Joey Magidson
Hugh Grant has made his bones as one of the most charming actors in show business. Effortlessly lovable in romantic comedies, Grant has won over scores of audience members of the years. He’s sort of the king of the rom com, but that does sell the man short, as he’s done way more than that. With his turn in Heretic (which I saw at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September) about to unspool before your eyes, I wanted to give him my top ten treatment. So, that’s exactly what we have here on this Saturday…
In my review of Heretic back at TIFF (here), I had this to say about Grant:
Hugh Grant has rarely, if ever, been better than he is here. That takes nothing away from Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher. It just speaks to how good Grant is. He’s playing against type and having such a good time, too. That sense of fun is imbued in the entire performance, which is dark and off-putting, but also completely hypnotic.
Below, you can see how I stack up Grant’s best work to date. For me, About a Boy is his best work, though Heretic is not far off at all. I also think he deserves some real flowers for how much fun he’s having in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. After that, it’s which rom-coms you favor, as well as where you come down on Florence Foster Jenkins and/or Paddington 2, which oddly have been his most recent brushes with scoring an Academy Award nomination. Heretic won’t get him that Oscar nod, but frankly, it deserves to.
Here now is how I would rank the best of Hugh Grant so far. Behold:
Honorable Mention: Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Lair of the White Worm, Nine Months, The Rewrite, and Two Weeks Notice
10. Bridget Jones’s Diary
9. Florence Foster Jenkins
8. Music and Lyrics
7. Notting Hill
6. American Dreamz
5. Paddington 2
4. Love Actually
3. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
2. Heretic
1. About a Boy
What are your favorite Hugh Grant performances? Let us know!
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