Jake Gyllenhaal has been a constant presence on our screens since he made his debut as a child actor in 1991 and after his most recent starring role in the 2024 remake of Road House, we’re taking a look back through his career to recommend nine movies you need to watch next.
Released 35 years after the original, Prime Video’s Road House is a reimagining of the Patrick Swayze-starring movie of the same name. Gyllenhaal takes on the role of Elwood Dalton, a former UFC fighter who is approached to become a bouncer at an unruly roadhouse in the Florida Keys with some undesirable patrons.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Where to watch: Peacock, Amazon Freevee, Tubi, Pluto TV, Sling TV, PLEX
We begin our look back on the movies in the career of Jake Gyllenhaal with 2001’s Donnie Darko, a chilling psychological thriller that put the young actor on the map.
The movie, which also features Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore and Patrick Swayze, tells the story of the titular troubled teenager who is plagued by visions of a large and sinister bunny rabbit who manipulates Donnie into committing a series of crimes by telling him the world will end in 28 days.
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The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Where to watch: Hulu, Sling TV, FXNOW
With a box office gross of $552 million, The Day After Tomorrow held the record of being Jake Gyllenhaal’s highest-grossing movie for 15 years until he appeared in a certain superhero movie, more on that later.
Gyllenhaal takes on the role of Sam in the disaster movie, a young student who is caught up in the midst of a giant storm as global warming triggers the onset of a new Ice Age and the Northern Hemisphere begins to freeze over.
Jarhead (2005)
Where to watch: Buy/rent on digital stores
Directed by Sam Mendes (Skyfall, 1917), Jarhead is a biographical war movie in which Jake Gyllenhaal takes on the role of Anthony ‘Swoff’ Swofford, a US Marine who served during the Gulf War.
But Swoff’s ideas of the military don’t match the reality as he’s put through a gruelling boot camp and when he is sent to the Persian Gulf, his unit are forced to stay back from the action, leaving him desperately wanting to put his training to use.
Nightcrawler (2014)
Where to watch: Starz, Philo, The Roku Channel
With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%, the 2014 thriller Nightcrawler is one of the highest-rated movies of Jake Gyllenhaal’s career.
He takes on the role of Lou Bloom, a wayward soul living in Los Angeles who discovers the high-speed world of crime journalism as he joins a group of freelance camera crews who race around the city where each police siren equals the chance to make some money.
Southpaw (2015)
Where to watch: Paramount+, Showtime, Sling TV, The Roku Channel
You could almost treat 2015’s Southpaw as a spiritual prequel to the newly released Road House movie.
Gyllenhaal takes on the role of Billy Hope, a professional boxer who fights his way to the top, only to find his life starting to fall apart around him.
The Sisters Brothers (2018)
Where to watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, PLEX, MovieSphere
Starring Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly, The Sisters Brothers is a Western that tells the tale of the titular brothers as they attempt to track down and kill a prospector who has stolen from their boss.
Helping in their pursuit is Gyllenhaal’s John Morris, a private investigator with his own motives.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Where to watch: Disney+, Sling TV, Fubo TV, Aha
Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Far From Home follows Peter Parker as he ventures to Europe for a school trip.
But instead of experiencing the culture and history of the various cities he and his classmates visit, the young Spider-Man is too distracted by the arrival of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio, who claims to be a hero from another dimension.
Ambulance (2022)
Where to watch: Starz, The Roku Channel, Philo
Directed by Michael Bay, this breakneck thriller tells the story of a decorated veteran, Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who is in dire need of money to cover his wife’s expensive medical bills.
In an act of desperation, he turns to his adoptive brother and career criminal Danny (Gyllenhaal) who offers to cut him in on the biggest bank heist in Los Angeles history as they attempt to steal $32 million.
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant (2023)
Where to watch: Prime Video
And finally, we end our list of the best Jake Gyllenhaal movies to watch after Road House with Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant which, like the new remake, is also available to stream on Prime Video.
The Covenant is another action-packed war movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal as US Army Sergeant John Kinley whose life is saved following a Taliban ambush by Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim).
Several weeks later, Kinley learns that the man who saved him and his family were not given safe passage to America as they were promised for aiding US troops. Kinley takes it upon himself to rescue Ahmed, enlisting the help of a private military contractor to support his daring mission.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the 2024 remake of Road House which is available to stream now on Prime Video.
