Whether it be Johnny Depp in the 1980s, Leonardo DiCaprio in the ’90s, or Timothée Chalamet in the late 2010s, every era has had its rising star and future leading man. Jacob Elordi has seemingly assumed that mantle for the years ahead, with the 26-year-old Aussie the hottest new name off the Hollywood press. Having established himself in the HBO hit, Euphoria, his rise to acclaim and stardom has been rapid.
Following a jam-packed 2023, where he starred in four films, most notably Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla and Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, the striking actor will be looking to capitalize on the fruits of his labor and make 2024 another landmark year, with two new movies in the pipeline, as well as embarking on Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. With that in mind, here is every film and television series Jacob Elordi has featured in, ranked.
11 2 Hearts (2020)
While 2 Hearts banked just $1.3 million at the box office, it does contain one of Jacob Elordi’s performances in a leading role. The film concerns the story of two couples whose lives become inextricably intertwined across several decades and miles. With one narrative strand revolving around a college student named Chris, who falls in love with a fellow student, the other follows a Cuban exile named Jorge, who meets a flight attendant, with the two sharing a parallel trajectory. While very flawed, and often banal in nature, the film explores themes of love, fate, and the connections that bring people together.
Not His Finest Hour
Presenting Chris Gregory, Jacob Elordi takes front and center stage. Portraying this smarmy freshman, this definitely isn’t the actor’s finest hour, who is let down by the flimsiness of the script writing, and, more pertinently, by the contrived, cringe-worthy nature of his performance, and the incredibility of his character.
10 The Kissing Booth Trilogy (2018)
The Kissing Booth
- Release Date
- May 11, 2018
- Cast
- Megan du Plessis , Lincoln Pearson , Caitlyn de Abrue , Jack Fokkens , Stephen Jennings , Chloe Williams
- Runtime
- 105
The Kissing Booth follows the ongoing love story of the protagonists, Elle (Joey King) and Noah (Jacob Elordi), over the course of three films. From a summer of young, intoxicating love to navigating a long-distance relationship through college, this teen rom-com unfortunately doesn’t spare us the cheesy platitudes and endless clichés, and, as such, falls victim to formulaic tendencies and predictability.
A Mediocre but Popular Netflix Trilogy
The first edition of this Netflix Original franchise was Elordi’s debut feature film, and he’d subsequently go on to reprise his role for The Kissing Booth 2 and 3. Presenting this irresistible, leather-clad, motorbike-driving jock, Elordi’s depiction of Noah Flynn is effortlessly cool, demonstrating emphatically that he was built for the big screen. While he does what is asked of his character, there is little room for maneuver as far as showcasing his versatility, which sees The Kissing Booth come in near the bottom of the pile.
9 Deep Water (2022)
Deep Water
- Release Date
- March 18, 2022
- Runtime
- 1hr 55min
A Hulu Original, 2022’s Deep Water, starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as husband and wife, Vic and Melinda Van Allen, the film’s principal personalities, chronicles their tempestuous marriage, and Melinda’s continuous infidelity as she embarks on affairs with other men, all with the permission of her husband.
Lack of Screen Time Means Elordi’s Performance Suffers
Deep Water was one of the actor’s first films starring alongside a number of the industry’s big-hitters. The Euphoria star plays Charlie de Lisle, Melinda’s piano teacher and one of her many lovers. Such is the briefness of his appearance and lack of character development, after Charlie ends up murdered, it’s difficult to truly gauge the level of Elordi’s performance, other than from a merely superficial level.
8 The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee (2020)
34 years after the unforgettable Crocodile Dundee premiered, Paul Hogan returned in The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee, a film that sees Hogan play himself as a washed-up movie star, desperately attempting to get to grips with the changes in the media world as he is reluctantly thrown back into the limelight when he is given a knighthood.
Jacob Elordi Produces a Likable Display
Although he only features in a small supporting role, Elordi proves his dexterity and comical prowess as Paul Hogan’s 20-something son, Chase. His delivery is pitch-perfect in a film that is anything but, with it being a misfire both critically and commercially. He radiates a warmth and love for his fictional father, while also doing a stellar job at cracking wise.
7 Swinging Safari (2018)
The stars of Australia’s film scene came together for this comedy-drama set against the backdrop of 1970s Australia, where a whale washes up on the beach of a small town, much to the amazement of the local children. As this natural event unfolds, as does this sexual awakening of some of the town’s adults, who begin to experiment with the world of swinging.
Jacob Elordi’s Smooth Introduction to Comedy Acting
As one of his earliest feature films, Jacob Elordi takes a backseat when it comes to screen time and general prominence. Playing Rooster, an audacious, slightly dim teenager and the boyfriend of Bec Marsh, Elordi flies when it comes to this eccentric, Superbad-like comedy, and his mustachio’d, speedo-wearing on-screen persona, Rooster.
6 The Mortuary Collection (2019)
Ryan Spindell’s anthology horror film, The Mortuary Collection is composed of several haunting tales about a small, secluded town, Raven’s End, and its horrifying history, told by Montgomery Dark (Clancy Brown), a creepy mortician, who has a morbid fascination with its abominable, supernatural past.
Why His Performance in The Mortuary Collection was a First for Elordi
In the second segment, aptly titled “Unprotected”, we are introduced to Jacob Elordi’s slightly outlandish, cock-sure frat boy, Jake. Motivated almost entirely by his desire to register sexual conquests and further endear himself to his fraternity, Jake is one of the few characters Elordi has portrayed, thus far, that is immoral, unlikable, and annoyingly obnoxious. He slots into the demands of this role exceptionally, immersing himself in the guise of this pretty awful, narcissistic man, driven by self-interest.
