Bill Skarsgårdis among the most talented and versatile actors working today. A member of the prolific Skarsgård acting family, he rose to prominence with the supernatural horror seriesHemlock Grovebefore receiving international attention and critical acclaim for his portrayal of Pennywise the Dancing Clown inAndy Muschietti’s horror hitIt. Although best known for his roles in horror pictures, Skarsgård has proven his versatility in numerous projects, including comedies, sci-fi films, and even romantic dramas.
Skarsgård is poised to have a remarkable 2024, premiering the action thrillerBoy Kills Worldin April, the long-awaited remake ofThe Crowin August, and ending the year withRobert Eggers' ambitious and surely terrifying new take on the classicNosferatu. This line-up continues his streak of interesting and challenging roles, all of which add flavor to an already existing career.These are Bill Skarsgård’s best movies and television shows, refreshing and daring projects that cement his place as one of his generation’s most arresting performers.
12’Deadpool 2' (2018)
Directed by David Leitch
Ryan Reynoldsreturns for another round of demented fun inDeadpool 2, the sequel to the unexpected 2016 hit that introduced the Merc with a Mouth to the big screen. The film sees Deadpool protecting a young boy from Cable, a time-traveling mutant with severe trauma. At one point, Deadpool attempts to put together the famous team of X-Force, which includes Skarsgård as Zeitgeist, a mutant who can vomit acidic ooze.
Like its predecessor,Deadpool 2is unrestrained, wild, profane, and over-the-top. The comedy remains fresh and subversive—for example, Deadpool’s much-teased version of X-Force dies within 5 minutes of their introduction, with Skarsgård’s Zeitgeist being swallowed by a wood chipper.Skarsgård doeseverything a great cameo should do: he’s fun, memorable, and unexpected. His intervention is short, butDeadpool 2is a better film for having him and the rest of the short-lived but no less impressive X-Force.
Deadpool 2
11’Hemlock Grove' (2013-2015)
Created by Brian McGreevy
Skarsgård’s ticket to fame was the Netflix horror showHemlock Grove. Based on the 2012 eponymous novel, the plot centers on the unlikely partnership between Roman Godfrey, heir to the town’s wealthy family, and Peter Rumancek, the newest arrival. As mysterious murders shake the town, the two work together to learn the truth while hiding secrets of their own.
Hemlock Grovewas never amongthe best Netflix original series, with reviewers often criticizing its uneven tone and overly violent approach; indeed, the show sometimes madeRyan Murphy’s efforts look tasteful. However, Skarsgård was always the bright point, playing the rich bad boy Roman with enough rebellious gusto to make millions of teenagers swoon.Hemlock Groveexcels as a guilty pleasure and a worthy showcase for Skarsgård’s abilities, even if its legacy is decidedly polarizing.
Hemlock Grove
10’The Devil All the Time' (2020)
Directed by Antonio Campos
Bill Skarsgård is part of the all-star cast inAntonio Campos' psychological crime thrillerThe Devil All the Time. Set from the 1940s to the 1960s, the plot follows several stories in Southern Ohio. Skarsgård plays Willard Russell, a soldier returning from World War II whose life takes an increasingly dark turn.
Dark, violent, intense, and uneven,The Devil All the Timeis not an easy watch and might notrank among Netflix’s best original movies. However,Skarsgård is reliably stellar as the tortured Willard, crafting a complex and compelling yet unnerving portrayal of regret and desperation; indeed, he might be the strongest member of the cast.The Devil All the Timecan sometimes feel dark for the sake of it, butSkarsgård grounds his character in something real, if not necessarily relatable, preventing it from descending into exploitative territory.
The Devil All The Time
9’Soulmates' (2020)
Creators: William Bridges & Brett Goldstein
AMC’s anthologySoulmatesis among the mostunderrated miniseries of the past 5 years. Set in a futuristic world where a company has developed a test for people to find their soulmates, the show features several stories exploring different genres and questions about the true nature of love. Skarsgård stars in the fourth episode, “Layover,” playing Mateo, an American tourist on his way to meet his soulmate in Colombia. While on a layover in Mexico, he meets Jonah, an attractive robber who makes him question his future.
“Layover” is the strongest case for a Bill Skarsgård-starring romantic comedy. The actor is at his most charming in the episode, playing the romantic and idealistic Mateo, arguably his most sympathetic and delightful creation. Skarsgård dominates the episode’s comedic tone, sharing wonderful chemistry with co-starNathan Stewart-Jarrettand proving there’s a romantic leading man within him waiting for the right project.
Watch on AMC+
8’Barbarian' (2022)
Directed by Zach Cregger
Zach Cregger’s 2022 horror thrillerBarbarianstarsGeorgina Campbell,Justin Long, and Skarsgård. The plot follows Tess, a young woman who arrives at her Airbnb to discover it’s occupied by an unexpected stranger, Keith. Although she slowly warms up to him, Tess soon discovers the house hides more secrets than anticipated.
Pleasant but slightly off-putting,Keith is a classic Bill Skarsgård role. The character is unassuming and arresting, even if Tess, and by extension, the audience, can’t shake the feeling there’s something off there.Barbarianuses Sakarsgård brilliantly, exploiting his notoriety as a horror icon to keep its true plot under wraps. The actor is game, walking a fine line between creepy and endearing andmaking Keith one of his most unexpectedly sympathetic roles.
