The 20 greatest Ryan Gosling movies

Gosling delivers the comedic performance of the decade as an aloof Ken doll who just wants to win Barbie over and be a part of the patriarchy. That's not a lot to ask, is it? He's simply sublime at playing the dumb blonde, delivering lines like "my job is beach" with the giddy fervor of a kid in a sandbox and dancing to I'm Just Ken with the effortlessness of Gene Kelly. It's about as lovable as movie roles get, and Gosling delivers every silly line with aplomb.

The dude only has 100 lines, yet there are few performances more memorable than Gosling in Drive. In homage to Alain Delon, the actor channels a simmering cool that would play in a Jean-Pierre Melville thriller, channeling a getaway driver who lets his driving do the talking. Gosling says more with his eyes than his words, delivering a restrained old-school performance that speaks volumes to his ridiculous range.

Speaking of range, just as Gosling was about to be typecast as a rom-com hunk, he shifted into serious dramatic territory as a drug-addicted burnout. As far as movies go, Half Nelson is halfway good, with more drug cinema cliches than there are crack pipes in Los Angeles. But the movie earned Gosling his first Oscar nomination, and as a teacher addicted to pills, it allowed him to show a messier side of acting that would cast him in the much better Place Beyond the Pines.

A stuntman bank robber played by Ryan Gosling? Sounds intriguing. Throw in Bradley Cooper and his future wife, Eva Mendes, along with some riveting, rugged indie visuals, and you've got a truly transporting film. Explosive yet elegiac, with a simmering passion to provide for his family, Gosling emotes empathy with the tangible pungency of motorcycle fumes. 

Hot take: Rachel McAdams' character sucks in this movie. She ditches my boy Gosling for money, doesn't respond to his letters, and leaves the charismatic, caring lead by the wayside. I'll never cry at the end of this film--Gosling deserves better--but watching the sensitive, sweet, hilarious Gosling build a house for his maybe future wife and set fire to the pouring rain in that final kiss is something to behold.

Sex symbol Gosling was finally unveiled--and unclothed--in this rom-com about a sexy hunk helping out the sad divorcee. With almost intimidating charisma and looks, Gosling's arc from playboy to committed boyfriend is even more impressive than Steve Carell's turn from sad divorcee to playboy to amiable father. Gosling is hilarious here while remaining sexy, delivering on both the rom and com in equal measure.

Before there was Megan, there was the Real Girl. Predating Megan, Companion, Her, and Ex Machina, the original sadsack falling in love with an inanimate object goes to Lars. Played with aching sadness by Gosling, this loser who falls in love with a sex doll is pathetic, yes, but Gosling is so emotionally vulnerable here; I shed a tear when I first watched this heartbreaking indie.

It might not have won Best Picture, but La La Land won over all of our hearts. Damien Chazelle's modernization of Jacques Demy musicals is a swirling, twirling, and leaping ballad of love that is irresistible to the eyes and indelible on the heart. That ending gets me every viewing, but the journey there with an aspiring jazz musician and actress is simply stunning. 

Another impossibly charming role for Gosling, in which he plays a junior campaign manager for George Clooney's governor. Directed with poise, acted with confidence, and toying with the impossibility of morals in politics, this movie speaks to the present state of politics as well as any state of political history, in any State. Corruption and politics are bedfellows in The Ides of March, which means everyone on screen is getting screwed.

Adam McKay is one of the greatest directors ever, period. I can quote Step Brothers nearly word for word. Unfortunately, after The Big Short, the director veered into political satire that is every bit as bland and manipulative as what's on FOX and CNN. The Big Short is his last great film, a smorgasbord satire about the housing market crash in which Gosling plays a leeching broker who tries to capitalize on other people's loss. It's a win for Gosling, who delivers another eye-catching performance.

This movie isn't good, I'll just say that now. You would think a gangster flick with Sean Penn, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, and Ryan Gosling would be a lot better than this, but Gosling does command the screen as a killer in a pinstriped getup. He outshines everyone in Gangster Squad, to the point where I just find myself watching Gosling the entire film.

This movie just exists so Gosling can cook. He shows off his action chops, his comedic side, his silly persona, and his romantic aura in The Fall Guy, about a stuntman who returns to the cinema to get the girl. It's a charming feel-good blockbuster, a movie Gosling can bring his kids to, which is something he has said he wants to do more of now.

Gosling went to space before all these celebrities thought it was cool to hop on SpaceX, just saying. His Neil Armstrong is a trailblazer blinded by ambition, so much so that it affects his personal life. In Damien Chazelle's visceral drama, Gosling plays the astronaut as a detached loner whose destiny is in the stars, not on land. 

Obviously it's not as good as Ridley Scott's Blade Runner , or even some of Denis Villeneuve's other spacey movies. That doesn't mean Blade Runner 2049 isn't sensational. Gosling's performance as the robot hunting down his own kind is complex and sophisticated, emoting contrasting emotions through the mere contours of his face. Gosling is an actor who can say as much with his eyes and demeanor as with words, making this robot devoid of meaning a meaningful role in which he can portray perceptible emotions across a lifeless face.

Honestly, I hate watching Blue Valentine. What a depressing, disgusting bore this movie is. However, Gosling's turn as the alcoholic, abusive husband is impressive to watch for its commitment. For the entire movie, you almost forget Gosling is one of cinema's most beloved figures.

Ryan Gosling's impeccable hair saves the world from bad guys over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again in this repetitive action movie from The Avengers directors. It's not a good action flick, by any means, but Gosling looks so dang cool saving the day!

You would think a young Ryan Gosling would get dwarfed by a legend like Anthony Hopkins--think again. Gosling holds his own as a Deputy trying to prosecute a serial killer in Hopkins, who is basically playing Hannibal Lecter on downers.

One of the more underrated comedies of late, The Nice Guys sees two bumbling detectives get roped up (pun intended) in a porn murder ring. Gosling is absolutely hilarious, showcasing a dry wit and baffled reaction shots that have since become meme-worthy.

Gosling plays a serial killer in a duel with Sandra Bullock. Sounds more interesting than it is — Murder by Numbers is bolstered by excellent performances from Bullock and Gosling, yet falls short on suspense. In short, Murder by Numbers is literally a by-the-numbers murder movie.

What a treat Project Hail Mary is. A movie dedicated to optimism, humor, and entertainment at the highest level (space!), This is Gosling at his most charming. Along with Fall Guy and Barbie, this movie shows Gosling as a wonderful, lovable, emotional, and incredibly handsome bankable movie star who can carry a movie off his charm. It's just him and an alien in space, saving the planet from destruction, and I can't think of a movie star I would want to be stranded in space with more than Gosling