Diksha Sundriyal
Ansel Elgort rose to fame after playing the role of Augustus Waters in the much beloved romantic film ‘The Fault in Our Stars’. Considering the way he portrayed this role, you would think that he must be older and more experienced. I thought so, too! But he is not really that old (as compared to his co-stars Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller), if not less experienced. At the age of just 24, he has managed to be a heart-throb, been the part of a successful franchise and (only recently) played the lead role in one of the surprise hits of the year. The journey has just begun for Elgort and by gauging his talent, one can easily say that he is here to stay.
He already has a dedicated fandom, and if you needed anything more to add to his already intense charm, he is also a DJ and has released a couple of albums with major record labels. If you are beginning to have a crush on him and want some more of his films, you’ll have to wait. Because he is still fairly new, he has only a bunch of films to his credit. However, you can still browse through his filmography. To make matters easier, here is the list of top 6 movies of Ansel Elgort:
6. November Criminals (2017)
Released in the same year as his hit film ‘Baby Driver’, this film is his least good film yet. I only watched it because of Ansel Elgort and found out that the reason was not good enough. It follows the story of Addison who tries to solve the murder of a fellow student. He is helped by his clever girlfriend Digger, played by Chloe Grace Moretz. The film was conceived by Steven Knight, the creator of movies like ‘Locke’ and shows like ‘Peaky Blinders’ and ‘Taboo’. A murder mystery by Knight looked like an exciting idea. But it didn’t pan out as it was supposed to. It wasn’t entirely a disaster. The characters were likable and the Ansel Elgort’s acting saved the day for him, but it failed to do wonders for a movie that suffered from the loose plot and wavering interest.
5. Men, Women and Children (2014)
Featuring an ensemble cast of Dean Norris, Jennifer Garner, and Adam Sandler, this film centers around the life of a handful of people. Told in three different sections, it follows the story of a sexually unsatisfied couple, a complicated mother-daughter relationship, and a boy going through the phase of his parents’ divorce. The film starts with the narration about the Voyager satellite and ends the movie with its commentary on the lives of the people depicted in the film, in context of the satellite. The film did not receive much critical appreciation or box-office collection. Ansel Elgort played the role of the depressed and rebellious teen with as much dignity as he could muster. It did not save the film, but his acting skills did save his already well-built image.
4. Carrie (2013)
This film wasn’t the best adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. But it was a great stepping stone in Elgort’s career. In his first film, sharing screen-space with Chloe Grace-Moretz, he played the role of Tommy Ross. Carrie is a shy girl with telekinetic powers, but her overly religious mother keeps her in check. Carrie wants to break-out but her mother holds her back. Things escalate when Carrie experiences her first menstrual period and the girls in her class make a video of her begging for help because she thought she was bleeding to death. Elgort had a short, albeit important role. He is the nice guy who asks Carrie out for prom, on the insistence of his girlfriend who wants to make peace with Carrie. The role of the sensitive Tommy fit him like a glove. It was our liking for the character that made us despondent on his death.
3. The Divergent Series (2014-2016)
Starring alongside Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Miles Teller, Elgort played the role of the lead Tris Prior’s elder brother Caleb Prior. While his role was limited to a couple of scenes in the first part with not much impact on the story-line, it was in the second part that his character’s true colors began to emerge. By the third part, his role had become pivotal in the film. Elgort got to share screen space with actors like Kate Winslet and this film played a large role in his exposure to the world. Caleb Prior’s character was one of the most complicated characters in the film. It starts with our sympathy towards him. It is the innocence of Caleb in the first part that makes the revelation of his betrayal a bitter experience. Ansel Elgort portrayed this character skilfully and substantiated his standing in the acting business.
2. Baby Driver (2017)
The film that became a massive surprise hit of the year is one of Elgort’s best films yet. It is one of the movies from 2017 that you must watch. Adding to its relevance is the fact that Kevin Spacey’s career took a vertical dive after this, not that it was the film’s fault. It is about a young man Baby who works as a getaway driver for the bank-robber crews assembled by a kingpin Doc. He loves music and listens to it all the time.
While he is not busy driving, he creates a mix of the conversations he records. He meets a waitress at a diner whom he begins to have affections for. He decides to leave driving after the debt he owed to Doc is paid, but soon discovers that Doc never really meant to let him go. Full of action and chase sequences, this film is pure entertainment. The actors give strong performances, but it is Elgort who truly shines as Baby. The film is nominated for Best Sound Editing, with two more awards at the upcoming Academy Awards. Considering its wide success, a sequel is under development.
1. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
The film that broke a lot of hearts and sent people running for tissues was the biggest stepping stone in Ansel Elgort’s career. Centred around two teenagers suffering from different forms of cancer, this film was a major hit and was much applauded by critics. Elgort played the role of Augustus Waters who meets Shailene Woodley’s Hazel Grace at a cancer support group. They both take an instant liking to each other and begin spending more time together. While most romantic films tend to be cheesy and not as sentimental as they try to be, ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ was a big exception in this case. The characters, although young, were adept at more interesting, meaningful and intelligent conversations.
While Woodley was the star of the film, Elgort’s portrayal of the delightful, ‘laughing in the face of death’ Augustus was captivating. Maybe it was because Elgort was almost the same age as Augustus that he was able to catch the nerve of his character. Whatever the reason may be, Ansel Elgort was shot to stardom after this and there was no going back.
Read More: Best Movies of Shailene Woodley
