This week, Ryan Gosling stars alongside Emily Blunt in the action comedy The Fall Guy, based on the 1981 TV series starring Lee Majors and Heather Thomas. The film is already garnering winning reviews, which means Gosling can chalk up another win on his belt, and it might eventually land on the list of the best Ryan Gosling movies.
Gosling is on a hot streak following the success of La La Land, Blade Runner 2049, First Man, The Gray Man, and last year’s box office smash Barbie, for which he received an Oscar nomination. Still, the talented actor has been making waves since first appearing on Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Goosebumps in the early 90s. What are his best performances, you ask? Read on to see our top five best Ryan Gosling movies.
Drive (2011)
Nicola Winding Refn’s neo-noir crime thrillers stars Gosling as a nameless Hollywood stunt driver who spends his nights as a no-nonsense getaway driver. His life takes an unexpected detour when he falls for his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son, only to deal with her criminal husband (Oscar Isaac), who has just returned from a prison stint.
Gosling’s turn as the stoic, enigmatic Driver remains one of the actor’s all-time best performances. The minimal dialogue allows him to convey a wealth of emotion through subtle facial expressions and body language, all hinting at the turmoil boiling within his person.
Drive does not cater to general audiences and might be too weird for all but diehard movie nerds. Even so, it remains a terrific thriller and an incredible addition to Gosling’s vast portfolio.
La La Land (2016)
I’m not the biggest musical fan, but even I can appreciate the brilliance of Damien Chazelle’s fanciful La La Land. Here, Gosling plays Sebastian, an up-and-coming jazz musician who begins a relationship with Emma Stone’s equally ambitious Mia. The film chronicles their difficulty balancing their love for each other with their artistic ambitions, resulting in a moving, albeit sad, exploration of romance set against the backdrop of Los Angeles.
Stone won a well-deserved Oscar for her stellar performance, but Gosling matches her charm every step of the way and proves a capable musician and singer, which is why it lands on our list of the best Ryan Gosling movies.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Drawing upon elements of his performance in “Drive,” Ryan Gosling seamlessly embodies the character of Officer K in Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049.” Here, Gosling crafts a multi-faceted, introspective persona brimming with solitude and inner conflict. Initially, K dutifully serves the LAPD, relentlessly pursuing replicants while neglecting his own emotional needs. However, his trajectory shifts when he connects with Joi (Ana de Armas), a holographic companion who professes genuine care for him. As K delves deeper into a convoluted narrative with profound implications for humanity’s fate, he grapples with existential doubts, questioning his reality’s authenticity and significance in the grand scheme of things.
Personally, this is my favorite Gosling performance. He knocks it out of the park as K, conveying so much emotion through subtle glances and nuance. You can’t take your eyes off him.
The Nice Guys (2016)
Gosling started expressing his comedic sensibilities with 2016’s The Nice Guys, a buddy cop action comedy in which he and Russell Crowe uncover a tangled web of corruption, conspiracy, and murder involving the adult film industry and the Department of Justice.
Written and directed by Shane Black, The Nice Guys didn’t exactly light up the box office, which is a shame because it remains one of the best comedies of the last decade. Gosling carries the picture on his back, displaying a knack for physical comedy and dry humor. As he did in Drive and Blade Runner, he teases the darker inner workings of his character, allowing us to empathize with his bumbling detective, even as he throws himself off roofs or chases topless women in swimming pools.
Half Nelson (2006)
After a successful stint as a child star and a star-making turn in The Notebook, Gosling cemented his status as an actor-on-rise in the indie drama Half Nelson. Here, he plays Dan Dunne, an idealistic inner-city teacher battling a drug addiction. He eventually develops a relationship with Drey (Shareeka Epps), one that is tested when Dan’s addiction spirals out of control, entangling him in the dangerous world of drug dealing.
Poignant, thought-provoking, and gripping, Half Nelson remains a compelling exploration of the human condition. Gosling would go on to bigger projects, but his work here showcased his versatility as an actor and his ability to embody complex and flawed characters, which is evident on our list of the best Ryan Gosling movies.
