Top 20 Greatest Sniper Scenes in Movies
#20: Rescuing Phillips
“Captain Phillips” (2013)
On April 12, 2009, Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama was rescued from three Somali pirates. All three were killed by Navy SEAL snipers. This harrowing rescue is thrillingly dramatized in the climax of “Captain Phillips.” It’s an enticing sequence, both impeccably acted and richly shot, with shaky cam and claustrophobic angles. The situation itself is incredibly exciting, as the snipers are forced to deal with suboptimal distances, a rocking lifeboat, a panicking Phillips, and erratic pirates. The scene also has a fantastic ending, with the stopping tow sending the third pirate into the window. It’s an extraordinary climax of an extraordinary film.
#19: The Sniper
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“Full Metal Jacket” (1987)
One of the quintessential Vietnam films, Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” also contains a stellar climactic sequence. The squad is pinned down by a Viet Cong sniper, and she proceeds to kill Doc Jay, Eightball, and Cowboy. The remaining squad eventually finds the sniper, discovering that it’s just a young girl. Joker proceeds to mercy kill the sniper after she is shot by Rafterman. The entire sequence is utterly horrifying and revelatory (which is typical of Kubrick), complete with tense pacing and some fantastic set design. The final act was filmed at London’s Beckton Gas Works, and it makes for a highly memorable location. It looks like Hell on Earth, which is essentially what Vietnam was.
#18: Mr. X
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“Wanted” (2008)
Well, no one ever said that “Wanted” was realistic. A character named Mr. X takes out four snipers by flying through the air and curving bullets around obstacles. It’s all very silly, but at least it looks really cool. But then Mr. X goes down himself, taken out by a rogue assassin named Cross. The movie then displays its originality by reversing the action and showing the nonsensical path of the bullet, which was fired from miles away. Absolutely none of it makes any literal sense, but that’s exactly what makes “Wanted,” and this scene in particular, so much fun to watch!
#17: The Glass Elevator Kill
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“Violent City” (1970)
Released in 1970, “Violent City” is a kind of mix between hard boiled films and Spaghetti Westerns, starring action movie star extraordinaire, Charles Bronson. One scene has two characters riding up a glass elevator, which is attached to the exterior of the building. As they ride in silence, the man is hit four times by an invisible sniper. The trapped woman proceeds to scan the nearby rooftops but cannot find anyone. That is, until she herself dies from a precise shot to the head. While the acting is a little hammy, the scene is still quite effective at building tension, and it is a cool premise. Points for originality!
#16: The Passing Train
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“Gemini Man” (2019)
This movie gives “Wanted” a run for its money when it comes to ludicrous sniping. In this outlandish scene, Will Smith’s Henry Brogan shoots a bio-terrorist on a moving train. Brogan lies down, fiddles with the rifle’s knobs, makes some calculations, and is informed by an inside man that the train is traveling at roughly 150 miles per hour. He proceeds to shoot ahead of the speeding train so that the terrorist’s head eventually meets up with the bullet. It’s a very silly scene, but it’s also a very entertaining one. It’s a lot of cool fun watching Henry’s process, and there’s something about that window pop that is ultimately satisfying.
#15: Killing the Rebel Leader
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“Sniper” (1993)
What better movie to display fun sniper scenes than a movie actually called “Sniper?” Tom Berenger stars as Tom Beckett, a Master Gunnery Sergeant who is sent to kill a rebel leader in the jungles of Panama. This one is quite an interesting scene, as much of it is dedicated to Beckett’s scope. The viewers are given Beckett’s point of view, seeing the action through his scope while the spotter gives out information. Anyone watching will be holding their breath as Beckett zeroes in, so powerful is the scene’s prolonged tension. The sound design is also notable, with the loud and relentless sounds of the jungle slowly escalating to a near-unbearable breaking point. It’s a great sniper scene in a movie full of them.
