There might not be another star throughout the history of Hollywood that has appeared in more high-quality thrillers than the one at hand, American actor Jake Gyllenhaal. He made his debut in the early nineties with City Slickers (1991), and then reached superstardom a decade down the line with a particular film that made this very list. But of course, more on that later.
Several of these titles also go down as some of the highest-quality projects of their respective decades, too, with big-name directors attached to nearly every entry herein. All that said, this is every thriller with Jake Gyllenhaal, ranked.
13 Homegrown
Undoubtedly the least well-known film on the list, Homegrown (1998) can actually fall under a number of disparate genres. Thriller is one of them, as it follows marijuana harvesters in North California whose plans are interrupted by various different parties, including the police and the mafia. Common elements of the genre at hand.
The product garnered mediocre reviews from critics and even worse numbers in theaters despite a star-studded cast of names like Billy Bob Thornton, Kelly Lynch, John Lithgow, and even Jon Bon Jovi. But perhaps the biggest story worth writing home about in this regard would be the fact that it was directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal — father to the actor at hand. It was one of a few of Stephen’s films that featured one of his children, and again: although the film is far from famous, it’s notable nonetheless.
12 Ambulance
This is a bit of an anomaly on the list, as it was directed by Michael Bay but still made mediocre money at the box office. So, there isn’t much to write home about, with all due respect to Bay and his filmography. But it has decent approval ratings on review consensus websites. So while its thin plot and lackluster performances held the film back, critics for the most part had positive things to say.
It follows Gyllenhaal’s protagonist alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s character as adoptive siblings — but they’re also bank robbers. Things kick into first gear when they’re forced to hold hostage two first responders after the former pair hijacks an ambulance. As that premise might suggest, there are of course thrilling moments worth writing home about here. But in the end, Ambulance (2022) comes up short for its unfortunate lack of depth.
11 Rendition
Although this had plenty of potential with a well-regarded cast and an intriguing premise, Rendition (2007) ultimately fell short on nearly every level of success. Which was completely unwarranted, as its 47% approval rating on critical consensus website Rotten Tomatoes indicates a far worse product than is actually the case. And it undoubtedly should’ve made more than its $27 million budget at the worldwide box office despite scraping by with half a million more.
It makes the audience question the plot without much depth therein, thanks to ambiguous story beats and meaningful sub-plots. But it’s a film that will stick with you even if you don't scramble for a pen to write home about its quality, and lands here at number eleven.
10 Nocturnal Animals
Alongside Amy Adams as his ex-wife, he stars as a troubled writer in Nocturnal Animals (2016), a psychological thriller that can also classify as neo-noir. And from the opening scene until the film’s final frame, there are many uncomfortable moments that make this an anxiety-inducing project unlike few films on this list, and of Gyllenhaal’s career.
Adams portrays the owner of an art gallery who is currently reading the newest novel from her aforementioned ex-husband. And for those unfamiliar with the deeper intricacies of this plot, it's best to check out Nocturnal Animals for yourself. It’ll stick in your mind months after an initial viewing, and in the end, that’s undoubtedly the film’s greatest selling point.
9 The Guilty
In this crime thriller by Antoine Fuqua, the featured actor starred as Joe Baylor, an LAPD officer who works the late shift at his local 911 call center. But of course, a thrilling twist takes place that lands this project on the list.
It also features Paul Dano, who Gyllenhaal appears alongside with in a film that appears later on, along with Peter Sarsgaard. And for those unfamiliar with that latter name: he’d been connected to Jake on multiple occasions before The Guilty (2021) was even conceptualized. They costarred alongside one another in both Jarhead (2005) and Rendition, firstly. But Sarsgaard is also married to Maggie Gyllenhaal, the older sister of Jake. And although he only appears in a voice role, it’s still a prominent one. The Guilty should go down as one of the best of Fuqua's career.
8 Guy Ritchie's The Covenant
Directed by Guy Ritchie, the most recent film on the list follows a U.S. Army sergeant named John Kinley who goes back to Afghanistan in an attempt to rescue an interpreter named Ahmed from the Taliban. The latter saved the former's life during the War in Afghanistan, and now he's setting out to return the favor despite having a wife and kids of his own to look after and think about.
And, sure, this plot clearly describes a film that falls into the war genre. But it also fits neatly into the category at hand, even deemed an action-thriller by some pundits thanks to its intense sound design and carefully calculated camerawork. The film could've benefited from cinematographer Ed Miles taking note of the fact that moving the camera isn't necessary in every single shot just for movement's sake. But in spite of that singular gripe, Guy Ritchie's The Covenant (2023) lands here at number eight.
7 Enemy
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, this goes down not only as one of the most underrated films on this list, but also one of the most overlooked psychological thrillers of all time. Its plot follows Gyllenhaal in a dual role — a professor of history named Adam Bell on one end of the plot, and an actor named Anthony Claire on the other. But Enemy (2013) also features a wonderful performance from actress Mélanie Laurent.
