Entertainment
10 Best Jacob Elordi Movies and TV Shows, Ranked
He’s alive! It’s safe to say that Jacob Elordi is heralding in the next generation of Hollywood. As one of the quickest rising stars, Elordi resume is filling up with hits that have allowed him to become one of the most sought-after stars today. From major, critically acclaimed films to massive hit TV series, Elordi is proving his range as an actor can take him anywhere.
As his versatility takes him to new heights, breaking him away from just being the bad boy on film to creatures and legends with the greatest of ease. Thanks to his extraordinary take on the creature in Frankenstein, the adoration for Elordi is back. We’re going to dig through his expanding resume to share the TV series and movies that are the best of the best or beloved by fans. From Euphoria to Priscilla, Elordi is on a soaring path to superstardom.
10
‘He Went That Way’ (2023)
Jacob Elordi, for now, has a bad boy problem. It’s his typecasting. As he finds his path to play an array of roles, his ability to dominate in the bad boy parts will ensure his casting. Such was the case in the crime drama He Went That Way. Based on the actual events of serial killer Larry Ranes and his reluctant companion Dave Pitts, the film follows Jim Goodwin (Zachary Quinto), a celebrity animal trainer, accompanied by his pet chimpanzee, who picks up a hitchhiker, Bobby Falls (Elordi), only to discover his passenger is a cunning young serial killer. A bizarre desert film noir crime thriller, He Went That Way is a unique buddy film with two misfit characters trying to make their way.
The film’s conceit should have the makings of a smash hit, but it never quite reaches those heights. Though the film shifts tonally, trying to be its own entity while still being a true crime thriller, the performances from Elordi and Quinto are engaging enough for the film to be entertaining. There’s some charisma out of Elordi as the drifter serial killer. He’s spunky, even if he shares his other bad boy characteristics. It’s an important film that serves as a transitional role as Elordi has the chance to explore more nuanced parts.
9
‘Oh, Canada’ (2024)
Back in 1980, Richard Gere and Paul Schrader made movie magic with American Gigolo. More than three decades later, the pair reunited for the 2024 drama Oh, Canada. Leo Fife (Gere), a dying filmmaker, sits for a final interview, during which he admits that his status as a progressive icon is built on a foundation of lies and half-truths, and that he has repeatedly used and discarded his family and friends. As he recounts his past, the “official story” of his life as a respected filmmaker and Vietnam War draft dodger is challenged by the unvarnished truths of his memories. An almost self-reflective memory play about the constraints we put on ourselves as we create myths about our own being. Oh, Canada is a spellbinding and poignant personal portrait.
Since the past plays into the present, Elordi plays young Leo. So yes, Jacob Elordi is Richard Gere. Though they do well as a duo playing a single character over the course of time, the film’s greatest asset is its filmmaking. The cinematography, depicting four distinct time periods through four filming styles, is stunning and worth a sitting.
8
‘On Swift Horses’ (2024)
Based on Shannon Pufahl‘s 2019 novel, On Swift Horses is a historical romantic drama that brings a post-Korean War forbidden love to life. Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Lee (Will Poulter) are beginning a bright new life together, but her life is upended when her charismatic, gambler brother-in-law, Julius (Elordi), arrives. Lee is keen for the three of them to build a new life in San Diego, but Julius decides to travel to Las Vegas instead, where he finds work in a casino and meets Henry (Diego Calva), a co-worker he falls for. Feeling unfulfilled, Muriel seeks a secret life of her own, drawn to the world of horse racing and to Julius, though it’s her lesbian neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle) who turns it all upside down.
On Swift Horses brings audiences on a journey of self-discovery through taboos during a starkly restricted era. The film is a fascinating exploration of love, society, morality, and sexuality. The film has some sincere moments that lead to heartbreak, with Elordi’s performance among the best in the ensemble. Showcasing a tender and sensitive side most audiences had yet to see, Elordi’s vulnerability proves his worth as a future big-screen leading man.
