Trying to describe Guy Ritchie's career is a fascinating task. The British filmmaker rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with such crime sprees as "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch." After a string of flops, most notably "Swept Away," starring then-wife Madonna, Ritchie moved on to big-budget films, anchored by two "Sherlock Holmes" films. It is almost inconceivable that the director of the hard-hitting gangster comedy "Snatch" would have also directed the Disney-backed fantasy blockbuster "Aladdin."

From B-movies to studio films, Ritchie has proven that his trademark style works in a variety of genres. Witty dialogue, free-spirited characters, and energetic action are etched into Ritchie's filmography. Not everything works, but all of Ritchie's films are uniquely his own, backed by his personal and outspoken style of filmmaking.

With the release of "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Service," we have ranked Ritchie's seven best films.

Don't be fooled by its poor box office performance. The Covenant of Guy Ritchie is a solid war film with a compelling premise. Jake Gyllenhaal plays U.S. Army Chief John Kinley, and Dar Salim plays Ahmed, an interpreter assigned to Kinley's unit in Afghanistan. Ahmed, who has been catastrophically wounded by Kinley, risks his life to carry the sergeant from the Taliban-occupied area to safety.

Weeks later, Ahmed and his family are targeted by the Taliban and Kinley is forced to return to Afghanistan to save his friend. While Ritchie's films are typically comedic crime capers, "Covenant" is surprisingly emotional, with a heavy message against the U.S. government's failure to protect its translators. Politics aside, "Covenant" is a satisfying film, supported by the chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Salim.

Watch on Prime Video

"Wrath of Man" is the first reunion in 16 years for Ritchie and his leading muse, Jason Statham. Based on the French film "Cash Truck," "Wrath of Death Road" stars Statham as Patrick "H" Hill. When the assailants try to steal the money from the truck, H easily takes out the gang thanks to his skills as an elite marksman. H is no ordinary security guard; he took this job for one reason only: to get revenge on those who wronged him.

On the surface, Wrath of Man seems like the perfect film for Richie's style. It's a heist movie with a macho, tough-guy protagonist bent on revenge. However, Wrath of Man lacks the witty dialogue and colorful characters of Ritchie's previous films. This is arguably Ritchie's darkest film, with little humor. It is a pleasant surprise for Ritchie, who has proven he can direct a serious action thriller.

Watch on Prime Video

What if Sherlock Holmes were an action hero? This question is the basis for how Ritchie adapted Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic character into a film. Starring Robert Downey, Jr. infused this master detective with attitude, wit, and personality. In other words, Downey is being Downey, aka "the most charming man in the room." Co-starring with him is Jude Law as Holmes' right-hand man, Dr. John Watson. Their mission is to find and stop Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), a murderer who terrorizes London through supernatural means.

Detective work is secondary to the action, but "Sherlock Holmes" rests on the capable shoulders of Downey and Law, whose humor and chemistry make them an engaging duo. It also proves that Ritchie can deliver given a studio budget, setting the stage for the next decade of his career.

Watch on Apple TV Plus

Before becoming a popular Netflix TV series, The Gentleman was a film that premiered just before the start of the pandemic. Matthew McConaughey plays Mickey Pearson, an American entrepreneur turned marijuana kingpin in London. When Mickey sells the business and attempts to retire with his wife, several menacing figures, including "Dry Eye" (Henry Golding), attempt to undermine and take away his empire.

After a decade of stagnation, "The Gentlemen" heralded Ritchie's return to the genre that made him a household name. The film's "nonlinear storytelling, sharp-edged dialogue, and standout characters. Overall, fans of Ritchie will be pleased with "The Gentlemen."

Rent/Buy on Amazon or Apple

While "Snatch" perfected Ritchie's crime caper technique, "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels" provided the blueprint for his success. In Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Ritchie's feature film directorial debut, four friends (Jason Statham, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, and Jason Fleming) lose a high stakes poker game and find themselves in serious debt. The four, strapped for cash, overhear their neighbors' plan to steal money from drug dealers. When the neighbors carry out the robbery, the foursome plans to rob the neighbors of the stolen money.

Upon its release, Ritchie was compared to Quentin Tarantino, and it is a fair comparison, as there are some similarities between the two directors, including criminal investigations, standout dialogue, and rambunctious characters. However, Ritchie's 20+ year career has proven to audiences that his signature style stands on its own, and it all started with "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels."

Rent/Buy on Amazon or Apple

"Spectre" is Ritchie's version of James Bond. This stylish spy movie is based on the 1960s TV series. The Man from U.N.C.L.E., set during the Cold War, stars Henry Cavill as CIA agent Napoleon Solo and Armie Hammer as KGB agent Ilya Kuryakin; the two agents form an uneasy alliance, and the kidnapped daughter of a nuclear scientist, Gaby Teller ( Alicia Vikander) to stop a criminal organization from building a nuclear bomb.

While many of Ritchie's films focus on bromance, adding a woman to form a tricky love triangle proved to be a winning combination. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is beautiful to look at, from the style and scenery to the cars and fashions. Due to its disappointing box office, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is one of Ritchie's most underrated films, and deserves a sequel."

Rent/Buy on Amazon or Apple

This is Ritchie's magnum opus. Everything that audiences have come to love about Ritchie is on top form in Snatch. Set in London's criminal underworld, "Snatch" revolves around two intertwined conspiracies. One involves a boxing promoter named Turkish (Jason Statham) who gets into trouble with crime lord Brick Top (Alan Ford) after one of his boxers, the out-of-the-ordinary Mickey O'Neill, fails to make the match. Another plotline is a diamond heist with quirky characters like Frankie for Fingers (Benicio del Toro) and Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones).

Richie's signature traits are scattered throughout Snatch, from memorable characters with unique names to non-linear storytelling and animated dialogue. Ritchie has taken what worked so well in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and multiplied it tenfold. It's extravagance and excess at its best. No one makes crime comedies better than Ritchie. Bonus points for anyone who can understand a single word Pitt says.

Watch on Prime Video