It follows Bell as he discovers Claire to be physically identical to himself and the two become intertwined in each other’s personal lives in the most unexpected of fashions. Other plot details will remain unclear, as they’re best experienced for yourself, but just know: it might require multiple viewings, as all the greatest thrillers do.
6 Source Code
Here in the science fiction action-thriller Source Code (2011), Gyllenhaal stars as Colter Stevens, a Captain in the U.S. Army who finds himself inside an intriguing yet uncomfortable premise with regard to the overall plot. Captain Stevens is sent into an eight-minute-long digital recreation of a train explosion that legitimately took place, tasked with locating the explosive first and the terrorist who planted it next.
And although such a concept could seem a bit off-the-wall to some, director Duncan Jones pulls it off to rip-roaring perfection. Its plot facilitated some truly intense set pieces, and its well-written script will throw you off guard around each corner of the overall product. It holds up just wonderfully more than ten years down the line.
5 End of Watch
Although End of Watch (2012) doesn’t quite get the love of other Gyllenhaal films from this period in time, its technical prowess from a sheer filmmaking perspective rivals the greatest projects of the actor’s career. Directed by David Ayer, this action-thriller can also be classified as a buddy cop film of sorts, as it follows Gyllenhaal’s character Brian Taylor who records his daily routines as a police officer via a video camera.
Michael Peña costars as Mike Zavala, the aforementioned protagonist’s partner as police officers in South Central Los Angeles. And while the script herein features witty dialogue and a rock-solid structure, what’s truly worth noting is its distinctive style of cinematography. It switches between cinematic shots and techniques that resemble a documentary to mirror Officer Taylor’s hobby, resulting in a truly well-made film from start to finish. And Gyllenhaal performs just brilliantly.
4 Nightcrawler
This is one of those films that’s bound to induce anxiety in its viewers, with dark color palettes and a haunting score that truly highlights the film’s atmosphere from start to finish. It’s a truly thrilling project, with perhaps the single most impressive performance of Gyllenhaal’s career. He somehow came up short across the board of award associations for his work here in Nightcrawler (2014), but that’s a different discussion entirely.
He stars as Lou Bloom, a newfound stringer who records violent happenings of late-night Los Angeles and sells the footage to a news station that are then aired on a local television channel. And Lou goes to frightening yet thrilling extents to be the greatest freelance photojournalist on the market, making for truly intense moments around every well-written corner of Dan Gilroy’s inventive script. This is essential viewing for fans of the thriller genre.
3 Donnie Darko
Undoubtedly among the most popular titles on the list, Donnie Darko (2001) was both written and directed by American filmmaker Richard Kelly. And of course, aside from Gyllenhaal in the titular role, it features other notable names like Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, and Jake’s older sister Maggie. And if this hadn’t gone down as a cult classic, it may have gotten lost by the modern wayside as audiences were rather in the dark upon release with regard to box office results.
Critics loved it, however, as it truly grips audiences with an intriguing premise off the bat in tandem with steadfast performances and thought-out dialogue to boot. This could rank even higher on any given film fan’s list of the topic at hand, but number three in the end undoubtedly renders Donnie Darko a rock-solid thriller from beginning to end.
2 Prisoners
For those who haven’t seen this: stop reading immediately. It’s one of those films that you need to experience with a fresh perspective from start to finish, completely in the dark with regard to details of the plot. Like Enemy that appeared earlier in the list, Prisoners (2013) was also directed by Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. And this is undoubtedly their best work together.
Again, spoilers, but it follows Hugh Jackman’s character Keller Dover as he and Detective Loki (played brilliantly by Gyllenhaal) use different tactics to search for the former’s missing daughter. Terrance Howard and Viola Davis appear as well, whose daughter is missing in tandem with Keller’s. But Prisoners also features phenomenal outings from both Paul Dano and Melissa Leo. Everyone performs perfectly to facilitate one of the greatest thrillers ever made, let alone of Gyllenhaal’s career.
1 Zodiac
Directed by David Fincher, this is one that didn’t garner near enough attention upon release. Sure, it was well-regarded by critics, but that’s about it. It raked in mediocre money in theaters and garnered no nominations whatsoever across the board of award associations. But for those who have seen Zodiac (2007), they know it could have feasibly been up for numerous Oscars — Best Actor for Gyllenhaal, Best Director for Fincher, and Best Adapted Screenplay for James Vanderbilt.
It's undoubtedly underrated in that regard, and although it holds a bit more name value today than a couple of others on the list, Zodiac hits home from just about every technical standpoint of filmmaking. It’s consistently intense in its plot and tone and was even satisfying in the end despite technically not reaching any closure. It’s undoubtedly among the best films of Fincher’s career, and of course, Gyllenhaal portrayed the real-life Robert Graysmith with a particular poise that ultimately lands Zodiac at the top of the list.