Looking back at Tom Holland and his growing filmography, he has come a long way since he began his career on stage. From playing the character of Billy Elliot in London’s West End, Holland eventually transitioned to the big screen, gaining global recognition for his portrayal of Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, his early roles weren’t exactly the usual route for a young performer on the rise. Rather than line his credits with charming romantic comedies or taking a prominent ing part in a horror movie, Holland’s resume revealed a preference for historical narratives.

In his films, Tom Holland played a cabin boy stranded at sea, a monk, and the personal secretary of Thomas Edison. In each of these performances, Holland proves crucial even though his character tends to be removed from the center of the story. It wouldn’t be until 2017, with the massive success of Spider-Man: Homecoming, that Holland became consistently regarded as a leading man. Now, as he’s preparing to enter the next phase of his career, where his popularity is utilized to help elevate the visibility of a project, Holland has a chance to really show what he is capable of on the big screen.

21 Dolittle (2020)

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Dolittle was troubled from the jump. The movie went through 21 days of reshoots in the aftermath of poor test screenings. Several writers were recruited to steer the project in the right direction, including Seth Rogen, but none of it helped to refine the final result. It's almost universally agreed that Dolittle is the worst Tom Holland movie, despite having had the recipe to be one of the best.

Dolittle was panned for everything from its pacing to its storyline. It also has the dubious distinction of having one of the most widely-mocked endings in recent memory. In spite of Robert Downey Jr.’s star power, and an imminently recognizable voice cast that features Tom Holland as a lurcher, Dolittle only made $251 million on a $175 million budget (via Box Office Mojo).

20 In the Heart of the Sea (2015)

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Centered on the sinking of an American whaling ship in 1820, In the Heart of the Sea permits the cast only a few defining traits to work with: Chris Hemsworth wants to be captain of the ship. Benjamin Walker worries that he’s not cut out to be captain. As for Cillian Murphy, his character is largely focused on staying sober.

Tom Holland gets nothing at all, even though the movie ostensibly unfolds from his perspective. This bare-bones approach seems to be no accident, as director Ron Howard is more interested in filling up his feature with an array of epic action sequences.

19 Chaos Walking (2021)

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Tom Holland was cast in Chaos Walking months after his head-turning cameo in Captain America: Civil War. Perhaps because they failed to anticipate the actor’s massive popularity with audiences or because Chaos Walking had a myriad of problems on its way to the big screen, this young adult dystopian adaptation commits the mistake of turning its charismatic leads into generic ciphers.

Holland and his co-star Daisy Ridley play main characters that could have been embodied by just about anyone for what little specificity and interior life they’re given. They’re there to shepherd the plot from one place to the next. Out of all of Holland’s leading roles, this one might just be the least essential, which is why despite an interesting premise and quality co-star in Daisy Ridley, it's far from the best Tom Holland movie.

18 How I Live Now (2013)

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How I Live Now has one thing going for it: it’s a lot more brutal than other adaptations of young adult novels which were released around the same time. The story follows Daisy (Saoirse Ronan), an American girl sent to the English countryside to stay with relatives right as the world descends into an all-out war. This is depicted unflinchingly. In one scene, a young boy is shot in the head. His gushing wound is visible as he crawls to his death. The film loses ground in its decision to use these unimaginable atrocities as a backdrop to the love story between Daisy and her distant cousin Eddie (George MacKay).

The romance is never convincing, but it ends up being the focus of How I Live Now regardless. Tom Holland, in the role of Daisy’s cousin Isaac, looks to be set up as one of the leads given that he’s featured prominently in the movie’s opening moments. But by the halfway mark, the narrative amounts to little more than a variation on Twilight with a dystopian flavor. It’s a shame because the adaptation could have been much more interesting.

17 Edge of Winter (2016)

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A divorced dad is eager to bond with his two boys, but his efforts lead to a nightmarish scenario in this snowy thriller from director Rob Connolly. Although an irable amount of running time is devoted to examining the clash of personalities between the father and his older son (Tom Holland), Edge of Winter suffered from many pacing issues.

