Jared Leto’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked

Jared Leto has been one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors for over three decades, and he’s accrued a captivating filmography in that time. Leto began his career in the early 1990s with small television in film roles. In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the actor started to find success with big films like Fight Club and American Psycho in supporting roles. He received significant praise for his role in Darren Aronofsky’s film Requiem For a Dream, establishing himself as a prominent leading star. Still, many of Leto’s best movies feature him as part of an ensemble, with him earning his Academy Award for a supporting role.

Jared Leto is one of Hollywood’s more eccentric movie stars, known for his method acting and deep commitment to roles. In films like House of Gucci and Dallas Buyers Club, he’s almost unrecognizable in appearance. Leto is a strange case in that two of the movies he’s most commercially famous for, Suicide Squad and Morbius, are some of his worst and most ridiculed projects. The quality of Leto’s performance, along with the quality of the film, will be factored in. A movie like The Thin Red Line wouldn’t qualify as one of his best, despite being a great movie, as he’s barely in it.

10 House Of Gucci

Directed by Ridley Scott (2021)

Though it isn’t one of Ridley Scott’s best films, House of Gucci is in the middle of an enormously successful filmography, and it’s a must-see Jared Leto performance. It’s not necessarily one of his most nuanced characters but one of his most eccentric and entertaining. Leto looks entirely different as Paolo Gucci, the real-life entrepreneur and designer. In a film packed with bizarre performances, Leto fits in perfectly, providing humor and drama to the volatile family dynamic.

Related

House Of Gucci Cast Guide: What Each Character Looks Like In Real Life

House of Gucci is based on real-life events, so we compare Ridley Scott’s cast to their real-life counterparts in this cast and character guide.

9 Lord Of War

Directed by Andrew Niccol (2005)

In Andrew Niccol’s crime drama, Lord of War, Jared Leto plays a supporting role behind another of Hollywood’s peculiar figures: Nicolas Cage. In the period drama, the two play brothers and business partners involved in arms dealings. While Cage’s Yuri Orlov is all in on the trade, Leto’s Vitaly experiences moral conflicts about their business and its consequences on the world. Lord of War gets the most out of its cast, who deliver strong performances that complement the challenging subject material. Though it wasn’t a massive hit, Lord of War has had a sequel announced.

Related

Lord Of War True Story: Who Nicolas Cage’s Character Is Based On

Lord of War stars Nicolas Cage as the international gunrunner Yuri Orlov. While Orlov is fictional, he’s based on a real person – Viktor Bout.

8 Mr. Nobody

Directed by Jaco Van Dormael (2009)

Jared Leto plays the character Nemo Nobody in the sci-fi drama Mr. Nobody. The film has a fascinating concept: Nemo is the last human on Earth, with nothing to do but reflect on his past. The narrative is ambitious and non-linear, exploring potential lives the character could’ve lived had things gone differently. Along with the film’s stunning visuals, Jared Leto’s performance is a highlight, especially given that many of his scenes involve him acting alone.

7 Panic Room

Directed by David Fincher (2002)

After a small role in Fight Club, Jared Leto returned to work with David Fincher on Panic Room. He plays a burglar, along with Forest Whitaker and Dwight Yoakam, attempting to break into the home of Jodie Foster’s Meg Altman. David Fincher brings his signature intensity and suspenseful atmosphere to Panic Room as Meg Altman narrowly fends off the invaders. The film carefully uses its singular setting to make for a captivating drama, and Leto contributes as Junior, the man who organizes the crime.

6 Dallas Buyers Club

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (2013)

Jean-Marc Vallée’s Dallas Buyers Club is famous for winning Matthew McConaughey an Academy Award, and the film also earned an Oscar for Jared Leto. The period piece’s best aspect is its performances, as both stars are spectacular. Leto plays a transgender woman named Rayon, who’s diagnosed with HIV and forms a friendship with McConaughey’s Ron Woodroof. Joined in their dismay over not being able to get proper treatment, the pair resiliently fight for their lives in the compelling drama.

5 Girl, Interrupted

Directed by James Mangold (1999)

One of James Mangold’s best films, the primary attraction of Girl, Interrupted is the star power of Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie, who excel in the drama. Jared Leto contributes to the ensemble cast as Toby, the ex-boyfriend of Winona Ryder’s character. The 1999 classic is a poignant film about mental health, exploring the challenges characters face in a psychiatric hospital, offering one of the more nuanced and sensitive portrayals of mental illness in film.

4 American Psycho

Directed by Mary Harron (2000)

Mary Harron’s American Psycho is a famous satire about the dark side of corporate culture, and though Christian Bale’s iconic performance as Patrick Bateman is the standout, the film boasts an incredible supporting cast. Jared Leto plays Paul Allen, one of Bateman’s colleagues in the finance world, who famously gets murdered with an axe in a bloody, gruesome scene. While it’s another minor role, American Psycho is a beloved classic, and Jared Leto’s scenes are memorable.

3 Blade Runner 2049

Directed by Denis Villeneuve (2017)

One of Jared Leto’s most significant recent movies is Blade Runner 2049, the long-awaited sequel to the sci-fi classic. The film is known for its stunning, vibrant visuals, intricate world-building, and philosophical themes that mirror the original. Jared Leto plays the film’s main villain, Niander Wallace Jr., an enigmatic replicant manufacturer with grand ambitions. Contrasting Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford’s protagonists in the movie, Leto adds a mysterious, menacing element. It’s some of his best acting and one of his best villain roles.

Related

1 Futuristic Blade Runner 2049 Location Is Actually Real (Not CGI)

Blade Runner 2049 is full of outstanding visuals that represent a bleak world full of advanced technologies but not all locations were made using CGI.

2 Requiem For A Dream

Directed by Darren Aronofsky (2000)

Darren Aronofsky’s movies are typically complex, giving their performers room to play challenging, nuanced characters. In his best starring role, Jared Leto plays Harry Goldfarb, a man struggling with drug addiction. The psychological drama displays the devastating impact of addiction through various characters through an intense, harrowing lens. Aronofsky’s innovative visual style and the film’s powerful score complement Leto’s performance. Requiem for a Dream is a visceral, unforgettable movie experience for those okay with dark cinema.

1 Fight Club

Directed by David Fincher (1999)

The 1999 classic may be another small Jared Leto role, but it’s one of the best and most famous movies ever. Fight Club is David Fincher’s best movie, and though Leto doesn’t have the screen time of Brad Pitt or Edward Norton, he’s distinctly memorable as fight club member Angel Face. Leto is allowed to embrace his eccentricity in the bizarre, impactful role, which helped contribute to the film’s status as a cult classic. The film has been consistently celebrated for its themes of consumerism, and it’s filled with iconic performances and memorable quotes.