Ryan Gosling is arguably one of the best actors working today. He has been nominated for two Academy Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Golden Globes, including one win for his performance in La La Land. Gosling is a unique presence on film, as he has the traditional leading man looks and charms but also the versatility of some of the best character actors working today. He is one of the most in-demand actors working and has been eyed for a number of projects, yet has been very particular about his choices, cultivating a strong filmography where he takes on films that challenge him and what the audience expects of him.
Update July 27, 2023: In honor of the release of Barbie and all the Kenerergy audiences are feeling, this article has been updated with even more great underrated Ryan Gosling movies.
Gosling might have scored the biggest hit of his career with the release of Barbie. In the film, he plays Ken, and the actor has been singled out in every review and practically steals the show. There is already talk about a possible Best Supporting Actor nomination. Gosling has a number of great films and is often cited for his work in films like Blade Runner 2049, Crazy Stupid Love, The Notebook, or Drive. Yet even in his vast filmography, there are some that go unnoticed due to their smaller nature or limited theatrical release. These are ten of Ryan Gosling's most underrated movies.
10 Gangster Squad (2013)
What most gangster movies have in common is that epic fight between a ruthless mobster and the police. Gangster Squad, which is often overlooked as part of the genre, has that and more. This thrilling crime action movie, directed by Ruben Fleischer, tells the story of Mickey Cohen, a 1920s mobster controlling the city of Los Angeles and fearlessly engaging in drug traffic, prostitution, and murder. The feared Mickey is, however, challenged by the Los Angeles Police Department, among them is Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who tries to put a stop to this fiasco.
Gosling's onscreen charisma made him the perfect fit to portray the witty womanizing police hero who is ready to put his life on the line to complete the mission. Inspired by the real-life LAPD Gangster Squad, what this movie lacks in historical accuracy, it compensates in engaging action scenes and funny lines that make it attention-worthy. Despite its modest reviews, Gangster Squad grossed a total of $105.2 million and remains a delightful cinematic experience for gangster-movie lovers.
9 All Good Things (2010)
All Good Things is yet another great movie that has been wearing the invisibility cloak since its release. The story, set in New York, revolves around a rich young man, David, heir to his father's real-estate dynasty. David, played by Ryan Gosling, is a controversial persona that helped bring to the surface the actor's unlimited talent. After taking a chance at true love with a woman, Katie, who seems to value him for who he is, trouble starts finding the newlyweds relationship, and David begins to be the suspect in a series of murders as his wife disappears. The movie is loosely based on the events of Robert Durst, who became the subject of the six-part documentary series The Jinx.
8 The Place Beyond The Pines (2012)
Speaking of bleak romance movies, Ryan Gosling plays Luke in The Place Beyond The Pines, a young man struggling to make ends meet and support his son and lover (Eva Mendes). Luke who is restricted by his financial conditions, his lack of educational background, and a very strict work market, resorts to crime to restore his relationship with the mother of his child. However, much like a Shakespearean tragedy, Luke's fate is as macabre as his conditions as he falls to his death while being chased by a police officer.
Gosling portrays, with the utmost talent, the character's inner struggles, lack of foresight, and an unmatched will to prove his worth to and support his child and lover. Despite its modest Box Office success, the movie received extremely positive reviews. Gosling was also nominated for the 18 Satellite Awards's Actor in a Supporting Rol for his performance in this movie.
7 Only God Forgives (2013)
Ryan Gosling and director Nicolas Wending Refn followed up their massive hit Drive with Only God Forgives, a much misaligned, weirdly under-seen film. If viewers thought Drive was too minimalist, Only God Forgives essentially doubles down on its stylization, and Gosling removes every last trace of emotion he hadn't already as The Driver, resulting in a hypnotically vague, brutally violent mood piece. Gosling is incredible here in a way that runs counter to what many people expect from acting; he strips everything from his character until there is nothing left but a bleeding husk.
6 The Believer (2001)
In The Believer, Ryan Gossling pulled off the role of a Jewish man who turned into a Neo-Nazi leader. It could be argued that it's not an easy combo to achieve; however, the plot and character construction simply made it possible for this unjustly underrated movie directed by Harry Bean. Religion, politics, hate, and self-identification all collide in one character's mind to form a very troubled self-hating individual who has no issue voicing his strong, violent, and criminal opinions in the very midst of his immediate Jewish environment.
