Joey Magidson
Jared Leto…I know. People have very strong opinions about the man, most of which are negative. He often doesn’t do himself any favors with his public comments, either. Still, when properly utilized, he can be excellent in a film. Earlier on in his career, he was seen as a very promising actor. Hell, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, absolutely cakewalking to the statue for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club (more on that below). Even if you just look at the movies he chooses, his taste is far from atrocious. These days, his performances can be very hit or miss, but when he hits, like this week in Masters of the Universe, you can’t help but give him his props. With the flick about to hit theaters, I figured it was time to take the leap and rank Leto’s work so far.
In my review of Masters of the Universe (here), I said the following about Leto’s turn as Skeletor:
Nicholas Galitzine is a charming Adam/He-Man, though best in show is, believe it or not, Jared Leto, who is having a lot of fun as Skeletor. Galitzine leans into the earnest nature of the hero, while Leto finds all of the humor in his villain, while mixing his unique take with genuine menace. This is exactly what a cartoonish bad guy should be like.
Below, you can see my Leto ranking. Requiem for a Dream is tops for me here, but Masters of the Universe comes in with a top five debut for him. Also a part of his top tier? American Psycho and Prefontaine, while your mileage may vary on Dallas Buyers Club. Is it a role that would ever steamroll to an Oscar like it did for him would it have come out today? Not at all. Is he good, albeit at this point overpraised at the time? Also yes. Find out where his Skeletor turn in Masters of the Universe ends up below. Spoiler alert, it might be higher than you’d expect…
Here now is my ranking of the best to date from Jared Leto. Behold:
10. Mr. Nobody
9. Blade Runner 2049
8. Chapter 27
7. Lord of War
6. Fight Club
5. Prefontaine
4. Dallas Buyers Club
3. American Psycho
1. Requiem for a Dream
What is your favorite performance from Jared Leto? Let us know!
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