15 Best Jake Gyllenhaal Movies

Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the most versatile actors who can create magic with his acting skills. Be it a thriller, horror, or action, he has it all. He started his acting career when he was 11 years old, and since then, he has blessed the industry with several mind-boggling titles. Jake is popular for his remarkable role in Donny Darko, which is considered one of the best thriller movies ever produced. If you are fascinated by his acting skills, here we have discussed the 15 best films featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, and we have ranked them as well.

Best Jake Gyllenhaal Movies Overview

If you are curious to know the basic details of the movies on this list, such as release dates, ratings, and more, you may check out this table, where I have listed these details for the Top 10 entries.

Movie Name	Details
The Guilty	Release Date: September 24, 2021 Director: Antoine Fuqua IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 6.3/73% Streaming Platform: Netflix
Life	Release Date: March 24, 2017 Director: Daniel Espinosa IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 6.6/67% Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Enemy	Release Date: March 14, 2014 Director: Denis Villeneuve IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 6.9/73% Streaming Platform: Netflix
Demolition	Release Date: April 8, 2016 Director: Jean-Marc Vallée IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 7/53% Streaming Platform: Netflix
Nocturnal Animals	Release Date: November 18, 2016 Director: Tom Ford IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 7.4/74% Streaming Platform: Netflix
Zodiac	Release Date: March 2, 2007 Director: David Fincher IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 7.7/90% Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
October Sky	Release Date: February 19, 1999 Director: Joe Johnston IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 7.8/90% Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Nightcrawler	Release Date: October 31, 2014 Director: Dan Gilroy IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 7.8/95% Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Donnie Darko	Release Date: October 26, 2001 Director: Richard Kelly IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 8/88% Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Prisoners	Release Date: September 20, 2013 Director: Denis Villeneuve IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 8.2/81% Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Top Jake Gyllenhaal Movies That I Recommend

Jake Gyllenhaal is a versatile actor who has blessed the industry with some of the most exciting films, and here are my personal recommendations that you must not sleep on.

Enemy

Enemy brings one such story to the table that sparks discussion when it ends; it even stays with you after the credits roll. Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance is the heart of the show. Even though not categorized as a horror, Enemy indeed carries the weight of a psychological horror that bombards you with several unsettling events.

Nocturnal Animals

Nocturnal Animals is a film that basically blurs the line between fiction and reality, with Gyllenhaal again sitting on top with his mind-blowing performance. The story of the film is genuinely exciting, which gives the audience several powerful elements to appreciate. Nocturnal Animals is one of the films that will make you uncomfortable at times, but won’t let you leave midway.

Prisoners

Prisoners is again a movie that will discomfort you at times, especially if you are a parent. In this film, we have Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, who are solid reasons for anyone to watch this movie right now. Besides that, it is slow, it is suffocating, but trust me, it is one of the best movies that you would have watched in your lifetime.

Best Jake Gyllenhaal Movies You Should Watch in 2026

Now, here I have discussed the best Jake Gyllenhaal movies for you to check out. From The Guilty to Enemy, this list features the actor’s top projects that no cinephile should miss.

The Guilty

• Release Date: September 24, 2021
• Imdb/Rotten Tomatoes: 6.3/98%
• Director: Antoine Fuqua
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Saarsgaard, Riley Keough

Coming from a director who has blessed the industry with countless action and thriller projects, The Guilty is a remake of the critically acclaimed Danish film of the same name. Initially, the film saw a limited release in September 2021, and then it arrived on Netflix in October 2021. The fandom heavily praised the movie, especially for Gyllenhaal’s solid performance. Even if the remake didn’t fully convince those who had previously watched the original film, our lead actor made it a success.

The Guilty follows a demoted officer who answers a call during his night shift at the 911 call center, and thereafter, his life changes. He must do whatever it takes to protect the caller, who is in grave danger. However, he soon realizes that things are way too different from what he is acquainted with, and the only way to come out of the mess is to face the truth.

Life

• Release Date: March 24, 2017
• Imdb/Rotten Tomatoes: 6.6/68%
• Director: Daniel Espinosa
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya
• Runtime: 104 minutes

Life is a must-watch as it features the deadly combo of Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds. The film grabbed every fanatic’s attention for its amazing visuals. Every actor involved in the film does a phenomenal job, and the storytelling contributed heavily to the positive reviews.

