10 Best Aaron Taylor-Johnson Movies, Ranked

One of many fastest-rising Hollywood stars from the previous 10 years is Aaron Taylor-Johnson. His fast wit and penchant for motion make him the proper addition to a serious franchise, whereas his detailed character work and fascinating presence are an exquisite addition to even the smallest of indie flicks. Exhibiting no indicators of slowing down, Taylor-Johnson is about to look in two main upcoming tasks — Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu and the 28 Days Later sequel, 28 Years Later.

Over his brief profession up to now, Taylor-Johnson has already appeared in an attention grabbing myriad of films, with some critically and publicly hailed as masterpieces. This excessive reward will likely be little question thanks in some half to Taylor-Johnson, together with his fast rise to the highest of the performing tree proof of this. These are Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s finest films, proving he’s amongst his technology’s most likable performers with a vivid future forward.

10 ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ (2015)

Directed by Joss Whedon

Wanda and Pietro Maximoff looking intently in the same direction in Avengers: Age of Ultron — Picture by way of Marvel Studios

Among the many plethora of MCU films, the love for Avengers: Age of Ultron has been considerably misplaced within the pile. The film follows the creation of the Ultron program by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), with the peace of the world paramount following the occasions of the primary film. When issues go improper, it’s as much as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to revive religion of their presence, in addition to defeat the evil Ultron.

Bringing a grounded sense of anger to the position of Pietro Maximoff, Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver is nearer to his comedian ebook counterpart. His fame has suffered due to the selection to exchange him with Evan Peters‘ incarnation in WandaVision. Not solely that, however it’s a powerful process to face out amongst so many charismatic performances, making Age of Ultron one in every of Taylor-Johnson’s most underrated outings. As is anticipated from the franchise, the movie is an exciting rollercoaster journey that solely takes time for a breath when a side-splitting gag is imminent. Within the grand scheme of the MCU, this is not the perfect, however neither is it the worst.

9 ‘The Best’ (2009)

Directed by Shana Feste

Rose and Bennett talking in The Greatest — Picture by way of Paladin

Written and directed by Shana Feste, The Best follows the budding younger romance between Rose (Carey Mulligan) and Bennett (Taylor-Johnson) that’s cruelly reduce brief after Bennett is killed in a automobile crash. With the whole neighborhood grieving, Rose finds out she’s pregnant and with no alternative however to speak with Bennett’s mourning household. What neither the household nor Rose is aware of is that that is the most important step ahead of their therapeutic course of.

Not with out its faults,
The Best
goals to carry its viewers to tears, succeeding after which some.

One other underrated characteristic in Taylor-Johnson’s catalog, The Best is among the many most underrated romantic dramas of the 2000s. Taylor-Johnson is marvelously delicate on this efficiency, proving that, even at a younger age, he understood the complexities of human emotion. Not with out its faults, The Best goals to carry its viewers to tears, succeeding after which some. Bolstered by an typically too-powerful string-orchestrated rating, The Best deserves rather more credit score.

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8 ‘Angus, Thongs and Excellent Snogging’ (2008)

Directed by Gurinder Chadha

Georgia and Robbie sitting on the floor looking confused in 'Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging' (2008) — Picture by way of Paramount House Leisure

Angus, Thongs and Excellent Snogging follows a gaggle of teenage ladies initially of the remainder of their lives, every questioning the place their first romance will come from. Step ahead heartthrob Robbie (Taylor-Johnson) and his brother Tom (Sean Bourke), whose transfer from London has caught the attention of each woman at college. By no means one to draw back from a doubtlessly socially soul-destroying problem, Georgia Nicolson (Georgia Groome) makes it her purpose to win Robbie’s coronary heart, irrespective of the price to her friendships.

That includes a soundtrack stuffed with iconic noughties hits, Angus, Thongs and Excellent Snogging is, in its personal approach, a masterpiece. Taylor-Johnson proves his main man potential with an endearing efficiency because the dreamboat Robbie, maintaining with a revolving door of well-known British performers. The film did not simply make a reputation for him; it additionally supplied a platform for the likes of Kimberley Nixon and Eleanor Tomlinson to shine. Merely put, director Gurinder Chadha has an uncanny approach of completely capturing the angst and fears of British youngsters.

