Jake Gyllenhaal’s Top-Rated Movies: Every Film With 90%+ on Rotten Tomatoes
The renowned actor Jake Gyllenhaal, whose career dates back to the early 1990s, made a memorable debut in the Western comedy ‘City Slickers’ with an unexpected hit. His career took off despite a modest beginning, spanning several genres such as romance, drama, and science fiction.
Even though many of his films became hugely popular and had a significant cultural impact, it’s interesting to see that not all of his most well-known films have the best Rotten Tomatoes ratings.
Even though ‘Donnie Darko’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’ are well-known films, they don’t receive the desired 90% rating on the review aggregator. Not even new projects like the ‘Road House’ remake score well. Nonetheless, a handful of Gyllenhaal’s movies have garnered outstanding reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, providing an overview of his varied and highly regarded discography.
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‘Nightcrawler‘ (2014) – 95%
Among the movies in which Jake Gyllenhaal has starred, ‘Nightcrawler’ is the one with the highest Rotten Tomatoes rating. While many films explore the realm of unethical journalism, ‘Nightcrawler’ goes beyond the norm by exposing the public’s support for these kinds of practices.
It clarifies the unsettling fact that media outlets continue to exist because of the demand they meet, which may make viewers uneasy. However, the movie offers more than just a moral lesson; it also features thrilling action scenes and suspenseful scenes that captivate viewers in its genre.
‘Wildlife‘ (2018) – 94%
Paul Dano is a filmmaker whose first feature film, which he also co-wrote and co-produced, is noteworthy for its careful character development. Every member of the Brinson family is given enough screen time to develop into a fully realized character, which helps to build strong bonds with viewers. Even though Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of the character occasionally comes across as self-centred, there are layers of nuance that deepen the story.
Though it went somewhat unnoticed, especially when compared to other films starring Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan, one viewing is sufficient to understand why the movie has a high Rotten Tomatoes rating.
‘Source Code‘ (2011) – 92%
The chance to relive a moment in the past would be alluring to most people. In the science fiction thriller ‘Source Code,’ Colter Stevens’ circumstances are anything but ideal. Colter, a captain in the U.S. Army Air Force, wakes up in the body of another man on a train headed for Chicago. He’s confused, especially since his last memory is of flying over Afghanistan.
His confusion grows when he sees another train blow up, killing a lot of people. An Air Force Captain soon gives him orders to go back in time and obtain vital information regarding the location of the bomb and the identity of the perpetrator.
‘Spider-Man: Far From Home‘ (2019) – 91%
The second film in the ‘Spider-Man’ franchise starring Tom Holland is titled ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’. Our amiable neighbourhood hero, Peter Parker, is scheduled to travel throughout Europe for a school excursion this time.
The Water Elemental attacks his classmates while they are in Venice. Peter is first reluctant to take on the last elemental power, Fire, but he eventually has no choice when his classmates are threatened in Prague, Czech Republic. One of the people looking to Peter for help in taking down the Elementals is Quentin Beck, better known by his stage name Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhaal.
‘October Sky‘ (1999) – 91%
One of Gyllenhaal’s earliest movies, ‘October Sky’ provides an early look at the talent he would eventually fully realize. Based on a memoir, this drama centres on a young man named Homer Hickam who lives in the Virginian coal mining town of Coalwood. Homer has aspirations of leaving the town, even though his father expects him to work in the mines.
When he sees the Soviet Union launch the first artificial satellite, inspiration strikes. Despite opposition from the community and his father, Homer sets out on a journey that ends up taking him to NASA.
‘Stronger‘ (2017) – 90%
There’s a lot of suspense as viewers wonder what will happen to Jeff and all of the victims. It might have been too soon for viewers to witness such a terrifying event on screen when ‘Stronger’ opened in theatres just four years after the real-life tragedy. It barely made more than $10 million at the box office, failing to leave an impression.
However, the film’s handling of the subject matter—from the performances to the avoidance of sensationalism—was praised by those who saw it. Though the movie only has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, its influence on audiences is significant and long-lasting.
‘Zodiac‘ (2007) – 90%
The infamous Zodiac Killer, who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1960s and 1970s, is probably well-known to true crime enthusiasts. In the movie ‘Zodiac’, a letter purporting to be the shooter—identifying as ‘Zodiac’ and including a mysterious message—is sent to the local newspaper following a tragic shooting.
If the code is not cracked, the sender threatens more violence. Political cartoonist Robert Graysmith questions the veracity of the killer’s identity that is concealed in the message. Robert grows more fixated on solving the case’s mysteries despite encountering scepticism from others.
– Farheen Ali
