It’s arguably a crime thatJoaquin Phoenixhas yet to win an Oscar. One of the most intense and versatile actors working today, Phoenix is that rare Hollywood star who disappears into roles completely, often with haunting results. His latest role in the much-anticipatedJokercould finally add an Academy Award to his list of accolades for his work in directorTodd Phillips' controversial R-rated origin story of the Clown Prince of Crime. But before you experience his newest, must-see role, we’ve compiled a list of 11 essential Phoenix performances you should revisit or watch for the first time.
11. Inventing the Abbotts (1997)
Phoenix’s follow-up to 1995’sTo Die Foris the all-but-forgotten period coming-of-age dramaInventing the Abbotts. His mix of boyish innocence and brooding vulnerability elevates the by-the-numbers script that centers on Doug Holt, a naive sibling who falls for his older brother’s girl (Jennifer Connelly), herself the daughter of a rival family.
The familial conflict between the Holts and the Abbotts that unfolds verges on melodrama, but one that is bolstered by strong performances from Phoenix, Connelly andBilly Crudupas Doug’s older, angrier brother. But it’s Phoenix’s performance that grounds the proceedings; we can’t take our eyes off him and can’t wait for his scenes as he sets himself on the path of movie stardom.
10. The Yards (2000)
Phoenix’s first collaboration with writer-directorJames Gray,The Yardsfalls short of the “great crime movie” ranks it strives to achieve but not for lack of trying. This gritty, gut-punch of a drama was one of Phoenix’s earliest roles to garner the attention of key awards circles, with the National Board of Review naming him Best Supporting Actor for his role as the charming and dangerous Willie Gutierrez. As Willie, Phoenix is someone you might like but would never, ever cross—a velvet switchblade of a man who pulls ex-conMark Wahlbergback into a life of violent crime full of increasingly taxing consequences. Gray’s deft direction and respect for the material give Phoenix a chance to showcase a range we now take for granted—and a threatening intensity that would set the tone for future great work.
9. Signs (2002)
Phoenix doesn’t get much credit for his solid comedic chops, andSignsis proof he should play the comic relief in mainstream blockbusters more often.
His first (and best) of two collaborations with auteurM. Night Shyamalan, Phoenix plays Merrill “Swing Away” Graham, the younger brother ofMel Gibson’s Graham, a former Episcopal priest Graham Hess (Gibson) struggling to protect his family when crop circles appear on his farm leading to an alien invasion. Merrill often serves as the audience’s surrogate, reacting to home video close encounters on the local news with a very relatable sense of fear. As excellent as Phoenix is with the movie’s welcome comedic bits, he is obviously quite adept at the quiet moments where he and Gibson muse on the movie’s emotional themes.
8. Gladiator (2000)
If there’s a more hate-worthy modern movie villain, we don’t wanna know about it.
Phoenix may lay it on a bit thick at times, but his performance as the traitorous Commodus inRidley Scott’s Oscar-winning epicGladiatoris a key benchmark of his career. As the ultimate threat to Maximus (Russell Crowe) and thorn in the general-turned-gladiator’s side, Phoenix worms his way into all-timer villain status with a dynamic performance that gives more dimension to the character than what seems to be on the page. His child-like temper tantrums coupled with his cold ruthlessness achieve a visceral response from the viewer; you can’t wait for him to get his comeuppance and when he does, it is satisfying to watch the pathetic and evil baddie squirm. The chemistry he has with Crowe is so palpable, you wish he was in every scene. It’s no surprise the performance landed Phoenix his first Oscar nomination.
7. I’m Still Here (2010)
I’m Still Herecaptures an, um, interesting time in the actor’s career.
This “documentary” from directorCasey Affleckchronicles what appears to be Phoenix’s real-time nervous breakdown wrapped in a mental health spiral as the actor grew out both his hair and beard and proclaimed problematic aspirations to become a hip-hop star. What seemed like an ongoing trainwreck happening to one of the best actors alive turned out to be, according to Phoenix post-release, a performance piece of sorts. Yup, Phoenix and Affleck claim the whole thing was staged. Whether or not audiences and fans buy it is up for debate, but there is no denying Phoenix’s fierce commitment to executing whatever is happening here – both on and off-camera.
6. The Immigrant (2013)
2013 was a banner year for Phoenix, withHerandThe Immigranthelping further his career rebound following theI’m Still Heredebacle and subsequent fallout.
