Hollywood’s ultimate family man, Vin Diesel, has been part of the film world since childhood, landing his first role at just seven. He began in theater and worked as a bouncer at Manhattan’s Tunnel club, where the athletic Mark Sinclair adopted the name Vin Diesel, a perfect fit for his new image. His big break came with Saving Private Ryan, and he has since starred in action-packed, adrenaline-fueled films filled with racing, fights, and high-stakes thrills. But Diesel also steps into softer roles now and then, like a caring nanny or the lovable tree-like alien, Groot. In our selection, you’ll find the best films starring Vin Diesel.
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- The Fast and the Furious
- Riddick
- The Chronicles of Riddick
- Boiler Room
- XXX
- Find Me Guilty
- Babylon A.D.
- The Last Witch Hunter
- Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
- Pitch Black
The Fast and the Furious
IMDb: 6.8/10
2001, Action, Crime, Thriller
USA, PG-13
Director: Rob Cohen
Top cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez
The ruthless street gangs of Los Angeles have found a new way to settle scores and carve out territory. Instead of contract killings, they now race in modified cars with souped-up engines, where incredible speed is the thin line between life and death. A young undercover cop infiltrates one of these gangs, becoming a street racer himself to win the criminals' trust. His mission: to uncover who’s behind the mysterious hijackings of trucks loaded with valuable cargo.
Riddick
IMDb: 6.4/10
2013, Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
USA, R
Director: David Twohy
Top cast: Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Katee Sackhoff
The prime target of an intergalactic empire finds himself stranded on a desolate planet, pursued by two groups of mercenaries — with the planet’s predatory wildlife lurking nearby. Riddick picks up the story of a beloved character left in the shadows since 2004. This time, the filmmakers have refined their approach: a tighter budget, a familiar storyline, a focus on the lead character’s charisma, and an abundance of action-packed scenes.
The Chronicles of Riddick
IMDb: 6.6/10
2004, Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
USA, R
Director: David Twohy
Top cast: Vin Diesel, Judi Dench, Colm Feore
Riddick, a former convict with the unique ability to see in the dark, has become the most wanted man in the Universe. He’s caught in the crossfire between two powerful forces: Lord Marshal, the leader of the militant Necromonger sect, has launched the tenth Crusade in the 26th century — possibly humanity’s last. Opposing this tyrant’s army is a wise cosmic race. As Riddick tries to escape from an underground prison, he ends up aboard a Necromonger ship, sparking an epic battle for the future of all galaxies, both living and dead.
Boiler Room
IMDb: 7/10
2000, Crime, Drama, Thriller
USA, R
Director: Ben Younger
Top cast: Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long
Boiler Room is a drama that can melt even the coldest broker’s heart. Vin Diesel takes on the role of Chris Varick — a self-assured financial shark with an unexpected compassion for investors who’ve lost it all. The film stands out for its strong storyline and scenes that would later inspire Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street.
XXX
IMDb: 5.8/10
2002, Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller
USA, PG-13
Director: Rob Cohen
Top cast: Vin Diesel, Asia Argento, Marton Csokas
XXX is a drama about extreme-sports spy Xander Cage. He must infiltrate an underground Russian crime ring and take on its clever and ruthless leader. Audiences loved the film’s mix of humor and self-parody, which complemented its solid action scenes and gave us a charismatic hero and a villain you love to hate. Two sequels followed the original, but Diesel returned only for the third, which had lost some of its original impact.
Find Me Guilty
IMDb: 7/10
2006, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Drama
Germany, USA, R
Director: Sidney Lumet
Top cast: Vin Diesel, Peter Dinklage, Ron Silver
Find Me Guilty is a tragicomedy about the trial of the Lucchese crime family. In real life, this mafia trial dragged on for two years because one family member, Jackie DiNorscio, decided to represent himself in court. Vin Diesel plays the chatty gangster, a role he fits into naturally.
Babylon A.D.
IMDb: 5.5/10
2008, Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
UK, France, USA, Czech Republic, PG-13
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Top cast: Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Mélanie Thierry
The world of Babylon is split into two after an unclear military conflict: the eastern side, an icy, post-apocalyptic wasteland ruled by Russia, is a refuge for outcasts of all kinds, while the western side is an economically and technologically advanced paradise governed by the U.S. Diesel stars as Turup, a disgraced mercenary lost in the snowy wilderness of New Siberia. Exiled to the East, Turup gets a chance to return home for a fresh start — he just has to transport a mysterious young woman who escaped from a cult to the West. As he spends more time with her, he begins to see just how blurred the lines between good and evil really are.
The Last Witch Hunter
IMDb: 5.9/10
2015, Action, Adventure, Fantasy
USA, Canada, China, PG-13
Director: Breck Eisner
Top cast: Vin Diesel, Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood
In a dark fantasy world where witches lurk among humans, the immortal witch hunter Calder wages his eternal battle. Armed with an ancient armoury and unparalleled fighting skills, he has been guarding humanity from dark forces for eight centuries. However, when an ancient witch queen returns from oblivion to avenge her fall, Calder must face the most dangerous opponent of his long life. Together with the young witch Chloe and the enigmatic scribe Dolan, he embarks on a dangerous journey to prevent new chaos and save the world from plunging into darkness.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
IMDb: 6.2/10
2016, Action, Comedy
USA, UK, R
Director: Ang Lee
Top cast: Joe Alwyn, Garrett Hedlund, Arturo Castro
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is an anti-war drama featuring Vin Diesel as Sergeant Virgil Brim. A group of young soldiers returns from Iraq for a two-week tour, ending with a halftime show at a Thanksgiving football game. Nineteen-year-old Billy Lynn, awarded the Silver Star for bravery, had attempted to carry Sergeant Brim out of the line of fire. Although Brim ultimately dies from his injuries, Billy stands on the stage in the middle of the football field, reflecting on their conversations about life, war, and Brim’s final words to his fellow soldiers.
Pitch Black
IMDb: 7/10
2000, Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
USA, R
Director: David Twohy
Top cast: Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Vin Diesel
The film introduces us to Richard B. Riddick, a mysterious criminal being transported on a spaceship to a prison. When the ship crashes on a planet where daylight lasts 22 years, the survivors face a terrifying reality: when night finally falls, deadly creatures emerge from the caves, killing anything in their path. Riddick is the classic action hero — strong, fierce, silent, and exceptionally smart, with the added advantage of night vision.
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