L.A. Confidential is a 1997 American neo-noir crime film directed, produced and co-written by Curtis Hanson. The movie follows a group of LAPD cops in 1953, as well as the intersection between police corruption and fame in Hollywood. The film's title references the 1950s gossip magazine Confidential, which is portrayed as Hush-Hush in the film. The cast members, particularly Spacey, give their best performances in this film. Spacey gave a subtle performance that stood out above all the shouting and chaos around him.

In this film, he outshines his acting counterparts. This film received positive reviews and made over $126 million. Spacey won the Empire Award for Best Actor, was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, and was nominated for a CFCA Award for Best Supporting Actor:

Detailed Information:

Directed by: Curtis Hanson

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell

Release dates: May 14, 1997 (Cannes)/September 19, 1997 (United States)
Running time: 138 minutes

The Usual Suspects is a 1995 neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Bryan Singer. This film follows a survivor as he recounts the circumstances that led to a violent gunfight at the police station after five criminals met in a random lineup. Without Spacey, this film would undoubtedly be unwatchable. His role, con-man Kint, is so well-crafted that any actor would want to play it, but no one can do it credit and take it to new levels like Spacey.

One of the key reasons this film is still one of the most rewatched is because of his performance. Spacey received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. The Writers Guild of America ranked the film as having the 35th greatest screenplay of all time.

Detailed Information:

Directed by: Bryan Singer

Starring: Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin Pollak

Release dates: January 25, 1995 (Sundance)/August 16, 1995 (United States)
Running time: 106 minutes

American Beauty is a 1999 American black comedy-drama film written by Alan Ball and directed by Sam Mendes. Lester Burnham, portrayed by Kevin Spacey, is an advertising executive who suffers a midlife crisis after falling in love with his teenage daughter's closest friend, played by Mena Suvari. The film's explorations of romantic and paternal love, sexuality, materialism, self-liberation, and redemption have been described by academics as a satire about American middle-class conceptions of beauty and personal happiness.

The entire cast gives outstanding performances, but Kevin Spacey gives one of the best Kevin Spacey performances of all time. Spacey's performance was praised, and he won his well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role, as well as several other awards, including the BAFTA Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and numerous nominations, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.

Detailed Information:

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari

Release dates: September 8, 1999 (Grauman's Egyptian Theatre)/September 15, 1999 (United States)
Running time: 122 minutes

Se7en is a 1995 American neo-noir psychological crime thriller film directed by David Fincher. The film follows David Mills (Pitt), a detective who teams up with William Somerset (Freeman), a retired cop, to track down a serial murderer who uses the seven deadly sins as a motif in his murders. Se7en is one of the most horrific serial killer thrillers ever created, with outstanding performances by Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, and especially Kevin Spacey. He played the villain with just the right amount of menacing menace without being overbearing. Despite having far less screen time than Freeman and Pitt, he managed to outperform them with a memorable and unsettling performance.

He was nominated for several awards, including the ACCA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain. This film made over $327 million worldwide, making it the ninth highest-grossing film of the year. The film's brutal and dark theme, as well as the performances, were acclaimed by critics.

Detailed Information:

Directed by: David Fincher

Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, John C. McGinley, Kevin Spacey

Release dates: September 15, 1995 (Alice Tully Hall)/September 22, 1995 (United States)
Running time: 127 minutes

Swimming with Sharks (also known as The Boss and Buddy Factor) is a 1994 American dark psychological comedy-drama film. This incredible film follows a naive and youthful Hollywood studio assistant who finally turns the tables on his cruel employer. The story focused on the issue of workplace bullying and dissatisfaction, which has been addressed several times before and after this film, but there are few films that are more brilliantly handled than this one.

Spacey's portrayal of the abusive employer is so genuine that you'll hate him with all your heart. He was nominated for several awards and received excellent appreciation from reviewers. Swimming with Sharks has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 78 percent positive reviews based on 36 reviews, with the consensus being: "Swimming With Sharks is a smart, merciless Hollywood satire that's darkly hilarious and observant, thanks to Kevin Spacey's performance as ruthless studio mogul Buddy Ackerman".

