Richard Jenkins is best known by some from cult comedies like Step Brothers and Burn After Reading. Others know him from Oscar-winning blockbusters like The Shape Of Water, which some consider director Guillermo Del Toro's best movie.
However, he has appeared in dozens of movies since the mid-1980s. Jenkins has proved to pull off both dramatic and comedic roles, in large and small parts in movies. Fans have taken to Rotten Tomatoes to rate the best movies featuring the actor.
Nightmare Alley (81% )
Nightmare Alley is director Guillermo Del Toro's most recent movie. It tells the story of a traveling carnival. Bradley Cooper stars among an ensemble cast featuring Willem Dafoe, Cate Blanchett, and Toni Collette.
Richard Jenkins plays one of the film's antagonists Ezra Grindle. Fans of the film might say Jenkins gives Nightmare Alley one of its best characters with Grindle. Others perhaps say the film is one of Jenkins and Del Toro's best collaborations.
Flirting With Disaster (87%)
Director David O. Russell presents audiences with his second feature film in Flirting With Disaster. The movie follows the story of Ben Stiller's Mel Coplin. Coplin is an adopted man who is raising a family of his own, prompting him to research his roots.
Fans of the film might say Richard Jenkins stands out in his role as Paul Harmon. Harmon is an agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who joins Coplin on his journey. He showcases his comedic talents, something fans would see him cultivate later on in his career.
Let Me In (88%)
Let Me In is an English-language remake of Let The Right One In, what some consider one of the best vampire movies of all time. The film follows Owen, a young boy who meets Abby, a girl of an apparent similar age who is revealed to be a vampire.
The two develop a romantic relationship as Abby attempts to survive undiscovered among humans. Richard Jenkins plays Thomas, Abby's older friend who helps her secretly feed. Fans of the movie might say Jenkins is an indispensable asset to the film, helping give it a high rating.
The Visitor (90%)
Richard Jenkins stars in The Visitor. The film comes from director Tom McCarthy who is known for other films like Spotlight and Win Win. The story follows Jenkins' Walter Vale. Vale is a lonely professor who forms an unlikely friendship upon visiting New York City for a conference.
Fans might not be surprised The Visitor is one of Richard Jenkins' highest-rated movies. His performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Fans of the movie might say Jenkins carries it among a small cast and presents chemistry with his co-stars.
Kajillionaire (90%)
Kajillionaire is one of Richard Jenkins' more recent films. It is a crime movie. Evan Rachel Wood, Debra Winger, and Gina Rodriguez also star. The narrative involves a young woman, Wood's Old Dolio Dyne, and her two scammer parents.
When a new personality joins up with the group, Dyne rethinks her relationship with them. Jenkins plays Old Dolio's father Robert. Fans may point to the original script and Jenkins' emotional and funny performance for its high rating.
Hannah and Her Sisters (91%)
Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters presents a dramedy about a man who has an affair with his wife's sister. The film unpacks the relationships between the sisters in the main family, along with others in their life like Michael Caine's Elliot, arguably the main protagonist. Some fans call Hannah and Her Sisters one of the best Thanksgiving comedies of all time.
Richard Jenkins has a small role in the film, and it is only his second appearance in a feature. He plays Dr. Wilkes, who comes into play with Woody Allen's hypochondriac character Mickey. Fans might say he makes his small appearance count with a great performance foreshadowing his long career.
Bone Tomahawk (91%)
Director S. Craig Zahler presents an original horror Western in Bone Tomahawk. The film follows Kurt Russell's Sheriff Franklin Hunt as he hunts down a group of cannibals who terrorize his town and capture some of its residents.
Richard Jenkins plays Deputy Chicory, a charming and simple man who accompanies the sheriff on his rescue mission. Fans of the movie might say it is equal parts unique, horrifying, and thought-provoking. Jenkins fans might say his character stands out among the ensemble cast.
The Shape of Water (92% )
The Shape of Water tells a unique story. It follows a woman working in a lab who develops a relationship with an amphibian creature. Michael Shannon stars alongside Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer.
The Shape of Water is perhaps Richard Jenkins' most critically acclaimed film. It received several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture. Jenkins plays Giles, a friend and confidant of the main protagonist. He has a supporting but important role in the film.
The Cabin in the Woods (92%)
The Cabin in the Woods presents a self-aware horror-comedy. It follows a group of teens who are thrown into a horrific situation in the titular cabin, thanks to a group of agitators engineering situations for them from underground. It is revealed their terrors are part of an ominous ritual performed by the men in lab coats.
Richard Jenkins plays one of the main technicians, Gary Sitterson. He shows off his comedic prowess in poking fun at the horror elements presented in the film and developing plot points for viewers. Fans of Cabin in the Woods might say it is one of the more unique horror movies of the 2010s, and Jenkins shines in his role.
The Humans (93%)
The Humans is both Richard Jenkins' highest-rated movie on the Tomatometer and one of his most recent films. He stars amid its small cast. It is a drama showcasing a family during Thanksgiving in a small apartment.
Jenkins plays Erik Blake, patriarch to the family showcased in the movie. He is joined by Amy Schumer, Steven Yeun, Jayne Houdyshell, June Squibb, and Beanie Feldstein. Fans of the film might say it is highly rated from the chemistry of its performers in its simple but effective storytelling.