What are the best Jake Gyllenhaal performances of all time?

Gyllenhaal has never repeated himself — from teenage cult mysteries to intense crime procedurals to action blockbusters. Which film brought out the best in him?

1

Nightcrawler

A 2014 thriller in which Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom, a sociopathic freelance crime journalist who will do anything for footage.

2

Brokeback Mountain

A 2005 Ang Lee drama in which Gyllenhaal plays Jack Twist, a cowboy in a secret and enduring love affair spanning decades.

3

Zodiac

A 2007 David Fincher thriller in which Gyllenhaal plays cartoonist Robert Graysmith who becomes obsessed with the Zodiac killer case.

4

Donnie Darko

A 2001 cult sci-fi drama in which Gyllenhaal plays a troubled teenager haunted by a rabbit figure warning of the apocalypse.

5

Prisoners

A 2013 Denis Villeneuve thriller in which Gyllenhaal plays the intense, tattooed Detective Loki investigating two abducted girls.

6

Jarhead

A 2005 war film in which Gyllenhaal plays a Marine sniper during the Gulf War, exploring the psychological toll of combat.

7

Source Code

A 2011 sci-fi thriller in which Gyllenhaal plays a soldier reliving the last eight minutes of a train bombing in search of the bomber.

8

Enemy

A 2013 psychological thriller in which Gyllenhaal plays dual roles as two identical strangers who discover each other.

9

Southpaw

A 2015 sports drama in which Gyllenhaal plays a boxing champion who hits rock bottom and fights to reclaim his life and daughter.

10

October Sky

A 1999 biographical drama in which Gyllenhaal plays Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who dreams of building rockets.

11

Spider-Man: Far From Home

A 2019 Marvel superhero film in which Gyllenhaal plays the charismatic Mysterio, whose heroic persona conceals a dangerous deception.

12

Demolition

A 2015 drama in which Gyllenhaal plays a grieving investment banker who begins dismantling his life in the wake of his wife's death.

13

Road House

A 2024 Prime Video action remake in which Gyllenhaal plays Elwood Dalton, a former UFC fighter hired to clean up a rowdy bar.

14

The Day After Tomorrow

A 2004 disaster blockbuster in which Gyllenhaal plays a teenager surviving a catastrophic climate-driven ice age in New York City.