Richard Linklater’s offbeat style of “slice of life” filmmaking has taken the industry by storm ever since the debut of his breakthrough 1990 filmSlacker. The Texan filmmaker has a way of making even the dullest of conversations feel existential; few filmmakers can combine grittiness and sincerity in the same way that Linklater can.
AlthoughGlen Powell’s performance in Linklater’s latest andhighly-acclaimed filmHit Manearned the praise of early festival reviews, it’s not the only great performance in one of his films. These are the ten best performances in Richard Linklater’s movies, ranked.
10Cate Blanchett as Bernadette Fox
‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette?’ (2019)
Where’d You Go, Bernadette?is a very different project from Linklater’s larger body of work. While a majority of his films have been original stories,Where’d You Go, Bernadette?wasinspired by the bestselling novelof the same name, and shows that Linklater could elevate populist material into something that reflected his ongoing themes of familial bonding.
Cate Blanchettstars as a normal woman who abandons the comfort of her life to go on an overseas adventure, forcing her husband (Billy Crudup) to go on a global search to find her.
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9Keanu Reeves as Bob Arctor
‘A Scanner Darkly’ (2006)
2006’sA Scanner Darklywas Linklater’s second film using the odd“rotoscoping” animation stylethat added a paint-like texture to live-action images. While his previous filmWaking Lifewas a groundeddramedy about existential conversations,A Scanner Darklysaw Linklater exploring the crime genre.
Keanu Reevesstars as a police officer who goes undercover using immersive technology to discover the source behind the spread of a strange and dangerous new drug. Reeves, though best known for his action roles, does well delivering Linklater’s offbeat dialogue within this intimate cop thriller.
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8Steve Carell as Larry “Doc” Shephard
‘Last Flag Flying’ (2017)
Sequels are within Linklater’s wheelhouse, as hisBeforetrilogy is among the strongest movie franchises of all time. Linklater’s 2017 filmLast Flag Flyingis in many ways a spiritual sequel to the 1973 classicThe Last Detail, a New Hollywood film about three veterans of the Vietnam War.
The Last Detailexamines a relationship between three very similar men. After his son is killed during an overseas conflict, a grieving father (Steve Carell) asks for his old army buddies (Bryan CranstonandLaurence Fishburne) to accompany him at the funeral.
7Shirley MacLaine as Marjorie Nugent
‘Bernie’ (2011)
Linklater is one of the mostquintessentially “Texan” filmmakers, and his 2011 dark comedyBernieexplores one of the oddest stories in the history of the Lone Star State.Jack Blackgives a typically delightful performance as a beloved small-town mortician who is forced to marry an obnoxious wealthy aristocrat (Shirley MacLaine).
MacLaine is considered to be a charismatic actress, but she sinks her teeth into one of the most unlikeable characters in any of Linklater’s films. It’s particularly amusing to see how she tortures Black with her obnoxious insults.
6Uma Thurman as Amy
‘Tape’ (2001)
2001’sTapewas a wildly experimental film from Linklater; the entire film takes place within the confines of a single hotel room and features only three characters.
After returning to his hometown to attend a film festival, an independent documentary filmmaker (Robert Sean Leonard) is questioned by his former schoolmate (Ethan Hawke) on the nature of his relationship with a mutual classmate (Uma Thurman) that they both dated. The film discusses disturbing details of the supposed relationship, but Thurman gives her character autonomy during discussions relating to consent and trust.
5Matthew McConaughey as David Wooderson
‘Dazed and Confused’ (1993)
“Alright, alright, alright.”Matthew McConaugheyhas launched into a new level of fame as a result of “The McConaissance,” But it was his role as a goofy stoner in Linklater’s1993 filmDazed and Confusedthat launched his career.
Even though his role in the coming-of-age dramedy is a rather brief one, it encapsulates everything that McConaughey does best; he just has to ooze charisma as he delivers one existential monologue after another. It’s unquestionably one of the major reasons his performances have appealed to multiple generations of movie fans.
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4Jack Black as Dewey Finn
‘School of Rock’ (2003)
School of Rockshouldn’t work nearly as well as it does. Dewey Finn (Jack Black) is a complicated character who steals his friend’s job and attempts to use a class of innocent children in order to kick-start the next phase of his music career.
Richard Linklater on the Success of ‘Dazed and Confused’ 30 Years Later
The stoner comedy memorably had Matthew McConaughey lead a cast of future stars.
Yet, Black’s performance is so universally charming that it’s hard not to fall in love with him; it’s the sort of “lovable loser” character that he’s best at.School of Rockis a story and performance that have become so beloved that they inspired an equally popular Broadway musical of the same name.
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3Ethan Hawke as Jesse Wallace
‘Before Sunrise’ (1995)
Linklater may have eventually used theBeforetrilogy to tell a more universal story about the evolution of love, but back in 1995,Before Sunrisewas just a movie about a first day. Jesse (Ethan Hawke) felt like a typical American tourist who just so happened to meet Celeste (Julie Delpy), the woman he could fall in love with and dedicate his life to.
It’s a credit to Linklater and Hawke that the film acknowledges that at times, Jesse can be a bit obnoxious as he waxes poetic about the importance of artistic integrity.
2Ellar Coltrane as Mason
‘Boyhood’ (2014)
Linklater truly invests in his actors for an extended amount of time like in his 2014 coming-of-age filmBoyhood,whichwas shot over the course of twelve years.Boyhoodfollows the life of the young Texan boy Mason (Ellar Coltrane) as he grows up and watches the marriage between his hardworking mother (Patricia Arquette) and absent father (Ethan Hawke) crumble.
Coltrane may have beengrowing up on the set ofBoyhood, but they transform Mason into a character that the audience is willing to invest in for such a long period of time. The film is a testament to Linklater’s relationship with his actors; It was the fourth collaboration between him and Hawke and the director even cast his own daughter,Lorelei Linklater, in a supporting role.
1Julie Delpy as Celine
‘Before Midnight’ (2013)
The third entry in theBeforetrilogy is also its most mature. WhileBefore Sunriseis about the inception of love andBefore Sunsetis about the origin of a relationship,Before Midnightexamines what romance looks like once things have settled down. Delpy brings a new level of autonomy to the role of Celeste.
She reacts in real-time to the way that Jesse (and in some ways, Linklater) has transformed her into a “manic pixie dream girl.” It’s an extraordinary evolution of the role.