The movie's brilliance comes from Gosling's depiction of the role of the controversial Daniel Balint as he navigates and negotiates his identity in socio-political and religious circles. His unequally brilliant performance won him a Chicago Film Critics Association Awards nomination for Most Promising Performer.
5 Half Nelson (2006)
Half Nelson was released in 2006, just two years after Gosling had reached leading man and heartthrob status with the release of The Notebook; instead of starring in a similar movie, Gosling took a swerve with a project that could not be more different. Gosling plays Dan, a troubled teacher and drug addict who teaches middle school in the inner city and forms a friendship with the young student Drey (Shareeka Epps).
Gosling's charm is still present, but there is a grittiness to his performance as a flawed man who still wants to do good. The film was the directorial debut for Captain Marvel filmmakers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden and showcases the duo's strength regarding deeply personal character-driven stories. The movie had a limited release but still grossed $4 million off a budget of $700,000. The movie earned Gosling his first Academy Award nomination and made him the eighth-youngest person nominated for Best Actor.
4 Lars and the Real Girl (2006)
Many of Gosling's most iconic performances tend to be of a silent intensity (Drive, The Place Beyond the Pines) or as a romantic and charming leading man (Crazy Stupid Love, The Notebook), but Lars and the Real Girl is a display of the actor at his most vulnerable. It showcases a sweet boyishness and sometimes pathetic creepiness not seen in any of his other performances. The story follows Lars (Gosling), a kind-hearted young man who develops a romantic and yet nonsexual relationship with a sex doll named Bianca.
While his family originally plays along to try and understand the bigger issues with Lars, the townspeople at large accept Bianca giving Lars a sense of confidence and allowing him to deal with some deeper guilt over his mother's death. Lars and the Real Girl is a touching film about acceptance and tolerance, and Gosling creates a deeply sympathetic and layered character. It was a role that was very against type for the actor who Hollywood wanted to make into a sex symbol, but he showed his range as an actor and a willingness to take risks with interesting films that worked against his movie star image.
3 The Ides of March (2011)
Gosling had three major releases in 2011, with much attention paid to the mainstream romantic comedy hit Crazy Stupid Love and the iconic, stoic performance in Drive, but the one that flew under the radar for many was The Ides of March. Directed by George Clooney and adapted from the 2008 play Farragut North, The Ides of March follows Stephen (Gosling), the junior campaign manager for Governor Mike Morris (Clooney), who is running in the Democratic Presidential Primary.
The film earned $76 million worldwide against a budget of $12 million, making for a decent box office success. Gosling earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance, and the picture was selected by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2011. The film is a complex tale of political intrigue that was various backstabbing just to get to the top and has probably become a more topical film in recent years.
2 The Nice Guys (2016)
La La Land is likely Gosling's most famous film of 2016, but the actor also starred in the criminally underrated buddy cop film The Nice Guys. Directed by Shane Black, The Nice Guys is set in 1977 Los Angeles and stars Gosling as Detective Holland March alongside Jack Healy (Russell Crowe) as they team up to investigate the case of a missing girl. The two eventually uncover a bigger conspiracy involving the adult film industry, the justice department, and the Detroit automotive industry in this excellent dark comedy with surprisingly great chemistry between Gosling and Crowe.
The film earned 91% on Rotten Tomatoes but was a box office disappointment, coming in fourth in its opening weekend and barely making $62.8 million worldwide against a budget of $50 million, likely killing any plans for a sequel. The film is a treat for those looking for a throwback and is arguably Gosling's funniest performance to date, showing a different side of the actor.
1 First Man (2018)
Gosling re-teams with La La Land director Damien Chazelle for First Man, a biopic about Neil Armstrong and the trip to the moon. Gosling is the perfect actor for this role, as his calm demeanor perfectly fits Armstrong's often understated persona. Due to the duo's previous collaboration and the pedigree of the material, First Man was expected to be a major player at the Academy Awards and box office, yet the film was a financial disappointment and Universal Pictures pivoted its awards' attention to the future (notorious) Best Picture winner Green Book.
First Man might just be the best performance of Gosling's career, giving a very nuanced but deeply human portrayal where one man's quest to do the impossible task of walking on the moon is contrasted with the impossibility of saving his child from cancer. It combines the more deadpan subtlety of Drive and Only God Forgives with the emotional vulnerability of Half Nelson and succeeds in every respect. The movie is a soaring triumphant, and also a deeply personal character study, and one worth checking out.
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