Chris Evans is a household name and face at this point thanks to his charm, good looks, and his pivotal role as the First Avenger in the MCU. He has proven that he is, without a doubt, the quintessential Captain America. Outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Evans has tried his hand at directing, and he’s scored big with non-superhero movies like the hit dark-comedy Knives Out.
But, Evans is more than just the pretty face who suits up to play our beloved Captain America. No, he’s actually done a number of other movies before and after taking on the role. And, these are perhaps his 10 most underrated movies to date.
Cellular (2004)
Chris Evans’ heartthrob appearance and on-screen charisma helped keep this crime-thriller afloat. In the 2004 movie, Evans’ character, a college student, mistakenly gets involved in a perilous situation after he receives a random emergency call from a stranger in trouble. Now, it’s up to him to save the day before someone gets killed.
Cellular didn’t wow the critics, and it barely scraped by at the box office. Regardless, this is an engaging popcorn thriller that will keep most people on the edge of their seats.
Fantastic Four (2005)
The Fantastic Four has had little luck on the big screen. So far, none of the adaptations have fared too well critically or with audiences. The quintet’s story isn’t easy to translate to motion picture, so it seems.
Anyway, the 2005 iteration is possibly the least panned of the bunch, though. It did well financially, but many found the film and its sequel to be too goofy. That being said, Chris Evans nails his part as the self-centered yet amusing Johnny Storm. Not an easy feat given the material. It just speaks to Evans’ ability to shine through questionable writing.
What’s Your Number? (2011)
Rom-coms might have gone out of fashion in the last decade, but Anna Faris and Chris Evans remind so many people why these films are considered guilty pleasures. In this 2011 film, Faris plays a woman with a dilemma. She’s dated nineteen guys, and she thinks one of them may have been the one that got away. Helping her with this task of re-examining her love life is Evans as the hunky neighbor.
What’s Your Number? is admittedly silly, and it may not have aged well despite being released only nine years ago. But, the leads play their roles with conviction. And Chris spends half the movie barely wearing any clothes. What more can a fan want?
London (2005)
Chris Evans is more versatile than people give him credit for. He proves he can handle dramatic roles, such as the one at the heart of London. Alongside his real-life ex Jessica Biel, Evans plays an addict whose world spins upon learning his fictional ex (played by Biel) is moving away. The film also stars Jason Statham.
The film was written off by most critics, but a few came to London‘s defense. Some even were emboldened enough to praise it as a fine character piece in spite of its pretentious storytelling.
The Perfect Score (2004)
The Perfect Score includes several familiar faces, one of whom is now a fellow Marvel superhero. In this angst-ridden, adolescent comedy about cheating, Chris Evans is joined by Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Greenberg (Prime), Erika Christensen (Swimfan), and Matthew Lillard (Scream).
In the 2004 movie, a group of high schoolers cheat their way to acing the dreaded SATs. This requires them to break into the Princeton Testing Center, where they plan on stealing all the answers to the exams.
Not exactly novel or a work of art, but The Perfect Score is a pleasant time-waster with an affable cast to boot.
Puncture (2011)
As imperfect as this 2011 movie is, fans of Chris Evans cannot help but be drawn to it and its lead’s performance. In Puncture, Evans plays an addict and lawyer. As he battles his own personal demons, Evan’s character deals with an addiction that is quickly dashing his chance of success in a case against a health supply corporation.
Some critics commended Evans’ portrayal, whereas others deem his desire to nail the part went too far. Nevertheless, this divisive dramatization of a real-life court case is intriguing, at the very least.
Push (2009)
Before he became Captain America, Chris Evans played another superhero. Albeit, not an established one. In this gloomy take on the action movie sub-genre, Evans acts as a troubled man with telekinetic abilities. He and others like him are dubbed ‘Pushers’. Now, his character’s goal is to find a certain young woman in Hong Kong before a dangerous corporation does. The film also stars Dakota Fanning and Camilla Belle.
Push was no winner with critics, but audiences were more lenient. A television spin-off was once in the works, but it has since been cancelled.
Before We Go (2014)
When an actor gains some credit in Hollywood, a directorial debut is bound to happen, right? Chris Evans followed suit with this 2014 romantic drama also starring Alice Eve (She’s Out of My League). Pulling double duty as actor and director, Evans plays a lovesick musician in front of the camera. He meets a woman who is equally enigmatic and fascinating. The would-be couple then spends the night getting to know each other as they run around Manhattan.
Critics went halfsies when scoring Before We Go. Some thought it was an admirable effort, and others found it derivative and not a good representation of Evans’ potential as a director. That being said, it’s an intimate meet-cute drama with some emotional meat on its bones.
Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
Chris Evans’ big film break was so ahead of its time that many viewers didn’t catch on to its hilarity until years later. Not Another Teen Movie was a parody of, well, teen movies. It was subversive and sharp-tongued about coming-of-age films like She’s All That. The humor ranged from silly to plain gross-out.
In Not Another Teen Movie, Evans portrays the popular jock who falls in love with a nerdy art student. Sound familiar? This send-up has deservedly developed a cult following.
Fierce People (2005)
In what could be Chris Evans’ darkest role to date, he plays a spoiled heir with a sinister side. The late Anton Yelchin plays the troubled son of a mother, who is an addict. To heal their spirits, they move in with the mother’s wealthy ex-client, portrayed by Donald Sutherland. As Yelchin’s character adjusts to his new surroundings, he unexpectedly falls in love with a teen girl played by Kristen Stewart.
Chris’ part in this underseen film is quite shocking, to say the least. Fierce People is not going to be an immediate crowd-pleaser, but seeing Evans embrace this kind of character is daring.
