In a recentInstagram post,Jake Gyllenhaalshared shots from four of his most iconic roles accompanied by the ongoing red flag meme, accompanied by the caption “This role would be perfect for Jake Gyllenhaal.” The truth is, even Gyllenhaal knows that he portrays many eccentric and psychologically challenging characters, who are somehow involved in a mind-bending narrative. Most of these characters are featured in this list of thrillers that will probably keep you at the edge of your seat, potentially nervous, and a tad horrified by the odd-looking unraveling of events that take place in them.
From an author trying to get back at his ex-wife with a twisted novel to a freelance videographer unafraid of getting his hands dirty to get the perfect footage, here are a couple of films to add to your watchlist if you are looking for more of that exotic Gyllenhaal content.
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The Guilty
Let’s start off with Gyllenhaal’s latest starring role in the Netflix originalThe Guilty. In this one-man show of a film, a police officer named Joe Baylor receives an emergency 911 call in the middle of a psychological crisis of his own. While he tries to save the caller on the line, he also faces inner turmoil regarding the possibility of having his reputation tarnished and not being able to see his daughter for a long time.
It’s hard to tackle a role in which practically 99% of the time, the cameras are focused on you and the whole story takes place in a single location. However, Gyllenhaal pulls it off by delivering an emotional performance that really strikes at the core.
Nocturnal Animals
In this hard-to-decipher narrative directed byTom Ford, Susan Morrow (Amy Addams) is an unhappy art gallery owner who surprisingly receives a manuscript from her ex-husband Edward Sheffield (Gyllenhaal). As she reads through the pages of his thriller novel, she reminisces upon memories from their turbulent relationship by drawing parallels to what is happening to the characters in the story. Gyllenhaal plays both the ex-husband and lead character of his novel, a fact that might spare first-time viewers a bit of confusion.
Donnie Darko
Flashback to the early 2000s when Gyllenhaal starred in one of the first psychological thrillers of his career, and arguably amongst the most prestigious projects he was involved in. InDonnie Darko, he plays a troubled teenager (possibly facing schizophrenia) in the late ‘80s. After Donnie sleepwalks one night, he encounters a monstrous-looking rabbit named Frank, who warns him that the world will end in 28 days. As he returns to his home and notices that a jet engine destroyed his bedroom, Donnie is unsure if the world is close to an end or if he is living in a parallel universe.
ThisDavid Fincher-led true crime film follows two investigators (played byMark RuffaloandAnthony Edwards) and two reporters (played byJake GyllenhaalandRobert Downey Jr.) on the run to find out more information on the identity of a serial killer operating under the name Zodiac who is terrorizing the city of San Francisco. As Zodiac claims his victims and showers the police with cryptic messages and blood-stained clothing, the search for clues is harder to decipher than ever before.
Given that this thriller is based on a real-life case, the dialogues and historical accuracy are on point and keep viewers instigated from start to finish. If you enjoyedSeven(another Fincher production), this might be a good option to watch next.
InPrisoners, we see Gyllenhaal once again in the investigative scene playing Detective Loki, the person responsible for overlooking the case that drives this film. After two girls in Pennsylvania are abducted, the police begin to look for clues to their location and hopefully bring them back to their father Keller Dover (played byHugh Jackman). However, Keller isn’t so keen to letting the police take charge of the case by themselves. While he tries to look for his daughters on his own, Keller realizes he might have to put his own life at stake.
If you get intrigued by silence speaking for itself,Prisonerswill keep you guessing and stir up some anxiety as we see both characters in despair over the lives of these missing girls.
Velvet Buzzsaw
If a couple of the mentions above made your head spin round and round,Velvet Buzzsawmight get you even dizzier with its metaphors. In this satirical take on the Los Angeles art realm including all of its overarching characters, from the pretentious art critic (Gyllenhaal) to an art gallery owner (Rene Russo), things start getting out of hand when the work of a recently deceased artist starts to attack anyone who seeks to monetize it.
It might be hard to summarize the plot, given the horror-meets-modern-day-society criticism inVelvet Buzzsaw, but if you are willing to take this crazy ride, be warned that you might eitherbe left amused or completely disorientated.
Nightcrawler
From the same director ofVelvet Buzzsaw,Nightcrawlerwill surely make you fear Jake Gyllenhaal like never before. In this twisted thriller, Louis Bloom finds the opportunity to make it as a freelance videographer by taking footage of horrendous murder scenes without shying away from the gore. The more Louis gets invested in making his on-the-side hustle a long-lasting career, the more he goes to extreme lengths to ensure that he is able to share “worthwhile” content on air.
The way Gyllenhaal draws viewers in with his portrayal of a cold-hearted sociopath looking for more chances to succeed in media regardless of the costs can easily be considered one of his best performances to date.
