies, even using a Springsteen ditty as the basis for its plot.
Carlito's WayCarlito's Way (1993) Recommended
Dir. Brian De Palma
Feat. Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Viggo Mortensen
De Palma contains his usual showy excess and proves he can be a consummate storyteller with this captivating, multi–layered crime yarn. Al…
Crossing Guard, TheCrossing Guard, The (1995)
Dir. Sean Penn
Feat. Jack Nicholson, David Morse, Anjelica Huston
As writer/director, Sean Penn admirably mines similar ambiguous terrain of his acting turn in DEAD MAN WALKING. A compassionate interrogation of…
Dead Man WalkingDead Man Walking (1996) Aro Favourite
Dir. Tim Robbins
Feat. Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon
In a feat of rare ambition and integrity, actor Tim Robbins proves supremely adept behind the camera with this even–handed presentation of the…
Hugo PoolHugo Pool (1996)
Dir. Robert Downey Snr.
Feat. Alyssa Milano, Malcolm McDowell, Robert Downey Jnr.
Comedy of quirks with Alyssa Milano, here still battling TV child–stardom, playing a hapless pool–cleaner who maintains the backyard…
Game, TheGame, The (1997)
Dir. David Fincher
Feat. Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger
Tycoon–loner–who–has–everything Michael Douglas receives a birthday present with a difference – an elaborate 'game'…
U-TurnU-Turn (1997)
Dir. Oliver Stone
Feat. Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte
The Drifter, Sean Penn, swerves into a small desert town for a round of duelling tangos with Femme Jennifer Lopez and local Kingpin Nick Nolte, while…
She's So LovelyShe's So Lovely (1997)
Dir. Nick Cassavetes
Feat. Robin Wright, Sean Penn, John Travolta
As a low–life couple whose romantic intensity borders on madness, married double–act Robin Wright and Sean Penn off–handedly…
Thin Red Line, TheThin Red Line, The (1998) Aro Favourite
Dir. Terrence Malick
Feat. Nick Nolte, Sean Penn, Elias Koteas
A studiously arthouse rendition of WWII, isolating a crucial battle of the Pacific campaign (Guadacanal) as a minutely observed microcosm of humanity…
HurlyburlyHurlyburly (1998)
Dir. Anthony Drazan
Feat. Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri
Demoralising 'character study' of four middle–aged film industry parasites who hang out and pontificate the meaning of their pathetic lives…
Sweet and LowdownSweet and Lowdown (1999) Recommended
Dir. Woody Allen
Feat. Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Uma Thurman
Possibly Woody Allen's most critically appreciated film since BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, this mock–u–drama concerns the life, loves and music…
Up at the VillaUp at the Villa (1999)
Dir. Philip Haas
Feat. Sean Penn, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne Bancroft
Adrift in pre–fascist 1930s Italy, widowed Englishwoman Kirsten Scott Thomas lives on the generosity of her well–heeled peers before…
Pledge, ThePledge, The (2000) Recommended
Dir. Sean Penn
Feat. Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright, Helen Mirren
Sean Penn as director's pledge to the stuff of raw drama pays off with a thriller/parable centred round a powerhouse turn from Jack Nicholson. As…
Before Night FallsBefore Night Falls (2000) Recommended
Dir. Julian Schnabel
Feat. Javier Bardem, Sean Penn, Johnny Depp
The life and times of Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas (Javier Bardem) told as a florid visual collage – dream, memory and history merging on the…
Weight of Water, TheWeight of Water, The (2000)
Dir. Kathryn Bigelow
Feat. Elizabeth Hurley, Catherine McCormack, Sean Penn
Time–twist thriller, that intercuts a gothic murder–mystery of the late 19th century with present–day marital intrigue. Set on…
I Am SamI Am Sam (2002)
Dir. Jesse Nelson
Feat. Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianne Wiest
High–calibre acting from Sean Penn, as a retarded man fighting to retain custody of his 8–year old daughter, distinguishes this intense…
11'09'0111'09'01 (September 11) (2002) Recommended
Dir. Ken Loach, Claude Lelouch, Sean Penn
Feat. Ernest Borgnine
A consistently intriguing omnibus of 11 short films made by various top directors about the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001 in New York –…
Mystic RiverMystic River (2003) Recommended
Dir. Clint Eastwood
Feat. Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon
Dignified crime thriller shot in unfussy style by old pro Clint Eastwood, this is less thrilling than a reliable entertainment, with the emotional…
21 Grams21 Grams (2003)
Dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Feat. Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio Del Toro
For his English–language debut, the celebrated Mexican director of AMORES PERROS weighs in with an unconventional, soul–baring drama that…
