Gus Van Sant: The Quiet Radical

Outsiders, observation, and the margins of America

Van Sant made films about people the movies usually ignore — the homeless, the queer, the aimless — with a compassion and visual intelligence that put most prestige cinema to shame.

Drama
13
Movies
22
Views
Likes
0
Comments
Created: April 19, 2026

The Collection

Drugstore Cowboy

Drugstore Cowboy

1989
1
Drugstore Cowboy
1989
1
Drugstore Cowboy
IMDb 0.0 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, James Le Gros
Box Office $4,729,352
My Own Private Idaho

My Own Private Idaho

1991
2
My Own Private Idaho
1991
2
My Own Private Idaho
IMDb 0.0 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo
Box Office $6,401,336
Elephant

Elephant

2003
3
Elephant
2003
3
Elephant
IMDb 0.0 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Elias McConnell, Alex Frost, Eric Deulen
Box Office $1,266,955
Paranoid Park

Paranoid Park

2007
4
Paranoid Park
2007
4
Paranoid Park
IMDb 0.0 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Gabe Nevins, Daniel Liu, Taylor Momsen
Box Office $486,767
Milk

Milk

2008
5
Milk
2008
5
Milk
IMDb 0.0 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch
Box Office $31,841,299
Restless

Restless

2011
6
Restless
2011
6
Restless
IMDb 0.0 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Mia Wasikowska, Henry Hopper, Ryo Kase
Box Office $163,265
Finding Forrester

Finding Forrester

2000
7
Finding Forrester
2000
7
Finding Forrester
IMDb 7.3 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Sean Connery, Rob Brown, F. Murray Abraham
Box Office $51,804,714
Last Days

Last Days

2005
8
Last Days
2005
8
Last Days
IMDb 0.0 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Michael Pitt, Lukas Haas, Asia Argento
Box Office $463,080
Gerry

Gerry

2002
9
Gerry
2002
9
Gerry
IMDb 0.0 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Casey Affleck, Matt Damon
Box Office $254,683
To Die For

To Die For

1995
10
To Die For
1995
10
To Die For
IMDb 6.8 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, Joaquin Phoenix
Box Office $21,284,514
Why Quietly savage media critique disguised as dark suburban comedy.
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

1993
11
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
1993
11
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
IMDb 4.3 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Uma Thurman, Lorraine Bracco, Pat Morita
Box Office $1,708,873
Why Radical gender politics wrapped in deceptively gentle Americana.
Promised Land

Promised Land

2012
12
Promised Land
2012
12
Promised Land
IMDb 6.6 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, John Krasinski
Box Office $7,597,898
Why Understated environmental dissent embedded within quiet rural drama.
Psycho

Psycho

1998
13
Psycho
1998
13
Psycho
IMDb 4.6 / 10
Director Gus Van Sant
Cast Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, Julianne Moore
Box Office $21,485,655
Why Silent provocation: shot-for-shot remake questions cinema's sacred cows.

If you liked this, check out:

Cinematic Sinkholes

35 films

Hidden Treasures: Cinematic Jewels from the Early 21st Century

33 films

Flops of Fortune

30 films

Shadows of the 40s: The Noir Revolution

25 films

📬 Stay in the loop

Get notified when new curated lists drop.

Comments (0)

Newest Oldest Top

No comments yet. Be the first!

💬 Leave a comment

2000 chars left

Reviewed before publishing.