Ethan Hawke is currently making waves as Arthur Harrow, the main antagonist of Marvel's latest Disney+ series Moon Knight. So, with his villainous performance being praised as one of the strongest aspects of the show, now seems like a perfect time to revisit his filmography up to this point.
Hawke has certainly had an interesting career over the years, starting out in independent dramas and continuing to support auteur filmmakers throughout his career. Despite now being a part of one of the biggest film franchises in history, the actor clearly still has a fondness for independent and artistic cinema - and Ranker has finally discovered which of his many projects is the internet's favorite.
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
Directed by Sidney Lumet, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead tells the story of partners-in-crime Andy and Hank, who decide to rob their parent's jewelry store. When their father begins to hunt them down, unaware that the criminals are his own sons, things take a dark turn.
Ethan Hawke stars opposite Phillip Seymour Hoffman in one of the lead roles, and the pair's chemistry on-screen is absolutely electric. They really bring the story to life, exploring all the fear and anxiety that comes alongside this intense story.
Alive (1993)
Ethan Hawke plays the lead role in Alive, which tells the story of an Uruguayan rugby team who are left stranded in the Andes after their plane crashes. The team is forced to undergo intense trials and tribulations to survive as their own minds are put under unbearable pressure.
Alive is one of the most gripping and compelling movies in Hawke's resume, with a story that doesn't let the audience breathe for even a second. John Malkovich also gives a memorable performance as Carlitos, often stealing the show and demanding the audience's attention.
Training Day (2001)
Often described as one of the lead star Denzel Washington's best movies, Training Day is an intense crime thriller that follows Washington's character Detective Alonzo, who is forced to train Hawke's character Hoyt over the course of one day. The story takes a dark turn, however, when Hoyt realizes how unethical his superior's methods are.
The film is driven by the central dynamic between Washington and Hawke's characters, both of whom give two of the best performances of their career. Their scenes together are impossible to look away from, and they turn an already engaging story into something unbelievably gripping.
Sinister (2012)
Sinister is an absolutely brutal horror flick from producer Jason Blum that follows a crime writer named Ellison who moves his family to a home that once housed some of the bloodiest murders ever recorded. When he stumbles across some sinister footage, things turn upside down for Ellison and his family.
Hawke has always been a compelling lead actor, but his turn in Sinister proves that he was made for horror movies like this. Every single decision that he makes is perfect for grabbing the audience's attention, and the film's dark story plays perfectly to his strengths.
Gattaca (1997)
Gattaca is an extremely thoughtful and philosophical sci-fi drama starring Ethan Hawke and Jude Law in the lead roles. It follows Hawke's Vincent Freeman as he adopts the identity of a paraplegic in order to achieve his goal of traveling in space.
The film explores plenty of deep and thematic ideas, such as the ethics behind genetic manipulation and selective breeding. It imagines a sinister and unsavory future for the human race, forcing the audience to question their own role in the direction that science is taking us. It's this self-aware commentary that allows this 90s sci-fi flick to still hold up today.
Boyhood (2014)
Directed by Richard Linklater, Boyhood is a charming and thought-provoking character study that follows protagonist MJ throughout twelve years of his life. The film chronicles MJ's life as he deals with his parents' divorce and the fallout that it has on his life.
Boyhood was actually filmed over a twelve-year period, following actor Ellar Coltrane from six years old all the way to eighteen. Linklater's film is full of likable and iconic characters that really bring his story to life, sucking the audience in right from the first frame.
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Robin Williams is the true star of Dead Poets Society, playing a friendly English teacher named John Keating, who encourages his students to live their lives freely and without changing to please others. It's an extremely sweet film that has an optimistic and positive outlook on life, told beautifully through Williams' character and performance.
The film has gone down as somewhat of a classic over the years, most likely due to its unrelentingly positive message and refreshing take on humanity. It's impossible to even imagine any other actor playing the role of Keating, as Williams manages to perfectly capture his wholesome spirit.
First Reformed (2017)
First Reformed tells the story of a quiet church pastor named Toller, whose life spirals out of control after a completely reforming encounter with an environmental activist and his pregnant wife. The film features Hawke's best performance to date, as he is forced to grapple with some cosmically life-altering concepts over the course of the film.
First Reformed is written and directed by Paul Schrader, whose screenplays have become somewhat famous over the years for the philosophical and existential questions that they pose to their audience. First Reformed is no different, with a story that's bound to shake all audiences.
Befrore Sunrise (1995)
The film that first solidified Hawke as a reliable romantic lead, Before Sunrise tells the brief story of two lost souls that meet by chance and spend one night together before being separated for good. Linklater's film explores the temporary nature of relationships, and just how detrimental the pressure of finding "the one" can really be on having fun with love.
Hawke and Julie Delpy provide two great performances, and their chemistry together is some of the best ever put to screen in a romance movie like this. It's for this reason that so many people believe Hawke and Delpy's characters Jesse and Celine to be one of the best movie couples of all time.
Before Sunset (2004)
Set nine years after Jesse and Celine met for the first time in Vienna, Before Sunset imagines another chance encounter between the two - but this time, life is much more complicated for the pair. Both are in relationships, Jesse has a son, yet both still feel oddly drawn to each other.
Before Sunset abandons the hazy, dreamlike admiration of love for a more grounded, realistic look at how complex life and relationships really can be. It stays true to the characters of the original, whilst still using them to offer a fresh and original look at life.