| An | Titlu | Rol | Note |
| 1975 | Landfall | Eric | |
| Ashes | Priest | |
| 1977 | Sleeping Dogs | Smith | |
| 1979 | Just Out of Reach | Mike | |
| Journalist, TheThe Journalist | Rex | |
| My Brilliant Career | Harry Beecham | |
| 1981 | Omen III: The Final Conflict | Adult Damien Thorn | voce |
| Possession | Mark | |
| From a Far Country | Marian | |
| 1982 | Ivanhoe | Brian de Bois-Guilbert | |
| Attack Force Z | Sergeant D.J. (Danny) Costello | |
| 1983 | Enigma | Dimitri Vasilikov | |
| 1984 | Blood of Others, TheThe Blood of Others | Bergman | |
| 1985 | Robbery Under Arms | Cpt. Starlight | |
| Plenty | Lazar | |
| 1986 | For Love Alone | James Quick | |
| 1987 | Good Wife, TheThe Good Wife | Neville Gifford | |
| 1988 | Evil Angels (A Cry in the Dark)[13] | Michael Chamberlain | Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role |
| 1989 | Dead Calm | John Ingram | |
| Révolution française, LaLa Révolution française | Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette | |
| 1990 | Hunt for Red October, TheThe Hunt for Red October | Captain Vasily Borodin | |
| Shadow of China | TV reporter | Credited as John Dermot |
| 1991 | Death in Brunswick | Carl 'Cookie' Fitzgerald | Nominated - Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role |
| Until the End of the World | Eugene Fitzpatrick | |
| 1992 | Rainbow Warrior, TheThe Rainbow Warrior | Alan Galbraith | |
| Memoirs of an Invisible Man | David Jenkins | |
| Hostage | John Rennie | |
| 1993 | Piano, TheThe Piano | Alisdair Stewart | Nominated - Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
| Jurassic Park | Dr. Alan Grant | |
| Sirens | Norman Lindsay | |
| 1994 | Country Life | Dr. Max Askey | |
| Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book | Colonel Geofferey Brydon | |
| In the Mouth of Madness | John Trent | |
| 1995 | Restoration | King Charles II | |
| 1996 | Children of the Revolution | Nine | |
| Victory | Mr. Jones | |
| 1997 | Event Horizon | Dr. William Weir | |
| Snow White: A Tale of Terror | Lord Fredric Hoffman | |
| 1998 | Horse Whisperer, TheThe Horse Whisperer | Robert MacLean | |
| Sweet Revenge | Henry Bell | |
| Revengers' Comedies, TheThe Revengers' Comedies | Henry Bell | |
| 1999 | Molokai | Walter Murray Gibson | |
| Bicentennial Man | 'Sir' Richard Martin | |
| 2000 | My Mother Frank | Professor Mortlock | Nominated - Australian Film Institute Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role |
| Dish, TheThe Dish | Cliff Buxton | |
| The Magic Pudding | Sam Sawnoff | Voice role |
| 2001 | Jurassic Park III | Dr. Alan Grant | |
| Zookeeper, TheThe Zookeeper | Ludovic | Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival Award for Best Actor |
| 2002 | Dirty Deeds | Ray | |
| Leunig Animated | Narrator | |
| 2003 | Perfect Strangers | The Man | |
| Yes | Anthony | |
| 2004 | Wimbledon | Dennis Bradbury | |
| 2005 | Gallipoli | Narrator | Voice role |
| Little Fish | The Jockey | |
| 2006 | Irresistible | Craig | |
| 2007 | Angel | Théo | |
| 2008 | Dean Spanley | Dean Spanley | |
| Skin | Abraham Laing | |
| 2009 | I Am You | Mr. Reid | |
| Iron Road | Alfred Nichol | |
| Under the Mountain | Mr. Jones | |
| Daybreakers | Charles Bromley | |
| 2010 | Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole | Allomere | Voice role |
| 2011 | The Dragon Pearl | Chris Chase | |
| Hunter, TheThe Hunter | Jack Mindy | Nominated - Australian Film Institute Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| 2012 | Vow, TheThe Vow | Bill Thornton | |
| 2013 | Escape Plan | Dr. Kyrie | |
| Mariah Mundi and the Midas Box | Otto Luger | |