5 He Went That Way (2023)
2023’s crime thriller, He Went That Way, is a modern Western of sorts, and it details the journey of two men, Jim (Zachary Quinto) and Bobby, both armed with mysterious pasts and heading in very different, albeit equally intriguing directions, as they transport a chimpanzee to Chicago.
Elordi is Exceptional at Playing a Deeply Troubled Man
The Aussie with the Italian surname brings the edge to this peculiar tale as Bobby, a live wire and career criminal. His volatility when questioned and violent, gun-cocking outbursts are He Went That Way’s predominant source of knife-cutting tension. Here, we get to see an alternative dimension to this burgeoning young actor, away from the stereotype of the butter-wouldn’t-melt teen heartthrob, and instead, as this nefarious, troubled young man with a chip on his shoulder and a disconcerting penchant for murder.
4 The Sweet East (2023)
This indie, low-budget flick, directed by Sean Price Williams, premiered at 2023’s Cannes Film Festival, and it traverses the story of titular character, Lillian (Talia Ryder), a high school senior who loses her classmates on a school trip to Washington D.C. and finds herself wandering the cities and forests of the Eastern Seaboard, encountering all manner of people from all walks of life.
Elordi Oozes Coolness in The Sweet East
This trippy coming-of-age drama sees Jacob Elordi in a supporting capacity as Ian, the film’s resident heartthrob. Having formed somewhat of a reputation for portraying these handsome, stylish, and devilishly cool characters, it could be argued that his early career has seen him become susceptible to being typecast. That said, it doesn’t detract from his performance, which is both comically well-timed and has an air of absorbing mystique.
Currently Screening at Cinemas
3 Euphoria (2019 – Present)
Euphoria
- Release Date
- 2019-00-00
- Seasons
- 2
HBO’s hit television drama, Euphoria, was the launchpad for a number of up-and-coming actors, with the two-season, 16-episode, Emmy Award-winning show delving into the emotive and highly charged world of a group of high school students. While this evocative program is seen primarily through the sphere of protagonist Rue (Zendaya), she and her counterparts are tasked with coming-of-age in an unforgiving environment, while dealing concurrently with the pressures of school, relationships, drugs, social status, and social media.
Elordi Excels as the Antagonist in Euphoria
While 2018 was the beginning of his acting career, it wasn’t until he landed the role in Euphoria that Jacob Elordi’s stock began to skyrocket. Starring as Nate Jacobs, true to type, he appears as this pristine college quarterback, whose confidence and conviction in his credentials as a love interest endear him greatly to the ladies. As the primary antagonist, who takes toxic masculinity, as well as manipulative and narcissistic tendencies to a new level, Elordi’s emphatic display is tremendous, creating this thoroughly detestable, sociopathic on-screen personality who has a seriously dark psychology.
2 Priscilla (2023)
Priscilla
- Release Date
- November 3, 2023
- Runtime
- 1hr 53min
Being the daughter of the great Francis Ford Coppola aside, Sofie Coppola has forged quite the name for herself as a multi-talented filmmaker in her own right, having exhibited her inborn eye for shooting movies for the silver screen with the likes of The Virgin Suicides, and perhaps most notably, Lost in Translation, a film that is as affecting 20 years on. Her most recent project, Priscilla, a film that delves into Priscilla Presley’s tumultuous relationship and marriage to the “King of Rock ‘n Roll”, the lauded Elvis has largely been well-received and is one of her best films. Coppola captures this story in a deeply emotive manner, through the pensive lens of a young girl prematurely thrust into the spotlight of international stardom.
How Jacob Elordi Produces a Brilliant Performance as Elvis
After Austin Butler’s iconic portrayal as Elvis in Baz Luhrman’s Academy Award-nominated biopic, the Aussie actor faced the seemingly impossible task of replicating such an uncanny display. However, Elordi produced what all great actors can, his own take on this unmistakable legend of pop culture. This performance wasn’t as pastiche-y as Butler’s 18-months earlier, nor was it gimmicky like the impersonators hired out for bachelorette parties, but rather, it oozed an emotional maturity, an unrefined rawness that lays Elvis bare, warts and all.
1 Saltburn (2023)
Saltburn
- Release Date
- November 24, 2023
- Runtime
- 2hr 7min
Emerald Fennell’s directorial return after 2020’s buoyant social commentary, Promising Young Woman, was in the form of the grandiose, chandelier-swinging, Saltburn. The film that premiered at the London Film Festival follows the story of the ostensibly unassuming Oliver (Barry Keoghan), a student embarking on his first year at the prestigious Cambridge University. Despite his apparent lack of social standing and traumatic upbringing, he befriends the son of aristocrats, Felix (Jacob Elordi). Invited to spend the summer at Felix’s family’s estate, Oliver’s true character and sycophantic motivations begin to unravel, and the insidious, parasitic nature of his stay soon starts to turn this drama into a captivating thriller.
Why His Performance in Saltburn is His Best
Jacob Elordi’s Felix is this instantly alluring presence, both to Oliver, but also to us, the audience. His natural on-screen charm and roguish good looks are attributes that lend themselves perfectly to the demands of this privileged and immensely popular college kid. Not only does he deliver this performance with a flawlessly unwavering British accent, but there is an authentic pomposity, self-righteousness, and unbearable self-entitlement to him, and it is through him and his equally detached, socially unaware family that the film exposes the deep-rooted flaws in the British class system and class consciousness.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
