Following his casting as a young version of Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, Jude Law has once again seen himself thrown into the spotlight of mainstream Hollywood. The actor has been involved in plenty of different and unique projects over the years, most known for his surge of popular romcoms in the 2000s.
Law has also been a part of several high-profile franchises over the years, including his turn as the main antagonist of the MCU's Captain Marvel in 2019. He's an extremely reliable actor that always brings something new and refreshing to his characters, even in films that might not be the most critically acclaimed.
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017)
Directed by Guy Ritchie, Legend Of The Sword tells the story of the prolific King Arthur and his rise to power after lifting the mythic Excalibur from its stone. Charlie Hunnam plays the titular King, with Jude Law as his tyrannical antagonist Vortigern.
Legend of the Stone is a great historical epic for fans of the story, as it does a successful job of developing and exploring its characters in a new and insightful way. The action sequences are gripping, the relationships are extremely compelling, and the story is a simplistic one with many exciting twists and turns.
The Holiday (2006)
The Holiday sees two separate women swap homes from Christmas, where they each meet local men with whom they fall in love. Jude Law plays the local heartthrob to Cameron Diaz's character - and the two manage to form great chemistry together on-screen, alongside Kate Winslet and Jack Black's fictional couple.
The Holiday is believed by many to be the perfect idea of a Christmas movie, inciting festive spirit and romantic nostalgia through its heartwarming story and relatable characters. Many feel that it's the kind of Christmas movie you can watch every year without getting bored, which is a testament to Law's (and his costars') entertaining performances.
All The King's Men (2006)
All The King's Men is a classic political thriller starring Sean Penn as Willie Stark, an idealistic lawyer who becomes governor of Louisiana. The film chronicles his rise to power, exploring the corruption and crime that plagued his life as a result of his immoral behavior.
The film is loosely based on the story of Huey P. Long, who was nicknamed "The Kingfish" as a result of his questionable and immoral actions on his journey to becoming governor. Penn gives a great performance in the lead role, perfectly capturing that innate charisma that makes even the most immoral of men seem so likable.
Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil (1997)
Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil is a Clint Eastwood adaptation of John Berendt's classic novel, which follows a troublesome murder investigation that rocks the town of Savannah, Georgia. It's a thrilling mystery story that features unique and interesting characters, all of whom have shocking secrets to spill.
Jude Law plays Billy Hanson, a fictionalized version of real-life victim Daniel Hanson, who was murdered by his employer Jim Williams. It's his death that sets the events of the film into motion and incites the investigation that will go on to affect so many lives.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Steven Spielberg's sci-fi classic Artificial Intelligence has quickly become one of the most well-regarded and beloved entries into the genre thanks to its philosophical story and thrilling narrative. It's based on Brian Aldiss' famous short story, "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long."
The film stars Haley Joel Osment in the lead role as David, a human-like android programmed especially with the ability to love. When he sets out on an adventure to regain the love of his long-lost foster mother, David begins to question what makes being an android so desirable. The film is widely regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies of the 2000s, due to how effectively Spielberg revitalized the genre.
Enemy At The Gates (2001)
In Enemy At The Gates, Jude Law plays Russian sniper Vasily Zaytsev, who becomes famous for killing numerous Nazis during the Battle of Stalingrad. The film follows the fallout of Zaytsev's feat, in which he is forced to evade being killed by the German military.
Jude Law provides one of his most refined and precise performances in Enemy At The Gates, capturing the raw brutality and humanity of Zaytsev that makes the story so compelling. The film spends a lot of time with his character, and the audience is forced to question the morality of the entire story through his conflicting performance.
Gattaca (1997)
Gattaca is a unique and unconventional sci-fi adventure from director Andrew Niccol, which stars Ethan Hawke as a genetically inferior man named Vincent who assumes the identity of a disabled man to help him on his journey to travel in space.
The film explores plenty of complex issues such as genetic manipulation, human autonomy, and selective breeding through its unusual story and complicated characters. It's a sci-fi film that definitely makes the most of its premise, taking every opportunity to present its audience with unanswerable questions that push its narrative forward.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Matt Damon plays the titular character of Tom in The Talented Mr. Ripley, who becomes obsessed with a wealthy heir named Dickie (Jude Law), whom he begins to strive to impersonate. The film explores the complicated relationship between Tom and Dickie, forcing the audience to question why some people have nothing and some have everything.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a one-of-a-kind film, and it's totally held up by its powerhouse performances. Both Matt Damon and Jude Law are fantastic in the lead roles, and it's almost impossible to imagine any other actor being able to embody their characters as effectively as they did. It's for this reason that many see the film as one of the best '90s thrillers based on a novel.
Breaking And Entering (2006)
In Breaking and Entering, Jude Law plays a wealthy landscape architect whose firm becomes the victim of an elaborate computer theft. But his life is turned upside down when the robbery brings him to a widowed Bosnian refugee named Amira, with whom he begins an illicit affair.
Although Jude Law's romance movies are often fairly comedic and lighthearted in tone, Breaking and Entering is an emotional and dramatic affair from start to finish. It's extremely exciting and compelling, with the complex relationship between Law's character Will and his lover Amira building a lot of tension throughout.
Wilde (1997)
Wilde is a historical drama that follows the life of writer Oscar Wilde, who begins a romance with fellow poet Lord Alfred Douglas. However, this relationship presents many problems for Wilde, who ends up finding himself in prison as a result of the local anti-gay laws.
Stephen Fry plays Oscar Wilde in this drama, in which his resemblance to the real subject of the biopic perfectly justifies his casting. He plays Wilde with surprising accuracy, and his on-screen chemistry with Law makes for an extremely compelling romance story.