Oscar Isaachas been one of Hollywood’s busiest actors of the past decade, starring in multiple box office hits and critical darlings each year. Before the 2013 acclaim ofInside Llewyn Davis,Isaac was busy racking up supporting performances. He scored a small part alongside Benicio del Toro in a 2008 biopic of Che Guevara. With larger roles inAgoraandRobin Hoodas the villainous Prince John, Isaac showed his strength at portraying male authority, a skill he continues to put to use.
Isaac hit his stride starring in somewell-directed sci-fi moviesin the 2010s, includingEx MachinaandAnnihilation,and has since found a niche in popular movie franchises like the newStar Warstrilogy.In 2022, he will break into the Marvel Universe, starring in Disney+’s limited series,Moon Knight(to be released on March 30). Thanks to his recent turn inDuneas Duke Atreides (sporting some impressive facial hair), the 42-year-old actor is known to some asSpace Dad.
Related:Moon Knight Goes in ‘Weird’ Directions, Oscar Isaac Teases
While he has certainly zeroed in on his strengths, Isaac’s range is undeniably impressive. Fromanimated comediesto relationship dramas, his filmography is exceptionally diverse — he’s not one to stick to a single genre. He will star as Francis Ford Coppola inFrancis and the Godfather,an upcoming biopic from Barry Levinson about the making of the iconic mafia epic. All things considered, It’s difficult to argue that Oscar Isaac hasn’t earned his chops as one of the finest working actors today. By now, he is more than deserving of some Oscar buzz (pun shamelessly intended)…
Here are the best Oscar Isaac movies of the actor’s impressive career so far, ranked:
10Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Rian Johnson’s installment in the newStar Warstrilogy gave us more of fan favorite character Poe Dameron, which meant more Oscar Isaac, too. Things aren’t easy for the Resistance inThe Last Jedi,the second film of the trilogy. Poe butts heads with General Leia and even starts a mutiny, worried that the Resistance isn’t being aggressive enough. While Poe’s bravery ultimately pays off, it’s not without a bloody cost. Oscar Isaac allows us to see a new, impulsive side to his character, portraying him as a hero with considerable flaws. He alsodefended the movieagainst fan criticism and harassment of his co-star, Kelly Marie Tran.
Related:Here’s Why The Last Jedi is the Best Movie in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
This true-story political thriller is set in East Timor and named afterthe Balibo Five: five Australian journalists murdered in the country while covering the Indonesian invasion. Oscar Isaac plays the young José Ramos-Horta, the future president who develops an unlikely friendship with Roger East, the journalist sent to investigate the murders. Though early in his career, Isaac harnesses his charisma to paint a fearlessportrait of a political revolutionaryleading his country to independence. WhileBaliboreceived good reviews, it remains relatively unwatched.
8Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Oscar Isaac’s debut as Poe Dameron in the revivedStar Warsfranchise marked his first meaningful foray into big blockbuster territory. It was also his most memorable performance in the trilogy, as he introduced audiences to the lovable character of Poe, a brave Resistance fighter pilot who befriends escaped Stormtrooper Finn. The friendship was popular enough to be ‘shipped by fans, though the two never got an on-screen romance. While his screen time is limited, Isaac gets his share of action inThe Force Awakens, leading the resistance X-fighters in many successful attacks against the First Order.
7The Card Counter
Oscar Isaac stunned critics and viewers alike with his recent performance in Paul Schrader’s thrillerThe Card Counter. Eventhose who panned the movie for its dragging plotpraised Isaac’s portrayal of William Tell, an Iraq war interrogator turned card-counting gambler. Isaac and Schrader had been in touch since a failed project in 2010, and he wasthe first call Schrader madewhen casting the part. Their collaboration shines through, as Isaac becomes one with the character, portraying William’s internal turmoil in painstaking detail. The performance cements Isaac as one of the go-to guys in Hollywood for profound critiques of masculinity.