#14: The Drill Site Shootout
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“Wind River” (2017)
Taylor Sheridan’s drama stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, both of whom work together to solve a mysterious death on Wyoming’s Wind River Reservation. Their investigation eventually leads them to a drilling site, and it’s here that a massive shootout breaks out. Olsen’s Jane Banner is injured in the attack, but just as she’s about to be executed, the guard is killed by Renner’s Cory Lambert. Cory takes out four guards from a distance, using his disguise to blend into the snow and one-up his assailants. It’s a crazy good sequence, with Renner’s character remaining off-screen to help establish his elusive nature. It effectively depicts the fear and paranoia that comes with an attacking sniper.
#13: A Terrible Morning
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“Jack Reacher” (2012)
In so many ways, sniper rifles can be the scariest weapon of all. They allow their users to kill from a distance, and remain anonymous while doing so. That sense of unimaginable horror is captured to brutal perfection in the opening of “Jack Reacher.” A mysterious man plants himself near Pittsburgh’s Allegheny River and begins taking shots at random civilians. It’s a horrifying sequence, made all the worse owing to its sound design. Viewers hear nothing but the loud shots and the calm breathing of the man. The lack of cinematic flair lends to the scene’s realism, and it conveys an oppressive atmosphere of paranoia.
#12: Assassination Attempt
“The Day of the Jackal” (1973)
Snipers don’t have to be successful for a scene to turn out well. Based on Frederick Forsyth’s novel, “The Day of the Jackal” concerns the titular villain’s attempt to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle. The tension throughout the climactic sequence is extraordinary, as the entire film has been building to this sequence The scene is drawn out with unbearable intensity, with the Jackal preparing his shot, the police rushing in to stop him, and de Gaulle presenting medals on the street. It’s an expertly edited convergence of characters and storylines, and it all unfolds with incredible verve.
#11: Sniping the Bucket
“Quigley Down Under” (1990)
Starring Tom Selleck as Matthew Quigley, “Quigley Down Under” is a solid little Western about an exceptional sharpshooter. Quigley owns a modified rifle that allows him to hit long-distance targets, and he shows off this talent in one of the movie’s most memorable sequences. Elliott Marston has a bucket placed impossibly far in the distance, and it appears as little more than a speck on the horizon. Quigley steps up, and amid everyone’s disbelieving glances and mumbles, nails the bucket three different times. It’s a greatly enjoyable sequence which is aided by the presence of Alan Rickman as the smug Marston. Watching his prideful smile disappear is immensely satisfying.
#10: Sniper Training
“Clear and Present Danger” (1994)
In preparation for a top secret black-op, Willem Dafoe goes in search of an elite sniper. While assessing his abilities, instructors survey the landscape, while the sniper must take shots at a metal target, remaining undetected the entire time. The vantage points come from both that of Chavez, the sniper, and the instructors. When the team fails to locate the gunman, they admit defeat and ask him to reveal his location, which was much closer than they could have imagined. The scene works well, establishing the sniper’s skills. The audience is left just as impressed with the sniper as the soldiers are. How does he move around so fast?
#9: The Pimp
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“Phone Booth” (2002)
What do you do when you’ve unintentionally incurred the wrath of a psychopath in possession of a high-powered firearm? According to this 2002 thriller, anything he says. Stu Shepard knows he’s in a bind, trapped in the cross-hairs with no means of escape. Stuck in a phone booth on someone else’s turf, he ticks off a prostitute, who sics her pimp on him. Desperate, he tries to pay them off, but only manages to make matters worse. In a cruel twist, Stu’s tormentor offers to also serve as his protector, further complicating the power dynamic between them. In the heat of the moment, Stu yells out “yes”, and the sniper takes the lethal shot. Talk about a talented shooter and manipulator.
#8: That’s My Kill
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“Jarhead” (2005)
It seems simple, but the military’s primary job when training soldiers... is to make soldiers– people able to react and detach themselves, at least for a time, from consequences. However, when you’re trained relentlessly to serve a single purpose, the drive to fulfill it can be overwhelming. That is the tragedy of this incredible scene from “Jarhead.” The snipers set up their shot perfectly, are given clearance, and are ready to fulfill their duties. However, at the last second Major Lincoln abruptly changes the plan. The disappointment is too much for Corporal Troy to take. Throughout the film, the pressure has been building to this moment. Robbed of his release, Troy implodes.