It's All About LoveIt's All About Love (2003)
Dir. Thomas Vinterberg
Feat. Joaquin Phoenix, Claire Danes, Sean Penn
A wacky, overambitious, though not unendearing flop for dir. Vinterberg (FESTEN), in which young couple Danes and Phoenix attempt to resolve the…
Assassination of Richard Nixon, TheAssassination of Richard Nixon, The (2004) Recommended
Dir. Niels Mueller
Feat. Sean Penn, Don Cheadle, Naomi Watts
The ghost of 'Travis Bickle' (TAXI DRIVER) pervades this accomplished diatribe on the contentious era of Richard Nixon's administration – a…
Interpreter, TheInterpreter, The (2005) Recommended
Dir. Sydney Pollack
Feat. Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener
A topical thriller embroiled in the thorny issues of African politics (with obvious allusions to Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe), this is a slick,…
All The King's MenAll The King's Men (2006)
Dir. Steven Zaillian
Feat. Sean Penn, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins
A heavyweight, if not entirely functional adaptation Robert Penn Warren's political novel about a failed idealist turned corrupt, powermongering…
Buy the Ticket, Take the RideBuy the Ticket, Take the Ride (2006)
Dir. Tom Thurman
Feat. Gary Busey, John Cusack, Benicio Del Toro
Definitive documentary about the life and death of the late, great gonzo himself, Hunter S. Thompson. Visuals draw heavily on clips, including…
Into the WildInto the Wild (2007)
Dir. Sean Penn
Feat. Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt
With his trademark earnestness, Sean Penn adapts Jon Krakauer's nonfiction book about a 22–year–old who dropped out of society in the…
MilkMilk (2008) Recommended
Dir. Gus Van Sant
Feat. Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin
Saying it proud but not too loud, this dramatized biopic of the first openly–elected gay official fittingly tributes the legacy of San…
What Just HappenedWhat Just Happened (2008) Recommended
Dir. Barry Levinson
Feat. Robert De Niro, Catherine Keener, Bruce Willis
Robert De Niro is in late–career–best form in this amiable showbiz satire that captures two weeks in the life of a frustrated film…
Fair GameFair Game (2010)
Dir. Doug Liman
Feat. Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Tom McCarthy
A smart, ground level conspiracy thriller based on the true story of an undercover CIA operative (Watts) whose identity was suspiciously leaked after…
Tree of Life, TheTree of Life, The (2011) Recommended
Dir. Terrence Malick
Feat. Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain
Terrence Malick’s astonishing Cannes–winning epic, centred ostensibly on the life of a Midwestern family in the 50s (presided over by a gruff…
This Must Be the PlaceThis Must Be the Place (2011)
Dir. Paolo Sorrentino
Feat. Sean Penn, Frances McDormand, Judd Hirsch
Sean Penn is all affectation as a retired, depressed glam rocker who sets off on an American road trip in search of a Nazi war criminal in this…
Gangster SquadGangster Squad (2013)
Dir. Ruben Fleischer
Feat. Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin
This straight–shooting, bang–a–minute gangster flick scores as both an entertaining throwback to 40s–era crime fighting, and…
Secret Life of Walter Mitty, TheSecret Life of Walter Mitty, The (2013)
Dir. Ben Stiller
Feat. Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Kathryn Hahn
Ben Stiller directs and stars in this splashy adaptation of James Thurber's short story about a meek proofreader who finds solace and empowerment in…
Gunman, TheGunman, The (2015)
Dir. Pierre Morel
Feat. Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Jasmine Trinca
Sean Penn stars as a sniper on a mercenary assassination team, who kills a Congolese minister, but his shot forces him into hiding.
Angry Birds Movie, TheAngry Birds Movie, The (2016)
Dir. Clay Kaytis, Fergal Reilly
Feat. Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride
The video game franchise gets a surprisingly decent cinematic treatment. Set on an island populated by happy, flightless birds visited by mysterious…
Professor and the Madman, TheProfessor and the Madman, The (2019) Recommended
Dir. P. B. Shemran
Feat. Mel Gibson, Sean Penn, Natalie Dormer
Biographical drama set in London in 1879, where a professor (Mel Gibson) compiling the first Oxford England Dictionary receives a submission of over…
Licorice PizzaLicorice Pizza (2021)
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Feat. Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn
Celebrated auteur Paul Thomas Anderson amusingly runs through the fads of the 1970s while loosely following the relationship between a precocious…

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