Every Aaron Taylor-Johnson movie, ranked according to critics

From left: Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging,” “Kick-Ass,” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron. “Paramount Studios; Lionsgate; Marvel Studios Aaron Taylor-Johnson is known for roles in films like “Kick-Ass” and “Nocturnal Animals. ” The “Avengers: Age of Ultron” actor most recently played Tangerine in the action film “Bullet Train.

” Here are all of the movies he appeared in, ranked according to critics’ scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Note: All scores were current on the date of publication and are subject to change. Films without critic scores were not included.

21. Taylor-Johnson played a manipulative teen named William in the 2010 movie “Chatroom. “Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Chatroom.

“WestEnd FilmsRotten Tomatoes score: 9%Synopsis: The movie was based on a play written by Enda Walsh, centering on five youths who meet in a chatroom. Taylor-Johnson’s ill-willed character encouraged the other teens he befriended to carry out harmful, damaging behavior.  Critics weren’t a fan of Hideo Nakata’s lackluster movie.

 Philip French of The Guardian described the scenes set in the real world of London as “stilted and unconvincing, while those in the chatrooms become increasingly tedious. “”‘The Social Network’ and ‘Catfish’ prove there are ripe films to be made on the dark side of web connectivity, but this is the rotten apple of the bunch,” Dave Calhoun wrote for Time Out.  20.

He starred in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s 2019 adaptation of James Frey’s controversial novel “A Million Little Pieces. “Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “A Million Little Pieces. “Momentum PicturesRotten Tomatoes score: 27%Synopsis: The Taylor-Johnsons cowrote the screenplay which, like the book, centered on Frey as he checked into rehab in an effort to quit his drug addiction.

 Frey’s memoir famously became a best-seller after it was selected to be part of Oprah Winfrey’s book club. Then in 2006, The Smoking Gun published a report that claimed, following a six-month investigation, that Frey had exaggerated details about his life in the book.  Winfrey confronted Frey about his alleged fabrications on her talk show later that month and said that she felt “duped” by the writer.

In response, Frey admitted to embellishing aspects of his story. Critics said that the film followed the same beats as other recovery stories, without much deviation.   Alison Willmore of Vulture called “A Million Little Pieces” an “underwhelming addiction story that feels not just familiar, but more focused on the bad-boy swagger of its main character than his actual recovery.

“”It’s well-intentioned and pretty, but not much else,” Alex Godfrey wrote for Empire magazine. “Occasional stylistic flourish aside, it offers nothing we haven’t seen before, buckling under the weight of its own conservatism. ” 19.

He reprised his role as an unlikely vigilante in the 2013 movie “Kick-Ass 2. “Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Chloë Grace Moretz in “Kick-Ass 2. “Universal PicturesRotten Tomatoes score: 32%Synopsis: Set a few years after the first installment, the “Kick-Ass” sequel showed Taylor-Johnson’s character, Dave, resuming crime-fighting and joining a group called Justice Forever, led by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey).

After the death of his father, Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s Chris D’Amico ditched heroism and became determined to get revenge under the new persona, The Motherfucker.   Critics disliked the film, written and directed by Jeff Wadlow, and said that it failed to strike the same balance of violence and humor as the first “Kick-Ass. ” They also said that the film had a misogynistic tone and accused “Kick-Ass 2” of sexualizing Moretz.

“What sinks ‘Kick-Ass 2’ from the level of a merely terrible end-of-summer movie to the depths of utter junk is its wanton disregard of the very basic difference between right and wrong,” Ali Arikan wrote for RogerEbert. com, calling the sequel a “reprehensible movie. “Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly said the film is riddled with “tone-deaf jokes and cringe-inducing carnage” and Henry Barnes of The Guardian said, “the tone’s too rough to be funny.

“18. He portrayed a soldier named Archie Reid in the “Kingsman” prequel film, “The King’s Man. “Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “The King’s Man.