Life revolves around six scientists who board the International Space Station after getting traces of an extraterrestrial life form on Mars. However, they soon discover that the life form is way more threatening than anyone could have expected.

Enemy

• Release Date: September 8, 2013
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 6.9/73%
• Director: Denis Villeneuve
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, Isabella Rossellini

Enemy blesses the industry with one of the twisted and mind-bending concepts. It’s one such Jake Gyllenhaal movie that is hard to understand; I mean, the cinephiles who enjoy complex stories can figure out what’s happening before others. Also, Enemy is a film that will definitely push you to talk about the events featured in it with your friends.

Enemy is the story of a history professor, Adam Bell, and his look-alike, Anthony Claire. The former gets obsessed with the latter after spotting him in a movie. However, soon, the tables turn as Claire gets obsessed with Bell in a dangerous way.

Demolition

• Release Date: April 8, 2016
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 7/54%
• Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis

Demolition is a special film to be watched as it was Vallee’s final work before his death. Did you like the 2009 Disney film UP? If yes, you will surely find Demolition intriguing. Well, I am not saying that it is exactly like UP, but yes, both films let you feel the pain of losing your loved ones. Both projects see their lead men dealing with grief after the deaths of their beloved wives.

The story of the film revolves around an investment banker who loses his wife in a road accident. His outlook on life changes, and he starts behaving weirdly with the people around him. However, his younger son and a customer service representative helped him to start afresh.

Nocturnal Animals

• Release Date: April 8, 2016
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 7.4/74%
• Director: Tom Ford
• Cast: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer

Nocturnal Animals is a film about violence, love, and revenge. It follows a dark theme, and with an average story, it still managed to get a decent viewership. The film earned $32.4 million against a budget of $22.5 million. To better understand the characters of the film, you need to put yourself in their shoes.

Nocturnal Animals follows a woman named Susan whose life takes a horrifying turn after she receives a manuscript from her ex-husband, with whom she parted ways 20 years ago. She finds the book intriguing until it starts haunting her with some disturbing realizations about her first marriage.

Zodiac

• Release Date: March 2, 2007
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 7.7/90%
• Director: David Fincher
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Elias Koteas

The mystery thriller Zodiac is one of the most intriguing entries on this list. That’s because it features two of the most popular MCU actors, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. Zodiac is a film based on the real-life serial killer who terrorized the civilians of the Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The film mostly received positive reviews for its historical accuracy and writing. It is also considered one of the greatest films of the 21st century.

An amateur detective gets obsessed with the Zodiac killer, who’s on his killing spree in Northern California. The police are taunted by the letters and messages left by him, but no one really knows who he is or how to track him. So, the amateur detective decides to track him down and close the case once and for all.

October Sky

• Release Date: March 2, 2007
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 7.8/91%
• Director: Joe Johnston
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Chris Owen, Laura Dern

October Sky is an old-school inspirational film that will leave you motivated towards your goals. The movie was released when Jake was 19 years old. However, no one would say that he was an inexperienced actor at that time. October Sky is a father-son tale that makes you shed tears at the end. The film starts strong and ends even stronger, so the ones who have missed this underrated Gyllenhaal film should definitely add it to their watchlist.

The film follows a kid named Homer Hickam, who is destined to become a rocket scientist, but society pressures him to follow in the footsteps of his father, who is a coal miner. However, with his friends and a high school teacher by his side, Homer must achieve what he was born for.

Nightcrawler

• Release Date: October 31, 2014
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 7.8/95%
• Director: Dan Gilroy
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton

Nightcrawler is a psychological thriller that takes Gyllenhaal’s acting skills to the next level. The suspense elements keep you on the edge of your seats and don’t let you blink your eyes even for a second. It was Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut, and we can’t deny that direction and the writing were the primary reasons for the film’s success at the box office.

Nightcrawlers revolves around Lou Bloom, who enters the world of crime journalism with a bunch of freelance camera crews after struggling to find a job for a while. Having some of the potent team members on his side, Bloom soon gets the fame he has always looked for.

Donnie Darko

• Release Date: October 26, 2001
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 8/87%
• Director: Richard Kelly
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katharine Ross

Again, here we have a psychological thriller that does not disappoint even for a minute. The film keeps you hooked from the very start and doesn’t allow you to leave your seats until the end. Donnie Darko features a storyline that you cannot discuss with anyone who hasn’t watched it, as they will never understand anything until they watch the film themselves. That’s because it is one movie with one of the most complex storylines.