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7 ‘Anna Karenina’ (2012)

Directed by Joe Wright

Count Vronsky offering a pistol to someone off-camera in Anna Karenina — Picture by way of Focus Options

There have been quite a few variations of Tolstoy’s traditional, Anna Karenina, the most recent being Joe Wright‘s good and ingenious 2012 model. Set in late nineteenth century Russia, Anna Karenina follows the titular aristocrat (Keira Knightley), who, whereas on her solution to save her brother’s marriage, throws her personal into jeopardy after falling head over heels in love with Rely Alexei Vronsky (Taylor-Johnson).

Alongside suave course from Joe Wright and an excellent period-friendly rating from Dario Marianelli bursting with operatic melody, the extremely stylized Anna Karenina additionally options an attention grabbing set of central performances. Alongside the likes of Knightley and Jude Regulation, Taylor-Johnson thrives within the advanced position of Vronsky. Equal components charming and distressed, the actorneatly captures the anxieties of the plot and the world it is set in. Self-indulgent in all the perfect methods, Anna Karenina even gained an Academy Award for achievement in costume design, proving it to be a worthy addition to the gathering of nice interval films from the twenty first century.

Anna Karenina

Launch Date: November 16, 2012
Runtime: 130 minutes
Writers: Tom Stoppard

6 ‘Nowhere Boy’ (2009)

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson

Young John Lennon looking to the distance in Nowhere Boy — Picture By way of Icon Movie Distribution

Many filmmakers have wished to depict John Lennon‘s life, however few have really achieved it. In 2009, it was Sam Taylor-Johnson‘s (then Wooden) likelihood, and he or she selected the then-up-and-comer Taylor-Johnson to fill the lead position. Not so curious about his time with The Beatles, Nowhere Boy seems to be at Lennon’s adolescent life and the ups and downs that chiseled him into one of many world’s greatest-ever singer/songwriters.

Nowhere Boy is maybe essentially the most pivotal film in Taylor-Johnson’s filmography, as he later married the director and went on to have two daughters collectively. Past its familial affect on him, Taylor-Johnson additionally proved with this movie that he was able to mature, delivering a efficiency that feels each unique and soaked in Lennon’s distinctive charisma. Nominated for 4 BAFTAs, Nowhere Boys is a gem of a biopic that does not attempt an excessive amount of, selecting only one small poignant part of a life and nailing it.

Nowhere Boy

Launch Date: December 25, 2009
Runtime: 98 minutes
Writers: Julia Baird , Matt Greenhalgh

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5 ‘Tenet’ (2020)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Ives standing in the desert talking to someone in Tenet — Picture by way of Warner Bros.

This mind-bending film from Christopher Nolan has grown in recognition steadily since its launch. Tenet tells the story of a person so secretive he’s credited solely as The Protagonist (John David Washington), as he ventures into the darkish world {of professional} espionage on the hunt for survival.

Regardless of being surrounded by large performing abilities, Taylor-Johnson arrives within the closing act of Tenet and instructions the display, taking part in a pivotal position within the movie’s conclusion. He would not waste a second when he’s on-screen, with every phrase he speaks feeling mightily necessary. In fact, Tenet is bathed in Nolan’s typical sci-fi bombast and motion spectacle, however the film’s character work appears to have been underrated by many, with a few the characters in Tenet arguably a few of Nolan’s finest. It will not come as a shock for followers to study that Tenet gained an Academy Award, though it is likely to be stunning that it was its solely victory, particularly contemplating its unbelievable rating that was egregiously snubbed.

Tenet

Launch Date: August 22, 2020
Runtime: 195

4 ‘The Fall Man’ (2024)

Directed by David Leitch

Tom Ryder wearing a cowboy hat in the desert in The Fall Guy — Picture by way of Common Photos

After their success with Bullet Prepare, Taylor-Johnson re-teamed with David Leitch in The Fall Man. Primarily based on the tv collection of the identical identify, the film follows Ryan Gosling‘s Colt, a stuntman who has the whole lot he might need — respect, cash, and the lady of his desires — till an unlucky accident results in him dropping his self-confidence. A return to work sees him come head to head with the lady he averted for eighteen months. In an exquisite twist, Colt is then employed to trace down lacking Hollywood famous person Tom Ryder (Taylor-Johnson), having to make use of his faux motion abilities in actual fight.