Despite how Joel Kinnaman leaves an impression with his performance as the father, Edge of Winter is too slow for too long. Slow-burn When the terror begins to set in, at around the hour mark, it provides only a brief jolt. Overall, the movie doesn’t do enough and doesn’t go far enough to stand out from other, similar thrillers.

16 Uncharted (2022)

• Stream now on Netflix

Uncharted had a lot going against it from the start. First, it was based on a very popular video game franchise, but neither Tom Holland nor Mark Wahlberg fit the characters they signed on to play. This turned many fans of the games against the movie, but then the actual story ended up seeing Holland's Nathan Drake and Sully Sullivan go from one plot point to the next in search of treasure just as in the games.

While it was filled with plenty of nods and references to the original Naughty Dog games, Uncharted wasn't quite the success many had hoped it would be. The movie did feature a fun turn from Antonio Banderas as the villain, but in the end, there wasn't enough substance to carry it as a movie - much less as a franchise starter that the filmmakers hoped they had based on the Uncharted post-credit scene.

15 Cherry (2021)

• Stream now on Apple TV+

In reviews for Cherry, the adaptation of Nico Walker’s novel was described as a departure for Tom Holland. That’s certainly true in of its subject — but, in a broader sense, it’s one among a long line of young and seemingly meek protagonists who are in over their heads. Holland's movie is an ambitious project, and Holland himself was poised to prove his depth as a young actor. Unfortunately, the film did not live up to its premise and marketing, and Cherry received negative movie reviews.

Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, in their first post-MCU project, Cherry tells the story of an Army veteran who suffers from PTSD and resorts to robbing banks to his drug addiction. It’s heavy stuff; however, it’s also heavily stylized to its detriment. Filling the screen with visual flourishes and other digressions, the directing duo unintentionally distracts from the lead actor’s performance and distances the viewer from what might otherwise be an emotionally harrowing drama. It’s an interesting misfire, potentially worth seeking out for that reason.

14 The Current War: Director’s Cut (2017)

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Tom Holland plays Samuel Insull, the personal secretary to Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch), and he serves the purpose of acting as Edison’s sounding board as well as the inventor’s conscious. The Current War dramatizes the 19th-century competition between Edison and George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) over which of their electric delivery systems would be used across the United States.

Given the amount of talent on-screen, in addition to the memorable visual flourishes from director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, the film is quite gripping to watch in parts. On the whole, however, it follows the expected patterns of a typical Hollywood biopic and indulges in the genre’s tendency to treat female characters as ancillary to the men that surround them. The Current War’s journey to audiences, which was derailed by the sexual assault allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein, might be more noteworthy than the film itself.

13 Pilgrimage (2017)

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Pilgrimage allows director Brendan Muldowney to juxtapose the beautiful landscapes of Ireland and Belgium, where the drama was filmed, with scenes of appalling violence. The story is set in medieval times, chronicling a group of Catholic monks as they embark on the perilous mission of transporting a holy relic to Rome. Raising worthwhile questions about the dangers of religious zealotry and the pointlessness of the importance so often attached to symbols, Pilgrimage is much stronger in its second half than its first.

But, still, it falls short of deeply examining the characters and the world they inhabit. Tom Holland, who plays a young monk, is a prime example of this. He receives top billing and is featured plenty albeit mostly in silent reaction shots where he functions as a surrogate for the audience. Jon Bernthal fares better as a warrior with a mysterious past, bringing a distinct intensity to the role.

12 Spies in Disguise (2019)

• Stream now on Disney+

For a family-friendly animated comedy, Spies in Disguise has a lot on its mind. The movie touches on the CIA’s checkered history, which has ruined lives, and it has some ideas about how to improve the agency’s track record as well. Of course, being a family-friendly comedy, these threads are explored in a way that allows the Spies in Disguise characters voiced by Tom Holland and Will Smith to have plenty of heightened adventures.

At its best, such as in the opening scene, the story plays out like a genuine spy thriller sprinkled in with a bit of humor. More often though, Spies in Disguise is just a decently entertaining romp bolstered by the likability of its two leads. While this animated adventure aimed at young audiences would always struggle to reach the top spot on any best Tom Holland movie list, it's nonetheless a fun adventure for viewers of all ages, and will definitely keep children entertained.