Paul Dano has played a multitude of complex characters over the course of his over 20-year career. His filmography is one that would make any aspiring actor jealous. Not only has he starred in a number of widely successful and acclaimed films, but he has also held his own against acting greats such as Hugh Jackman and Daniel Day-Lewis. The best Paul Dano movies are those that challenge his acting skills and feature him alongside his well-known peers. They are movies that satisfy both the cinephile and the casual movie-lover with thorough character studies and interesting plotlines.
In 2022 alone, Dano showed off his incredible range as well as his talent for picking interesting projects. He began the year with his unsettling villainous turn in The Batman as The Riddler and ended it with his reserved and heartwarming fatherly role in The Fabelmans. Though two popular and acclaimed movies are just part of the incredible collection of movies that Dano has been involved in throughout his career. The best Paul Dano movies have allowed him to grow into one of the most interesting actors in Hollywood today.
20 L.I.E. (2001)
- Rent on Apple TV
L.I.E is an independent drama that tells the story of a relationship between a 15-year-old boy and a middle-aged man. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. The movie is a rather disturbing and uncomfortable watch that features stand-out performances from its two leads. For his role as Howie, the teenage boy who enters into an inappropriate relationship with an adult, Dano won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance, solidifying his emerging role as a professional actor. His co-star Brian Cox was also nominated for Best Male Lead.
19 The King (2005)
- Stream on Peacock
The King is a 2005 drama starring Gael Garcia Bernal as Elvis Valderez, a discharged veteran who attempts to forge a bond with his father, despite having never met the man. In the film, Paul Dano portrays Paul Sandow, the son of a local pastor with whom Elvis stays while searching for his father. Though The King attempted to find a meaningful plot in the midst of its overbearing drama, it failed to find its audience, leaving many of those involved in its creation unrecognized for their work — and Dano himself would have to continue looking for his breakout role.
18 The Good Heart (2009)
- Stream on Pluto TV
Paul Dano and Brian Cox worked together more than once, including a very early role in Dano's career in L.I.E. when he was only 17. Eight years later, they were back together in The Good Heart, where Cox plays a bartender who has a heart attack and Dano is a homeless man who attempted suicide. The two end up sharing a hospital room and end up changing each other's lives. The small movie did not find much of an audience, though it had a decent critical reception with the chemistry in the oddball pairing of Cox and Dano noted as the movie's highlight.
17 The Ballad Of Jack And Rose (2005)
- Stream on AMC+
The Ballad of Jack and Rose is a star-studded film with a cast that includes Daniel-Day Lewis in the leading role and Camilla Belle, Catherine Keener, Jason Lee, and Jena Malone in ing roles. This drama also stars Paul Dano as Thaddius, a young man who is attacked to Belle's character, advancing on her even when she isn't interested herself. This role allowed Dano to access a more sinister side of his acting skill, portending certain major roles in his future. While the film was not an all-out success, it did allow the young actor to play the kind of role with which he was not particularly familiar.
16 Ruby Sparks (2012)
- Stream on Hulu
In the romantic comedy Ruby Sparks, which was written by his partner Zoe Kazan, Dano plays a writer named Calvin whose protagonist comes to life. The protagonist, Ruby, is Calvin's dream girlfriend. The plot of Ruby Sparks is completely unique and inventive and initiates many conversations about relationships and power. When Ruby begins to pull away from Calvin, he uses his typewriter to tweak her character so that she continues to love him. Dano is excellent as the hopeless writer, and there is obvious chemistry between him and Kazan while Kazan herself was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her screenplay.
15 The Emperor's Club (2002)
- Not available to stream
The Emperor's Club was a 2002 drama movie with Kevin Kline starring as a teacher in a prep school who developed an interest in a student whose father, a U.S. Senator, doesn't seem to care about his education. This causes the teacher to do what he can to help the young man succeed. Paul Dano stars as Martin Blythe, another student and one whose aspirations are dashed when Kline's teacher cheats him out of an award to help the senator's son. Kline gives a wonderful performance leading the young cast, and while the movie might feel overly familiar at times, it does have a surprising ending that elevates it.
14 The Girl Next Door (2004)
- Stream on Vudu
Paul Dano has mostly appeared in adult-oriented, often dark movies. However, he has some lighthearted fare in his body of work as well. That includes the 2004 raunchy comedy The Girl Next Door, where Emile Hirsch learned the girl who moved in next door that he starts to date used to be a porn star. Dano plays one of his best friends in the movie, Klitz. The movie was a modest teen comedy hit and found more fans on home video. Some dismiss it as a ripoff of Risky Business while others see it as a loving homage.
13 Taking Woodstock (2009)
- Rent on Apple TV
Taking Woodstock is a 2009 Ang Lee film that is based on the memoir of Elliot Tiber and Tom Monte, who attended the infamous 1969 Woodstock Festival. Paul Dano played one half of a hippie couple opposite Kelli Garner, marking relatively small roles for the two actors. Though Taking Woodstock made the rounds at film festivals, it was far from the hit that the filmmakers were hoping for, failing to resonate with critics or audiences. Given that this was the follow-up to Ang Lee's Best Director win for Brokeback Mountain, the movie was a disappointment yet still a fascinating subject with a strong cast.
12 Youth (2015)
- Rent on Apple TV
Paul Dano stars alongside screen legends Jane Fonda, Michael Caine, and Harvey Keitel in this Oscar-nominated drama directed by Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino. The film follows a retired orchestra conductor, played by Caine, who, while on vacation with his daughter and his best friend, receives an invitation to perform for Prince Philip. In the movie, Dano plays a frustrated actor who is vacationing at the same resort. Youth competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival but lost out to Jacques Audiard's film Dheepan. The movie was critically acclaimed for its intimate and compelling look at such grounded subject matter while the performances were highlighted as elevating the material further.
11 Okja (2017)
- Stream on Netflix
Directed by Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho, Okja tells the story of a young girl who befriends the genetically modified "super pig" that her family raised as part of a global project run by a large corporation. The film is critical of the meat industry and features a very off-brand performance by Jake Gyllenhaal as an eccentric television personality. In the film, Dano plays the leader of the environmentalist group Animal Liberation Front who rescues Okja from the corporation. The actor received waves of praise for his performance, even among other hard-hitters like Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton, Steven Yeun and more. The Netflix movie was another critical hit for Joon-ho, showing his amazing talent for balancing different tones in a funny, thrilling, and heartbreaking adventure.
