Ben Mendolsohnhas continuously shown how great of an actor he is, especially when it comes to his best movies and TV shows. Working for over 30 years, the Australian actor had his first big breakthrough performance inThe Year My Voice Broke, released in 1987. For several decades after that, Mendelsohn routinely appeared invarious Australian moviesand shows until his international breakthrough in the 2010 filmAnimal Kingdom.
After that, Mendelsohn started getting more roles in Hollywood productions, with films likeThe Dark Knight Rises,Mississippi Grind,Ready Player One, andDarkest Hour. He joinedthe Star Wars franchisewithRogue One, where he plays Orson Krennic, and will reprise his role inAndorseason 2. Ben Mendelsohn has also made significant waves in television, withBloodline,The New Look, andThe Outsiderall being fantastic.
Darkest Houris a biographical war film chronicling the early days of Winston Churchill working as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, with a focus on the May 1940 war cabinet crisis. Anchored by an incredible lead performance from Gary Oldman as Churchill,Darkest Houris a fascinating look at an important moment in humanity’s history, with an eagerness to dig deep into who Winston Churchill was and how he responded to the adversity they all faced.
Gary Oldman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance inDarkest Hour.
While Oldman steals the show inDarkest Hour, Ben Mendelsohn is also incredible as King George VI, who is skeptical of Churchill due to past actions but reluctantly invites him to form the Churchill war ministry.Mendelsohn is always great in period films, and he channels King George VI with a pitch-perfect performancethat highlights just how great of an actor he is.
The Land of Steady Habits
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The Land of Steady Habits is a film that follows Anders, a man who embarks on a tumultuous journey to rebuild his life after leaving his marriage and job, exploring themes of personal redemption and self-discovery in a suburban Connecticut setting.
Director Nicole Holofcenoris arguably one of the best mumblecore directors working, and her work onThe Land of Steady Habitsproves just how great she is behind the camera. The film revolves around a man who decides to retire early from his finance job and leave his wife in the process, hoping to discover what he truly wants in life.The Land of Steady Habitsis a poignant look at the way people relate to each other and how choices parents make could cause ripple effects on their children.
Ben Mendolsohn delivers a remarkable performance inThe Land of Steady Habitsas Anders Hill, the central character in the film. It would be easy to just portray Anders as a selfish man who doesn’t think of those around him, but Mendelsohn digs deep into why he is doing what he is doing.In turn, the character becomes even more complex and complicated, as Mendolsohn empathetically looks into the core of who he is.
The Dark Knight Rises
The Dark Knight Rises follows Batman as he returns to Gotham City eight years after the death of Harvey Dent. Now pursued by law enforcement, he faces new challenges from Selina Kyle and Bane, a formidable terrorist leader who threatens the city’s safety, compelling Batman to defend a city that sees him as a foe.
Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knight Risesis an epic, sprawling finale to one of the best superhero trilogies of all time. Sometimes messy, but always grand, the film focuses on Bruce Wayne returning as Batman after years of retirement when Bane comes to Gotham City to finish what Ra’s al Ghul started.The Dark Knight Risesis a satisfying conclusion to Bruce Wayne’s story, and Tom Hardy’s Bane is one of the coolest comic book villains to grace the screen.
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Ben Mendelsohn as John Daggett is so much fun to hate inThe Dark Knight Rises. Colluding with Bane, Daggett is set on taking over Wayne Enterprises while also being a formidable foil to Selina Kyle after double-crossing her early in the movie. Mendelsohn does a perfect job of portraying a ruthless, backstabbing businessman who thinks that he has more power than he actually does. He makes it so easy to root against him.
A fantastic dramedy,Mississippi Grindfollows Ben Mendolsohn’s Gerry, a gambling addict who believes his new friend is a good-luck charm, and they take a road trip to a high-stakes poker game in New Orleans. Equal parts hilarious and dramatic,Mississippi Grindperfectly captures its Southern atmosphere while also having an affecting story about two people who think they can win. The chemistry between Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds is off the charts in the film, really elevating the entire thing.
Mendelsohn shows his diverse range inMississippi Grind, playing a gambler who feels like he has nothing left to lose. He is often hilarious while diving into moments of genuine emotion, delivering a poignant performance as a result.The dialogue in the film is quite witty throughout, and Ben Mendelsohn more than keeps up with Reynolds' manic deliverythat he is well known for, with the actors going toe-to-toe each step of the way.
Focusing on an angry teenager being moved from a juvenile detention facility to the prison that his violent father resides in,Starred Upis an affecting, hard-hitting prison drama about the cycles of violence inflicted on individuals. The film is gritty and often hard to stomach, but it is incredible from start to finish, aiming for realism at every turn.Starred Upis also a harrowing look at the prison system and the often inhumane conditions that inmates find themselves in every day.
Starred Upis an affecting, hard-hitting prison drama about the cycles of violence inflicted on individuals.
