Here is a comprehensive list of every Paul Dano movie, ranked from worst to best. In a career spanning more than 25 years, Dano has built an impressive resume of largely artistic and emotive projects, splitting his time near evenly between independent and studio films. He is arguably one of the most underappreciated talents in the industry, though he may finally be getting his due with his widely recognized role as The Riddler in The Batman.
Paul Franklin Dano was born in New York City on June 19th, 1984. He made his Broadway debut at the age of twelve in John Tillinger’s revival of Inherit the Wind, landing his first major film role only four years later. Dano has worked consistently in film for the last 22 years, taking a short break from 2018 to 2021 following the birth of his daughter.
Dano brings a seldom-seen level of depth and understanding to his characters, making Dano as effective as The Riddler in The Batman as he is as a mute teenager in Little Miss Sunshine. His versatility and soft-spoken sincerity make him a unique talent in the often brash world of Hollywood, standing out amidst accomplished actors by effectively blending in with the fabric of a story. With that in mind, here is a look at Dano’s accomplishments in film thus far.
33. The Newcomers (2000)
The Newcomers is a family drama featuring the film debuts of both Paul Dano and Chris Evans. After their son is threatened by bullies, the Docherty family makes the move from Boston to rural Vermont in hopes of starting anew. The story and direction are fairly basic, making The Newcomers a largely forgettable installment in Dano’s catalog.
32. Weapons (2007)
Weapons (stylized as WEAPONS) is a crime drama starring Paul Dano and former America’s Got Talent host Nick Cannon. The story is told non-sequentially, beginning with a gruesome murder and working backward to unveil the culprit and their motivations. Weapons received largely negative critical reviews due to its graphic and disturbing content, including a scene in which Dani’s character, Chris, urinates on a guest at a party.
31. Light And The Sufferer (2007)
Light and the Sufferer is a science fiction film based on the short story by Jonathan Lethem. Two brothers from New York City dream to leave and start new lives in California, but their plans change after the appearance of a mysterious alien. The film’s strange and cerebral tone is at times jarring, and the story’s contemplative nature answers fewer questions than it poses, never truly explaining what purpose the alien serves to the story.
30. Explicit Ills (2008)
Explicit Ills is an indie drama featuring the directorial debut of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s Mark Webber in his second collaboration with Dano. The film follows four interconnected stories taking place in Philadelphia, dealing with heavy subject matter such as drugs and poverty. The film boasts an impressive cast, including Dano, Naomie Harris, and Rosario Dawson, but the characters feel distant and unfamiliar, with the relationship between them only becoming clear at the film’s end.
29. Gigantic (2008)
Gigantic is an independent comedy written and directed by Zooey Deschanel as the unlikely lovers, their unusual chemistry bringing a degree of life to an underdeveloped story.
28. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Cowboys & Aliens is a sci-fi/Western movie on the 2006 graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. A mysterious gunslinger with memory loss wanders into the town of Absolution shortly before an alien attack, quickly proving to be the only person capable of stopping it. The film is packed with celebrities, from Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig to director Jon Favreau, but the story’s contrasting styles and drastic shifts in tone make it a confusing and abrasive watch.
27. Taking Lives (2004)
Taking Lives is a psychological thriller loosely based on the 1999 Michael Pye novel by the same name. FBI Agent Ileana Scott (played by Eternals actress Angelina Jolie) travels to Canada to investigate an active serial killer who impersonates the identities of their victims. Dano appears briefly at the beginning of the film as a younger version of the deranged killer, Martin Asher. The plot is relatively predictable, and Jolie’s mediocre performance earned her a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress.
26. L.I.E. (2001)
L.I.E. (an acronym for the Long Island Expressway) is an American drama written by poet and producer Stephen M. Ryder. The film is an exploration of grief and sexuality, with young Howie Blitzer (played by Dano) falling in with a pair of troubled men after the death of his mother. Despite quality performances, the movie has aged poorly in the 20 years that have ed. L.I.E. asks some interesting questions, but its themes of incest and pedophilia are a bit jarring by modern standards.
25. Knight And Day (2010)
Knight and Day is an action-comedy from Logan director James Mangold. June Havens (played by Cameron Diaz) is hunted by corrupt CIA operatives after a chance encounter with Roy Miller (played by Tom Cruise), an agent on the run. Dano appears as Simon Feck, the inventor of a coveted perpetual energy battery that Miller is tasked with guarding. The film is serviceable as a by-the-numbers action comedy, relying heavily on the chemistry of its famous protagonists.
24. Fast Food Nation (2006)
Fast Food Nation is a film adaptation of Eric Schlosser's 2001 novel from director Richard Linklater. A marketing executive for a burger chain faces reality as he investigates claims that the company’s meat is being contaminated by manure, uncovering layers of unsavory methods in the process. Dano appears alongside a star-studded cast including Ethan Hawke, Avril Lavigne, and Bruce Willis, with the film seemingly being more focused on its celebrity appearances than on making its point.
