Hugh Jackman: His 5 Best (& 5 Worst) Roles, According To IMDb

Few actors have risen to fame as suddenly as Hugh Jackman. The Australian actor was virtually unknown in the United States until he was cast as Wolverine in X-Men. From there, he quickly became one of the most popular and versatile stars in Hollywood.

Jackman is known for his extraordinary work in big blockbusters and award-winning films which have become audience favorites. Of course, not all of his projects have been hits. Some of these roles feel like big missteps that audiences didn’t latch on to. What do the voters at IMDb consider to be Hugh Jackman’s best and worst films?

10 Best: The Greatest Showman (2017) – 7.6

It is well known that Jackman has impressive musical talent which he has put to use in both films and on the stage. The Greatest Showman once again allows Jackman to embrace this side of his talents in the musical adventure about P.T. Barnum’s creation of the world-famous circus.

The movie paints Barnum in a positive light, glossing over the darker aspects of the true story, but audiences were thrilled by the musical. The songs are rousing and fun and are performed by a great cast, including Zendaya and Zac Efron.

9 Worst: Deception (2008) – 6.1

The thriller Deception delivered the promising pairing of Jackman and Ewan McGregor, but the material let down the talented actors. McGregor plays Jonathan McQuarry, a successful businessman who is introduced to an exclusive and secret sex club by his new friend (Jackman). But when a girl goes missing, Jonathan finds himself wrapped up in a dark conspiracy.

The film wanted to be a twisty erotic thriller in the vein of Body Heat but ended up falling far short of those ambitions. The overall story isn’t very compelling and the twists are uninteresting.

8 Best: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) – 8.0

The X-Men franchise has a confusing continuity, to say the least, but its two timelines collided in thrilling fashion for X-Men: Days of Future Past. In an attempt to alter the future in which mutants are hunted, Wolverine is sent back in time to enlist the help of young Professor X and Magneto.

The ambitious plan to combine the old cast with the young worked wonderfully. The film makes for a wildly fun superhero adventure filled with high stakes and some surprisingly emotional moments.

7 Worst: Someone Like You (2001) – 6.1

As Jackman’s fame was taking off, he took a role in the romantic comedy Someone Like You, in which Ashley Judd plays a woman who is dumped by her boyfriend. As she tries to figure out her romantic life, she agrees to move in with her womanizing co-worker (Jackman).

Judd is a natural in rom-coms and Jackman is extremely charming in his role, but the film overall was fairly by-the-numbers and didn’t try anything new to the genre or leave a lasting impression on audiences.

6 Best: Logan (2017) – 8.1

After nearly two decades, Jackman decided to say goodbye to his most famous role. Thankfully, he did so in the best way possible. Logan is a brutal and emotional farewell for the character and tells the story of an old and broken Logan finding redemption by protecting a young mutant.

Jackman gives his best performance in the role and director James Mangold creates a captivating, dark neo-Western tone. The hard R-rated story feels like no other superhero movie and is a fitting end for an icon of the genre.

5 Worst: Van Helsing (2004) – 6.1

A story of the famed monster hunter Van Helsing sounds like a brilliant idea for a franchise, but something went wrong here. Jackman plays the titular hero who takes on classic Universal monsters such as Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and the Wolf Man.

Of course, Jackman makes for a dashing hero, but the film’s other aspects do not match his talents. From the CGI to the goofy comedic elements, Van Helsing feels like an uninspired attempt at making a summer blockbuster.

4 Best: Prisoners (2013) – 8.1

Jackman gives one of his most underrated performances in the dark and disturbing crime drama Prisoners, where he Keller Dover, plays a family man whose daughter goes missing. When a suspected kidnapper is let go, Keller decides to take matters into his own hands in order to find his child.

Prisoners is a haunting and engrossing film from filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. Though Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano are also excellent in their respective roles, it is Jackman’s performance that elevates the film to another level.

3 Worst: Pan (2015) – 5.7

Before Disney became obsessed with remaking all of their animated films into live-action adventures, Warner Brothers took a shot at the beloved story of Peter Pan. This version serves as an origin story in which Peter teams up with a young James Hook to save Neverland from the evil pirate Blackbeard (Jackman).

Pan was a notorious flop at the box office and it hasn’t caught the interest of audiences since. It seems few people felt an origin tale of these characters was necessary at all.

2 Best: The Prestige (2006) – 8.5

Jackman teamed up with acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan and actor Christian Bale for this brilliant and twisty period mystery. In The Prestige, Jackman and Bale play two rival magicians whose attempts to outdo one another gradually turn deadly.

Nolan crafted a compelling story that is packed with twists and turns to keep the audience guessing until the very end. The Prestige is the kind of movie that demands to be watched again and again in order to pick up on all of the clever clues.

1 Worst: Movie 43 (2013) – 4.3

Movie 43 is an anthology comedy film with an incredibly star-studded cast — and it’s likely that every one of them is terribly embarrassed to have been a part of this mess. The film is regarded by many as one of the worst movies ever made and a massive waste of great talent.

Jackman stars in one segment alongside Kate Winslet. They play a couple on a blind date and the whole thing is centered around one crass, unfunny joke.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2028 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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