It is at all times tough for a kid star to transition into changing into an grownup actor, however that’s one thing that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was in a position to do seamlessly. He had gained important publicity for his position within the standard sitcom The Third Rock from the Sun, and shortly proved that he was a comedic star worthy of the large display screen together with his position in 10 Things I Hate About You. While there have been indicators that Gordon-Levitt’s abilities have been restricted to the realm of comedy, his collaborations with author/director Rian Johnson on Brick and Looper prompt he had way more vary than lots of his contemporaries.
Gordon-Levitt would quickly show himself as each a romantic lead and motion star, however as per standard for him, he didn’t take the “straightforward” path to success. The romantic comedies 500 Days of summer season (Summer is right here SALE) and 50/50 utilized his inherent charisma in an effort to depict flawed, often unlikeable characters that should do their greatest beneath difficult circumstances. Gordon-Levitt additionally added a contact of humor and inspiration to 2 of Christopher Nolan’s greatest movies together with his performances in Inception and The Dark Knight Rises.
Although he’ll often pop up inside a serious awards contender like The Trial of The Chicago 7 or have a cameo in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Gordon-Levitt has at all times simply accomplished his personal factor; at the moment, he’s making main strikes inside the streaming market by co-starring in a number of Netflix movies and even main the Apple TV+ collection Mr. Corman. Apple TV+ may also be releasing the upcoming musical Flora and Son, which co-stars Gordn-Levitt in a task that Collidersays “performs to his strengths, as he is in a position to be as honest as he desires to be and have it work for him.”
While lots of his greatest roles went unnoticed, hopefully these which can be being attentive to him now will look again at Gordon-Levitt’s surprisingly stacked filmography. Here are a few of the most underrated Joseph Gordon-Levitt films.
8 A River Runs Through It
Columbia Pictures
Robert Redford’s seminal coming-of-age traditional, A River Runs Through It is called the movie that launched Brad Pitt’s profession, however some might overlook that it was additionally one in every of Gordon-Levitt’s earliest roles. He starred as a youthful model of Craig Sheffer’s Norman Maclean through the tender scenes of the 2 brothers rising up collectively.
7 Hesher
Newmarket Films
Hesher is a weird movie that confirmed that Gordon-Levitt was as adept as a bodily comic as he was as a romantic lead. He stars as a milk-chugging metalhead that provides recommendation to a younger boy who’s struggling within the aftermath of his mom’s loss of life. While the movie is often shaggy and Susan Spencer’s writing is often slightly corny, Gordon-Levitt’s pleasant efficiency is purpose sufficient to look at Hesher.
6 Premium Rush
Sony Pictures Releasing
2012 was the yr of Gordon-Levitt’s profession. In the identical 12 months, he starred as John Blake in The Dark Knight Rises, proved his dramatic talents in Johnson’s breakthrough sci-fi motion movie Looper, and appeared as an ensemble member inside Steven Spielberg’s buzzy award season drama Lincoln. While Premium Rush tends to be forgotten inside the different achievements he made that yr, the thrilling bike chase film utilized the sensible writing of David Koepp to create a novel slant on a typical heist film premise.
5 Don Jon
Relativity Media
Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut, Don Jon was a searing indictment of gender relations, standard tradition, trendy relationships, and social media; it’s typically that actors use their directorial debuts as an excuse to provide themselves a conceit challenge, however Gordon-Levitt was prepared to play a flawed character together with his titular position as Jon. Jon struggles to beat his habit to web pornography as he ventures right into a severe relationship together with his new girlfriend (Scarlett Johansson).
Related: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Recalls Bruce Willis Giving Him a Cool Compliment While Filming Looper
4 Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
TWC
Nearly a decade after his first adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel, Robert Rodriguez returned to the world of Sin City for an underrated sequel that deepened the mythology of the unique textual content. Gordon-Levitt’s efficiency because the overconfident gambler Johnny in SIn City: A Dame to Kill For confirmed a degree of darkness that had been absent from his work for fairly a while; it was uncommon to see him as an outright villain.
3 The Walk
Sony Pictures
While The Walk is hardly Robert Zemeckis’ greatest movie, it is a towering achievement when contemplating the quantity of IMAX footage and visible ingenuity that went into creating a practical model of the Twin Towers utilizing pc generated imagery. Gordon-Levitt offers a charismatic efficiency as the true stuntman Phillip Petit, who dared to string a wire between the 2 buildings and stroll throughout in a death-defying stunt.
While these occasions have been additionally lined within the documentary Man on Wire, they’re extra emotional after the movie reveals Petit’s backstory and explores his motivations for changing into an incredible artist. Gordon-Levitt was even in a position to pull off a tough French accent, including to the whimsical nature of the movie.
Related: Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Best Comedy Movies, Ranked
2 Snow Suit (Snow Wear SALE)den
Relatvity
Snow Suit (Snow Wear SALE)den was one of many extra “necessary” movies of Gordon-Levitt’s profession, as he took on the position of enjoying the true life activist and whistleblower Edward Snow Suit (Snow Wear SALE)den in Oliver Stone’s 2016 biopic. While there’s quite a lot of necessary details about Snow Suit (Snow Wear SALE)den’s life that Stone is attempting to speak, the movie itself additionally merely works as an electrifying paranoia thriller because the titular character faces the strain of being continuously watched. G
ordon-Levitt’s excellence in capturing Snow Suit (Snow Wear SALE)den’s parallel is uncanny; the true life footage of the particular Snow Suit (Snow Wear SALE)den used within the movie’s closing credit solely seals the deal. It was clearly a task that he was invested in; Gordon-Levitt instructed The National Postthat “probably the most patriotic factor an American can do is ask questions.”
1 7500
Amazon Studios
Gordon-Levitt is the kind of nice film star that may elevate even the blandest of thrillers. 7500 is a reasonably normal confined location thriller, however Gordon-Levitt’s glorious efficiency as an airline pilot caught in over his head when his aircraft is hijacked added a needed quantity of empathy to the story. Compared to his roles in Netflix’s Project Power and Disney+’s Pinocchio, Gordon-Levitt’s position in 7500 represents one in every of his higher tasks within the streaming market.
First seem at 8 Underrated Joseph Gordon-Levitt Movies That Deserve a Second Chance