“20th Century StudiosRotten Tomatoes score: 42%Synopsis: The film was set in the 20th century, chronicling the origin of the Kingsman agency. Similar to the 2017 “Kingsman” sequel titled “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” this 2021 movie failed to resonate with critics as the first installment of the franchise did.  “This is an odd film, with no real idea of what to do with its undeniably great cast, and there’s something off-putting about how much it wants to have it all,” Brian Tallerico wrote for RogerEbert.

com. Mark Olsen of the Los Angeles Times called “The King’s Man” an “unnecessary prequel” and also pointed to the underused cast.  “Arterton and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (playing a literal stand-in) in particular give off strong ‘put me in, coach’ vibes whenever they are in a scene, as if they could be doing much more if only given something more to do,” Olsen said.

 17. Taylor-Johnson starred as a pot grower named Ben in the 2012 thriller “Savages. “Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Savages.

“Universal PicturesRotten Tomatoes score: 50%Synopsis: Oliver Stone’s film was based on Don Winslow’s novel of the same name, about two men named Ben and Chon (Taylor Kitsch) with a successful marijuana business in Laguna Beach and a shared lover named Ophelia (Blake Lively). Things became messy when Ben and Chon turned down a partnership with a Mexican cartel. In retaliation, the drug cartel kidnapped Ophelia.

 “Savages” received mixed, but mainly negative, reviews. Derek Malcolm of the London Evening Standard called the film “a B-movie smartly dressed in A-movie apparel. “”Flashy direction, a bit of classy acting here and there, and a determination to grind our faces in bloody mayhem render this watchable, but it is far too prolix and more than a little absurd,” Malcolm wrote.

 “‘Savages’ doesn’t offer much beyond your typical revenge plot, but it’s a major step up for Stone after other purely commercial movies he’s tried to make,” Tim Grierson said in his review for Deadspin.  16. He played an orphan named Prosper in the 2006 film “The Thief Lord.

“Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “The Thief Lord. “20th Century Fox Home EntertainmentRotten Tomatoes score: 50%Synopsis: In the movie, Proper and his brother Bo (Jasper Harris) fled to Venice, Italy after the death of their mom. There, the siblings found shelter with a teen who referred to himself as a Thief Lord (Rollo Weeks) and supported other homeless kids by stealing from the rich.

 Few reviews exist online for “The Thief Lord,” and critics were not fond of the movie.  “The film is stilted, poorly written, has an overwrought score and a wealth of bad acting,” Philip French wrote for The Guardian. Jo Berry of Empire magazine said that “none of the kids have much character — and annoyingly, everyone in the Italian city speaks with an English accent.

But younger viewers may get a kick out of the self-sufficient tykes getting one over on the adults. “15. He played an 18-year-old named Bennett Brewer in Shana Feste’s 2009 feature directorial debut “The Greatest.

“Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “The Greatest. “PaladinRotten Tomatoes score: 53%Synopsis: The drama centered on the grief experienced by Bennet’s parents, played by Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon after he was killed in a car crash.  Critics praised Brosnan’s performance in particular but called “The Greatest” too melodramatic.

 “The movie suffocates as scene after shouty scene delivers nothing except yet another variant of the notion that it’s a bummer to lose a loved one,” Kyle Smith wrote in his review for the New York Post.  “Although ‘The Greatest’ is a histrionic mess, at least it looks clean,” Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly wrote.  14.

Taylor-Johnson starred as a contract killer with the codename Tangerine in the high-speed action movie “Bullet Train. “Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Tangerine in “Bullet Train. “Sony PicturesRotten Tomatoes score: 54%Synopsis: David Leitch’s film, released in August 2022, featured a star-studded cast with Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Brad Pitt, Joey King, Bad Bunny, and more.

A majority of the movie’s action took place on a fast-moving train, as Brad Pitt’s assassin character was tasked with securing a highly coveted silver briefcase.  “Bullet Train” received mixed reviews from critics.  Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times praised the film’s “bright color palette and cheeky tone” but said that the “smug humor feels dated and corny, and eventually, that the film resists revealing even a crumb of inner life about these killer characters makes it exceedingly hard to care.

“David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter similarly said that the jokes didn’t land and instead felt “labored,” even when delivered by standouts like Henry.  “The writing tries too hard to allow for the kind of effortlessly funny persona the actor does best,” he said. 13.