Donnie Darko is a troubled teenager who isn’t able to connect with people around him. However, one day, he befriends a man in a large rabbit suit whom no one else except him can see. His new friend starts manipulating him and pushing him to commit crimes.

Prisoners

• Release Date: September 20, 2013
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 8.2/87%
• Director: Denis Villeneuve
• Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard

Here comes the best Gyllenhaal movie on the list that also stars Wolverine, aka. Hugh Jackman in a prominent role. Well, this movie does feature Gyllenhaal, but Jackman overshadowed him with his stellar performance. Jackman’s character in the film will make you love the character at times, and you’ll also feel hatred for the character in other moments. Besides the acting part, the vibe of the film made it stand out in the crowd.

Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is a father whose daughter goes missing with one of her friends. So, basically, the film showcases a father’s love for his family and the extent to which he can go to protect them. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) steps forward to help this desperate father for the greater cause.

Brokeback Mountain

• Release Date: December 9, 2005
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 7.7/82%
• Director: Ang Lee
• Cast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid

Brokeback Mountain follows Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, portrayed by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. They are the cowboys, who fell in love while working as shepherds on Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming in 1963. They do not have the courage to break the societal barriers, so they decide to suppress their feelings, get married to women, and raise families. However, they never truly moved on from each other.

The movie proved to be a career-defining project for Ledger and Gyllenhaal, and eventually cemented their names among the finest Hollywood actors.

Southpaw

• Release Date: July 24, 2015
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 7.3/59%
• Director: Antoine Fuqua
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Naomie Harris, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Oona Laurence, Rachel McAdams

Southpaw showcases one of Jake Gyllenhaal’s astonishing physical transformations. He portrays a professional boxer in the movie, and to do justice to the character, the versatile actor left no stone unturned, training for months.

The movie follows Billy “The Great” Hope, who couldn’t cope with the trauma of losing his wife and the custody of his young daughter, and that makes him lose his career and fortune. With nothing more to lose, he decides to train under the guidance of a tough coach, Tick Wills, to rebuild his life.

End of Watch

• Release Date: September 21, 2012
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 7.6/85%
• Director: David Ayer
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick, Natalie Martinez, America Ferrera, Frank Grillo, Cody Horn, David Harbour

The movie is very raw, which is what makes it one of the best films on this list. It is shot using handheld cameras, bodycams, and everything that can make an unforgettable experience for the audience.

End of Watch follows two police officers, Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, who share a deep bond. In fact, the chemistry between them eventually becomes the heart and emotional anchor of the story. They are often tasked with navigating domestic disputes and traffic stops. However, their lives get into a mess when they unknowingly disrupt the business of a mighty Mexican cartel.

Stronger

• Release Date: September 22, 2017
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 6.9/91%
• Director: David Gordon Green
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Tatiana Maslany, Miranda Richardson, Clancy Brown

Stronger is one of the most brilliant films Jake Gyllenhaal has starred in. As Jeff Bauman, the actor, appeared in a praiseworthy, vulnerable avatar that was a must for the character. Instead of emerging as a lead hero of the film, he stayed grounded and showed us the struggle that the real person had been through in his life. So, basically, words aren’t enough to praise the actor for the huge piece of work.

Based on the real-life story of Jeff Bauman, the American author, who lost both his legs in 2013 during the Boston Marathon Bombing attack. So, the film is about seeing Gyllenhaal as Bauman struggling with the physical and mental trauma.

Ambulance

• Release Date: April 8, 2022
• Imdb/ Rotten Tomatoes: 6.1/68%
• Director: Michael Bay
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Eiza González, A Martinez, Keir O’Donnell

Now this is one of the films that sees Jake Gyllenhaal in one of his most entertaining avatars. The story of the film is nothing extraordinary, but it’s the cast, particularly Gyllenhaal, who made it one of the must-watch films of the modern era.

Ambulance revolves around Will, a former war veteran, and his adoptive brother, Danny, who join hands to commit a bank robbery for the former’s wife’s surgery. However, when the heist goes wrong, the duo hijacks an ambulance carrying an EMT worker and a police officer. Following that, the brothers must keep themselves out of the reach of the law while also making sure nothing happens to the hostages.