With Renfield (one of the best horror comedies of the last 5 years) having just come out, and season 3 of The Great having recently started, movie & TV fans around the world are paying particular attention to Nicholas Hoult and his fruitful acting career.
For the most part, Hoult has been able to pick some really interesting projects that have given him more than enough chances to make his thespian skills shine. Whether it's in a modern action classic like Mad Max: Fury Road or in a beloved rom-com like About a Boy, you can always count on this actor to deliver a memorable performance, and for his movies' scores on Rotten Tomatoes to reflect that.
10 'True History of the Kelly Gang' (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80%
A highly fictionalized account of the life of Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, True History of the Kelly Gang is an excellent bushranger film (a subgenre of Australian Westenrs) with a star-studded cast.
Director Justin Kurzel's gritty, highly-stylized approach to Westerns (complete with an anachronistic soundtrack and no-holds-barred violence) will definintely not be for everyone. However, those looking for a very unique outing in the genre with Nicholas Hoult playing an exquisitely evil moustache-twirling villain will be more than satisfied by this film.
9 'Warm Bodies' (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81%
Forget everything you think you know about zombie movies. Warm Bodies, a brilliant satire poking fun at both the horror and romance genres where a zombie suddenly falls in love with the girlfriend of one of his victims, twists every trope you could associate it with on its head in the most delightful ways.
The movie is as sweet and funny as a zombie rom-com could possibly get, a great crowd-pleaser that never sacrifices its cleverness for cheap laughs or simple emotions. Hoult is both hilarious and deeply endearing in it, playing a zombie that doesn't play by any of the rules that audiences have gotten accustomed to.
8 'A Single Man' (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86%
Outstanding LGBTQ+ dramas aren't the easiest kind of movie to come by, which makes Tom Ford's A Single Man all the more special. It's the story of George, an English professor who struggles to cope with life after the loss of his partner.
Colin Firth is so phenomenal in the lead role that he went on to land an Oscar nomination for his work on this film, and Nicholas Hoult doesn't fall far behind. He has an otherworldly kind of screen presence as an angel-like man who comes to aid George in his quest for existential meaning, playing the part with a unique kind of sensuality and innocence.
7 'X-Men: First Class' (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86%
Before X-Men: First Class came out, audiences had mostly lost faith in Fox's X-Men franchise. When this surprisingly great prequel (originally meant to be a reboot) came out to a positive reception from critics and audiences alike, fans were delighted.
First Class perfectly captures everything that made the first two live-action movie adaptations of the iconic team such beloved classics of the superhero genre, and adds enough of its own spice to stand out on its own merits. Hoult plays Beast, one of the most legendary X-Men, and lends the role a special kind of charming geekiness.
6 'The Menu' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88%
If clever "eat-the-rich" movies with a biting sense of humor are something you enjoy, you've probably already seen The Menu; but if somehow you haven't, an exquisitely cooked dark comedy full of memorable performances awaits your palate when you're hungry enough for it.
Nicholas Hoult is a highlight as a snobby, entitled food enthusiast desperate for approval. He perfectly plays the kind of character that you can't avoid hating, yet you somehow can't get enough of. The Menu works equally well as a comedy and as a thriller, and Hoult's performance is no small reason as to why.
5 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90%
Some fans might have been concerned that the creatives behind First Class wouldn't be able to catch lightning in a bottle twice. Thankfully, however, they were wrong. X-Men: Days of Future Past proved to be not just as great as its predecessor, but arguably the best installment in the franchise.
Creative, emotional, exciting, and full of fantastic action scenes, Days of Future Past was the most beautiful love letter to Fox's X-Men universe. In it, Hoult reprises his role as Beast, bringing much more depth and maturity to the character.
4 'About a Boy' (2002)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93%
Though he's much better known for his more contemporary films, it's always good to remember that Nicholas Hoult got his big break as a talented child actor. His debut came in About a Boy starring opposite Hugh Grant himself.
With the perfect blend of comedy and drama, the film tells a beautiful story that tugs at the heartstrings with ease. Grant delivers one of the funniest, sweetest, and most layered performances of his career, but Hoult does just as amazing a job playing his part with confidence and charisma.
3 'The Favourite' (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93%
Yorgos Lanthimos is undoubtedly an acquired taste, being one of the directors with the weirdest filmography, but The Favourite is relatively accessible compared to the rest of his work. It's the story of Queen Anne and her close relationship to a pair of cousins.
The Favourite is all about the cousins' competition to be the Queen's favorite, but Hoult is probably the best part of the supporting ensemble. It's something really special to see the actor as a pompous scene-stealer wearing a goofy wig and silly makeup, a kind of role that he hadn't really played before in his career, and hasn't played since.
2 'The Great' (2020-)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96%
Nicholas Hoult doesn't often act in television, but his role as Peter in The Great is great enough representation to call him an outstanding TV actor. The show is a hilarious dramedy about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to one of Russia's best-known rulers.
Elle Fanning is absolutely stunning in the lead role as Catherine, and Hoult is a phenomenal supporting presence that very often steals the show. Violent, impulsive, and cruel, his character would be easy to play as a caricature, but Hoult manages to imbue him with complexity while never ceasing to be hilariously despicable.
1 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97%
George Miller's Mad Max movies with Mel Gibson in the title role are among the most iconic Australian movies ever made, but no one would have expected the legacy reboot Fury Road to be such a staggeringly good action flick, certainly on the level of the first two originals—If not even better.
In a film full of non-stop frenetic action set piece after non-stop frenetic action set piece, Nicholas Hoult quite fittingly plays an equally energetic character while somehow finding moments to give his personality some nuance, and empower the film's more emotional moments. It's an amazing performance by one of the most underrated actors working today.
ncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51ku6qvx6ijmqtdnby2uNNmmZ6rpGK6sMLInqpmq5ikxLR50airrZ2eYsGwucCtpp6rXw%3D%3D