Paul Dano has played a multitude of complex characters over the course of his over 20-year career. His filmography is one that would make any aspiring actor jealous. Not only has he starred in a number of widely successful and acclaimed films, but he has also held his own against acting greats such as Hugh Jackman and Daniel Day-Lewis.
IMDb users’ favorite films from the actor are those that challenge his acting skills and feature him alongside his well-known peers. They are movies that satisfy both the cinephile and the casual movie-lover with thorough character studies and interesting plotlines.
Updated on December 8th, 2022 by Jordan Iacobucci: Less than a year after tearing up Gotham with his turn as the Riddler in Matt Reeves’s The Batman, Paul Dano is back in yet another major role. This time, Dano works alongside Steven Spielberg in his semi-autobiographical coming-of-age film, The Fabelmans. As this film makes its limited-run debut, Dano adds yet another critically acclaimed project to his already stellar filmography.
The Ballad Of Jack And Rose (2005) – 6.5
Stream On AMC+
The Ballad of Jack and Rose is a star-studded film with a cast that includes Daniel-Day Lewis in the leading role and Camilla Belle, Catherine Keener, Jason Lee, and Jena Malone in supporting roles. This drama also stars Paul Dano as Thaddius, a young man who is attacked to Belle’s character, advancing on her even when she isn’t interested herself.
This role allowed Dano to access a more sinister side of his acting skill, portending certain major roles in his future. While the film was not an all-out success, it did allow the young actor to play the kind of role with which he was not particularly familiar.
The King (2005) – 6.6
Stream On Tubi
The King is a 2005 drama starring Gael Garcia Bernal as Elvis Valderez, a discharged veteran who attempts to forge a bond with his father, despite having never met the man. In the film, Paul Dano portrays Paul Sandow, the son of a local pastor with whom Elvis stays while searching for his father.
Though The King attempted to find a meaningful plot in the midst of its overbearing drama, it failed to find its audience, leaving many of those involved in its creation unrecognized for their work. Dano himself would have to continue looking for his breakout role.
Taking Woodstock (2009) – 6.7
Taking Woodstock is a 2009 Ang Lee film that is based on the memoir of Elliot Tiber and Tom Monte, who attended the infamous 1969 Woodstock Festival. Paul Dano played one half of a hippie couple opposite Kelli Garner, marking relatively small roles for the two actors.
Though Taking Woodstock made the rounds at film festivals, it was far from the hit that the filmmakers were hoping for, failing to resonate with critics or audiences. This proved to be somewhat of a misstep in Dano’s early career, though it didn’t keep him from achieving success in later years.
Where The Wild Things Are (2009) – 6.7
Stream On HBO Max
Where the Wild Things Are is a 2009 live-action adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s iconic children’s book. The film, which is directed by Spike Jonze, follows the story of a young boy named Max who is whisked away to a fantastical land of his own imagination.
Paul Dano voices Alexander, one of the “Wild Things” who resembles a giant goat. Alexander represents the part of Max that often feels subjugated and unwanted by those around him. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, though it was far from the smash success that the filmmakers were likely hoping for, doing little to bolster Dano’s burgeoning career.
The Girl Next Door (2004) – 6.7
Stream On Tubi
Paul Dano has mostly appeared in adult-oriented, often dark movies. However, he has some lighthearted fare in his body of work as well. That includes the 2004 raunchy comedy The Girl Next Door, where Emile Hirsch learned the girl who moved in next door that he starts to date used to be a porn star.
Dano plays one of his best friends in the movie, Klitz. Fans seemed to enjoy the movie. Fans on IMDb compared the movie to Risky Business and while his role was small, Dano showed there could be great things to come.
The Good Heart (2009) – 6.8
Stream On Prime Video
Paul Dano and Brian Cox worked together more than once, including a very early role in Dano’s career in L.I.E. when he was only 17. Eight years later, they were back together in The Good Heart, where Cox plays a bartender who has a heart attack and Dano is a homeless man who attempted suicide.
The two end up sharing a hospital room and end up changing each other’s lives. IMDb members credited the chemistry between the two actors as a major benefit to the overall film, saying both men delivered great performances.
The Emperor’s Club (2002) – 6.9
The Emporer’s Club was a 2002 drama movie with Kevin Kline starring as a teacher in a prep school who developed an interest in a student whose father, a U.S. Senator, doesn’t seem to care about his education. This causes the teacher to do what he can to help the young man succeed.
Paul Dano stars as Martin Blythe, another student and one whose aspirations are dashed when Kline’s teacher cheats him out of an award to help the senator’s son. Dano only starred as the student-aged Martin, but the character played a large role in the movie when it picked up 25 years later.
Swiss Army Man (2016) – 6.9
Stream On Fubo
Swiss Army Man might be one of the most unusual Paul Dano movies ever made. Dano is Hank Thompson, a man marooned on an island who considers suicide before he sees another body wash ashore. While this is a dead man, Hank begins to befriend the corpse, played by Daniel Radcliffe, who can only respond through farts.
When the corpse somehow helps Hank get back home, things get even more bizarre. IMDb voters gave the movie a 6.9 average score, with reviews praising Dano’s acting, both through his hilarious screwball comedy and his darker moments as he slowly loses his grip on reality.
L.I.E. (2001) – 7.1
Rent On Prime Video
L.I.E is an independent drama that tells the story of a relationship between a 15-year-old boy and a middle-aged man. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. The movie is a rather disturbing and uncomfortable watch that features stand-out performances from its two leads.
