Jake Gyllenhaal has become one of the biggest actors in Hollywood ever since breaking through with October Sky nearly 25 years ago. A year rarely goes by when the actor doesn't star in a movie, and the vast majority of them were either box office gold, critical darlings, or a combination of the two.
Ironically enough, several of the actor's best films didn't make the Metacritic cut, including Spider-Man: Far from Home, Everest, Prisoners, End of Watch, Love and Other Drugs, Brothers, Jarhead, and even the now-in-theaters Ambulance, from Michael Bay.
October Sky (1999) - 71
As riddled with behind-the-scenes factoids as it is heartwarming moments, October Sky was big for Gyllenhaal, who led the film at the young age of 17. He portrays Homer H. Hickam Jr., the son of a strict coal miner (Chris Cooper, in an outstanding performance) who doesn't quite understand Homer's love for all things NASA.
October Sky did well across the board, but one side rode higher than the other. From critics, the film received a Metascore of 71, which indicates favorability. However, users gave it universal acclaim and a score of 8.4.
Source Code (2011) - 74
The 2011 science fiction movie Source Code follows Gyllenhaal as helicopter pilot Colter Stevens, who finds himself wrapped up in a time loop aboard a soon-to-blow train.
Source Code had the potential to be a forgotten, arguably even cliché, sci-fi film. Instead, its pace is rapid-fire and its performances are committed, resulting in positive critical and audience reviews. Namely, the film received a Metascore of 74 and a user score of 7.7. There are other plays on Groundhog Day, but Source Code does the time loop trope just as well as something like the underrated Blumhouse film Happy Death Day.
Okja (2017) - 75
Bong Joon-ho's Okja, a Netflix original film, follows a little girl, Mija, as she takes care of Okja, a large hippo-looking animal that has nothing short of a sweet nature. Gyllenhaal portrays Dr. Johnny Wilcox, an eccentric zoologist who has taken a particular interest in Okja.
Okja was a divisive film, but one wouldn't know it looking at Metacritic. In terms of critical response, the film holds a 75, a stand-in for favorability. Intriguingly enough, it did exactly as well with viewers, who gave it a score of 7.5.
Stronger (2017) - 76
David Gordon Green's Stronger features Gyllenhaal as real-life Boston Marathon bombing victim Jeff Bauman, a man who lost both of his legs and must now reacclimate himself to everything he was once used to. The movie didn't break the bank at the box office, but it's certainly one of the most tender and layered performances of the actor's career.
Green's movie was well-reviewed just like the majority of his films (including Halloween), receiving generally favorable marks both from critics and viewers at home. In specificity, the film scored a Metascore of 76 and a slightly lower user score of 7.4.
Nightcrawler (2014) - 76
In Dan Gilroy's Nightcrawler, Gyllenhaal portrays Louis Bloom, a cameraman who, armed with a video camera and a police scanner, starts chasing ambulances.
Bloom is Gyllenhaal's most disturbed character, and he plays it to frightening perfection. Gyllenhaal is magnetic in Nightcrawler, and it was more than deserving of an Oscar nomination. It also made it clear that Gilroy-Gyllenhaal collaborations are worth watching, and the two followed up Nightcrawler with Netflix's bizarre and memorable Velvet Buzzsaw.
The Sisters Brothers (2018) - 78
The Sisters Brothers is a Western tale that mostly follows Charlie (Joaquin Phoenix) and Eli Sisters (John C. Reilly). However, Gyllenhaal has an important role as John Morris, a private detective on the search for the same man the bounty hunting Sisters brothers are after. The end to his character's arc is particularly devastating.
The 2018 film received favorable reviews across the board. From critics, it received a Metascore of 78. From users, a slightly lower rating of 7.4.
Zodiac (2007) - 78
"Just because you can't prove it doesn't mean it isn't true." This is a line spouted by Gyllenhaal's Robert Graysmith in David Fincher's Zodiac, and it's one of the actor's best quotes to date. Graysmith is a man obsessed, and what he's obsessed with is particularly dark.
He wants to find out the identity of the zodiac killer, but he's allowing his interest to consume his life. Before long he'll lose everyone, and the audience knows this because the audience also knows that chasing the zodiac killer ended up being an exercise in futility. The film, arguably Fincher's masterpiece, received generally favorable reviews from critics to the tune of a 78 Metascore. However, its user score indicated critical acclaim with an 8.4.
Wildlife (2018) - 80
Wildlife is one of Ranker's favorite Jake Gyllenhaal films just the same as it's one of Metacritic's. Gyllenhaal portrays Jerry, husband to Carey Mulligan's Jeanette and a seasoned golf pro. The couple hits a setback when Jerry loses his job, but he decides to do something with his time by assisting in the fight against forest fires.
The Mulligan-Gyllenhaal team-up received favorable reviews from both critics and general audiences. On the former side, professional reviewers gave it a Metascore of 80. And, while the user score was lower, it was still a very respectable 7.4.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) - 87
Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain will always be one of Gyllenhaal's best characters if only for how important it was to his career trajectory. Ang Lee's film was a political minefield and Oscar darling back in 2005, and it's easy to see why. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger is as outstanding as Ledger's chemistry with future wife Michelle Williams, which is a testament both to the collective performances and the power of the film's narrative.
Lee's film received a Metacritic Must-See badge from the site, representing universal acclaim and a score of 87. Furthermore, its user score wasn't much behind at 8.2, which still is a stand-in for universal acclaim.
Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut (2004) - 88
Richard Kelly's director's cut of his debut film, Donnie Darko, is the definitive version if only because the film is obviously so personal. Darko's intense, bizarre story must be told in full because any slight deviation from Kelly's uniquely crafted narrative would be a gut punch to its effectiveness. Admittedly, the theatrical cut of Darko didn't excise too much, but the audience definitely gets a better sense of the eponymous character after the director's cut.
Donnie Darko was only Gyllenhaal's third film, yet it was arguably the most important for his career (though not necessarily at first). The actor was in his early 20s for Darko, and his portrayal of the central character is just as layered and complex as the role deserved. With that being said, the director's cut of the film didn't do as well with audiences as the theatrical cut. Namely, the user score for the latter was 8.4 while the former received a 4.1. However, the director's cut received an 88 from critics while the original received a much lower 71.