Period-pieceThe Immigrantmakes for an engaging and welcome double bill with five-minutes-into-the-futureHer, as the movie reteams Phoenix with directorJames Grayfor the fourth time in a deliberately-paced and emotionally complicated romance. Phoenix plays Bruno Weiss, owner of a theater that also serves as a bordello. While overseeing a prostitution ring in 1921, Bruno falls for recent Ellis Island arrival Ewa (Marion Cotillard) and soon puts her to work. Their relationship is as unsettling as it is compelling, and it’s too bad Gray’s film was all but dismissed by The Weinstein Company during its theatrical release for it is essential viewing for Phoenix fans. Bruno is another creepy, damaged character Phoenix is more than capable of bringing to life, but he does so in ways that endear this broken person to the point where you want to help him piece himself back together.
5. Her (2013)
There’s a scene early on in directorSpike Jonze’sHerthat perfectly encapsulates Phoenix as a performer. As a crafter of greeting cards in a very near-future, his Theodore is responsible for conveying others’ romantic or loving sentiments despite lacking such love in his own life. This scene captures that dichotomy with heartbreaking precision, as Phoenix’s eyes betray an emptiness in the middle of providing such a fulfilling service.
Heris more than just a movie about a guy falling for a sophisticated A.I. (voiced byScarlett Johansson). It’s about the messiness of human relationships, about how it takes a machine to help humanity better master and understand the terrible privilege that is love and making connections—even those made with ones and zeroes. Here, Phoenix taps into his sweet and earnest side, delivering his most lovable and relatable performance to date.
4. The Master (2012)
Paul Thomas Anderson’s follow-up to his Oscar-winningThere Will Be Bloodis a noble misfire that once again showcases PTA’s penchant for helping his actors craft incredible, fully lived-in performances.
Loosely inspired by Scientology and its founderL. Ron Hubbard,The Masteris worth the price of admission alone for watching Phoenix’s conflicted disciple, Freddie Quell, spar with the latePhillip Seymour Hoffman’s enigmatic cult leader Lancaster Dodd. Phoenix’s first role after his self-imposed time out from acting following his then-erratic public appearances post-2010’sI’m Still Here, Quell affords him opportunities to do what he does best: play both intense and vulnerable. Forced to undergo “processing” for Dodd’s The Cause, Quell is unmade as a man on his way to finding meaning that no faith can give other than that which a man must ultimately have in himself. That journey of painful self-discovery affords Phoenix some of the most powerful scenes of his career.
3. Walk the Line (2005)
Director and co-writerJames Mangoldgave audiences a version of the versatile actor that, at the time, we had never seen before.Walk the Lineentered the 2005 Oscar race with significant buzz, thanks in large part to the exceptional work from Phoenix as the late Johnny Cash in a musical biopic that is just as compelling when it is just two people talking in a room as it is when they’re singing.
The best parts ofWalk the Lineare the scenes between Phoenix’s Cash and his romantic partner, June Carter (the excellentReese Witherspoon). Their dynamic is the beating heart of the movie, as it chronicles their turbulent relationship parallel to Cash’s rise to country music legend. Witherspoon and Phoenix were both nominated for Academy Awards for their exceptional performances, with Witherspoon deservedly taking home the Oscar for Best Actress. And it’s more than okay if you think Phoenix was robbed that yea—he was.
2. Joker (2019)
There have been two big-screen Jokers sinceHeath Ledger’s instantly iconic turn inThe Dark Knight, but the only one that comes close to matching Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance is Phoenix’s.
If Travis Bickle andThe King of Comedy’s Rupert Pupkin had a threeway with Tyler Durden, you’d have Arthur Fleck, a comedian struggling to make it in Gotham City. Afflicted with a condition that forces him to laugh at opportune times, and suffering from a sense of unrealized purpose in a city that fuels his resentment, Fleck suffers a beating by thugs and, through that violent crucible, the Clown Prince of Crime is born.
Phoenix goes to deep, dark, nightmare-fueled places to portray Fleck’s descent into madness; there’s no emotional experience or pain Phoenix won’t explore as Fleck arcs from wannabe comic to deadly criminal. And while the movie’s hero worship of a violent murderer is problematic in this year of 2019 (do we reallyneeda movie that roots for and laments this type of deranged anti-hero?), attention must be paid to Phoenix’s intense commitment to the material. Like Ledger before him, he gives each scene the exact amount of whatever it needs, resulting in the second time the role of Joker has given the comic book movie genre its greatest performance.