For his role as Howie, the teenage boy who enters into an inappropriate relationship with an adult, Dano won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance, solidifying his emerging role as a professional actor. His co-star Brian Cox was also nominated for Best Male Lead.
Ruby Sparks (2012) – 7.2
Rent On Apple TV
In the romantic comedy Ruby Sparks, which was written by his partner Zoe Kazan, Dano plays a writer named Calvin whose protagonist comes to life. The protagonist, Ruby, is Calvin’s dream girlfriend.
The plot of Ruby Sparks is completely unique and inventive and initiates many conversations about relationships and power. When Ruby begins to pull away from Calvin, he uses his typewriter to tweak her character so that she continues to love him. Dano is excellent as the hopeless writer, and there is obvious chemistry between him and Kazan.
Youth (2015) – 7.3
Rent On Apple TV
Paul Dano stars alongside screen legends Jane Fonda, Michael Caine, and Harvey Keitel in this Oscar-nominated drama directed by Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino. The film follows a retired orchestra conductor, played by Caine, who, while on vacation with his daughter and his best friend, receives an invitation to perform for Prince Philip.
In the movie, Dano plays a frustrated actor who is vacationing at the same resort. Youth competed for the Palme d’Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival but lost out to Jacques Audiard’s film Dheepan.
Okja (2017) – 7.3
Stream On Netflix
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Directed by Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho, Okja tells the story of a young girl who befriends the genetically modified “super pig” that her family raised as part of a global project run by a large corporation. The film is critical of the meat industry and features a very off-brand performance by Jake Gyllenhaal as an eccentric television personality.
In the film, Dano plays the leader of the environmentalist group Animal Liberation Front who rescues Okja from the corporation. The actor received waves of praise for his performance, even among other hard-hitters like Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton, Steven Yeun and more.
Love & Mercy (2014) – 7.4
Stream On HBO Max
Love & Mercy is a biographical drama that follows The Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson during two different stages in his life. The film alternates between the 1960s, as Wilson works to complete his Pet Sounds album amidst his struggles with his mental health, and the 1980s when a heavily medicated Wilson is under the control of his therapist.
Dano plays the 1960s Wilson to John Cusack’s 1980s version. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role and received praise from viewers who suggested that he should have played both parts.
Looper (2012) – 7.4
Stream On Hulu And The Roku Channel
This science-fiction film tells the story of a group of people known as “loopers,” hired assassins who execute the enemies of their employers that are transported from the future. Looper stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Joe, the younger version of Bruce Willis’ looper.
Dano plays a supporting role in the film as Seth, a fellow looper and friend of Joe who gets into trouble after failing to kill his older self when he reaches the end of his contract. His role is essential for the suspenseful plot, and Dano plays the jittery and anxious Seth perfectly.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006) – 7.8
Stream On HBO Max
Little Miss Sunshine is an independent comedy about a dysfunctional family that goes on a road trip after the daughter qualifies for a beauty pageant. Dano plays Dwayne, the teenage son who has taken a vow of silence until he completes his life goal of becoming a pilot.
Although he does not speak for the majority of the film, Dano still manages to capture the viewer’s attention with his portrayal of the rebellious and tortured teen. When he finally speaks after finding out that he can never fulfill his dream, it’s like a bomb has been released.
The Batman (2022) – 7.9
Stream On HBO Max
Paul Dano took on the villain role in The Batman, opposite Robert Pattinson. It went down as one of the highest-rated movies of Dano’s career, kickstarting a new franchise for the DC Comics character, portending the return of the Riddler in some capacity in the near future.
Dano starred as The Riddler, but this was a very different portrayal than what fans have seen before. For most of the movie, he was a basic serial killer of Gotham’s elite and corrupt. However, it was after his arrest that Dano really broke out in the role, expressing shock and pain when he realized Batman wasn’t on his side. Fans loved Dano’s performance, even if it wasn’t the character most fans recognized.
12 Year A Slave (2013) – 8.1
Stream On HBO Max
12 Years A Slave is a biographical drama that tells the story of Solomon Northup, a free Black man in New York State in 1841 who is sold into slavery. Paul Dano plays a supporting role as John Tibeats, a slave driver on the plantation who tries to lynch Northup.
The film is based on the autobiography of the same name and received widespread critical acclaim and won the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Dano plays a small role in the film, but it is nevertheless an important one, though he may not have received the same career boost as certain other actors in the movie.
Prisoners (2013) – 8.1
Rent On Apple TV
Prisoners, the thriller by Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, tells the story of Dover, a man who seeks vengeance after his daughter is kidnapped and the police fail to find her. Prisoners is a dark film whose plot twists provoke much discussion amongst the audience.
In the film, Dano plays Alex, a man who lives in an RV where Dover’s daughter was last seen. After he is released by the police, Alex is kidnapped by Dover, who tortures him in an attempt to get a confession. Dano gives one of the best performances of his career as the damaged Alex.
There Will Be Blood (2007) – 8.2
Stream On Paramount+
In Paul Thomas Anderson’s fifth feature film, Dano works double-time playing twins Paul and Eli Sunday. However, his performance as Eli, the local preacher in a small town in California, stands out among the two. Although his character cowers under Daniel Day-Lewis’ oilman Daniel Plainview, Dano matches him in acting ability.
There Will Be Blood was nominated for 8 awards at the 2008 Oscars, winning for Best Actor for Day-Lewis and Best Cinematography. For his supporting role, Dano was nominated for a BAFTA award, earning him plenty of notoriety and giving him more opportunities to earn meatier roles in the near future.