Detailed Information:

Directed by: George Huang

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley, Michelle Forbes, Benicio del Toro

Release dates: September 10, 1994 (TIFF)/April 21, 1995
Running time: 93 minutes

Recount is a 2008 political drama television film. This film is a dramatization of the 2000 presidential election, in which Al Gore accepts Bush as president but then withdraws after learning of the vote-counting irregularities in Florida. Along with Republicans, Democratic strategists have rushed to Florida to seek the facts.

This film received a lot of accolades, notably for Kevin Spacey's portrayal. It felt more like a documentary since his performance and dialogue were so natural. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries, a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries.

Detailed Information:

Genre: Political drama

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr., Laura Dern

Running time: 116 minutes

Original release: May 25, 2008

Telstar: The Joe Meek Story is a 2008 film adaptation of James Hicks and Nick Moran's play Telstar, about record producer Joe Meek, which premiered in London's West End in June 2005 at the New Ambassadors Theatre. The protagonist of the story, Joe Meek, is a record producer who was musically illiterate and tone-deaf but had a talent for creating and was obsessed with music. Meek's strange business manager is played by Spacey, who has a notable upper-class English accent. With his outstanding performance, he certainly enhances the overall quality of the film.

On Sunday, Scotland's Siobhan Synnot applauded the film for not using the usual "cinematic gloss." She believes it starts out lightheartedly but quickly evolves into a "harrowing film," and that Telstar "knocks the wind out of the sails" of The Boat That Rocked by providing "more substantial and engaged" performances.

Detailed Information:

Directed by: Nick Moran

Starring: Con O'Neill, Kevin Spacey, Pam Ferris, JJ Feild

Release dates: October 25, 2008 (London Film Festival)/June 19, 2009 (United Kingdom)
Running time: 119 minutes

The Negotiator is a 1998 American action thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray. This action-packed film follows a police negotiator on his mission to prove his innocence after being accused of murder and corruption. It's a remarkable film, with the excellent screenplay, directing, and acting.

Due to the outstanding performances of Kevin Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson, this film is undervalued and deserves considerably more recognition. In his less-than-enthused review for the San Francisco Chronicle, Mick LaSalle praised Spacey's performance the most: "Kevin Spacey is the main reason to see The Negotiator...Spacey's special gift is his ability to make sanity look radiant...In The Negotiator, as in L.A. Confidential, he gives us a man uniquely able to accept, face and deal with the truth".

Detailed Information:

Directed by: F. Gary Gray

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse, Ron Rifkin

Release date: July 29, 1998
Running time: 140 minutes

Elvis & Nixon is a 2016 American comedy-drama film. The film follows the hidden true story behind Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n Roll, and President Richard Nixon's meeting, which resulted in this revealing, but amusing moment preserved in the National Archives' most sought image.

Spacey did an excellent job in his portrayal of Nixon. He exudes the perfect amount of amusement and humor. Spacy and Shannon had fantastic chemistry, and they both gave incredible performances as those two icons. Flickering Myth enjoyed the film: “Elvis & Nixon is an entirely pleasant 86 minutes in the cinema – entertaining, humorous and well-made, albeit somewhat forgettable. Also, it’s further proof that a female director can harness the energy of two top male thespians portraying macho men”.

Detailed Information:

Directed by: Liza Johnson

Starring: Michael Shannon, Kevin Spacey, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Knoxville

Release dates: April 18, 2016 (Tribeca)/April 22, 2016 (United States)
Running time: 86 minutes

J. C. Chandor's feature directorial debut, Margin Call, is a 2011 American financial drama film written and directed by him. This independent drama film tells the story of a 24-hour period in the life of a Wall Street investment bank during the financial crisis of 2007-2008. It primarily focuses on the behavior of a group of employees during the financial crisis.

Spacey and Bettany both gave outstanding performances, with Spacey particularly shining. This film broke box office records on its first day of release, grossing more than $10 million in video-on-demand sales. During its widest theatrical release, it was seen in 199 theaters. It made an extra $14,150,000 in overseas sales, bringing the total gross theatrical income to $19,504,039 in total.

Detailed Information:

Directed by: J. C. Chandor

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto

Release dates: January 25, 2011 (Sundance)/October 21, 2011 (United States)
Running time: 109 minutes