As might be anticipated from a Leitch film, The Fall Man is endlessly humorous. Every emotional second is punctuated with a witty and sometimes sudden gag, with Taylor-Johnson managing to marvelously sustain with Gosling each dramatically and comedically in each scene they share. Taylor-Johnson’s verve and vigor are on full show in The Fall Man, with the Englishman wanting like he is having an enormously enjoyable time. Merely infectious, his efficiency is an excellent parody of hyper-masculine motion heroes. By Leitch’s requirements, The Fall Man is considerably restrained; nevertheless, it’s nonetheless a wild journey of immense pleasure that options a few of the 12 months’s most memorable moments, highlighted by Gosling crying to Taylor Swift in his automobile.

The Fall Man

Launch Date: Could 3, 2024
Runtime: 114 minutes
Writers: Drew Pearce , Glen A. Larson

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3 ‘Bullet Prepare’ (2022)

Directed by David Leitch

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry in Bullet Train — Picture by way of Sony Photos

It’s a powerful alternative between The Fall Man and Bullet Prepare, with the latter edging it due to pushing larger filmmaking boundaries. Maybe Leitch’s finest movie, Bullet Prepare follows veteran murderer Ladybug (Brad Pitt), who makes the clever choice to conduct enterprise peacefully after years of violent fight. Nevertheless, it appears Ladybug picked the improper day to wind down, with a lot of his best adversaries vying for his blood whereas aboard the world’s quickest practice.

No problem is simply too huge for Taylor-Johnson, together with his position as Lemon requiring a outstanding skill to shift between deftly humorous and daringly James Bond-esque. Taylor-Johnson is nice in Bullet Prepare, so it’s no marvel Leitch seemed to him to look in The Fall Man, with the 2 forming fairly the eye-catching mixture. Like its titular car, Bullet Prepare impressively stays on the rails regardless of its frantic and fast-paced nature, with a breathless two hours of continuous enjoyable good for a Friday night time film.

Bullet Prepare

Launch Date: August 5, 2022
Runtime: 126 minutes
Writers: Zak Olkewicz

2 ‘Nocturnal Animals’ (2016)

Directed by Tom Ford

Bobby and Ray in the back of a car in Nocturnal Animals — Picture by way of Focus Options

Nocturnal Animals follows artwork supplier Susan Morrow (Amy Adams), who has satisfied herself that her life is haunted by the violent subtext in her ex-husband’s novel. This leads Morrow to dive into her previous and uncover the uncomfortable truths which will have made her who she is immediately.

The important reception for Taylor-Johnson’s portrayal of the villainous Ray Marcus on this film is complicated, with the actor deservedly successful a lot of the awards season’s acclaim, together with a BAFTA nomination and Golden Globe win. Nevertheless, the Academy snubbed Taylor-Johnson’s work in Nocturnal Animals and as an alternative nominated Michael Shannon for Greatest Supporting Actor. However, Taylor-Johnson is gripping and unhinged on this winding story that by no means sits nonetheless. Director Tom Ford additionally delivers a masterful script, managing to make each line really feel essential. Nocturnal Animals is probably going Ford’s finest work up to now and the perfect showcase for Taylor-Johnson’s performing talents.

Nocturnal Animals

Launch Date: December 9, 2016
Runtime: 116 minutes
Writers: Tom Ford , Austin Wright

1 ‘Kick-Ass’ (2010)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

A teenage vigilante poses in his costume in his room. — Picture by way of Lionsgate

That is the film that put Taylor-Johnson on the map. Kick-Ass follows comedian book-lover Dave Lizewski (Taylor-Johnson), who feels caught in his social and self-identity. Aiming to revitalize his picture, Lizewski turns into a superhero below the moniker Kick-Ass, though he lacks nearly any of the bodily abilities required. Not one to be discouraged, he finds tutelage and steering from a father and daughter duo of vigilante heroes, Huge Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit-Woman (Chloë-Grace Moretz).

There isn’t a different superhero fairly like Kick-Ass, with Taylor-Johnson’s efficiency more likely to stand the check of time as one of many best in a superhero flick. It’s because, regardless of being horrible at his job, he exemplifies the desire and battle that lie in everybody, irrespective of how tough the chances appear. Charming and endearing, Taylor-Johnson encapsulates the mission assertion of the film, with Kick-Ass a fondly cherished ode to comedian books and martial arts, in addition to an exquisite coming-of-age-esque story.