7
‘The Kissing Booth’ (2018)
When it comes to his rise to prominence, it was The Kissing Booth for Jacob Elordi. Based on Beth Reekles‘ young adult novel, the film follows Elle (Joey King), a quirky, late-blooming teenager whose budding romance with high school senior and bad boy Noah (Elordi) puts her lifelong friendship with Noah’s younger brother Lee (Joel Courtney) in jeopardy when she signs up to run the kissing booth at the spring carnival. The teen rom-com, which launched on Netflix, was dubbed a major success for its bubbly, accessible story. Though some certified the cliché galore, the target audience loved it so much, it launched two sequels, marking one of the steamers’ biggest film franchises.
If you believe critics, the film is something terrible based on its 17% Rotten Tomatoes score. If you ask the targeted demographic, it’s everything and more. Despite the sexist vantage many placed on the film, part of the intrigue was this new star playing the bad boy. Elordi became a newfound crush. Once he finished the first film, his rise to further fame in Euphoria came, but he was tied to making the follow-up films. He’s called the films “ridiculous,” though you’ve got to start somewhere! Nevertheless, as this list proves, he’s grown tremendously as an actor, so it can be considered just an early-career blip.
6
‘Priscilla’ (2023)
Audiences love biopics, so much so that we’ll take multiple films about the same individuals if they give us different perspectives on the same story. After Austin Butler‘s tour de force performance in Baz Luhrmann‘s Elvis, a year later, Elordi put his stamp on The King in Priscilla. Putting Priscilla Presley (Cailee Spaeny) in the spotlight, Sofia Coppola‘s film focused on Priscilla’s life and complicated relationship with Elvis Presley (Elordi). The film is a lovingly tender retelling with an evasive performance by Spaeny. The wide-eyed ingénue brings a sense of desire and wonderment while tackling the difficulty of femininity, fame, and privilege without power. It’s almost like a real-life fairy tale without the brazen spectacle seen in Luhrmann’s film.
With a voice that resembles Elvis’, Elordi should be praised for his performance and appearance. He has a dominating presence that gives him a larger-than-life essence. We do have to give him a pass for being so young that his primary knowledge of Elvis came from Lilo & Stitch. Perhaps we might live in a world in which Priscilla had debuted before Elvis, and we would be singing Elordi’s Elvis as the premiere performance. Regardless, this performance boosted Elordi’s range as an actor.
5
‘Deep Water’ (2022)
Though he may only appear in a supporting role, Deep Water is an intriguing watch. Playing a series of dangerous mind games, a wealthy and deeply unhappy married couple, Vic and Melinda Van Allen — Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas — set up an arrangement of allowing infidelity to avoid divorce. Vic becomes fascinated with and perversely enjoys tormenting Melinda’s lovers. This leads to escalating tension and suspicions of murder as Melinda has multiple lovers and Vic is implied to be behind their disappearances. Directed by Adrian Lyne and written by Zach Helm and Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson, the erotic psychological thriller is based on Patricia Highsmith‘s 1957 novel. Though it may sound like another Gone Girl moment for Affleck, this film pushes the boundaries further into a discussion of open relationships.
Perhaps lost in time due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a streamer release, Deep Water seemed like a film that sought to scratch the itch of audiences seeking a new erotic thriller, but didn’t pan out in the way its predecessors had. Elordi plays Charlie De Lisle, one of Melinda’s new lovers and piano teachers, who is found drowned in a pool, causing Vic to be blamed. In his role, Elordi eases into a more mature part as an excessively suave individual. Smoldering is an understatement.
4
‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’ (2025)
For those who may forget, Jacob Elordi is Australian! The young actor was a part of bringing Richard Flanagan‘s novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North to life. The Australian miniseries follows Dorrigo Evans (Elordi) across three periods: before his deployment to the Second World War, during his time as a Far East prisoner of war, and several decades after the war. Each period reveals different parts of Dorrigo’s love affair with his aunt, Amy (Odessa Young). Chronicling the hardship and inhumanity of war, The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a riveting series that is a dazzling character-driven piece.
The international release was met with critical acclaim, including praise for Elordi’s sterling work. For his part, Elordi transformed tremendously, losing 20 pounds in six weeks to physically embody the hardships his character endured. The chemistry between Elordi and Young is smoldering and dangerously dynamic. Even with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, The Narrow Road to the Deep North is an underappreciated series. Perhaps now that we’re on the Elordi journey post-Frankenstein, audiences will dive back into this drama to understand the depth of Elordi’s acting ability.
3
‘Frankenstein’ (2025)
Creature features got a formidable entry thanks in part to Guillermo del Toro‘s brand-new revitalization of Frankenstein. Taking some liberties but staying closer to the Mary Shelley novel than the 1931 film, Frankenstein brings a new monstrous creation to life as egotistical scientist Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), whose experiment in creating life from death comes with dangerous consequences. Filled with breathtaking visuals under del Toro’s extraordinary vision, Frankenstein reignited our love for gothic thrillers.
Taking on the Creature, Elordi is particularly phenomenal. Standing at 6’5″ pre-monster, Elordi already has an imposing presence. Add in Mike Hill‘s masterful design to make him grotesque, a new creature was born. What makes Elordi’s turn as The Creature striking is his depth and humanity. The Creature goes through an expedited arc of learning and understanding that his heart comes out, making him anything but a monster —he’s a victim of his master’s creation. Elordi’s early scenes with Mia Goth‘s Lady Elizabeth Harlander and David Bradley‘s Blind Man are some of the film’s most profound. If we’re handing out Academy Award nominations right now, Frankenstein should be deep in the conversation. Del Toro created something timeless.
2
‘Euphoria’ (2019–)
For most of the world, our introduction to Jacob Elordi was through Euphoria. The smash-hit HBO series brings viewers back to high school as the teens of fictional East Highland, California, seek hope while balancing the strains of love, loss, sex, and addiction. Central to the story is Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a troubled teenage drug addict who struggles to get sober, find her place in the world, and adjust to her relationships after rehab, but the series is a genuine ensemble piece. Elordi stars as Nate Jacobs, the star high school football player and Maddy Perez’s (Alexa Demie) on-and-off abusive boyfriend, whose severe anger issues mask his sexual insecurities.
Nate is a deeply complex individual, much of which is rooted in his father, Cal (Eric Dane), a closeted bisexual man with a dangerous double life and hidden past. From abuse to blackmail, his actions are irredeemable. Nate has a worrying obsession with control, toxic masculinity, and a distorted sense of self, and yet Elordi’s performance makes more sense the further his backstory is revealed. Nate is a modern monster in his own right, being created to be one by circumstance. While we wait to see where Nate goes next, it’s safe to say that the more acting experience Elordi has had, the more nuanced his performance is about to be.
1
‘Saltburn’ (2023)
When Saltburn first came out, the title spread like wildfire for its daring plot and viral moments. And everything that was said about it was accurate. Emerald Fennell’s black comedy follows University of Oxford student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) and his infatuation with popular, aristocratic student Felix Catton (Elordi). Felix invites him to spend the summer at his eccentric family’s estate, only for the truth to unravel in utterly fascinating form. With a fixation on excess and obsession, Saltburn builds a world in which class, power, and sex all collide in an erotic thriller. Though Keoghan’s Oliver was the central focus of the story, Elordi’s Felix allowed him to break out in a wonderful way.
His character was privileged beyond repair. He looks like a Greek god as the sun hits him exquisitely. No wonder that now-infamous bathtub scene took the world by storm. Elordi leaned into the stereotypical rich-kid archetype while still infusing momentary glimpses of potential change. The beauty of the film is that we’re on Oliver’s journey, empathizing with him, only to discover he was the antagonist all along. Elordi provides one of his strongest performances in the film, leveling up thanks to the top-tier cast.
Saltburn
- Release Date
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November 17, 2023
- Runtime
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131 Minutes
- Director
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Emerald Fennell
- Writers
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Emerald Fennell
