Debapriya Bhattacharya
Born in a Hollywood family with film director and screenwriter parents, and brother to actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jake Gyllenhaal made his acting debut at the age of 10 with the 1991 film ‘City Slickers.’ Following a number of big-screen appearances, his breakthrough role came in 1999, playing American legend Homer Hickam in the biopic ‘October Sky.’ Jake found appreciation among critics early in his career, choosing films like ‘Donnie Darko,’ ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ and ‘Zodiac.’ While he showed off his range with commercial productions such as ‘The Day After Tomorrow,’ ‘Love & Other Drugs,’ and ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home,’ Jake’s quirky choices helped him carve out his own niche. These included projects as diverse as ‘Source Code,’ ‘Enemy,’ and ‘Road House.’ If you’re looking for his films to stream on Netflix, the following list will help you get started.
3. Donnie Darko (2001)
Marking the directorial debut of Richard Kelly, ‘Donnie Darko’ stars Jake Gyllenhaal in the titular role of an introverted high school student who is kept occupied by the dark, outlandish thoughts inside his head. As a result, he does not get along much with his family, teachers, or classmates. However, he finds a kind and sympathetic friend in Gretchen Ross (Jena Malone). The other person who listens to Donnie is his psychiatrist, who helps him make sense of his ideas. Donnie starts to have visions and commits a series of crimes, claiming that he is forced to do so. One of the most prominent visions he has is that of a large, grotesque rabbit, which follows him everywhere. The psychological science fiction thriller blurs the line between reality and delusion, and feeds conversations on subjects ranging from mental health to time travel. Watch the film here.
2. Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
Helmed by Dan Gilroy, ‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ takes place in the contemporary art scene of Los Angeles, where rich artists and even richer collectors decide the worth of creation. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as an art critic who finds his job limiting and emotionally draining, but does it anyway. He finds himself bored at a prominent art exhibition, much to the annoyance of the celebrated creators whose works are on display. However, he later finds the paintings of a recently deceased artist, which leave him mesmerized. Uncovering more of his works and deciding to put them on display, he unknowingly unleashes a supernatural force that enacts revenge on his professional circle that has allowed commerce to dictate art. You can stream the black comedy horror film here.
1. The Guilty (2021)
A remake of Gustav Möller’s Danish film, ‘Den skyldige,’ ‘The Guilty’ by Antoine Fuqua follows Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal), a demoted police officer assigned to a call dispatch desk. The story takes place over the course of a single morning when Joe receives an emergency phone call from a woman who has been abducted. The woman speaks to him like she is speaking to her child to fool her abductor, and only manages to share that she is currently being taken away in a white van. As the highway patrol to whom Joe relays the information tells him it is not enough to go on, he becomes conflicted over his duty. You can watch the crime thriller on Netflix.
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