Mark Ruffalo is well known for his role as Bruce Banner in the MCU and fans were excited to see him reprise it in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. Even though his name will most likely bring to mind a certain Avenger, Mark Ruffalo has a long career beyond his role as the Hulk.
The three-time Oscar nominee has played some incredible characters such as Matt from 13 Going 30, Chuck in Shutter Island, and Dylan in Now You See Me. But among those blockbusters, Ruffalo has starred in several films that are criminally underrated. Here are ten great movies from Mark Ruffalo's filmography that most people probably missed.
Sympathy For Delicious (2010)
Mark Ruffalo made his directorial debut with the 2010 drama, Sympathy For Delicious. The film follows Dean O'Dwyer aka "Delicious D" who is a DJ in Los Angeles when a motorcycle accident leaves him paralyzed and turns his life upside down. He soon discovers that he gained the metaphysical ability to heal people, but to his dismay, he finds that he is unable to heal himself.
Ruffalo played Father Joe, the ionate young priest who introduced Dean to the world of faith-healing and helped him come to with his new reality. In this touching tale of faith and humanity, Ruffalo is ed by a powerful cast that includes Orlando Bloom and Laura Linney.
Blindness (2008)
Blindness is a drama-thriller based on a novel by the same name written by José Saramago. It takes place in a city that suffers a sudden epidemic of "white blindness" and society begins to crumble. In an attempt to isolate the illness, the government put everyone afflicted in quarantine at a psychiatric facility, but then left them isolated with limited supplies, which led to chaos.
Ruffalo stars alongside Julianne Moore as a doctor who is blind and his wife, who was actually immune but faked her illness so she could stay with her husband.
What Doesn't Kill You (2008)
What Doesn't Kill You is loosely based on events from the director Brian Goodman’s life, and it realistically captures the struggle that ex-criminals face when they try to change their lives.
Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke play two childhood friends, Brian and Paulie, who grew up in South Boston under difficult circumstances that drove them to a life of crime. They did whatever they had to do to survive, but in time, their petty crimes and misdemeanors became more serious offenses. Eventually, they a local gang, making their lives take a downward turn. But when Brian attempts to clean up his act for his wife and children, finds that it’s more challenging than he thought.
Reservation Road (2007)
In Reservation Road, Mark Ruffalo plays Dwight Arno, an attorney who's involved in a hit-and-run that results in the death of a young boy.
Consumed by guilt, Dwight covers up his crime, but that proves to be more difficult as the victim's father tries to take the investigation into his own hands and hires him to be his lawyer. This is undoubtedly one of Mark Ruffalo's best movies as he gives an achingly emotional performance opposite Joaquin Phoenix.
The Brothers Bloom (2008)
This amazing comedy-drama features a fantastic cast as Mark Ruffalo stars opposite Adrien Brody and Rachel Weisz. The film is centered around a pair of brothers with a blossoming career as con-men as they go on to pull off their last heist before retiring.
The Brothers Bloom combines a unique sense of humor with romance and a clever script that makes the film all the more enjoyable. This is inarguably one of Mark Ruffalo’s best roles, as he perfectly portrayed Stephen, the charming elder brother and the brain behind their latest heist.
Just Like Heaven (2005)
Just Like Heaven brings a twist on classic romantic comedy tropes as it combines a ghost story element. Mark Ruffalo plays David, a recently widowed architect who moves into a new apartment. But to his dismay and much irritation, he discovers that the apartment is haunted by the spirit of the previous owner, Elizabeth who fell into a coma after an accident.
The film is a sweet and funny adaptation of the French novel "If Only It Were True" by Marc Levy. Ruffalo is starring alongside Reese Witherspoon in one of her best rom-coms and they make a great duo.
Infinitely Polar Bear (2014)
Infinitely Polar Bear is set in 1970s Boston, and it revolves around Cameron Stuart, a father of two who is hospitalized after having a psychotic break. Later he is rehabilitated and has to take care of his daughters while his wife moves to New York to obtain her MBA degree.
Mark Ruffalo gave an amazing performance that earned him a golden globe nomination in 2015. Opposite him stars, Zoe Saldana, one of the many MCU actors who worked with Ruffalo in The Adam's Project. The film is very emotional, and it gives a brilliant yet sensitive representation of bipolar disorder.
My Life Without Me (2003)
My Life Without Me is a Spanish-Canadian drama that's based on the short story collection "Pretending The Bed Is A Raft" by Nanci Kincaid. It follows Ann, a young woman who decides to conceal her terminal illness and live the remainder of her life with a ion and adventure she never had before.
In this film Mark Ruffalo portrays Lee, the man Ann has an affair with to fulfill her goal of having a relationship with someone other than her husband, but in a tragic twist of fate they fall in love. My Life Without Me is a beautiful and heartbreaking tale that deals with delicate themes in the most uplifting and thought-provoking way.
Dark Waters (2019)
Dark Waters is a legal thriller that dramatizes the true story of corporate defense attorney Robert Bilott who took on an environmental lawsuit to expose a company's lengthy history of pollution. This turned into a long legal battle against DuPont, a chemical manufacturing corporation that was knowingly contaminating a town's water supply with unregulated chemicals.
Mark Ruffalo gave an impeccable performance as he played Billot, while Anne Hathaway perfectly embodied his wife Sarah Barlage Billot. It's a disturbingly relevant and eye-opening film that accurately captures the appalling corporate arrogance and greed.
Begin Again (2013)
Ruffalo portrays Dan, a disgraced record-label executive as he stumbles upon Greta, a singer-songwriter with stardom potential played by Keira Knightly.
Even though they have little to no resources to bring their vision to life, the two of them begin a collaboration that would transform both of their careers over the course of one unforgettable summer. Begin Again is a charming comedy-drama with a musical aspect and great chemistry between the cast which makes it even more enjoyable.
