Justin Timberlake is a decorated actor and gifted musician who has dominated both the silver screen and the music industry since the early 1990s. After making his film debut in the 2000 Disney dramedy Model Behavior, Timberlake went on to craft quite an impressive acting resume in which he appeared in a wide array of comedies, sci-fi thrillers, hard-hitting dramas, and endearing animated flicks.
Having shown off his comedic timing and gift for bringing the funny as a frequent guest host on Saturday Night Live, Timberlake went through a period of starring in uproarious films like The Love Guru, Friends with Benefits, and Bad Teacher. The talented performer has also showcased his dramatic side in lauded pictures such as The Social Network, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Palmer, and is set to appear in the upcoming crime thriller Reptile alongside Benicio del Toro. Let’s check out some of Justin Timberlake’s best movies.
9 Alpha Dog
In the 2006 crime drama Alpha Dog, a group of drug-dealing teenagers kidnap the younger brother of an addict who has been racking up a huge debt in hopes of making the young man pay. The seemingly straightforward plot gets complicated when one of the captors develops a close bond with the boy.
Justin Timberlake showcased his dramatic acting chops when he portrayed Frankie “Nuts” Ballenbacher, the leader of the group’s right-hand man who takes a liking to the 15-year-old target Zack (Anton Yelchin). The gritty picture is based on the real-life murder of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000 and garnered mixed reviews upon its debut at the Sundance Film Festival.
8 Black Snake Moan
Justin Timberlake shared the screen with Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci when he appeared as a war vet struggling with an anxiety disorder in the 2006 drama Black Snake Moan, which follows the promiscuous wild child Rae as she is held hostage by a God-fearing musician who hopes to heal the young woman’s sex addiction.
When soldier Ronnie is discharged from the National Guard due to his struggles with anxiety, he returns to his Mississippi hometown to search for his girlfriend Rae, discovering her infidelity along the way. Though it failed to resonate at the box office, Black Snake Moan earned praise for its off-the-wall screenplay and toe-tapping Blues soundtrack.
7 In Time
Set in the year 2169 when people stop aging at 25 years old and extra time is sold as a crucial currency, poor man Will Salas (Timberlake) goes on the run with the daughter (Amanda Seyfried) of a wealthy banker in hopes of acquiring more life in the 2011 sci-fi action flick In Time.
The Andrew Niccol picture was Timberlake’s first action role, and he demonstrated his ability to do a range of genres, having already proven he can do comedies and compelling dramas. In Time was a massive box office success, raking in $174 million while Timberlake and Seyfried’s performances were appreciated as was the Bonnie and Clyde-esque pacing and story.
6 Bad Teacher
Timberlake demonstrated his ability to embrace the awkward and hilarious when he appeared alongside Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel in the 2011 comedy Bad Teacher. The sidesplitting farce centers on the foul-mouthed, gold-digging teacher Elizabeth Halsey as she is forced to return to her profession after being dumped by her wealthy fiancé. Elizabeth sets her sights on the new wealthy substitute teacher Scott Delacorte (Timberlake) but faces stiff competition from a neurotic and perky colleague.
Timberlake won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor in a Comedy and earned praise for being cast against type as the timid and introverted teacher. He and Diaz uproariously shared an awkward love scene in the film, with Timberlake delivering one of the funniest and most off-the-wall performances of his career so far.
5 Trolls
In the spellbinding, 2016 animated musical comedy Trolls, Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake demonstrated their delightful chemistry when they portrayed bickering trolls Poppy and Branch, who go on an epic quest to protect their community from troll-eating creatures known as the Bergens. The Oscar-nominated film features Kendrick as the kind and optimistic Poppy and Timberlake as the cynical Branch, who reluctantly join forces for the greater good of their village.
Trolls was both a critical and commercial hit, grossing over $340 million while garnering numerous nominations including a Golden Globe, Academy Award, and Saturn Award. Timberlake’s massive original single for the film, Can’t Stop the Feeling!, topped the charts and helped contribute to the comedy’s overall popularity with audiences. A sequel, Trolls World Tour, was released in 2020 with a third film slated for release later this year.
4 Friends with Benefits
Timberlake’s charm and comedic timing were on full display when he appeared opposite Mila Kunis in the 2011 rom-com Friends with Benefits, focusing on New York City headhunter Jamie and L.A. art director Dylan as they agree to share a casual sexual relationship with no strings attached. Their noble yet naive plan unsurprisingly hits a few snags when they naturally develop feelings for one another, much to both of their dismays.
The brilliant pair’s sizzling chemistry and endearing banter helped make it a knockout with moviegoers, and the actors earned two People’s Choice Award nominations for their roles. In their glowing review of the comedy, Time Out wrote, “Kunis and Timberlake achieve the trickier feat of looking just as happy hanging out as they do sucking face, and when the cliches inevitably come rolling in, they feel earned rather than like a cop-out.”
3 Palmer
In one of his latest acting roles, Timberlake stars as a convicted felon out after a 12-year prison stint who returns to his Louisiana hometown in hopes of repairing his life and personal relationships in the 2021 drama Palmer. In the emotionally stirring film, Eddie Palmer struggles to return to normalcy in his small southern community and finds himself unexpectedly bonding with his little boy neighbor whom he takes under his wing.
Timberlake showcased his dramatic range and impressive skills as an actor with the troubled character, and Palmer went on to have the second-biggest film launch on Apple TV+ and helped set a streaming record on the platform.
2 Inside Llewyn Davis
The Coen Brothers directed the 2013 period black comedy-drama Inside Llewyn Davis, which follows the titular protagonist (Oscar Isaac) and aspiring folk singer as he attempts to make a name for himself in the music world and achieve his big break. Featuring a phenomenal ensemble cast including Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, and Adam Driver, the critically-acclaimed picture chronicles Llewyn’s quest to win over a music mogul and the many colorful characters he meets along the way.
Timberlake appears as Jim Berkey, a kind-hearted fellow folk musician who collaborates with Llewyn. On working with the Coens in the music-based drama, the performer told Billboard, “It’s the first time that I’ve gotten to kind of do a lot of things that I love to do at the same time. It will always be a milestone for me to get to write, sing, act and bring it all together.”
1 The Social Network
The esteemed David Fincher directed the universally lauded 2010 biographical drama The Social Network, telling the origin and creation of the groundbreaking social media platform Facebook. In the enthralling film, Jesse Eisenberg portrays founder Mark Zuckerberg and is joined on the screen by fellow stars Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, and Max Minghella, who all appear as important figures in the conceptualization of the networking site. Timberlake is outstanding as Sean Parker, who served as the first president of Facebook and worked closely with Zuckerberg.
The Social Network was deemed one of the best films of the 21st century and won three Academy Awards including Best Adapted Screenplay, and was also chosen as the best movie of 2010 by the National Board of Review. Empire Magazine declared, “A rich, understated character drama that gleefully exposes the petty playground politics at the centre of one of the internet-era’s most bitter court cases.”
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
