The Mickey Mouse Clubmay be where he started, but three-time Academy Award-nomineeRyan Goslinghas solidified his place as one of the 21st century’s best and most beloved actors. This gifted Canadian has lent his talents to over thirty movies during his impressive career, showing off his range across a wide variety of genres, from comical gems to gritty action blockbusters, sci-fi epics, and heart-wrenching romantic dramas.
With an over three-decade career, Gosling’s filmography is impressive; there’s no doubt about that. He’s been steadily appearing in projects since the early 2000s and his star only continues to rise higher, with last year’sBarbiemarking a monumental success for the actor, while he is again showing off his light-hearted charm in the action blockbusterThe Fall Guy. A star of the highest caliber,the best Ryan Gosling movies highlight his glimmering entertainment value as well as his underrated versatility and dare.
13’Crazy, Stupid, Love' (2011)
Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
2011’s comedy goldCrazy, Stupid, Lovefollows down-on-his-luck family man Cal Weaver, played bySteve Carell(The Office), as he deals with an impending divorce. While at a bar unloading his worries, ladies' man Jacob Palmer, played by Gosling, overhears him harassing the bar’s patrons and deems it his goal to help him “rediscover his manhood.” As the movie progresses, they form an unlikely friendship.
At first glance,Crazy Stupid Lovemay looklike an average cheesy romcom, but it’s so much more. The writing, fantastic performances, and down-to-earth moments make for a brilliantly entertaining watch from start to finish, and that unexpected twist at the end made it so much better.Crazy, Stupid, Loveproves how much of a great comedy actor Gosling is, showing his expert timing is about as perfect as it could get.
Crazy, Stupid, Love
12’Lars and the Real Girl' (2007)
Director: Craig Gillespie
Thehighly-rated comedy-dramaLars and the Real Girlsees Ryan Gosling take on a vastly different character than his typical action star or comedy mastermind, and as usual, he absolutely shines. The film follows the story of a young man who buys a sex doll online and delves further and further into the belief that she is a real woman.
Lars and the Real Girlsees Gosling at his sweetest, bringing life to a gentle, introverted man looking for companionship.It’s a powerful portrayal of loneliness, fueled by Gosling’s brilliant work. The film earned Gosling his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy in 2007. His performance as the loveable, kind, yet socially awkward young man Lars Lindstrom helped fuel his career in its early stages.
Lars and the Real Girl
Lars and the Real Girl follows an extremely shy man who struggles with social interactions and surprises his family by announcing he has a girlfriend he met online. The catch is that his new companion is a life-size doll, prompting his family and community to supportively embrace his unusual relationship.
11’The Notebook' (2004)
Director: Nick Cassavetes
The most iconic romantic movie of the early 2000s and, for a long time, the defining film of Ryan Gosling’s career,The Notebookis an instant classic of love and heartache that has held up flawlessly for two decades. Based onNicholas Sparks’ novel of the same name, it unfurls as an elderly man reads a romance story to a woman in an aged care facility. Beginning in the 1940s, a poor lumber mill worker begins a romance with a wealthy young heiress, with the couple having to face the pressure cast on them by social standards.
With its heartfelt romantic core, its endearing characters, and, of course, its tragic finale,The Notebookimmediately established itself as the ultimate tearjerker, a standing it has held onto firmly. While it divided audiences and critics, it has become a true classic and remains arguably the single most pivotal film in Ryan Gosling’s career.
The Notebook
Watch on Amazon Prime
10’Blue Valentine' (2010)
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Before directorDerek Cianfrancereceived praise for his work on the 2012 dramaThe Place Beyond the Pines, he worked alongside Ryan Gosling in the haunting romanceBlue Valentine. The film sees Gosling and four-time Oscar nomineeMichelle Williams(The Fabelmans) as Dean and Cindy, a couple who embark on a heartbreaking exploration of love and how it doesn’t always work out with a fairytale ending.
Blue Valentineis arguably one of the most brutally honest and emotional depictions of marital dissolutionand what happens to the parties involved when the union falls apart over time. And,with two Oscar-nominated actorsfronting the film, it’s not surprising it packed one hell of an emotional punch. This tragic tale of love and loss earned Gosling his second Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor, while Williams made it all the way to the Dolby Theater.
Blue Valentine
9’The Big Short' (2015)
Director: Adam McKay
One of the surprise hits of the 2010s,The Big ShortsawAdam McKay(who had previously made films likeStep BrothersandAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy) completely re-invent his image while still staying firmly in touch with the comedy genre. Based on real events, it follows several finance experts in America who predict the collapse of the housing market and position themselves to capitalize on the economic disaster.