The actor appeared alongside Glenn Close in the 2011 drama “Albert Nobbs. “Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Albert Nobbs. “Roadside AttractionsRotten Tomatoes score: 56%Synopsis: In the film, based on George Moore’s 1927 novella of the same name, Close played a woman disguised as a man named Albert Nobbs who worked as a butler at a hotel in 19th-century Ireland.

Johnson played a cunning man named Joe, who landed a job at the same hotel.  “Albert Nobbs” received mixed reviews, but Close, who previously played the character in an off-Broadway production, was praised for her performance and earned and Oscar nomination for best actress.  Donald Clarke of the Irish Times called the movie “a massively muddled affair” with a weak script and story that “appears fatally stranded between feminist polemic and accidental magic realism.

“Tom Huddleston of Time Out said that Close and costar Janet McTeer were deserving of their Oscar nominations and “the film is steeped in fascinating period detail – but there’s precious little to enjoy. “12. He portrayed a lord named James Douglas in Netflix’s action film “Outlaw King,” costarring Chris Pine and Florence Pugh.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Outlaw King. “NetflixRotten Tomatoes score: 62%Synopsis: Based on the true story of a Scottish nobleman named Robert the Bruce (played by Chris Pine) who leads a war against the English. “Outlaw King” received mixed reviews from critics, who called it thrilling but not groundbreaking in the genre or entirely historically accurate.

 Jesse Hassenger of AV Club called Taylor-Johnson “a feral delight as one of Scotland’s best, bloodiest brawlers,” but said the film “lacks a strong center. “”In the scheme of things, it’s an alert, well-made rendition—but the tune is a bit been there,” K. Austin Collins wrote for Vanity Fair.

 “‘Outlaw King’ isn’t a game-changer, but it’s a strong enough movie to make it worth recommending to anyone who might enjoy a little sword-fighting and horse-riding on the gray-green hills of Scotland,” Alissa Wilkinson wrote for Vox.  11. Taylor-Johnson starred as the wealthy Count Alexei Vronsky in Joe Wright’s 2012 film adaptation of “Anna Karenina.

“Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Anna Karenina. “Focus FeaturesRotten Tomatoes score: 63%Synopsis: The story, based on Leo Tolstoy’s 1877 novel of the same name, focused on the titular socialite (played by Keira Knightley) who had an affair with an officer (Taylor-Johnson).  Critics praised Knightley’s mesmerizing performance but had mixed reactions to Taylor-Johnson’s portrayal of the character.

 Rafer Guzman of Newsday called the actor “convincingly callow” and Peter Travers of Rolling Stone described him as “the definition of dashing. ” But Deborah Ross of The Spectator said that Taylor-Johnson “seems like a boy sent to do a man’s job, particularly as he’s been awarded blond curls as a hairdo, for some reason. “10.

He portrayed an American soldier stuck in a difficult situation in Dough Liman’s war film “The Wall. “Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “The Wall. “Roadside AttractionsRotten Tomatoes score: 65%Synopsis: Taylor-Johnson and John Cena starred as soldiers Allen Isaac and Shane Matthews, respectively, sent to investigate a pipeline construction site during the Iraq War.

During their mission, the two men became injured by an Iraqi sniper, with an unstable wall between them. The 2017 psychological thriller received mixed reviews, with critics praising the premise but taking issue with the writing and execution.  Courteney Tan of Little White Lies said that Taylor-Johnson “delivers a great performance, working to uphold the narrative which, ultimately, sells the actor short.

“”Taylor-Johnson’s performance isn’t strong enough to rescue the film from lengthy stretches of banality,” said Simran Hans for The Observer. 9. He played a young Charlie Chaplin in the 2003 action film “Shanghai Knights.

“Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Shanghai Knights. “Buena Vista PicturesRotten Tomatoes score: 66%Synopsis: Following the success of “Shanghai Noon,” Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson teamed up again for a sequel set in London. Reviews for “Shanghai Knights” were mixed, with critics praising the on-screen chemistry between Chan and Wilson but chiding the weak plot.

 Ed Gonzalez called the plot “paper-thin” in his review for Slant magazine while Roger Ebert described it as “entirely arbitrary. ” 8. Taylor-Johnson starred as Ives, the commander of a team of operatives, in Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending 2020 thriller “Tenet.

“Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Tenet. “Warner Bros. Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%Synopsis: Like many of Nolan’s films, “Tenet” played with time.

The movie followed a CIA agent played by John David Washington, who got recruited by a mysterious organization and was tasked with preventing actions that would lead to a third world war.  Critics called “Tenet” far too confusing to comprehend, despite being a sleek film filled with Nolan’s signature large-scale explosions and antics.  Nick Schager of The Daily Beast described “Tenet” as “a time-traveling puzzle box that’s so convoluted, confusing, and straight-up difficult to understand — literally, the dialogue is often unintelligibly garbled—that at a certain point, one must set aside any efforts to lucidly comprehend its serpentine plot and simply go with the flow.

“”It’s a shiny clockwork contraption with a hollow center: a convoluted Rubik’s Cube blockbuster that, once solved, reveals little more than the complexity of its own design,” A. A. Dowd wrote for AV Club.

 7. He starred as a teen heartthrob in the 2008 rom-com “Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging. “Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging.

“Paramount PicturesRotten Tomatoes score: 73%Synopsis: Based on a coming-of-age book series written by Louise Rennison, “Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging” followed an awkward and insecure protagonist named Georgia Nicolson (played by Georgia Groome), on the cusp of her 15th birthday. When Robbie (Taylor-Johnson) and his brother Tom transferred to her school in Eastbourne, Georgia became infatuated with the bass-playing sibling and was determined to make him her boyfriend. “Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging” received positive reviews, with critics saying that the UK-based film could appeal to audiences in the US and elsewhere.

 Derek Elley of Variety called the movie “a good-natured bundle of early-teen femme angst pitched squarely at the youngsters who’ve made Louise Rennison’s books a hit both sides of the Pond. “In his review for Empire magazine, critic William Thomas wrote that “the characters do resemble real teenagers, putting this on a level above the High School Bratz to emerge from the American tweenie scene. “6.

He played the younger version of the titular magician in Neil Burger’s romantic drama “The Illusionist. “Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “The Illusionist. “Freestyle ReleasingRotten Tomatoes score: 73%Synopsis: The 2006 movie, starring Edward Norton as a magician Eisenheim, was inspired by Steven Millhauser’s short story, “Eisenheim the Illusionist.

” In a tale of romance and mystery, Eisenheim tried to win back a noblewoman named Sophie (Jessica Biel) who was out of his league.  Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian said that the movie was “more modest in conception, with more control and more focus” than Christopher Nolan’s magician film titled “The Prestige. ” “Its trick ending is more guessable but more realistic and more satisfying,” he wrote.

“Burger captures every scene in an evocative daguerreotype tone,” Matt McNally. wrote for BBC. com.

“Not everyone will be taken in by the plot’s final twist, but even if you guess how Eisenheim does it, you’ll be won over by his showmanship. “5. Taylor-Johnson won a Golden Globes award for his supporting role as Ray Marcus in the 2016 film “Nocturnal Animals.

“Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Nocturnal Animals. “Focus FeaturesRotten Tomatoes score: 74%Synopsis: The psychological thriller was written and directed by designer Tom Ford in his second feature film. “Nocturnal Animals,” which is a story within a story, was based on Austin Wright’s 1993 novel “Tony and Susan.

” Taylor-Johnson portrayed the villain named Ray Marcus, a rapist and murderer. The actor told Variety that he prepared for the role by growing his hair out, losing 20 pounds, and studying serial killers and psychopaths. A majority of reviews were favorable, with Michael O’Sullivan of The Washington Post writing: “It’s a tale bluntly told that arouses intense, evanescent emotion and then leaves you haunted, long afterward, by provocative but arguably answerable questions.

“”If it feels heavy-handed at times, some of the visual trickery makes it interesting, and the ending, which deviates from the novel, is perfect,” Alissa Wilkinson wrote for Vox.  4. He portrayed the comic-book superhero Quicksilver in Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” released in 2015.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Avengers: Age of Ultron. “Marvel StudiosRotten Tomatoes score: 76%Synopsis: Following the success of the 2012 ensemble movie “The Avengers,” Marvel teamed up with now-controversial writer and director Joss Whedon for a sequel. “Age of Ultron” was centered on the titular team coming together to stop Tony Stark’s secret peacekeeping program, Ultron, from completing his mission of destroying humanity to save the Earth.

