Jesse Eisenberg movies: 12 greatest films ranked worst to best
Since childhood, Jesse Eisenberg has been a prodigy in the arts. At age seven, he appeared in his first play, and by age 12, he was an understudy on Broadway in a Tennessee Williams drama. At age 16, he began writing screenplays, several of which were optioned by major studios, and by the time he was a high school senior, Eisenberg had landed his first co-starring role in a feature film — 2002’s “Roger Dodger.”
From there, his film career took off, leading to starring roles with filmmakers as diverse as Woody Allen and David Fincher. Eisenberg became a favorite with moviegoers with his comedic skill in such films as “Zombieland,” “Café Society” and “Adventureland.” And then came the critical acclaim with his dramatic performances in 2005’s “The Squid and the Whale,” 2015’s “The End of the Tour,” and particularly Fincher’s 2010 modern classic “The Social Network,” for which Eisenberg received Best Actor nominations from the Oscars, BAFTA, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
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Screenwriting, however, is Eisenberg’s other love, and he displayed that ability in his first directorial feature “When You Finish Saving the World.” But his filmmaking skills really came to the fore with his second film, 2024’s “A Real Pain,” for which he won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. With his career certainly on the upswing, let’s raise a glass and celebrate Eisenberg by counting down his 12 best achievements both in front of and behind the camera. Scroll through our best Jesse Eisenberg movies photo gallery above or click here for direct access.
For the acclaimed dramatic comedy “A Real Pain,” Eisenberg won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, the second film which he both wrote and directed. He stars with Kieran Culkin as two very different cousins who reunite on a tour of Poland to honor their late grandmother. Though Culkin offers scene-stealing support, it’s Eisenberg’s moving journey that captures us, as he contemplates just how his family’s past has shaped his past and may go on to shape his future.
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