With an eclectic body of work,Jude Lawis quite underrated as an actor whose career consists of fascinating roles in a wide range of movies. Not only has he portrayed everything from a suave leading man to intriguing side characters and even blockbuster villains, but he has contributed his talents to everything from superhero spectacles to quiet sci-fi gems, thought-provoking psychological thrillers, biographical epics, and quaint comedies.
As such, his greatest movies contain endlessly rewatchable classics that have an uncanny ability to amuse viewers no matter how many times they are revisited, but also violent and more confronting thrillers that aren’t necessarily the easiest pictures to return to. Ranking his best movies by how rewatchable they arepaints an interesting portrait of just how vast and nuanced Law’s career has been.
10’Side Effects' (2013)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
There is a case to be made thatSide Effectsis one of the most underrated thrillers of the 2010s. Law stars as Dr. Jonathan Banks, a psychiatrist who prescribes a patient, Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara), with an experimental new drug when her usual antidepressants are ineffective. However, when the new drug leads to murderous side effects, Banks finds himself expelled from his practice. Desperate to regain his livelihood, Banks begins looking into a possibility that Emily’s side effects were faked as part of a grander scheme.
Deliciously twisty and willing to indulge an air of heightened suspense,Side Effectsisa medley of savvy writing and strong performances that culminates inan appropriately heart-racing medical thriller. While the story may have diminishing returns once all the plot twists are known, it still stands as one of the most underseen films of its ilk in recent years, and is among the best pictures Law has starred in.
Side Effects
Directed by Sam Mendes
A weighty anddemanding Depression-era crime dramarife with notions of bonds between fathers and sons and the consequences for one’s actions,Road to Perditionis a grueling yet hypnotic picture. Directed bySam Mendesand based on DC Comics' graphic novel, it follows mob enforcer Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) as he flees Illinois with his son when the rest of his family is murdered by the psychotic and jealous son of the gangster he works for.
Law plays an integral part as the story’s secondary antagonist, Harlen Maguire,a sadistic hitman who takes photos of his dying victims and is hired to track down Sullivan and his son. He underscores the film’s dark and sinister tone, while enforcing its analysis of moral corruption in the world of crime.Road to Perditionmay be too intense and bleak to warrant multiple viewings for some audiences, but it is a beautifully dour crime drama that has its transfixing qualities.
Road to Perdition
8’The Talented Mr. Ripley' (1999)
Directed by Anthony Minghella
Defined byMatt Damon’s unnerving and intense lead performance,The Talented Mr. Ripleyis a spectacular psychological thriller, but it isn’t necessarily a rewatchable one.Damon stars as the titular Mr. Ripley, an aimless young man who travels to Venice to convince his former classmate, the entitled millionaire heir Dickie Greenleaf (Law), to return to America. However, the situation takes a disturbing turn when Ripley becomes enamored with the lavish lifestyle and begins impersonating Greenleaf.
The polished gleam ofAnthony Minghella’s direction makes for a deceptively alluring presentation, one that makes it all the more unsettling when Ripley begins emulating Greenleaf’s life. Damon is exceptional in the lead role, but it isJude Law who received Oscar recognition for his equally brilliant supporting performance. Despite its dramatic intensity making it somewhat difficult to revisit,The Talented Mr. Ripleyhas endured as a modern classic of thriller cinema.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
7’Contagion' (2011)
A fiercely intense drama about a pandemic that sends the world into a frenzied panic and leaves governments scrambling to find a cure,Contagionis an excellent display of dramatic tension and large-scale storytelling, but it probably isn’t immediately described as rewatchable. In a delightful bit of cynical irony though, that is exactly what it became over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the film soaring up Netflix’s trending charts during the lock-down period.
While there was a major theme at play under those circumstances, it doesn’t meanContagion’s resurgence was purely a gimmick. On the contrary, it is athought-provoking and brilliantly conceived disaster thrillerthat bore some eerie similarities to the real-world during the pandemic. Chief among them came in the form of Jude Law’s Alan Krumwiede,an anti-government conspiracy theorist and internet personality who manipulates the situation to further his career. His performance is brilliantly grating and intense, and lends to the rewatchability of the film.
6’Spy' (2015)
Directed by Paul Feig
While one could perhaps be forgiven for dismissingSpyas another cheap parody flick, the action comedy is actuallya hysterically enjoyable hit of well-executed action spectacle and genuine laugh-out-loud hysterics.Paul Feig’s writing and direction complementsMelissa McCarthy’s leading lady antics quite perfectly, with the film delivering belly laughs aplenty as it follows McCarthy’s desk-bound CIA operative, Susan Cooper, as she is sent into the field on an undercover mission to infiltrate an arms deal and locate a portable nuclear device.
