With a career spanning many decades and almost too many projects to count, Tom Selleck has proved himself to be a talented and versatile actor. He’s undoubtedly best known for his many TV roles, especially his star turns on “Magnum P.I.” and “Blue Bloods.” While he might always be a Hawaiian shirt-wearing private eye to millions, he’s also been the star of a number of feature films. What’s more, these silver screen roles are enormously diverse in terms of everything from genre to morality.
What sort of characters has Selleck played on the big screen? He’s been a convicted criminal, a wanderlust-driven adventurer, an aging baseball star, and even the love interest in a number of romcoms. These films have left Selleck with a well-rounded career even his passionate fans might not grasp the extent of. That’s not to say they’re all great movies, however. In fact, we highly suggest you steer clear of some of them. Which are worth your time and which should be skipped? We’re here to find out by ranking every Tom Selleck movie from the downright awful to the truly great, according to IMDb score.
17. Christopher Columbus: The Discovery
With a cast featuring legendary actors like Marlon Brando and a hook like Christopher Columbus’ famous journey to the Americas, you’d expect “Christopher Columbus: The Discovery” to have earned at least a lukewarm response. But in fact, this 1992 release was an undeniable flop. Selleck plays a pivotal supporting role as King Ferdinand V, but it’s not enough to rescue this troubled production. In all likelihood, Selleck and Brando both probably wanted to quickly put this one behind them — just look at the film’s downright terrible rating on IMDb.
You’d expect a historical film to get at least some of the basics right, but in truth, “Christopher Columbus: The Discovery” is so loosely accurate, it’s best to put the word “historical” in quotations when referring to it. If there is a silver lining, it’s that no one probably thinks it’s a great teaching tool — the Christian Science Monitor’s David Sterritt specifically dragged the flick for being “so hilariously Hollywooden that nobody could mistake it for real history.” The forgettable performances on display, combined with a blatant disregard for historical truth, make this movie an easy pick for the bottom of our list.
16. Daughters of Satan
One of the very first movies Tom Selleck was cast in and now roughly half a century old, 1972’s “Daughters of Satan” isn’t the worst film in Selleck’s filmography, but it’s close. Selleck plays James Robertson, a museum curator who finds himself in an antiques store while on the hunt for new display pieces. After discovering a terrifying painting depicting women being burned at the stake, he quickly descends down a rabbit hole of witchcraft, grisly murders, and terrible acting.
“Daughters of Satan” is about as dated as you would expect, and full of scenes featuring some of the most over-the-top exploitation imagery you can imagine. But believe it or not, it’s worth checking out — as part of a weekend marathon of bad movies. In that capacity, its cheesy acting and corny storyline can be a lot of fun, especially for people who are already into classic horror movies and guilty pleasures. Still, it definitely counts as one of Selleck’s worst-ever films.
15. Terminal Island
What do you get when you combine John Carpenter’s “Escape From New York” with Kinji Fukasaku’s “Battle Royale”? Whatever this R-rated 1973 film is. The death penalty has been abolished in the world this movie depicts, which means the government exiles its murderers to the remote Terminal Island. The mayhem of this lawless land is the film’s draw, and indeed, brutal kills, unnecessary nudity, and comically ridiculous traps which inevitably get put to good use are on full display.
While Selleck doesn’t have a very big role in the proceedings, his character, Dr. Milford, helps provide some crucial exposition to the film’s lead and the audience. As he explains, this island full of hardened criminals quickly descended into anarchy, and two rival factions have been forged from the bloodshed. While this premise works in “Escape From New York” and “Battle Royale,” it falls flat in “Terminal Island.” The glossy appearance of just about every actress, despite their existence on a desolate island, never stops being distracting, and neither does the uncomfortable sexual tension suffusing the entire film. “Terminal Island” has potential, but it goes unexplored.
14. The Washington Affair
Before he became the titular investigator on “Magnum P.I.,” Selleck faced a very different sort of crime in 1977’s “The Washington Affair.” He portrays Jim Hawley, an engineer who refuses to appease an immoral businessman named Walter Nicholson. When Walter tries to entice Jim with a handsome bribe, he doesn’t take the bait. From that point on, Walter employs increasingly deplorable techniques to try and blackmail Jim into compliance, even going so far as to ask his own wife to try to seduce him. What he doesn’t expect, however, is just how far she’s willing to go to end up with her target.
