27
The Slaughter Rule
Very early in his career, Hollywood really wanted Ryan Gosling to be a football-movie guy! Sadly, The Slaughter Rule is not Remember the Titans. That said, it’s a kick to watch the very Canadian Gosling suit up in a helmet and pads.
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26
Stay
This psychological thriller—written by Game of Thrones showrunner David Benioff—is almost as confusing as Ryan Gosling’s Conor Oberst hair. You can safely skip this one. Gosling, thankfully, would right the ship with the one-two punch of Half Nelson and Lars and the Real Girl in the next two years.
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24
Song to Song
A Terrence Malick film with Gosling, Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman, Michael Fassbender, Holly Hunter, and Cate Blanchett? About struggling musicians?! We want a redo!
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23
Gangster Squad
Like Song to Song, it’s a damn shame that Gangster Squad was dead on impact, given that the film starred Gosling, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and … Emma Stone? Can we just call Gangster Squad the prequel to La La Land?
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22
Fracture
In Fracture, Anthony Hopkins is basically his Silence of the Lambs character, only this time he’s the defendant and Gosling is the deputy DA trying to prosecute him. While the Hopkins–Gosling battles are entertaining, both actors have done far better work.
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21
Murder by Numbers
Two bored, rich men do some murder—and it’s up to Sandra Bullock to solve it! (Gosling stars as one of the murderers in question.) Murder by Numbers is a slightly better script away from going down as an early-aughts cult classic.
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20
Only God Forgives
After their triumph with Drive, Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn reunited for this immoral bloodbath. While Only God Forgives has moments of Drive-esque greatness, it doesn’t come close to the heights of the previous team-up.
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19
The Ides of March
Gosling stars alongside writer and director George Clooney in this well-acted political drama that had no idea what was coming in 2016. That said, The Ides of March is an eerie watch today—and it perhaps deserves a little more credit than the mixed reception it elicited from critics in 2011.
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18
The Believer
Before he became the puppy-faced heartthrob we know him as today, Gosling starred as a neo-Nazi in this deeply disturbing indie drama. The Believer makes it this high on the list simply because Gosling flashes the dramatic chops that would earn him his first Oscar nomination six years later.
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17
The United States of Leland
Gosling as a weirdo murderer with bad hair? It works … sometimes. For Gosling, The United States of Leland has the same effect as The Believer—it stands as a fascinating early example of what Gosling was capable of as a dramatic actor.
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16
Remember the Titans
Gosling played Alan Bosley in this beloved Disney classic about a football team whose players must overcome their own prejudice to win the big game. All we want to know is: When is Gosling’s next sports movie? It’s been too long, man!
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15
The Notebook
Even though just about every moviegoer saw him in Remember the Titans, mainstream audiences’ first real exposure to Ryan Gosling was in this Nicholas Sparks–adapted hit. Give The Notebook a rewatch—we’re serious!—Gosling’s performance is more sensitive, sweet, and convincing than you remember.
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14
First Man
As if he’s Don Draper in space, Gosling plays Neil Armstrong like a detached, proud explorer who recklessly dedicates himself to his work to avoid talking about his feelings with his friends and family. The real star of this biopic is Damien Chazelle’s hyperrealistic direction, but yes—Gosling is a believable Neil Armstrong.
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13
The Place Beyond the Pines
Not so suprisingly, Gosling pulls off the role of a tatted-up, badass bank robber. The crime drama, which is directed by Derek Cianfrance, still holds up today—it’s just that Gosling would far outshine his turn here over the next decade of his career.
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12
The Gray Man
The Gray Man is a guilty pleasure of ours at Esquire. In the Netflix action spectacle—which is directed by the Russo brothers (Avengers: Endgame)—Gosling plays a CIA agent on the run from an ex-CIA agent (Chris Evans). Watching Evans v. Gosling is exactly as great as you’d think. Netflix, where is the sequel?!
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11
The Fall Guy
Gosling stars as a stuntman in The Fall Guy, taking the wheel for the first time since 20011’s Drive. (More on that film later.) The Fall Guy is practically built for Gosling’s charm—and it’s directed by a former stuntman … who tells the story of the crazy life of a stuntman. If you’re in the mood for action and charm and want to see Gosling fall 12 stories off a building, The Fall Guy is the movie for you.
10
Crazy, Stupid, Love
In Crazy, Stupid, Love, Young Ryan Gosling teaches Old Steve Carell how to meet ladies. It’s an absolutely charming rom-com from the aughts/early-2010s period, which increasingly feels like one of the greatest eras of the genre. We only wish that Gosling starred in more of them.
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9
The Big Short
Gosling disappears into the role of Jared Vennett, the slick narrator of the film, who guides us through this hilarious and shocking reenactment of the collapse of the housing market. To put it simply: The Big Short doesn’t work without Gosling.
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8
Blue Valentine
This emotionally brutal romantic drama beautifully follows the courtship and implosion of a couple’s relationship in a nonlinear order. Gosling was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor, while costar Michelle Williams earned an Oscar nomination. And for good reason—Blue Valentine nails every emotional beat of this time-spanning story.
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