The movie also revealed the origins of siblings Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro Maximoff who were briefly introduced in the end-credits scene of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier. “Critics enjoyed “Age of Ultron,” but said that the film was overstuffed with too many new characters (and their origin stories) and moments that never fully got unpacked. “Well-made though each action sequence may be, there are so many of them, including more going on in the pre-credits sequence than in many entire films, that everything blurs together,” Kenneth Turan wrote for the Los Angeles Times, adding that the amount of action “overloads the senses.

“Similarly, Christopher Orr of The Atlantic said, “There’s simply too much going on: ‘Age of Ultron’ covers far more ground in two and a half hours than Marvel’s recent Netflix series, ‘Daredevil,’ did in 13. 3. Taylor-Johnson played a bomb-disposal expert for the US military named Ford Brody in Gareth Edwards’ 2014 “Godzilla” reboot.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Godzilla. “Warner Bros. Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%Synopsis: Fifteen years after a mysterious incident at a nuclear power plant in Japan, the titular reawakened to wreak havoc and destroy humanity.

The film costarred Bryan Cranston and Juliette Binoche as Ford’s parents, Joe and Sandra, and Elizabeth Olsen as Taylor-Johnson’s on-screen wife, Elle. Although critics called “Godzilla” a spectacle, they found the characters to be uninteresting.  “This film’s characters lack the flaws, humor, vulnerability, and family dynamics that would otherwise make the material stirring, Brian Eggert wrote for Deep Focus Review.

“Still, Edwards delivers enough raw spectacle to make ‘Godzilla’ entertaining. For all its flaws, Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair praised Edwards’ accomplishments. “What he has made within the rigid studio framework is still rather captivating in parts,” he wrote.

“It’s clever with its revisionist tweaks, but still reverent, in an oddly heartwarming way, of all the Godzilla history that’s come before it. “2. He starred as the titular crime fighter in Matthew Vaughn’s 2010 film “Kick-Ass.

“Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Kick-Ass. “LionsgateRotten Tomatoes score: 76%Synopsis: The film, based on Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. ‘s comic-book series of the same name, starred Taylor-Johnson as an unpopular, nerdy teen from New York named  Dave Lizewski.

 To protect civilians, the optimistic and naive Dave donned a makeshift superhero suit and took on the moniker Kick-Ass.  “Kick-Ass” received mixed reviews from critics. The film’s violence, gore, and liberal use of expletives were refreshing for some critics, but others found it distasteful.

 “Fast, periodically spit-funny, and often grotesquely violent, the film at once embraces and satirizes contemporary action-film clichés with Tarantino-esque self-regard — it’s the latest in giggles-and-guts entertainment,” Manohla Dargis wrote for the New York Times.  Many called Chloë Grace Moretz a scene-stealer as 11-year-old Mindy McCready Hit-Girl, but it was difficult to overlook the controversy surrounding the young actor playing a murderer and using profanities.  “When filmmakers nudge a child into viewing savagery as slapstick, are we not allowing them to do what we condemn in the pornographer — that is, to coarsen and inflame?” Anthony Lane wrote for the New Yorker.

1. He portrayed John Lennon in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s 2009 biopic “Nowhere Boy. “Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Nowhere Boy.

“Film4Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%Synopsis: “Nowhere Boy” marked Sam Taylor-Johnson’s directorial feature film debut. She and the actor, who have been married since 2012, met through his audition for the iconic musician. The film chronicled teenage Lennon’s life, from his upbringing to his time as a budding musician, first in the group the Quarrymen and then the creation of the famed four-piece band the Beatles comprised of himself, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

A majority of the reviews for “Nowhere Boy” were positive, with critics heralding Taylor-Johnson’s performance. Claudia Puig of USA Today said that the actor “powerfully captures Lennon’s spirit, as well as his wit and defiant nature. “”Johnson doesn’t resemble, much less embody, Lennon, but he does catch his distinctive glint of mischief tinged with pain,” Peter Travers wrote for Rolling Stone.

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