The Best Movies Starring Brad Renfro

In making a list for the best movies starring Brad Renfro I was conflicted by whether or not to focus on the movies themselves or the acting done by Renfro specifically. This list ends up being a balance of both aspects in that some movies I am not a huge fan of made the short list because of Brad Renfro's talent, while movies I really thought were cool did not make it because of Renfro's more limited involvement. However, let me just mention that "Ghost World" and "The Jacket" were good movies. "Sleepers" and perhaps "Bully" would be on the list as well if I were to expand beyond five picks. "The Cure" wasn't too bad, but I won't say "Tom and Huck" deserves attention.

5. "The Informers" - This was a movie more about style than real substance, or at least that's how I felt about it: boring. Amber Heard and her nude body is what I most remember about "The Informers," but Brad Renfro had some strong presence in the movie as well. He was a talented guy and deserved a mention in the Oscar reel of passed stars that omitted him after his death.

4. "Deuces Wild" - A coming of age during the time of slicked back hair-doo gangs, Brad Renfro showed he had the talent to lead a movie. He held his own in the cool department across from the gravely voiced Stephen Dorff.

3. "10th and Wolf" - I am a big fan of gangster movies and this direct to DVD offering was a nice surprise to me. Brad Renfro plays the supporting character of Vincent. He brought strength and emotion to this tale in which a man returns from the military to spy on his gangster filled neighborhood, based on events written about by the agent behind the "Donnie Brasco" story. James Marsden was the leading actor with Giovanni Ribisi being the only other actor really running ahead in the credits of Brad Renfro.

2. "The Client" - It was at an early age that Brad Renfro made is mark on the world of acting, with this legal thriller. He plays a kid that witnesses some horrible stuff and becomes the target of men who want to make sure he doesn't tell too many people about what he has learned from said horrible stuff. Mark Sway in "The Client" was Brad Renfro's first movie acting credit.

1. "Apt Pupil" - Based on a story by Stephen King, "Apt Pupil" is about a young man who discovers his neighbor is a demented Nazi in hiding. Brad Renfro owned this role helping make the story unfold at a high level of intensity.