Ranking the Best Performances from Glen Powell So Far

Glen Powell is going to rule Hollywood. He’s close to doing so already, but the top of the A-list is well within his grasp. Always charismatic, with an unteachable screen presence, he’s a goddamn movie star. With Twisters coming to theaters this weekend, on the heels of Hit Man dropping on Netflix a month and change ago, it seemed like a fun time to do an inaugural ranking of Powell. I say inaugural because I’m positive this is a top ten list that’s going to evolve and expand in the years to come.

In my review of Twisters here, I praised Powell’s star power like so:

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell anchor the flick with major charisma. The former was a revelation in Fresh and has been primed for stardom ever since. This is going to do that, as she’s got a screen presence that suggests the A-list. The latter is already there, obviously, and this is the sort of movie star turn that he’s proven to be aces at. Here, he’s having a blast and showcasing the charm that’s going to lead to world domination in short order. Not only that, Powell adds layers to what could have been a shallow role. There’s depth here that he really embraces. The pair have terrific chemistry as well, so once they’re sharing the screen, things really come alive.

Previously, when I raved about Hit Man here out of TIFF last year, I had the following to say about him:

Glen Powell gives a true star-making performance here. Not only that, he makes it look easy. Charming and charismatic, Powell lights up the screen. He’s been doing that for years now, but this is the purest example yet of his A-list talent. If he’s not one of the most in demand actors in Hollywood after this, someone isn’t paying attention. He has incredible chemistry with Adria Arjona, who has her own compelling screen presence. Together, they’re one of the sexiest and most enjoyable screen couples of 2023.

Below, you can see where I rank Powell’s top performances to date. I find him incredibly charming, especially in early work like Everybody Wants Some!! as well as in this year’s Hit Man. Those are easily his two best turns, in my humble opinion. Where does Top Gun: Maverick rank? How does Twisters stack up? What of his romantic comedy turns? You’re about to find out…

Here now are my picks for the best Glen Powell turns so far:

10. Sex Ed

9. Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood

8. Set It Up

7. Twisters

6. Hidden Figures

5. Anyone But You

4. Devotion

3. Top Gun: Maverick

2. Everybody Wants Some!!

1. Hit Man

What are your favorite Glen Powell performances? Let us know!