Joaquin Phoenix is set to lead one of the most anticipated films of 2024, Joker: Folie à Deux. He will reprise his role as Arthur Fleck for the Joker sequel and be joined by Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. In 2019, Joker was a surprise hit that put an entirely new and unique spin on the iconic Batman villain, earning Phoenix his first Academy Award win for Best Actor. While viewers have yet to see what the sequel has in store for them, it is almost a given that Phoenix will thrive once more in the complex role of the nihilistic criminal.
After all, this knack for complex and unconventional roles first garnered the actor international recognition. Phoenix has been acting nearly his entire life, starting his career as a child actor to help support his family. He started gaining recognition for his acting talent early on, especially after portraying the sullen and withdrawn teen Garry in Parenthood. Once he reached adulthood, he had no problem transitioning into more mature starring roles in films like To Die For.
His propensity for darker and unconventional roles quickly became apparent as he portrayed several troubled young men involved in murder plots or befriending serial killers. By 2000, he garnered critical acclaim for his role as Commodus in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. Phoenix earned his first Academy Award nomination for the role, in which he managed to bring to life a truly chillingly amoral and tyrannical villain. His career only picked up from there, as he showed that unconventionality wasn’t the only thing he could do.
He has continued taking on larger-than-life roles, such as Napoleon Bonaparte in Napoleon, as well as emotionally complex and eccentric ones in films like C’mon, C’mon and Beau is Afraid. Whether it’s a villain with a commanding presence or a quiet, nihilistic, or emotionally disturbed man, Phoenix knows how to give an engaging, compelling, and sometimes even frightening performance.
Choosing from Phoenix’s best performance was no easy task. However, we did so by weighing how well-known the role was, as well as how well-received it was, rather than just the quality of the movie. Hence, even though Joker received somewhat mixed reviews from critics, it still tops the chart because of how iconic Phoenix’s role in it was.
Here are Phoenix’s ten best movies ranked by the quality and iconic nature of his performance and the movie.