While “The Washington Affair” is categorized as a thriller, it proves to be anything but. Taking place almost entirely in one room and subjecting its audience to scene after scene of flat and uninspired dialogue, it’s easily one of the most forgettable entries in Selleck’s filmography.
13. Three Men and a Little Lady
Despite the good grace 1987’s “Three Men and a Baby” instills in audiences, its 1990 sequel, “Three Men and a Little Lady,” undeniably falls flat. The same three leads reprise their roles, and are once again caring for young Mary, some five years after the events of the first film. This time, the trio finds themselves at risk of losing Mary for good when her mother Sylvia falls in love and plans to move to the United Kingdom with her new beau.
There’s a new director at the helm in Emile Ardolino, and sadly, he doesn’t repeat Leonard Nimoy’s success. More than a few stereotypically tired jabs at British culture are to blame for this flick failing to achieve the same lighthearted magic that defines the first film, even though the comedic skills of Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson are effective enough. Unless you finished the first film and are dying to see where the story goes, you can skip this one — it just ends up feeling like more of the same thing.
12. Killers
In 2010’s “Killers,” his most recent feature film, Selleck plays a lead role as a classic comedic archetype: The gorgeous female love interest’s intimidating father. Protagonist Spencer (Ashton Kutcher) isn’t totally adrift, as he’s a professional assassin, but hey — if Selleck were your future father-in-law, you’d be scared no matter what. Despite the title, this release sure didn’t kill it: It flopped with critics about as brutally as a movie can, and earned just $98 million on a $75 million budget.
While Tom Selleck’s role as the scary Mr. Kornfeldt is a fairly modest one, what he does bring to the table is decent. The part calls for presence, and no one can ever claim he doesn’t have that in spades. Sadly, “Killers” gets bogged down in its downright terrible attempts at comedy and utterly lackluster romance. This leaves audiences with a truly underwhelming experience that’s straight-up tough to sit through.
11. The Love Letter
After Helen (Kate Capshaw) finds a mysterious love letter in her mailbox in this 1999 film, she is driven to figure out who her secret admirer might be. Among the possibilities is Tom Selleck’s George, who quickly finds himself competing with other suspected suitors for Helen’s affection. Along the way, the letter passes through more and more people’s hands. Each person assumes it’s intended for their eyes only, and promptly jumps to conclusions. Hilarious mishaps, awkward dates, and much romance ensue.
With a solid cast and an intriguing premise ripe for classic comedy, you’d assume “The Love Letter” would be a hit. But in fact, this film ended up with abysmal box office returns and dismal reviews. Critics slammed it for uncharacteristically poor acting from most of the (typically talented) cast, as well as uninspired writing. Diehard Selleck fans might still enjoy seeing him in such a charming role, however — as long as they adjust their expectations for the film around him.
10. Folks!
In the late ’80s and early ’90s, Selleck began to try his hand in more comedic roles. While you might think this would mark a departure from the sort of clumsy projects that mark his earlier career (we’re looking at you, “Daughters of Satan”), especially after his work on 1987’s light-hearted “Three Men and a Baby,” you would be wrong. 1992’s “Folks!” is the proof.
This unimpressive flick sees Selleck play Jon, a hot-shot stockbroker forced to take his aging parents in. “Folks!” subjects audiences to scene after scene of Selleck suffering bodily harm at the hands of his father, whose dementia is portrayed with a total lack of respect. It never gets funny — it only gets more and more uncomfortable. The film was absolutely reviled by critics for its lackluster script, iffy acting, and the clumsy handling of its sensitive subject matter. While it definitely misses the mark, Selleck fans can take heart: At least his other ventures into the comedy genre proved less disastrous.
9. Her Alibi
Another comedy that proved to be ill-fated, 1989’s “Her Alibi” was met with contempt by pretty much everyone who saw it. While Selleck himself does a decent job as the film’s lead, the story he’s ensconced within is a groan-worthy romp through one increasingly asinine event after another.
Selleck plays Phil Blackwood, a currently uninspired writer who might be past his best-selling prime. While sitting in at an ongoing trial, he becomes smitten with a stunning defendant who is being charged with murder. Drunk on love, he convinces himself there’s no chance she’s actually guilty of the crime, and helps her forge an alibi to escape conviction. As the two become more and more deeply entrenched in their relationship, however, Blackwood becomes increasingly skeptical of her innocence. This conflict doesn’t amount to much — it feels more like a TV movie than a theatrical release. But Selleck does good work here, balancing charm, humor, and anxiety to winning effect. Watching it for him is worth it, if not for any other reason.