It’s remarkable just how good Ben Mendelsohn is as Neville Love, the incarcerated father of Jack O’Connell’s Eric Love. Neville’s treatment of those around him can be tough, but it is much needed to better understand how Eric has become who he is. Their relationship throughout the film is complicated, and some revelations towards the end cause an even bigger rift between father and son than ever before, and the two actors translate that onto the screen with an incredible amount of skill.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a standalone film set in the Star Wars universe, where a group of resistance fighters, led by Jyn Erso, embarks on a mission to steal the Death Star plans. This pivotal event sets the stage for the iconic saga to follow.
Despite being a prequel to the originalStar Wars, exploring the events of the opening crawl of it,Rogue One: A Star WarsStoryis often considered one of the best films in the franchise and a step above a lot of what Disney has produced in the series. The movie explores a group of rebels as they attempt to steal the plans for the Death Star, aware that they could most likely die during the mission. It’s harrowing, heroic, and incredibly thrilling.
Eight Years Ago Today, Star Wars Gave Us The Best Darth Vader Scene Since The Original Trilogy
It’s been eight years since Star Wars released Rogue One, its first anthology movie, and gave us the best Darth Vader scene we’ve ever seen.
Ben Mendolsohn joined the Star Wars universe inRogue One,playing Director Orson Krennic, a high-ranking member of the Galactic Empire who is in charge of overseeing the construction of the Death Star. Like his portrayal of John Daggett inThe Dark Knight Rises,Mendelsohn is remarkable at playing a highly ambitious man looking to climb even higher in his ranks, not caring about who he needs to crush in pursuit of that, and Director Krennic is a fantastic villain made even better by his performance.
The Year My Voice Broke
Set in 1962, The Year My Voice Broke follows the experiences of a young boy in rural Australia as he witnesses his best friend and first love mature and become romantically involved with a rugby player, significantly altering their lives and relationships.
The Year My Voice Brokeis a powerful Australian coming-of-age film about a young guy named Danny who begins to grow apart from his childhood best friend, Freya, over the course of a year. It is based on the experiences of the director and writer of the film, John Duigan.The Year My Voice Brokeis tender and heartfelt, exploring the pains of growing up and growing apart from those with whom we were once inseparable.
This was only the second film in Ben Mendelsohn’s career after mostly appearing in various TV shows.It was also his first big breakout role in Australiaas he played Trevor Leishman, the school’s rugby star and petty criminal who starts a love triangle with a friend and that friend’s best friend. Trevor is wild and often carefree, and a young Mendelsohn captures his energy with reckless abandon, a fascinating look at the true start of his impressive career.
The Outsider
Based on Stephen King’s novel, this crime drama series follows a detective and an unconventional investigator as they confront a malevolent supernatural entity infiltrating a child murder investigation, leading them to challenge their perceptions of reality and justice.
Based on the novel of the same name by legendaryhorror writer Stephen King,The Outsideris an unsettling miniseries about an investigation of the murder of a young boy who begins to be surrounded by supernatural forces, leading the cop and investigator on the case to question everything they believe in.The Outsidertakes its time to live within the tense atmosphere it creates, making it an often disturbing and thrilling look into something truly sinister.
Ben Mendelsohn leads the way inThe Outsideras Ralph Anderson, a detective with the Cherokee City police department involved in investigating the young boy’s murder. His character is a recovering alcoholic attempting to cope with the loss of his own son to cancer a few years earlier, which causes him to have a jaded attitude towards the investigation. Mendelsohn is unbelievable inThe Outsider,exploring a range of grief and anger that continues to build up over the course of the series.
Bloodline
Bloodline is a Netflix original series exploring the dark secrets of the Rayburn family, who operate a beachside hotel in the Florida Keys. Led by Kyle Chandler as John Rayburn, the show delves into themes of betrayal, family loyalty, and the complexities of human relationships as past deeds resurface to haunt the present.
Bloodlineis an American psychological thriller series focusing on the Rayburn family and the demons that lurk just beneath the surface, despite the facade they have constructed, fitting well into their Florida Keys community. The series follows the deterioration of the family as they are often faced with doing very bad things as mistrust and paranoia continue to build up.
Ben Mendelsohn leadsBloodlinealongside Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), playing Danny Rayburn, the oldest son and black sheep of the Rayburn family, often taking up the antagonist role in the series, especially during the first season. It’s one of Mendelsohn’s greatest performances, andit earned him a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, making it one of the most impactful roles of his entire career, solidifying himself as an acting force.
Animal Kingdomis a remarkable crime drama about a young man taken in by his extended family following the death of his mother. The family is involved in various criminal activities and begins to indoctrinate him into their way of life.Animal Kingdomis tightly paced and brilliantly written, an epic story told on a smaller scale that explores family dynamics through an incredible cast of characters.
Ben Mendelsohn plays Andrew “Pope” Cody inAnimal Kingdom, the unstable eldest brother who is on the run from the police due to his actions.His performance in the film was his first time he began to gain recognition outside of Australia, and it was well-deserved considering just how incredible he is in it. In fact, it could be argued thatAnimal Kingdomis his best performance in general, a major feat given how consistently greatBen Mendolsohnis in everything he does.
