Rob Reiner didn’t just “get good grades.” He had such a ridiculous track record that every year a director releases a new masterpiece. Comedy, romance, horror, courtroom drama, coming of age…somehow he made it all look easy. In the wake of his tragic death, we thought we’d take a look back at some of Rob Reiner’s films that perhaps best defined his career and remain relevant to this day. In no particular order…
This is something I will never let go of. Reiner’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novella The Body is an honest, not melodramatic, look at the fragile moment when childhood is lost. Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell form one of the great young ensembles, each bringing something raw and recognizable to the screen. It’s funny, tender, and quietly shattered by the final moments. A perfect movie about impermanence, friendship, and growing up.
The Princess Bride (1987)
A fantasy that only works because you believe in yourself. Reiner balances romance, adventure, comedy, and parody without slipping into smugness. Cary Elwes and Robin Wright carry the film faithfully, while Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, and Wallace Shawn provide memorable support. Every element clicks, every performance arrives, and somehow this movie still feels as magical now as it did decades ago. It’s not cynical comfortable viewing. It’s honest pleasant viewing.
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
A rare romantic comedy that truly makes people understand. Reiner and Nora Ephron leave the emotional heavy lifting to time to build something conversational, messy, and deeply relatable. The chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan is iconic, but the film’s staying power comes from the honesty of its observations. The stops, starts, questions, and deviations feel like being separated from real life. Witty, warm, and quietly subversive in its own right.
Reiner proved that he was capable of expressing not only pure tension and brutal moments (who can forget the scene where he gets shot with a sledgehammer), but also warmth. The misery is brutally contained, reducing Stephen King’s story to acting and pressure. Kathy Bates is at her best as Annie Wilkes opposite James Caan, but the film works because Reiner refuses excess. Rather than relying solely on shock, he builds up the fear slowly and relentlessly.
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
They are so influential that it seems unfair to rank them. Reiner didn’t just parody rock documentaries; He rewired how comedy works in movies. With Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer giving it their all, the jokes creep in and play out like they were caught by chance rather than scripted. Humor only works when it’s taken seriously, and the absurdity feels plausible. Decades later, that still feels dangerously believable.
Peak Studios film production. Reiner gives Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue the space it needs and keeps the story clean, tense and propulsive. Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Jack Nicholson were perfectly cast, and Nicholson’s breakout performance is now etched in pop culture history. This is one of those movies that you can always get into and be drawn into right away, even if you know every beat by heart.
Although often overshadowed by his later works, this is a truly sharp and funny road trip romantic comedy that captures all the awkward confidence of young people. John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga have an easy, lively chemistry, while Reiner keeps things grounded and human. Humor comes from a clash of personalities, not a gimmick.
Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin share one body and somehow it just works. Reiner commands high-concept comedy with surprising precision, allowing Martin’s physical performance to shine while capitalizing on Tomlin’s presence. It’s broader than his later classics, but still anchored by character and control rather than chaos.
President of the United States (1995)
The film is soft-spoken and optimistic, but now it feels almost radical. Michael Douglas and Annette Bening bring warmth and intelligence to a romance that unfolds under political pressure, and Reiner blends civility and emotion with old-fashioned confidence. It may not have the flavor of his earlier work, but its sincerity is deliberate and quietly affecting.
Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
A serious, measured drama that shows Reiner stretching beyond crowd-pleasing territory. Centered around performances by Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, and James Woods, the film trades showmanship for restraint. It doesn’t have the cultural footprint of his biggest hits, but it’s thoughtful, earnest, and clearly driven by conviction rather than comfort.
Vail, Rob Reiner. Your work will live on…
From the mid-’80s to the early ’90s, Rob Reiner delivered a ludicrously focused set of classics across disparate genres. It’s something that most filmmakers would never touch. What unites them is clarity, not visual flash or a writer’s trademark. Strong casting, disciplined storytelling, and an instinct for knowing when to step back and let the performances carry weight.
Reiner trusted the actors, trusted the script, and trusted the audience to encounter this work. That confidence is what makes these films feel so alive today. It is not preserved as a relic. They are monitored, cited and communicated. The work he left behind is not a definitive masterpiece. This is a body of work that continues to find new audiences and new meaning long after the credits have finished.
