Ethan Hawke is one of the most respected and admired American actors today. With a career full of noteworthy films, the actor has worked in all types of productions, from blockbusters, to genre films and arthouse productions.
Hawke has collaborated with great directors and acted alongside other talented actors. And the main thing: Ethan Hawke always gives great performances in the films in which he participates, earning praise from audiences and critics. Having said that, we decided to list 10 outstanding films starring Ethan Hawke.
Ethan Hawk: the 10 best performances
Ethan Hawke stars in this film alongside Denzel Washington. Both had praise for their performances, as did Ethan Hawke. At the 74th Academy Awards, Hawke was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Washington won Best Actor.
The film is set in a single day in Los Angeles. The plot follows Jake (Hawke), a rookie police officer assigned to spend a day of training with seasoned detective Alonzo (Washington). However, Jake gradually becomes exposed to Alonzo’s corrupt practices and abuses of power.
The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Ayer. The cast also includes Scott Glenn, Eva Mendes, Cliff Curtis, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Macy Gray.
This biopic tells the story of Maud Lewis, a Canadian artist known for her distinctive, vibrant paintings and who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis.
Directed by Aisling Walsh, Sally Hawkins stars in the production, bringing Maud to life. Ethan Hawke co-stars, playing a cold, surly fish salesman who marries Maud.
The production received numerous festival awards, most of which went to performances by Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke.
Written and directed by Paul Schrader (writer of “Taxi Driver”), “First Reformed” is a psychological drama that addresses political and religious themes.
Ethan Hawke stars in the film as a pastor of a small congregation who goes through a crisis of faith. The man is tormented by the death of his son in the war after he himself convinced him to join the army.
However, his desperation increases when he befriends a young parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) and her husband (Philip Ettinger), a radical environmentalist. Well received by critics, the film received numerous award nominations, including Hawke’s well-received performance.
Directed by Sidney Lumet, this thriller and crime film received positive reviews from the general trade press. Ethan Hawke stars in the film alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei and Albert Finney.
In the plot, a broker involved in a corruption case (Hoffman) needs quick money to escape an audit. So he involves his debt-ridden brother (Hawke) in a plan to rob their parents’ jewelry store. However, the robbery goes horribly wrong and the father (Finney) wants justice, unaware that the culprits are his own sons.
The film has a non-linear narrative structure, revealing crucial events from different perspectives throughout the plot.
The first film of Ethan Hawke’s career was “The Explorers”, when he was just 14 years old. The film is a fantasy/sci-fi adventure directed by Joe Dante (director of the two films in the “Gremlins” series).
Hawke shared the screen with other young actors during that time, including Jason Presson and late star River Phoenix.
In the plot, teenager Ben (Hawke) experiences vivid dreams in which he receives instructions to build a spaceship. With the help of their friends, science prodigy Wolfgang (played by Phoenix) and laid-back Darren (Presson), they build a ship capable of flying in space.
This drama features a young Ethan Hawke at the beginning of his film career with Robin Williams in a highly praised performance.
Directed by Peter Weir, “Dead Poets Society” was well received by critics. The film received Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Robin Williams.
Hawke plays a teenager starting his freshman year of high school at a prestigious, all-male preparatory boarding school. However, his and his colleagues’ lives are changed by an inspiring literature professor (Williams) with unorthodox teaching methods.
Ethan Hawke is the protagonist of this gripping and experimental thriller directed by cult director Abel Ferrara (director of films such as “Frantic Vice” and “King of New York”).
With an enigmatic and difficult to follow plot, the film offers an imaginative experience in a dark, desolate and sinister atmosphere.
In the synopsis, an American soldier (Hawke) travels to Rome with the aim of preventing a terrorist attack planned to hit the Vatican. The soldier sets out to find his brother, a notorious rebel who can stop the attack.
The horror film “The Purge” is set in the near-future United States, where the government allows all crimes, including murder, during an annual event called “The Purge.” The film was a box office success and became a franchise.
A rich family led by James (Ethan Hawke) locks themselves up for the night in their luxurious and well-equipped home. However, when his son allows an injured man to enter their home, they are threatened by a group of masked people who demand that the man be handed over to be killed.
In the supernatural horror “The Entity,” Ethan Hawke plays a true crime writer who moves his family to a new house, omitting the fact that the place was the scene of a murder.
Determined to use this atmosphere as inspiration for his next work, the writer stumbles upon something much more sinister. In the attic he discovers film reels containing footage of ancient and brutal murders.
As he investigates further, he attracts the attention of a supernatural entity that threatens his family. Directed by Scott Derrickson, the film was a box office success and spawned a sequel.
(“Before” Trilogy)
Surely, one of the most important and acclaimed roles in Ethan Hawke’s career is that of Jesse from the “Before” trilogy. The “Before” trilogy is a series of romantic films directed by Richard Linklater and starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.
Consisting of “Before Dawn” (1995), “Before Sunset” (2004) and “Before Midnight” (2013), the trilogy follows the long-term relationship between Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy).
The films basically consist of dialogues between the two protagonists. The trilogy received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for numerous awards.
Credited as co-writer with Delpy for his contributions to the creation of character dialogue, Hawke received two Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight.”
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Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
