ComingSoon.net is counting down our five favorite performances from actor Ansel Elgort, who at age 25 is already carving out an impressive career as a Hollywood leading man. Check out his five best films in the gallery below!
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After one of his earliest on-screen roles in the 2013 remake of the classic Stephen King movie Carrie, Ansel Elgort quickly became a name recognized by many. Before too long, he was starring in leading roles from films by notable filmmakers like Edgar Wright, Jason Reitman, and even Steven Spielberg. Now, over the course of just a few years, Elgort is easily becoming a star with all kinds of potential.
Doubling as a DJ and musician in his free time (one who goes by the name Ansolo, a combination of the first three letters of his first name and Han Solo, the infamous Star Wars smuggler), the actor managed to score the leading role in Spielberg’s West Side Story remake—beating out countless other actors for this buzzworthy role. Until that blockbuster musical comes out, let’s take a look at his best performances so far.
Ansel Elgort Movies
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Baby Driver (2017)
Edgar Wright’s love letter to car movies like Bullitt, Baby Driver sees Elgort as the titular Baby: an expert getaway driver who needs to listen to music in order to do his job. The film’s supporting cast knocks it out of the park, with Lily James, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Foxx giving excellent performances, but the movie thrives with Elgort behind the wheel and Wright behind the camera. It’s Elgort’s best role so far.
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The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
Despite the discourse that unfolded after the release of this YA-novel-turned-summer-tentpole, The Fault in Our Stars is far from a bad movie (if you’re into this kind of romantic teen dramedy). Elgort stars alongside Shailene Woodley, Nat Wolff, and Laura Dern (with an interesting cameo from Willem Dafoe, too). It’s twee and overly heartfelt, to be sure, but it gets the job done and evokes an emotional reaction from almost anyone.
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Jonathan (2018)
Probably the least-known film on the list, 2018’s Jonathan has Elgort playing two characters in one. The movie follows a pair of brothers stuck in the same body, which sounds nuts but actually turns out to be handled well. Suki Waterhouse—another rising star—shares the screen with Elgort, and the two make this movie incredibly solid.
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Divergent (2014)
The first in a series of adaptations of a popular YA dystopian series, Divergent sees Elgort reuniting with Woodley and Woodley reuniting with Miles Teller (the two starred in The Spectacular Now). The series never got the chance to conclude due to low box office numbers from later installments, but this first film is worth checking out for any Elgort fan.
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Men, Women & Children (2014)
Jason Reitman’s sprawling exploration of the impact of the internet on the average American family, Men, Women & Children takes an all-star ensemble cast and uses them all to the best of their abilities. Jennifer Garner and Adam Sandler (doing a mostly serious role here) are the biggest names in the cast list, but Elgort gets plenty to do here. The movie might not have been met with the best praise, but Elgort and the rest of the cast definitely deserve recognition for doing their best with what they were given.
