The Best Roman Polanski Movies Ranked And Where to Watch them

If you're looking for the best Roman Polanski movies of all time then here is a definitive list. We rank every movie directed by Roman Polanski based on their popularity score from IMDB from best to worst. Click on the ‘see more’ button to find out where to watch them in Australia covering all streaming services. In November 2024 there are 15 films in this list.

List of the Best Movies Directed by Roman Polanski In Order of Popularity

  1. The Pianist
  2. Chinatown
  3. Rosemary's Baby
  4. The Tenant
  5. Macbeth
  6. Bitter Moon
  7. The Ghost Writer
  8. Venus in Fur
  9. The Fearless Vampire Killers
  10. Carnage
  11. Frantic
  12. The Ninth Gate
  13. The Lamp
  14. Oliver Twist
  15. Tess

Stream the top 15 Movies directed by Roman Polanski

1. The Pianist

Rated: R

8.5/10

The true story of pianist Władysław Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he stays behind, works for a while as a laborer, and eventually goes into hiding in the ruins of the war-torn city.

2. Chinatown

Rated: R

8.2/10

Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together.

3. Rosemary's Baby

Rated: Approved

8.0/10

A young couple, Rosemary and Guy, moves into an infamous New York apartment building, known by frightening legends and mysterious events, with the purpose of starting a family.

4. The Tenant

Rated: R

7.6/10

A quiet and inconspicuous man rents an apartment in France where the previous tenant committed suicide, and begins to suspect his landlord and neighbors are trying to subtly change him into the last tenant so that he too will kill himself.

5. Macbeth

Rated: M

7.4/10

Scotland, 11th century. Driven by the twisted prophecy of three witches and the ruthless ambition of his wife, warlord Macbeth, bold and brave, but also weak and hesitant, betrays his good king and his brothers in arms and sinks into the bloody mud of a path with no return, sown with crime and suspicion.

6. Bitter Moon

Rated: R

7.2/10

A passenger on a cruise ship develops an irresistible infatuation with an eccentric paraplegic's wife.

7. The Ghost Writer

Rated: PG-13

7.2/10

An extremely talented ghost has just finished a literary masterpiece. Unfortunately, an ambitious vampire, Count Roach, sneaks into his haunted house and steals his work. The ghost confronts the vampire and battles with him. Using only his wit, imagination and talent, will the ghost succeed in getting his masterpiece back?

8. Venus in Fur

Rated: Not Rated

7.2/10

An enigmatic actress may have a hidden agenda when she auditions for a part in a misogynistic writer's play.

9. The Fearless Vampire Killers

Rated: PG

7.1/10

A noted professor and his dim-witted apprentice fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress.

10. Carnage

Rated: R

7.1/10

After 11-year-old Zachary Cowan strikes his classmate across the face with a stick after an argument, the victim's parents invite Zachary's parents to their Brooklyn apartment to deal with the incident in a civilized manner.

11. Frantic

Rated: R

6.9/10

The wife of an American doctor suddenly vanishes in Paris and, to find her, he navigates a puzzling web of language, locale, laissez-faire cops, triplicate-form filling bureaucrats and a defiant, mysterious waif who knows more than she tells.

12. The Ninth Gate

Rated: R

6.7/10

An all-expenses-paid international search for a rare copy of the book, 'The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows' brings an unscrupulous book dealer deep into a world of murder, double-dealing and satanic worship.

13. The Lamp

Rated: N/A

6/10

Suffering from the loss of his only child, Stanley has secluded himself to a dark and lonely place. Sullen and without hope, he continues to hide from and neglect those he loves despite their attempts to reach out to him. In what seems to be the final days of their already strained marriage, his wife Lisa is presented with a strange gift; an old oil lamp from a far off land. Along with the lamp comes a mysterious messenger and and a question that causes them to search the depths of their hearts for what's truly important in life... If you could have anything you wanted, what would YOU ask for?

14. Oliver Twist

Rated: PG-13

5/10

An orphan boy in 1830s London is abused in a workhouse, then falls into the clutches of a gang of thieves.

15. Tess

Rated: PG

/10

A strong-willed peasant girl is sent by her father to the estate of some local aristocrats to capitalize on a rumor that their families are from the same line. This fateful visit commences an epic narrative of sex, class, betrayal, and revenge.