Jake Gyllenhaal: his best movies on Netflix
Jake Gyllenhaal loves a thoughtful thriller and you can catch most of his best ones on Netflix. From Nightcrawler to Nocturnal Animals, these are the best Gyllenhaal films you can watch tonight Jake Gyllenhaal is back to make your heart flutter with his doe-eyes and love of Camus in Paul Dano's directorial debut Wildlife. The film features standout performances from both him and Carey Mulligan, but then when was the last time Jake Gyllenhaal didn't give a standout performance? (Don't mention Prince Of Persia, thanks.) If there's one thing Gyllenhaal knows how to do, it's to take a dark, sordid subject matter and give it pathos and soul. He's brought some absolute psychopaths to life and every time his acting is absolute killer, so we thought we'd gather his best films together from Netflix to remind you just how exciting it is that he's back on our screens.
Shutterstock1/6Denis Villeneuve directing Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Viola Davis and Terrence Howard. Sign. Me. Up. Is Prisoners a weirdly convoluted, dark drama about child abduction? It absolutely is, but at least you have the above names plus Melissa Leo trying to guide you through it. It has all the potential to be grim, exploitative and schlocky in equal measure, but luckily the people at its centre – including our Jake – keep it tense and emotive.
Shutterstock2/6If you’re in need of a weepie, 2017’s Stronger is a pretty solid bet for a cathartic date night. The story of Jeff Bauman, who lost his legs in the Boston Marathon bombing, it could have gone mawkish but the whole film keeps it very grounded and mature. Even better: Tatiana Maslany in a long-deserved feature film role and the amazing Miranda Richardson.
Shutterstock3/6Come for Jake Gyllenhaal dancing with nothing on but a santa hat over his family jewels, stay for a harrowing analysis of the effects of war and the way combat is evolving. For all the difficulty of knowing for certain if the movie is as accurate a depiction of war as it would like to be, Gyllenhaal’s performance keeps the film grounded. As the Washington Post said: “He doesn't seem jealous of the camera's attention when it goes to others and is content, for long stretches, to serve simply as a prism through which other young men can be observed.”
Shutterstock4/6Jake Gyllenhaal only has a small role in Okja, but it’s worth watching for everything else: a stellar cast of South Korean and American talent (plus: Tilda Swinton), a great story about animal rights and a very adorable super pig.
Shutterstock5/6Tom Ford’s sawdust-and-satin sophomore film features a cast of alluring people doing alluring things – Amy Adams reads! Armie Hammer gazes forlornly! Laura Linney is a sassy Southerner! – but it’s grounded by the story of Jake Gyllenhaal seeking revenge for the rape and murder of his wife and daughter. Jake plays both the tortured lead in this sordid subplot and also the doe-eyed author of the book this storyline comes from. It’s a real tour de force for him, but also: those outfits.
Shutterstock6/6If you’re going to watch one of Gyllenhaal’s Netflix offerings, you’re going to have to accept it’s probably going to be a bit grim. Nightcrawler is one such offering, but boy is it a doozy: a searing look at how consumer demand drives news outlets to produce ethically dubious, potentially fake news loaded with blood and guts. Gyllenhaal stars as the down and out “Lou” who creates a business recording – and sometimes manufacturing – crime scenes for a local TV station. It’s dark, fierce and completely compelling.
**Read more: ** When Jake Gyllenhaal met Tom Ford...
Assessing the style (and substance) of Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals
