Jake Gyllenhaal – 10 Best Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 13, 2026

Nightcrawler gets more uncomfortable the longer you sit with it, Brokeback Mountain and Zodiac show two completely different registers, and Prisoners and Southpaw show the more physically committed side. Road House remakes the 80s cult classic with an ex-UFC fighter turned bouncer, October Sky is an early lead as a coal miner’s son building rockets, Spider-Man: Far From Home makes a charming, ultimately villainous Mysterio, and Enemy gives him a quietly unsettling double role. Donnie Darko rounds out the list.

Road House (2024)

TMDB ★ 6.9

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a former UFC fighter turned bouncer in a modern remake of the 80s cult classic.

Directed by Doug Liman · 2h 01m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, TNT, TBS, tru TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

October Sky (1999)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A coal miner's son defies his father's expectations to pursue his dream of building rockets.

Directed by Joe Johnston · 1h 47m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

TMDB ★ 7.4

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a charming, ultimately villainous Mysterio opposite Tom Holland's Spider-Man.

Directed by Jon Watts · 2h 09m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, fuboTV, YouTube TV, FXNow · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Enemy (2013)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A man discovers his exact physical double is a working actor and becomes obsessed with meeting him.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve · 1h 31m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Southpaw (2015)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A rise-fall-rise story built on genuine, physical commitment.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua · 2h 03m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Prisoners (2013)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 81% Metacritic 70

A desperate father takes matters into his own hands after his daughter and her friend vanish.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve · 2h 33m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar10 wins & 38 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Zodiac (2007)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 90% Metacritic 79

A cartoonist's obsession with an unsolved serial killer case consumes years of his life.

Directed by David Fincher · 2h 37m · Rated R

3 wins & 71 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Donnie Darko (2001)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 88% Metacritic 88

A troubled teenager is warned of the world's end by a man in a disturbing rabbit costume.

Directed by Richard Kelly · 1h 54m · Rated R

12 wins & 17 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 88% Metacritic 87

Two ranch hands' summer affair turns into a decades-long, mostly hidden relationship.

Directed by Ang Lee · 2h 14m · Rated R

Won 3 Oscars141 wins & 133 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Nightcrawler (2014)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 95% Metacritic 76

A sociopathic freelancer builds a career filming increasingly staged crime-scene footage.

Directed by Dan Gilroy · 1h 58m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar46 wins & 126 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Sundance Now, Netflix Standard with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

Jake Gyllenhaal – 10 Best Movies

Road House (2024)

October Sky (1999)

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Enemy (2013)

Southpaw (2015)

Prisoners (2013)

Zodiac (2007)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Nightcrawler (2014)

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