Paul Dano – 10 Best Movies

By Vlad Zakh · August 24, 2026

Paul Dano has built one of the more interesting character-actor careers of his generation without chasing a conventional leading-man role: oil-boom rivals, silent brothers and eventually a genuinely unnerving Riddler. Wildlife watches a boy’s parents’ marriage collapse in 1960s Montana, Swiss Army Man befriends a multipurpose corpse, Okja fights a biotech corporation for a super-pig, and Love & Mercy tells Brian Wilson’s story across two timelines. There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine, Prisoners, 12 Years a Slave, Little Women and The Batman round out the list.

Wildlife (2018)

TMDB ★ 6.5

Paul Dano features in this drama about a young boy who watches his parents' marriage quietly collapse in 1960s Montana.

Directed by Paul Dano · 1h 45m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+ · Rent: Apple TV Store, YouTube · Buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Swiss Army Man (2016)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A flatulent, talking corpse, played by Daniel Radcliffe, became one of the strangest cult films of the decade.

Directed by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert · 1h 37m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Okja (2017)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A girl fights to save her genetically engineered super-pig from a ruthless multinational corporation.

Directed by Bong Joon Ho · 2h 00m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Love & Mercy (2014)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A Brian Wilson story told across two different timelines and two actors.

Directed by Bill Pohlad · 2h 00m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Batman (2022)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A grim, detective-driven Batman story that treats Gotham like an actual crime scene.

Directed by Matt Reeves · 2h 57m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, TNT, TBS, tru TV, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Little Women (2019)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 95% Metacritic 91

A fresh, non-linear retelling of the March sisters' story, opening on a snowbound Christmas.

Directed by Greta Gerwig · 2h 15m · Rated PG

Won 1 Oscar73 wins & 229 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Hulu, YouTube TV · 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

12 Years a Slave (2013)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 95% Metacritic 96

A free Black man is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War South.

Directed by Steve McQueen · 2h 14m · Rated R

Won 3 Oscars244 wins & 338 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 91% Metacritic 80

A dysfunctional family road-trips a young girl to a beauty pageant she barely wants to attend.

Directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris · 1h 42m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars73 wins & 112 nominations

Where to watch

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

There Will Be Blood (2007)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 91% Metacritic 93

A ruthless oil prospector's ambition curdles into obsession and violence in early 20th-century California.

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson · 2h 38m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars114 wins & 138 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo · 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

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.

Paul Dano – 10 Best Movies

Wildlife (2018)

Swiss Army Man (2016)

Okja (2017)

Love & Mercy (2014)

The Batman (2022)

Little Women (2019)

12 Years a Slave (2013)

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Prisoners (2013)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

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