Tom Holland has made a big name for himself in the film industry thanks to his starring role in the Spider-Man series, along with the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor has branched out further with Uncharted and other big-budget features, and now boasts an impressive list of credits.
Metacritic is among the best ways to gauge which of an actor’s movies are the pick of the bunch because the site aggregates critics’ reviews. Although it’s inevitable that a lot of MCU projects show up as part of Holland’s best work, there are certain other hidden gems that his fans will be interested to check out.
Onward (2020) – 61 | Stream On Disney+
Considered among the Pixar movies that deserve more attention, Onward is about two brothers in a magical land. They come across a spell that will temporarily revive their deceased father and head out to a location where the spell will come true.
Tom Holland pairs with Chris Pratt in this voice role, with the two actors enjoying great chemistry as a brotherly duo with different personalities. Onward didn’t set critics on fire like other Pixar movies, but the charming performances by its lead make it a story that’s worth following.
Avengers: Infinity War (2019) – 68 | Stream On Disney+
Tom Holland made the most famous quote in Avengers: Infinity War when Peter Parker begged Tony Stark that he “didn’t want to go,” which cemented the bleak outlook of this superhero film. It sees Spider-Man join the Avengers and their allies to stop Thanos from assembling the Infinity Stones.
Holland got to act with more co-stars than ever as Spider-Man was exposed to worlds in space in the big-time conflict. However, while Avengers: Infinity War did receive big praise for the way it juggled so many heroes at the same time, the movie is more popular with audiences than critics.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) – 69 | Stream On Fubo TV
Just when fans thought they had seen the worst thing to happen to Spider-Man after the death of his mentor, Tony Stark, he was thrown into a conflict with Mysterio. Spider-Man: Far From Home is about Peter’s attempts to move on from the Infinity War, only to be targeted by Mysterio, who looks to steal Stark Tech from Peter.
The movie was arguably the first time that Tom Holland had to prove his mettle as a leading man on the big screen since he didn’t have the presence of Robert Downey Jr. this time around. Although it’s considered the least effective MCU Spider-Man film, it’s also praised for being Peter’s coming-of-age story.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) – 71 | Yet To Begin Streaming On Starz
There’s never been a superhero film more satisfying in terms of fans service than Spider-Man: No Way Home. It brings together three generations’ worth of fans with the arrival of Tobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men in the MCU in what is a multiversal adventure.
The story is about Peter Parker making a grave mistake, as he opens up the multiverse and causes several villains from other universes to enter his world (the MCU). No Way Home features everything from a heartfelt story of Peter’s inability to save everyone to action-packed elements involving all three Spider-Men.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) – 73 | Stream On Starz
It appears that critics connected with MCU’s first Spider-Man entry better than the rest, which is justified since it introduced viewers to the supporting cast. Moreover, Spider-Man: Homecoming carries a feel-good quality, where Peter’s everyday life is explored and his up-and-coming potential as the titular hero.
It has a smaller scale than other MCU efforts since it’s about Peter learning to be the “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.” The story sees Peter uncover Adrian Toomes’ identity as the Vulture, as he looks to foil his plans by infiltrating Vulture’s theft of Tony Stark’s high tech weaponry.
The Impossible (2012) – 73 | Stream On Amazon Prime Video
Tom Holland proved his acting talents at a very young age with The Impossible, where he plays a child part of a family affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. It’s a heartbreaking feature that shows the horrors of the event and the family’s attempts to reunite after the calamity.
The Impossible brought significant attention toward Holland back when he wasn’t a big-time star. Also starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts as the parents, it’s a true tearjerker based on the real story of Maria Belón and her family facing the tragic disaster.
Captain America: Civil War (2016) – 75 | Stream On Disney+
Tom Holland announced himself to the world with Captain America: Civil War, making his debut as Spider-Man in the MCU. Although he showed up midway through, there was significant hype about Spider-Man’s arrival, with Holland receiving massive praise for living up to the task.
The overarching plot is about the Avengers breaking into two factions after they disagree over joining forces with the government, with Iron Man recruiting Spider-Man to fight for his cause. Holland set the stage for more to follow with his performance and the potential he showed here is better in retrospect now that he’s done Spider-Man’s character full justice.
Avengers: Endgame (2019) – 78 | Stream On Disney+
The biggest superhero movie of all time saw all of the protagonists take on Thanos’ forces for the fate of the universe. Avengers: Endgame is a time travel film, where the surviving heroes assemble Infinity Stones from the past and reverse Thanos’ Snap to revive everyone who died.
Spider-Man is among the trillions who return back to life and immediately joins the Battle of Earth. Although he has a relatively smaller role, Holland remained prominent for his final pairing with Robert Downey Jr, with Peter bidding his mentor farewell after Tony Stark’s demise.
The Lost City Of Z (2017) – 78 | Stream On Amazon Prime Video
Among one of Robert Pattinson’s best-reviewed movies as well, Tom Holland appeared alongside Pattinson and Charlie Hunnam in this adventure film. The Lost City of Z is about an expedition into the Amazonian forest, where the protagonists theorize an ancient city waiting to be rediscovered.
Holland stars as the son of Hunnam’s character, both of whom are based on the real-life Peter and Jack Fawcett, who ultimately went missing looking for the lost city. It’s both an exciting and bleak story that depicts the protagonists’ never-ending pursuit for what they believe in.
Locke (2013) – 81 | Stream On Fubo TV
Tom Holland never appears onscreen in Locke since the entire movie is about one man’s car ride across the night. Tom Hardy stars as the titular character who drives for the birth of his child. However, on the drive, some things from his present come back to haunt him, which means Locke has to deal with the consequences during his ride.
Holland has a voice role as Locke’s son, who doesn’t understand why his father’s left at the dead of the night, along with relaying his angered mother’s reaction upon learning of Locke’s affair. It’s an engrossing character study that deals with the impact of a man’s decisions, and Tom Holland’s fans will be interested to check it out and hear the actor’s voice in a movie most don’t know exists in his filmography.
