All of the Jake Gyllenhaal movies on Netflix, ranked

Jake Gyllenhaal is an A-lister who has been acting since he was a kid in the 1990s. Many of his best movies are currently available on Netflix, so we took it upon ourselves to rank all of them from best to worst. For those who need a refresher, the 43-year-old made his acting debut in the comedy film City Slickers and then went on to star in some of his famous father’s films called, A Dangerous Woman and Homegrown.

However, his breakthrough roles were in the drama film, October Sky and the sci-fi thriller film Donnie Darko. After that, Gyllenhaal began making a name for himself in Hollywood but still wasn’t as well-known as he is now until he received an Academy Award nomination in 2006 for his supporting role in Brokeback Mountain and won a BAFTA Film award for that same film.

Over the years, Gyllenhaal has starred in several Netflix movies, including Okja, Velvet Buzzsaw, and The Guilty. We're ranking each Netflix title from worst to best!

#5 Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Velvet Buzzsaw is probably the most eccentric of Gyllenhaal's Netflix Original films. It received very mixed reviews upon debut, articularly from audiences who weren't quite sure what to make of the horror-comedy with satirical overtones. The movie centers on paintings discovered by an unknown artist and a mysterious supernatural force that seeks revenge against those who let greed overshadow creativity.

#4 The Guilty (2021)

As yet another unnecessary American remake of a superior foreign film, this time a Danish one, The Guilty struggles to validate its own existence. However, it's still a generally entertaining thriller with a game Gyllenhaal playing a 911 dispatcher who tries to rescue a caller in grave danger.

#3 Okja (2017)

You can't go wrong with a movie directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-ho. Okja is a beautifully crafted movie about a young girl who raises a "super pig" while living in South Korea, but when a huge conglomerate intervenes and kidnaps her beloved companion, she must do whatever it takes to rescue her pal.

#2 Stronger (2017)

A biographical film, Stronger stars Gyllenhaal as Jeff Bauman, a man who was in attendance during the Boston Marathon bombings and loses his legs as a result of injuries sustained during the incident. Stronger is based on Bauman's memoir, which he co-wrote with Bret Witter.

#1 Prisoners (2013)

Prisoners is an older film but it still packs a wallop. The tense thriller from director Denis Villeneuve is about the horrific case of two young girls being kidnapped. Gyllenhaal plays the detective assigned to the case, starring alongside Paul Dano and Hugh Jackman. If you haven't had the chance to check this one out yet, it's an absolute must-watch, especially for fans of the actor. Check it out before it's gone from Netflix!