Sam Rockwell is a prolific actor who has appeared in many films over the course of his career. He's portrayed several different types of characters in genres ranging from comedy to drama to biopic.
A successful character actor, Rockwell's performances are typically well received, and he's been nominated for multiple awards including his 2018 Best Supporting Actor Oscar win for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The actor has shown no signs of slowing down, averaging multiple roles per year and with at least a half dozen more currently in various stages of production. Here are the best movies he has been in so far.
Galaxy Quest — 7.3
Galaxy Quest follows a group of actors who starred in a Star Trek-esque sci-fi television show, staying relevant primarily through appearing at store openings and comic conventions. They're approached by a group of odd characters that believe the show to be real and enlist the "heroes" for help in fighting an evil force.
Sam Rockwell has a side role as a character who appeared on one episode of the show is terrified of being killed off.
The Way, Way Back — 7.4
This coming of age story follows young Duncan as he begrudgingly goes on vacation with his mother (Toni Collette) and her boyfriend (Steve Carell). Duncan is tightly wound and painfully shy until he meets carefree water park owner Owen (Rockwell), who offers him a job for the summer, leading Duncan to make new friends and enjoy his summer and the personal growth that comes with it.
Lawn Dogs — 7.5
Lawn Dogs follows a wealthy family that moves into a gated community to try to protect themselves and their belongings. Their young daughter begins to feel neglected by the family, leading to her befriending a local landscape worker (Rockwell) whom her family believes is bad news because of his lower-class status. The film delves into classism and the social repercussions of the girl's friendship with the landscaper.
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford — 7.5
Brad Pitt stars as Jesse James in this film that dramatizes the relationship between James and new gang member Robert Ford (Casey Affleck). The story introduces the two titular characters as it builds up to the inevitable titular event.
Sam Rockwell has a smaller role as Ford's older brother, Charley, who is also part of the gang. The two brothers become increasingly jealous of James' fame, fortune, and leadership status which leads up the historic assassination of the infamous outlaw.
Richard Jewell — 7.5
Richard Jewell is based on the real story of the titular security guard who discovered an explosive device at the 1996 Summer Olympics and saved lives by helping evacuate everyone in the area before it exploded. After the event, the authorities looked into Jewell as a suspect who planted the bomb himself in order to play the hero.
Sam Rockwell portrays Jewell's trusted attorney who helps him understand the legal implications of the ensuing FBI investigation.
Frost/Nixon — 7.7
Frost/Nixon is based on the real-life interview between British interviewer David Frost and former U.S. president Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. The tense film shows the two facing off and trying to come out on top during the interview as Frost tries to get a confession and Nixon tries to exonerate himself.
Sam Rockwell co-stars as an investigator on Frost's team who tries to find definitive evidence of Nixon's wrongdoings.
Moon — 7.9
Sam Rockwell stars in Moon as the singular human living on the satellite, operating a system to mine an alternative to fuel on its surface and having only an A.I. called GERTY to talk to. His contract is almost up, but after an accident, he realizes that not all is what it seems as he finds a doppelganger of himself and wonders if the company has cloned him— and if they've done it more than once.
Jojo Rabbit — 7.9
The Taika Waititi-directed Jojo Rabbit follows young Hitler Youth Jojo as he comes of age in Germany during the height of the WWII. Jojo goes to camp and meets Captain K (Rockwell), a German soldier tasked with teaching the youth— though K has become increasingly disillusioned with the cause.
The subversive satire won multiple awards and is worth a watch for any Waititi and/or Rockwell fan.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri — 8.2
Frances McDormand stars in as a grieving mother who is determined to find who assaulted and murdered her daughter in Three Billboards. She is becoming disillusioned by the local police who say they're working on the case but have not made any arrests in their investigation and rents three billboards to call out their failure. Sam Rockwell portrays a hotheaded and racist deputy, winning an Oscar for his role.
The Green Mile — 8.6
The Green Mile focuses on a death row prison guard in charge of walking the convicted down the "green mile" toward their execution. He begins to suspect that the gentle John Coffey might not have committed the violent crime with which he was accused, but isn't sure how to prove it. Sam Rockwell has a small but memorable role as an inmate on death row who likes to mess with the guards.