David Harbour’s 5 Best (& 5 Worst) Movies, According To IMDb

David Harbour’s career in Hollywood has, at least up until now, consisted of him getting supporting roles in a few big titles while simultaneously paying the bills with appearances in a slew of indie pictures. The actor is best known for playing Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, although he also played the titular character in the Dark Horse Comics film Hellboy, but that’s a movie many (including him) would rather forget. For the record, Hellboy (2019) scored a 5.2 on IMDb, which is actually higher than the lowest-rated film here.

His biggest role to date is his upcoming appearance in a completely different superhero-themed cinematic universe, specifically the retired hero Red Guardian in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) entry Black Widow. Harbour’s had some great movies, and some terrible ones too, but regardless of quality it’s high time someone took an look at his intriguing filmography.

10 BEST: State Of Play (2009) – 7.1

The political thriller State of Play stars Russell Crowe as an investigative journalist who suspects something is awry when he hears of the suspicious death of a congressman’s lover. It is adapted from the 2004 British television serial of the same name. Harbour appears only in a brief role as an insider who the journalist probes for information about a private military company that seems tied to the whole scenario.

Many praised State of Play for being a smart thriller that was filled with great acting and genius dialogue that helped elevate the otherwise obvious twists and turns of the central mystery.

9 WORST: Confess (2005) – 5.0

The indie film Confess follows a computer wiz who uses his skills to bring to light the transgressions of everyone from politicians to corporate bigwigs. His activities soon draw the attention of those who would benefit from his demise, including the United States Government itself. David Harbour appears in a brief role as an FBI agent.

Though some praise was given to its ideas and goals, Confess was viewed as a clunky and overly blunt attempt at social commentary that mostly fell flat. As best, Confess was a passable if derivative and generic thriller.

8 BEST: The Equalizer (2014) – 7.2

Based on the ’80s TV show of the same name, The Equalizer is an action thriller that stars Denzel Washington as a retired soldier who returns to duty to take down a series of Russian Mafia members in the service of a teen-aged girl who has been trapped within the mob. Harbour appears as Frank Masters, a crooked police officer who Robert McCall (Washington) forces to help him end the mob under threat of death.

The Equalizer was seen as a run-on-the-mill but entertaining violent vigilante action movie that was bolstered by Washington’s performance and Antoine Fuqua’s direction. The movie’s success led to a sequel, The Equalizer 2, which received similar praise and criticism.

7 WORST: Human Affairs (2018) – 4.9

Human Affairs follows a young couple meeting their surrogate mother for the first time, and the roller-coaster journey that ensues for all three of them. Harbour appears in the minor supporting role of Ronnie.

While the acting was praised, Human Affairs was seen as nothing new and derivative of other similar works. The reception towards the movie isn’t entirely negative, as it’s really more underwhelming and indifferent than anything else.

6 BEST: Revolutionary Road (2008) – 7.3

Based on the novel of the same name, Revolutionary Road is a romantic drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, and Kathy Bates, all of whom previously collaborated on James Cameron’s blockbuster Titanic. The story follows Frank Wheeler (DiCaprio) and his wife April (Winslet), as they search for further fulfillment in their tepidly traditional marriage.

Harbour appears as Shep Cambell, the Wheelers’ neighbor, who plays a major part in the final outcome of their story. Critics praised the movie for being a good adaptation of its source material that was only made better by the actors involved.

5 WORST: Between Us (2012) – 4.7

The dark comedy-drama/character study Between Us follows two couples, longtime friends, as tensions rise and emotions play out during two evening visits years apart. David Harbour appears in the role of Joel.

While critics acknowledged Between Us’ attempts to examine a long-term relationship’s rocky parts and the stellar cast at play, they still felt that the movie wasn’t doing anything particularly new. Some also felt that the characters were either to unrealistic or unlikable to get invested in.

4 BEST: End Of Watch (2012) – 7.6

David Ayer’s End of Watch is a police-procedural thriller showing the action-packed escapades two over-invested cops get into just trying to go about their normal routine. What sets it apart is its use of found footage to get audiences into the heat of the action.

The film features several big name actors, including Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña in the lead roles, alongside Natalie Martinez, Anna Kendrick, and David Harbour, who plays a police officer named Van Hauser. Though some found issue with the use of body camera footage and the like gimmicky and even distracting, End of Watch received unanimous praise from critics for its gritty tale of police work.

3 WORST: Isolation (2011) – 4.6

A chilling horror thriller set in the confines of a hospital room, Isolation follows a med student who wakes up in an isolation unit suffering from a deadly disease, with no memory of the events leading up to her predicament. David Harbour appears as Dr. Sloan.

Relatively unknown, Isolation is seen as something more akin to a cult classic and a buried gem among IMDb users. However, that doesn’t save it from being an otherwise by-the-numbers psychological thriller about another protagonist who’s suffering from memory loss.

2 BEST: Brokeback Mountain (2005) – 7.7

Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain was a romantic drama following the forbidden love between Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), two cowboys in the American West. The film’s all-star cast also included such illustrious names as Anne Hathaway, Randy Quaid, Linda Cardellini, and Anna Faris. David Harbour appears as Randall Malone, a married man who is implied to have an affair with Jack during the part of the film set in 1978.

Brokeback Mountain received critical praise as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture, with many praising it for being a heartfelt look at a gay relationship while also pushing boundaries that were seen as unthinkable back in the early 2000’s.

1 WORST: X/Y (2014) – 4.2

X/Y stars real-life married couple America Ferrara and director/writer/star Ryan Piers Williams as Sylvia and Mark, respectively. Mark and Sylvia are estranged lovers who make up one half of a friend group that also includes Jen (Melanie Diaz) and Jake (Jon Paul Phillips). The film follows the four friends reminiscing about their very different lives, as well as their individual struggles and hardships, against the picturesque backdrop of New York nightlife.

Harbour has only a brief role in the film, which received negative reviews. Many critics saw X/Y as a blatant ego project that felt empty despite its obvious attempts at emotional moments.

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