Cobb’s deteriorating mental state is on full display as he and his team work to infiltrate the mind of wealthy business heir Robert Michael Fischer (Cillian Murphy, Batman Begins). While Hans Zimmer’s immersive score is the true star of the show, the incredible ensemble cast, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises), Ellen Page (Juno), Tom Hardy (Warrior), and Marion Cotillard (Allied), work hard to further enhance the world.

Inception is a modern classic, with one of the biggest reasons being DiCaprio’s ability to captivate his audience with his acting. Top class. 

3. The Revenant (2015)

Often known as “the one that finally got Leo his Oscar,” The Revenant is an insane western-revenge tale based on the true story of frontiersman Hugh Glass. After he is attacked by a bear in the Dakotas and left to die, Glass is motivated to survive by revenge when the man that left him there, John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy, Mad Max: Fury Road), murders his son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck, The Republic of Sarah).

This film is a beautiful masterpiece full of one-takes, exquisite natural lighting, intense thematic material, and a score that will make your heart sing in sorrow. DiCaprio knocks this one out of the park, fully committing to the survival aspect of the picture in a way no other actor would dare (eating an animal heart is no small feat). Director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman) has truly outdone himself here.

4. The Departed (2005)

We’ve mentioned this one before when writing about the best gangster flicks and as one of Jack Nicholson’s best, but Scorsese also pulls a performance out of DiCaprio that none could rival. Here, he plays the Boston PD’s mole within the Irish mob, Billy Costigan, who does everything he can to get on the good side of mob boss Costello (Nicholson) before his emotional and mental state completely deteriorates. He’s a man teetering on the edge.