#7: Mountain Shootout
“Shooter” (2007)
On top of a snowy mountain, Bob Lee Swagger agrees to an exchange: evidence for a hostage. He was set up, framed for the murder of an Ethiopian archbishop while on the job looking for a would-be assassin. But after having gathered the evidence he would clear his name, the widow of his best friend is kidnapped by the same people who framed him. Let’s just say, he’s got more than a couple axes to grind. Staked out on the icy side of the mountain, Swagger coolly – pardon the pun – takes out the other snipers, before completely disabling Jack Payne with nearly impossibly accurate shots. The moral of the story: Don’t betray someone with a telescopic lens and a deadeye.
#6: Waterloo Station
“The Bourne Ultimatum” (2007)
When Jason Bourne tells you not to move, you damn well better stay put. It’s a lesson that Simon Ross learns the hard way. After gathering information about Bourne and Operation Blackbriar, Ross is followed to London’s Waterloo Station by the CIA and a Blackbriar sniper. Bourne, who’s planning to meet with Ross, soon realizes (as the audience already knows) that something is wrong – a sniper has the drop on Ross. Just as the tension reaches fever pitch, Ross panics and tries to make a run for it, ignoring Bourne’s advice. The end result? A very public execution.
#5: Opening Assassination
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“The Gunman” (2015)
Jim Terrier, an ex-Special Forces soldier, is hired to take out the Congo’s Minister of Mining, who has declared his intention to renegotiate mining contracts with various multinational companies, much to their displeasure. As the Minister’s armored SUV makes its way down the street, Terrier lays in wait. Despite the darkness, and the moving target, Terrier takes the shot, killing not just the Minister but his bodyguard in the front seat as well. The scene is shocking, as a result of both its brutality and brevity. The sudden carnage leaves the audience breathless - proving that it isn’t necessarily a long build-up that brings us to the edge of our seat, but timing.
#4: Pinned Down
“The Hurt Locker” (2008)
Stopping to aid a group of security contractors, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit takes a breather away from the tense chaos of war. This respite is short lived though, as the crack of a sniper shot rings out and an ambush begins. Using the contractors’ .50 caliber rifle, James spots Sanborn’s shots as the team struggles to get through this long distance firefight. In a moment of genuine leadership from James, Sanborn is able to engage the enemy targets, making a few long distance kills. Working as a team, the unit survives.
#3: Tower Sniper
“Saving Private Ryan” (1998)
While making their way through the destroyed French town of Neuville, Captain Miller’s team comes across a desperate family. The father tries to ask them to protect his daughter. Private Caparzo, played by a young Vin Diesel, tries to do the decent thing. As he and Captain Miller fight, a sniper shot cuts through them, hitting Caparzo in the chest. Miller’s men scramble to take cover as a sniper duel unfolds between the German sniper in the church tower, and Private Jackson while Caparzo lays nearby, bleeding slowly to death. The scene feels personal, the sense of helplessness is palpable. Most sniper scenes, by nature, are detached; this one is uncomfortably intimate.
#2: The 2,100 Yard Shot
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“American Sniper” (2014)
There are many elements that can make a scene great. Sometimes it’s about the emotion, sometimes it’s the set up, and sometimes, it’s a mind-blowing display of skill. The shot alone is what makes this scene incredible. A good sniper and spotter have to factor in so many things: distance, wind, arc – and from a distance of 2,100 yards, because of the amount of time the bullet stays in the air, the rotation of the freaking earth! In a work of fiction, this scene would lose some of its impact – but given that “American Sniper” is a biopic, and this impossible shot was a real event … well, like we said: Mind. Blown.
#1: Noise Cover
“Enemy at the Gates” (2001)
There are many great sniper moments we could have chosen from in this WWII dramatic thriller, but the nerve-wracking Battle of Stalingrad scene is a true standout. With their entire unit decimated, except for himself and the injured Commissar Danilov, Vassili Zaitsev must take out the nearby Germans if he hopes to have any chance of escape. The first time we see the legendary sniper in action, he certainly doesn’t disappoint. He cleverly waits for explosions before taking each shot, hiding the sound of his rifle and the fact that they are still alive. The German officers are unaware that their compatriots are dropping like flies around them until it is far too late. You’re not alone in your amazement, Danilov.