While Nicolas Winding Refn’sDriveis bestknown for its sleek editing, sound design, and Ryan Gosling’s captivating lead as a nameless Hollywood stuntman slash getaway driver, Oscar Isaac turned in a surprisingly complex performance as ex-con Standard. Fresh out of prison, Standard could easily be reduced to a one-dimensional, jealous husband type. Instead, after observing the chemistry developing between his wife, Irene (Carrie Mulligan), and Gosling’s character, he asks for help. Oscar Isaac surprises us here with a morally ambiguous portrayal of an ill-fated man trying to escape a past that keeps coming back to bite him.
5Annihilation
Isaac delivers the most unnerving performance of his career in this instantsci-fi horror classicdirected by Alex Garland. He plays Kane, a man who returns after a year from “Area X,” a mysterious meteor crash site, but isn’t quite “all there.” Something’s not right, his wife Lena (Natalie Portman) notices; Kane’s eyes are blank, and he’s coughing up blood. When Lena returns to the site for answers, a mind-bending parade of horrors ensues. The terror ofAnnihilation’sending hinges on the strength of Isaac’s performance. He is able to shoot shivers down the viewer’s spine with a single expression, or in this case, a lack of one.
Related:Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 2010s, Ranked
4A Most Violent Year
Oscar Isaac stepped into the role of Abel Morales afterJavier Bardem left due to a script disagreement.The result is cinematic fireworks. Isaac breathes life into J.C. Chandor’s chilly vision of New York at its most depraved: the early 1980s. Rather than slipping into the usual tough-talking clichés of crime movies, Isaac brings a delicacy and sophistication to Morales, as his character strains to keep his integrity and his business intact while the city around him slips into violence. Isaac’s strong chemistry with his co-star, Jessica Chastain, anchorsA Most Violent Year. The duo’s offscreen friendship clearly helps — they go back all the way to theirJulliard years. Isaac would later go on to star alongside Chastain in the acclaimed HBO Max miniseriesScenes from a Marriage.
Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel was his latest success, a visionary hit at the box offices this fall.Dunesported beautiful visuals and striking performances, getting many moviegoers excited about seeing movies on the big screen again. Oscar Isaac is commanding as Duke Leto Atreides, serving up his usual nuanced blend of masculine authority and tenderness. Duke Atreides leads his House to the desert planet of Arakkis after they are awarded its stewardship by the emperor, a decree that seems to be more of a curse than a blessing. As protagonist Paul’s loving father, Isaac masterfully balances confidence, compassion, and vulnerability. He also serves up one of cinema’s most memorablenude scenesin recent memory.
2Ex Machina
Isaac is equal parts funny, creepy, and infuriating in this breakout sci-fi favorite from Alex Garland. He is unforgettable as Nathan, a reclusive ex-CEO turned scientist with more than a few ulterior motives. Exquisite paranoia ensues when he hires a programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) to determine just how lifelike “Ava,” the Artificial Intelligence he’s been designing, really is. Isaac weaponizes his masculinity here, playing it off Gleeson’s sensitive Caleb. Nathan is the perfect caricature of a Silicon Valley tech bro, a satire of a culture that often toes the line between misogyny and innovation. While we love to watch Nathan dance with his mysterious girlfriend (may this meme live forever!), we wouldn’t necessarily want to be alone with him in his secluded, high security bunker. Isaac continued to collaborate with Garland afterEx Machina, working in the director’s next film,Annihilation.
1Inside Llewyn Davis
Oscar Isaac is at his best in the Coen brothers classic,Inside Llewyn Davis,a darkly funny portrait of a down-on-his-luck folk singer trudging through the music scene of 1960s New York in the dead of winter. Isaac plays Llewyn Davis with bitter cynicism and artistic soul, drawing onhis musical rootsand doing his own singing and playing. The world is so cruel to the prickly Davis, though he jus might deserve what he gets half of the time. Thanks to Isaac’s performance, his eyes heavy with emotion and shoulders shrinking against the frigid cold, we can’t help but feel tremendous empathy for him anyway. We laugh as he gets let down, again and again, but our hearts twinge as we learn more about why he’s hardened himself this way. And who can forgetthat cat?
