Joey Magidson
As I’ve said previously, when Josh Brolin is cast properly, he can be among the most compelling actors in the business. His charm and intensity mix together to form someone you can equally see as an action hero or a neighbor. That was put to great use last year in Weapons, as filmmaker Zach Cregger saw the potential in Brolin as one of the grieving parents, as well as with Wake Up Dead Man from Rian Johnson. With his latest film, The Dog Stars, about to hit theaters, a perfect opportunity exists to take another look at Brolin’s best performances. So, that’s what we’re doing today.
Yesterday, my review of The Dog Stars (here) included this bit about Brolin amongst the cast:
Jacob Elordi leads an underserved yet effective cast. Elordi, alongside Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Margaret Qualley, only really gets one note to play, but they each play it well. Elordi is the good guy with a deep hole in his heart. Brolin is the wisecracking tough guy who never wants to admit his affection for his friend. Pearce is also playing a tough, though more of a protective father. Qualley gets a similar wound to play to Elordi’s, but her character has a curiosity to her that’s at least a breath of life into the film. The writing lets them all down, unfortunately, but their work is better than this movie deserves.
In my review of Weapons (here) last year, I said the following about Brolin’s work as part of the ensemble cast:
The cast, especially the central ones, essentially get to each have their own short film to be showcased in, with appropriately effective results. Josh Brolin and Julia Garner are the closest thing the movie has to leads, though it’s very much an ensemble piece. Brolin does a wonderful job of mixing determination with grief, leading to some very bad decisions, as well as some potentially heroic ones as well. It’s a great use of not just his stature, but his talents as well.
Below, you can see what I think Brolin’s best work to date is. It’s hard to argue against Milk and No Country for Old Men being his shining moments, no matter which order you stack them in. The former even got him his Academy Award nomination in Best Supporting Actor. Then, I have a pair of deeply underrated comedic turns in Inherent Vice and Men in Black 3. Where does Weapons fall this time? What about his time as Thanos? How about his latest role in Ridley Scott‘s The Dog Stars? You can see all of that next…
Here now are my picks for the best performances so far from Josh Brolin. Behold:
Honorable Mention: The Dog Stars, Dune, Dune: Part Two, Everest, Flirting with Disaster, The Goonies, Grindhouse (Planet Terror), Melinda and Melinda, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, and W.
10. True Grit
9. Sicario
8. Labor Day
7. Avengers: Infinity War
6. Hail, Caesar!
5. Weapons
4. Inherent Vice
3. Men in Black 3
2. Milk
1. No Country for Old Men
What are your favorite performances so far from Josh Brolin? Let us know!
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