Guy Ritchie is a hugely popular director with one of films most unique and recognizable styles. His trademark highly stylized crime flicks with intense action and memorable characters almost always make for a fun and unforgettable viewing experience. More than most directors, Ritchie uses music prominently in his films, often in a way that sets the tone in fantastic ways. Here are some of the best songs and moments from his movies.
The Gentlemen
Matthew McConaughey
Charlie Hunnam
Michelle Dockery
Jeremy Strong
Lyne Renee
Colin Farrell
Henry Golding
Tom Wu
Chidi Ajufo
Hugh Grant
Eddie Marsan
The Gentlemen is Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film starring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrell, Michelle Dockery, Henry Golding, Jeremy Strong, and Hugh Grant. It follows Mickey Pearson (McConaughey), a marijuana tycoon looking to cash out of the business. This decision unravels on him as many suspicious characters crash out in an attempt to claim his domain as their own. It’s an entertaining, tone-rich film filled with many of Ritchie’s staples. The staples that can be seen in this film include a mood-setting opening scene and credits that play over the enchanting track “Cumberland Gap” by David Rawlings.
Check out the full The Gentlemen soundtrack here.
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
75%
66
8.1
Jason Flemyng
Dexter Fletcher
Nick Moran
Jason Statham
Steven Mackintosh
Nicholas Rowe
Nick Marcq
Charles Forbes
Vinnie Jones
Lenny McLean
Peter McNicholl
P.H. Moriarty
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels was the film that brought Ritchie to the public eye and launched the career of Jason Statham. That’s a pretty impressive legacy, and the film lives up to it. Its plot of four friends that fall into debt with a local gangster named Hatchet after they lose against him in a rigged card game to thrive leads to a fun, twisted gangster movie that shows a lot of the traits early on that would make Guy Ritchie such a beloved filmmaker. It’s also stylistically strong; part of that style is the needle drops throughout. One of the most notable is including the classic James Brown song “The Boss.”
Check out the full Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels soundtrack here.
Snatch
Brad Pitt
Jason Statham
Alan Ford
Stephen Graham
Dennis Farina
Robbie Gee
Lennie James
Benicio del Toro
Rade Šerbedžija
Vinnie Jones
Ade
Mike Reid
Snatch is the story about bare-knuckle boxing, gambling, and crime. It’s a fun time with Guy Ritchie’s fingerprints all over it in the best way possible. The cast is stacked, starring Brad Pitt, Jason Statham, Stephen Graham, Vinnie Jones, Lennie James, Robbie Gee, Dennis Farina, Jason Flemyng, and Benicio Del Toro. It’s worth a watch, and an aspect of the film that is incredibly awesome is the action that we get as we see the bare-knuckle boxing go down in an entertaining spectacle. A spectacle made even better in the final fight scene, where we get the action played out with the song “Fu*kin’ in The Bushes” by Oasis, setting the mood perfectly.
Check out the full Snatch soundtrack here.
Wrath of Man
Jason Statham
Holt McCallany
Josh Hartnett
Scott Eastwood
Darrell D'Silva
Babs Olusanmokun
Jeffrey Donovan
Eddie Marsan
Andy García
Niamh Algar
Alex Ferns
Laz Alonso
Wrath of Man is another collaboration between Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham. Again, It is a solid and successful film that helps cement them as an elite director-actor duo. The story follows a security guard (Statham) who begins working for a cash truck and surprises his co-worker by unleashing high-level skills during a heist attempt. The film goes on, and the audience finds Statham’s character far darker and more powerful than we could have anticipated. His character's true nature is displayed perfectly in a film that includes a version of the song “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash. The song in this scene is darker than its typical iteration, and it matches the scene perfectly as we see the character's darkness in all its ugliness. It is genuinely masterful filmmaking and use of music.
Check out the full Wrath of Man soundtrack here.
RocknRolla
Gerard Butler
Tom Wilkinson
Thandiwe Newton
Mark Strong
Idris Elba
Tom Hardy
Karel Roden
Toby Kebbell
Jeremy Piven
Ludacris
Jimi Mistry
Matt King
RocknRolla is a typical Ritchie crime flick but is still reliable for a good time. Its cast of Tom Hardy, Gerard Butler, Tony Kebbell, Thandiwe Newton, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Strong, Ludacris, Jeremy Piven, Gemma Arterton, and Idris Elba all give great performances and the film is as stylistically Ritchie as ever. That high style includes the characters which include the entertaining duo of One Two (Butler) and Mumbles (Elba) who act as the main characters. Another notable character is Johnny Quid (played by Toby Kebbell), the stepson of the film's big gangster Lenny Cole (played by Tom Wilkinson). He’s a fascinating character whose introduction effectively shows his backstory and how he became the mess he is now as beautifully displayed to the backdrop banger of “Bankrobber” by band The Clash.
Check out the full RocknRolla soundtrack here.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E
Henry Cavill
Armie Hammer
Alicia Vikander
Elizabeth Debicki
Luca Calvani
Sylvester Groth
Hugh Grant
Jared Harris
Christian Berkel
Misha Kuznetsov
Marianna Di Martino
Julian M. Deuster
The Man from U.N.C.L.E is Guy Ritchie’s take on the 1964 TV series of the same name. His iteration stars Henry Cavil as the main character, CIA agent Napoleon Solo, and Armie Hammer as KGB agent Ilya Kuryakin. The two work together at the height of the Cold War to stop a mysterious criminal organization’s plans to use nuclear technology to upset the relationship between the U.S. and Russia and, as a result, the whole world. It’s a robust and charismatic film that lets the audience know what it’s in store for from the jump, with the song “Compared to What” by Roberta Flack playing over the entertaining opening credits.
Check out the full The Man from U.N.C.L.E soundtrack here.
Aladdin
Will Smith
Mena Massoud
Naomi Scott
Marwan Kenzari
Navid Negahban
Nasim Pedrad
Billy Magnussen
Numan Acar
Jordan A. Nash
Taliyah Blair
Aubrey Lin
Amir Boutrous
Disney’s live-action remake of their hit animated classic finds Ritchie working outside his regular guys, gambling, and guns palette. However, the visual flairs, innovative camera work, and musical choreography match Guy Ritchie’s other work with just a bit more color and family-friendly fun. Featuring performances by Mena Massoud, Marwin Kenzari, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen, Naomi Scott, and Will Smith as the Genie, the film blends most of the original movie with a couple of modern innovations, including a brand new song. Naomi Scott performs “Speechless” as Jasmine expresses her defiance against the oppressive situations and society she finds herself in, adding extra layers of development on top of the character's animated version.
Check out the full Aladdin soundtrack here.