The film boldly wields an ensemble cast to portray a litany of real-life villains, with Gosling playing a significant role alongside the likes ofChristian Bale,Steve Carell, andBrad Pitt. Viciously funny while also being incredibly insightful on the collapse without ever needing to pander,The Big Shortis a razor-sharp satire that presents Gosling at his most devilish and slimy.
The Big Short
8’First Man' (2018)
Director: Damien Chazelle
One ofthe best space moviesin recent years came with the release ofFirst Manin 2018. The critically acclaimed film from Academy Award-winning directorDamien Chazelle(Whiplash) stars Ryan Gosling asNeil Armstrong. It depicts the perilous efforts it took to achieve the mission of putting human beings on the moon, beginning with Armstrong’s journey prior to joining NASA and ending with a successful outcome on Apollo 11.
First Manwas nominated for multiple awards for its cast performances, visual effects, musical score, directing, and many more. Its sound design is absolutely incredible and effective in sending chills down anyone’s spine, and its historical accuracy and storytelling capability are out of this world. Gosling’s performance as one of history’s most notable astronauts is one of his strongest dramatic portrayals.The actor captures Armstrong’s isolation in a profoundly incisive and internal performance that ranks among his finest.
7’Half Nelson' (2006)
Director: Ryan Fleck
Gosling portrays a man who forms an unlikely friendship with one of his students when they find themselves on opposite ends of a connected drug issue in the 2006 emotional, heartfelt dramaHalf Nelsonfrom directorRyan Fleck(Mississippi Grind). Dan’s students are the only thing that keeps him grounded as he struggles with addiction.
Half Nelsonis an intimate depiction of loneliness and companionship bolstered by Gosling’s raw, unsentimental performance. With the actor’s subtle expressions and ability to convey pure emotion in this incredible story, it’s not hard to see why his career only skyrocketed following the film’s success. Gosling’s performance earned him his first Academy Award nomination at the age of just twenty-six years old, making him the eighth youngest person to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Half Nelson
Watch on Fubo
6’La La Land' (2016)
One ofDamien Chazelle’s best moviescame in 2016 with the musical romanceLa La Land. This fantastic film received over 300 award nominations, sweeping audiences off their feet with its outstanding musical score, heartfelt cast performances, and stunning visuals. It follows Sebastian and Mia, two lovers who embark on a journey of love, life, and everything that accompanies having a dream in modern-day Los Angeles.
La La Landis a visually beautiful movie that leaves its audiences with a warm feeling in their hearts. Hopeful yet melancholic, the film is an ode to chasing one’s dreams with a memorably bittersweet ending.La La Landsees Gosling at his most charming, joined by the ever-reliable, two-time Oscar-winningEmma Stone(Poor Things). For many,La La Landwill always remain a favorite, and it’s not hard to see why this tribute to 1950s Hollywood musicals resonated so well among so many people.
La La Land
5’Barbie' (2023)
Director: Greta Gerwig
The smash hit that is the 2023Barbiemovie solidified its place as one ofthe best toy movies ever madewhen this World of Plastic came to life on the big screen and became a huge success. The film grossed over $1 billion at the box office, andGreta Gerwig(Lady Bird) quickly became one of the most prominent filmmakers set to go far in her career.
When thinking ofBarbie, it’s easy to assume the latest adaptation will follow the same tropes of others in the character’s shadow, but this movie is so much more. Yes, it’s comedically cheesy and downright hilarious in places, but it’s also an incredibly moving experience while highlighting some sensitive issues for both men and women in the Real World and reflecting them in Barbieland and vice versa. Gosling shines as Ken, Barbie’s adoring partner who longs to be corresponded by her.Gosling walks a fine line between absurdity and genuine pathos, taking what could easily be just a plastic icon and turning him into a profoundly relatable figure who’s more than kenough.
4’The Fall Guy' (2024)
Director: David Leitch
An action comedy that is shaping up to be one of the major films of 2024,The Fall Guymarks yet another triumph for Ryan Gosling and his effortless charisma. Paired withEmily Bluntto tremendous effect, the film sees Gosling star as a retired stuntman who is called back into the fold when the movie star he used to double for mysteriously disappears. His return to the industry also sees him cross paths with his former lover, who is now directing her first feature film.
It is an impressive achievement in thatit has something to enthrall and entertain everyone yet never compromises on having its own identity, one forged through its deft balancing of romance, action, and comedy, and enhanced by Gosling and Blunt’s exceptional chemistry. Standing tall among directorDavid Leitch’s films thus far,The Fall Guyis a brilliant blockbusterspectacle that uses every ounce of Ryan Gosling’s entertaining star power.