7’Nine Days' (2020)
Directed by Edson Oda
The 2020 fantasy dramaNine Daysstars an ensemble led byWinston Duke, includingZazie Beetz,Tony Hale,Benedict Wong, and Skarsgård. The plot follows Will, a reclusive arbiter tasked with interviewing five souls to determine which will be given a new life on Earth; the rest will disappear forever. Skarsgård plays Kane, one of the five candidates.
Nine Daysworks mainly as a showcase for Winston Duke’s underrated dramatic abilities. However, Oda’s screenplay allows the supporting players to also shine;Skarsgård is great as the cynical and hardened Kane, acting as a sharp contrast to Beetz’s more idealistic Emma and giving the film a deeper and thought-provoking look at the versatility of human nature.Nine Daysis amongthe most underrated dramas in recent memory, thanks to an insightful and earnest screenplay that dares its audience to question what it means to be alive.
A reclusive man conducts a series of interviews with human souls for a chance to be born.
6’Castle Rock (2018)
Created by Sam Shaw & Dustin Thomason
The 2018 psychological horror seriesCastle Rockstars an ensemble cast of terrific performers, includingJane Levy,André Holland,Melanie Lynskey, Oscar-winnerSissy Spacek, and Skarsgård. Set in the world of Stephen King, the show juggles several of his most recognizable themes in a rich and engrossing tale occurring in the town of Castle Rock, Maine. Skarsgård plays the Kid, a prisoner at Shawshank Penitentiary, released after 27 years in a septic tank.
Castle Rockis among thebest Stephen King adaptations. Thrilling, eerie, and tense, the show brilliantly blends King’s lore with a clever mystery, elevated by an outstanding cast playing intriguing and complex characters.A frail Skarsgård is unforgettable as the Kid, delivering an enigmatic and bizarrely alluring performance. Although mostly silent,Skarsgård says much with his trademark large green eyes and distinctive presence, crafting a fully-fleshed character that remains one of the show’s highest triumphs.
Castle Rock
Watch on Hulu
5’Boy Kills World' (2024)
Directed by Moritz Mohr
Skarsgård becomes a bonafide action hero in the 2024 action comedy thrillerBoy Kills World. The film centers on Boy, a deaf mute who spends years training under a mysterious chaman to enact vengeance against Hilda van der Koy and her family, who are responsible for his family’s murder. The film also stars the ever-reliableAndrew Koki, a scene-stealingMichelle Dockery, and Skarsgård’sHemlock Grovemother,Famke Janssen.
Boy Kills Worldis a worthy addition to the ever-expanding collection of hyper-stylized,hyper-violent, over-the-top actionthrillers. Skarsgård has a daunting task, as he is front and center throughout the entire thing and has to convey everything thanks to his expressive face and body language. However, he rises to the challenge, acting as the film’s saving grace.Skarsgård’s reactions to the self-made chaos around him are perfect, capturing the film’s chaotic, disorderly, and utterly unhinged approach. Although far from perfect,Boy Kills Worldis thrilling, kinetic, and entertaining, withSkarsgård finally graduating to action-hero status.
Boy Kills World
4’Villains' (2019)
Directed by Dan Berk & Roberts Olsen
The directing duo ofDan BerkandRobert Olsendirect Skarsgård,Maika Monroe,Jeffrey Donovan, andKyra Sedgwickin the 2019 black comedy horrorVillains. The plot centers on two amateur robbers attempting to break into a house, only to discover the owners are a sadistic couple holding a young girl hostage. With the tables turned on them, the lovebirds must struggle to stay alive.
Morbidly funny and effectively chilling,Villainsis a clever and biting horror comedy.Skarsgård shines playing Mickey, a bumbling and clumsy petty criminalin over his head. The actor brilliantly fits the screenplay’s hectic nature, delivering f-bomb after f-bomb while crafting a funny and even loveable character that ranks among his most refreshing.Villainsis anunderrated horror-comedy gem from the 2010s, largely thanks to Skarsgård’s lead performance and his sweet chemistry with an equally winsome Maika Monroe.
Watch on Tubi
3’John Wick: Chapter 4' (2023)
Keanu Reevesreprises his role as the infallible assassin John Wick inChad Stahelski’s explosive action filmJohn Wick: Chapter 4. The plot revolves around John’s attempts to escape the High Table while being pursued by numerous assassins sent by the Marquis de Gramont, a high-ranking member of the Table tasked with killing Wick by any means possible.
Skarsgård is spectacular as the Marquis, a mustache-twirling bad guy with a terrific fashion sense and one of the main reasons behindJohn Wick: Chapter 4’s success. Adopting a thick French accent and chewing scenery like nobody’s business, Skarsgård is the perfect antagonist for Reeve’s Wick,a suitably larger-than-life Bond villain in theJohn Wickuniverse. Intense and loathsome but thoroughly entertaining, the Marquis isa modern action villain destined to become an iconandone of Skarsgård’s most enjoyable roles.