Cooper begins the film working hand-in-hand with the daring secret agent, Bradley Fine (Law), striving to keep him safe as he carries out dangerous missions in the field. Enhanced by a spectacular supporting cast that includesRose Byrne,Allison Janey,Bobby Cannavale, anda hysterical and scene-stealingJason Statham,Spyis among Law’s finest forays into comedy cinema, with its constant hilarity ensuring it holds up well on rewatch.
5’Gattaca' (1997)
Directed by Andrew Niccol
Gattacais a mesmerizing sci-fi drama that uses its cold, dystopian setting to delve into ideas of eugenics, class, and the lengths one will go to achieve their dreams. Set in a world where genetic perfection can be augmented and people are classed based on the quality of their DNA, it follows Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), a genetically flawed man who aspires to be an astronaut. He infiltrates the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation with use of a genetic identity donated to him by Jerome Eugene Morrow (Law), a former star athlete who is bound to a wheelchair following a car accident.
The film proves to be deeply emotional, asthe callous prejudice of the story world clashes not only with Vincent’s perceived ailments, but with Jerome’s lost perfection as well. The unlikely duo’s arrangement only grows more precarious when Gattaca becomes the scene of a murder investigation a week before Vincent embarks on a voyage to Titan. With its gripping story and brilliantly realized characters,Gattacais able to maintain a thematic mightwhile being quite rewatchable.
4’Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' (2011)
Directed by Guy Ritchie
While 2009’sSherlock Holmeshad its charms, not least of which derived from its two sensational leading men, the 2011 sequel is where the comedy, mystery, and adventure brilliantly intersected withGuy Ritchie’s impressionable style. It sees Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) investigating the operation of Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris) when the apparent suicide of an Austrian prince leads to political unrest in Europe. As always, Holmes is aided by his trusty acquaintance, Dr. John Watson (Law).
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadowswas met with overly harsh reviews upon release, and while its sense of mystery may be blunted, its merit asa rollicking period adventure that spans across the European continentcan’t be overstated. It is infectiously fun, enchantingly stylized, and rousing in its focus on Holmes’ rivalry with Moriarty to be a delightfully light movie that, despite being a touch overlong, is incredibly easy to revisit. As fanfare for the films continues to grow,speculation of a thirdSherlock Holmesfilmhas steadily intensified.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
3’The Aviator' (2004)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Perhaps the most esteemed and grandiose picture that Law has been involved in,The Aviatoris one of the most decorated films in the history of the Academy Awards, winning five Oscars from 11 nominations. The biographical epic depicts the life ofHoward Hughes(Leonardo DiCaprio), a pioneer in the field of aviation as well as one of the biggest film directors of early Hollywood.
Exhibiting both the inventive genius and the storytelling prowess of Hughes,The Aviatoruses its whopping 170-minute runtime toexplore both the magnitude and the nuance of the polarizing public figure’s career. Entrenched within the depiction of Hughes’ Hollywood experiences is Jude Law’s eye-catching performance as movie starErrol Flynn. With the film’s sympathetic lens towards Hughes’ debilitating mental health conditions, its covering ofhis grandest highlights and catastrophes, as well as its divine artistry and engrossing character depth,The Aviatoroffers plenty to intrigue viewers upon multiple rewatches.
The Aviator
2’Hugo' (2011)
Another film by Martin Scorsese,Hugois perhaps the filmmaker’s biggest departure from his usual modus operandi, but it is also one of his most transfixing and wondrous movies. Set in 1930s Paris, the family adventure follows a young orphan who lives in the Gare Montparnasse railway station where he works oiling the clocks but becomes more invested in the contents of a notebook left to him by his father, Mr. Cabret (Law).
Rife with elegance, extravagance, and the eye-popping whiff of fantasy and adventure,Hugois an intoxicating viewing experience that sees Scorsese present a charming tale of friendship and discovery defined by its deeply personal tone. The two young stars—Asa ButterfieldandChloë Grace Moretz—are sublime, but they are strongly supported by a dazzling ensemble cast. Law is chief among them, with his performance as Hugo’s father imbuing the film with a warmth that permeates throughout the story.
1’The Grand Budapest Hotel' (2014)
Directed by Wes Anderson
Not only the most rewatchable picture in Jude Law’s filmography, but quite possibly the best as well,The Grand Budapest Hotelis a perfect marriage betweenWes Anderson’s eccentric visual styleand his quirky narrative senses. Law is a pivotal character within it, appearing as a young and inquisitive author who arrives at the fading Grand Budapest Hotel and interviews its owner about how the once lavish establishment came to be in his possession.
As the wonderful story of M. Gustav (Ralph Fiennes) and young Zero (Tony Revolori) plays out, Law’s unnamed author is as wide-eyed and amazed as the audience, but he is also sharply aware of the story’s melancholic undertones considering the state of the hotel that surrounds him.Ceaselessly enjoyable and charming, while also offering a treat of a visual display and impeccable comedy acting,The Grand Budapest Hotelcan be revisited time and time again without diminishment.
