So much more than just Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield has established himself as one of the great artists of our generation. He has starred in more than 20 films and several television series and appeared in Broadway productions such as Death of a Salesman. Consistently standing as a major highlight in his projects, he has become the recipient of several awards including a BAFTA and a Golden Globe.
Garfield has shown a fondness for dramas over horror and action films and refrained from playing two-dimensional cardboard cut-outs. His characters have had an emotional complexity that has demanded a great level of empathy, requiring an actor like him for them to properly be brought to life. As we continue to see Garfield in new projects, have a look at his 12 best movies so far, ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes score.
12 The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) — 64%
Garfield was part of a theater troupe in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, transporting guests to a magical realm that was referred to as an “Imaginarium.” In the Imaginarium, guests were faced with a Matrix-style choice between self-fulfillment and ignorance. Doctor Parnassus’ deal with the devil placed him in a situation where he had to collect five souls who chose the path of self-fulfillment to not lose his daughter, Valentina (Lily Cole).
Wanting to marry Valentina, a man named Tony (Heath Ledger) joined the theater troupe to help Doctor Parnassus collect his five souls. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was Ledger’s final film role, but as production was not completed before his death. The film cast Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell to play alternate versions of Ledger’s character.
11 Breathe (2017) — 68%
Breathe was the directorial debut of Andy Serkis and is based on the true story of disability rights advocate Robin Cavendish. Shortly after marrying his wife, Robin fell ill from polio and became paralyzed from the neck down at the age of 28.
Robin (portrayed by Garfield in the film) required a respirator to breathe, but with the help of his wife Diana (Claire Foy), her twin brothers (Tom Hollander), and Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville), Robin was able to dedicate the rest of his life to helping the disabled. Breathe may not have been the best biopic ever made, but the film still managed to tell a heartfelt story thanks to the performances of its strong cast.
10 The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) — 68%
During the 1970s and 80s, Tammy Faye created an evangelical empire with her former husband, Jim Bakker. The couple created the PTL Satellite Network, the talk show, The PTL Club, and the Heritage USA theme park. But when Jim was caught up in several scandals, everything Tammy built came crashing down.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye told the story of Tammy Faye, showcasing the rise and fall of her televangelism career. The 2021 film was able to find the perfect leads in Jessica Chastain and Garfield, who both impressed audiences and landed The Eyes of Tammy Faye an audience score of 86%. Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes-approved critics were noticeably less positive, with the film only scoring 68%.
9 Never Let Me Go (2010) — 71%
The romantic tragedy film, Never Let Me Go, followed three friends who were seemingly ordinary students at an English boarding school. Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Garfield), and Ruth (Keira Knightley), however, came to realize that they were clones destined to become organ donors. Their time with each other was limited, but a love triangle was still formed between the three friends, complicating their lives more than they could ever have imagined. For those looking for a romantic film with a lingering dystopian atmosphere, this might be the film for you.
8 The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) — 71%
Five years after Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, the Spider-Man film franchise was rebooted with Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man. Garfield’s Peter Parker carried more angst than Tobey Maguire’s version and was not the type of character to be introduced running after a school bus. The Amazing Spider-Man took inspiration from the Ultimate Spider-Man comics and emphasized Peter’s scientific background far more than the Raimi films. Peter was also connected more to Oscorp, which was the workplace of his love interest, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), his mentor, Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), and the former workplace of his father.
7 Silence (2016) — 83%
Silence was directed by Martin Scorsese and starred Garfield as a 17th-Century Jesuit priest. The film followed Sebastião Rodrigues (Garfield) and Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver) as they traveled to Japan in search of their missing mentor and to spread their faith. But the ruling authorities did not take kindly to the presence of missionaries, torturing and killing both missionaries and converts. In preparation for the role of Rodrigues, Garfield immersed himself in the Jesuit lifestyle with a Jesuit priest, conducted extensive research, and underwent a physical transformation that shed 40 pounds (via The Guardian).
6 Hacksaw Ridge (2016) — 84%
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The real-life Desmond Doss was a Christian who was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of 75 men. Doss believed that other people’s lives were not for him to take, so he accomplished this feat without firing a gun. The Mel Gibson-directed Hacksaw Ridge brought Doss’ story to the big screen, portraying his heroism amidst the brutal backdrop of war. Hacksaw Ridge was critically acclaimed and is considered by many to be one of the best films set during the Second World War.
5 Boy A (2007) — 88%
Garfield portrayed Eric Wilson in Boy A, a convicted murderer who began a new life as “Jack Burridge” following his release from prison. But after being hailed as a hero for rescuing a girl from a car crash, Jack’s criminal past was unveiled, quickly turning his world upside down. Boy A provided a fascinating exploration of the topic of second chances, asking viewers whether people like Eric Wilson/Jack Burridge can really be forgiven.
4 Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021) — 88%
Tick, Tick… Boom! was directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and based on the stage musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson. The film presented Jonathan (Garfield) as an aspiring composer waiting tables to make ends meet while writing the next great musical. At the same time, Jonathan felt enormous pressure to become successful before turning 30, and even had doubts about having chosen the right career path.
Before filming, Garfield spent a year working with a vocal coach and learning to play piano so that he could convincingly play Jonathan Larson. The result was a success, as clearly seen in his performance of “30/90.” Tick, Tick… Boom! currently has the highest audience score of all of Garfield’s films at 96%. The Tomatometer, however, has placed the film at No. 4.
3 99 Homes (2014) — 93%
Certainly the opposite of a feel-good movie, 99 Homes was set during the Great Recession and tackled America’s foreclosure crisis. Garfield starred in the film as Dennis Nash, a construction worker and single father evicted from his home by real estate broker, Rick Carver (Michael Shannon). Forced to relocate his son and mother to a run-down motel, Nash evaluated how to find a way out of his predicament. Meanwhile, Carver made a fortune by evicting people from their homes and reselling them for profit. Nash ultimately decided that he had enough and teamed up with Carver to take advantage of the foreclosure crisis.
2 The Social Network (2010) — 96%
Directed by David Fincher, The Social Network has been considered by many to be one of the best films of the 2010s. The film told the story of the founding of Facebook, detailing the legal complications, personal struggles, and drama that came with it. Garfield appeared in the film as Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, delivering one of the best performances in his career. His heated confrontation with Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) was the most memorable scene in the entire film.
1 Red Riding: 1974 (2009) — 100%
Garfield played Yorkshire Post reporter Eddie Dunford in Red Riding: 1974. The disappearance of a young girl prompted Dunford to investigate a history of past murders connected to wealthy developer John Dawson (Sean Bean). Dunford’s investigation led to uncovering corruption within the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police, but nothing was able to stop Dunford in his pursuit of justice. While Red Riding: 1974 has remained Garfield’s highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes, the film’s 100% score comes from only 13 critic reviews.
