The 10 best Timothée Chalamet movies

❘ Published: 2024-02-28T16:13:03

Timothee Chalamet stands in front of a collage of his most famous movies.

Warner Bros/Sony/Amazon/A24

Dune 2 is finally in cinemas, so to celebrate the release of his biggest film to date, we’ve ranked the best Timothée Chalamet movies.

Timothée Chalamet has been acting since he was 12 years old, breaking through to feature films in 2014 when he got a minor role in Jason Reitman’s frankly woeful Men, Women & Children. Still, since then, the floppy-haired youth’s put aside modding Xbox controllers and been on a bit of a tear. Timmy’s made banger after banger and worked with some of the greatest directors in Hollywood.

So, with Dune 2 finally here (read our Dune 2 review here), the question is, ‘What’s the best Timothee Chalamet movie?’ Well, it’s a tough one to answer. He’s made some brilliant romance movies, turned up in epic sci-fi films, and he’s even teased he’d like to get involved in superhero stuff (we think a Marvel movie must be in his future), so where do you start?

Well, don’t worry, we’ve been through Timmy C’s body of work with a comb finer than the one he uses to make his hair so gorgeous to bring you a list of the best Timothée Chalamet movies… for now.

10. The French Dispatch (2021)

Timothee Chalamet in The French Dispatch

Wes Anderson’s whimsical anthology film brings to life a collection of stories plucked from the pages of the fictional ‘French Dispatch’ magazine. Chalamet’s particular tale sees him take on the wild-haired mantle of student activist Zeffirelli, who begins a revolution and a romance with the journalist Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand).

While The French Dispatch may not represent Wes Anderson’s finest work as a filmmaker, its charming eccentricities make it a difficult film to dislike too much. Chalamet’s segment is brilliant in its absurdity, and while not the best story in the anthology (that honor would go to The Concrete Masterpiece), there’s a distinct joy to be found in the peculiar chemistry of Zeffirelli and Lucinda.

9. Bones and All (2022)

A grim yet surprisingly touching film about two cannibals coming together and finding love (and people to eat), Bones and All might be the most interesting Timothée Chalamet movie to date. Directed by Luca Guadagnino, whom Chalamet had previously worked with on Call Me By Your Name (more on that later), this challenging and grisly film isn’t for the faint of heart or squeamish.

Yet if you can get past its gore-smeared subject matter, you’ll find a tender love story about two lost souls who find some degree of comfort in each other’s arms. Chalamet’s performance is brilliant in its subtlety and helps ground the film in something approaching reality—no mean feat for a movie where cannibals can literally smell each other. Read our full Bones and All review here.

8. Interstellar (2014)

Set in the not-so-distant future with Earth on its last legs, Interstellar follows Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and a team of NASA astronauts on a mission to save humanity from extinction. What follows is a mind-bending adventure across space and time that changes everything we thought we knew about the universe.

While Chalamet’s part in Interstellar is quite small, it would be churlish of us not to include it on this list as many consider this movie to be director Christopher Nolan’s best movie. While that’s arguable in a post-Oppenheimer world, what’s undeniable is Interstellar’s scope and ambition.

Bombastic and bold, both in terms of its visuals and story, Interstellar is epic in every sense of the word. In the hands of a lesser filmmaker, it’s possible the emotional thread of the film would be lost in the grandeur of its heady themes. Still, Nolan proves his skill as a director by deftly balancing a touching family drama with those high-concepts.

7. Beautiful Boy (2018)

Timothee Chalamet and Steve Carrell in My BEautiful Boy

Based on the true story of David Sheff and his son, Beautiful Boy is a powerful film about addiction and love. The movie follows Nicolas Sheff (Chalamet), a young man whose life is being ruined by meth addiction and his father’s (Steve Carrell) desperate attempts to save him.

A heartwrenching and candid story, Beautiful Boy is a challenging watch, and as such, you’re unlikely to watch it more than once. Still, we promise you Carrell and Chalamet’s moving performances make this a must-watch, and their dynamic chemistry will keep even the harshest of critics spellbound.

6. Wonka (2023)

A prequel to Roald Dahl’s most famous story, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this charming little film tells the story of how Willy Wonka (Chalamet) took down an evil chocolate cartel and went from a down-and-out dreamer to the most extraordinary chocolatier in history.

While Wonka may lack some of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’s ineffable magic, it’s still a delicious sweet treat that boasts incredible songs, great gags, and lovable characters. Arguably, though, the film’s secret ingredient is director Paul King, whose cozy sensibilities (he’s the man who gave us the Paddington movies, afterall) give Wonka an identity all of its own. Read our full Wonka review here.

4-5. Dune/Dune 2 (2021/2024)

Yes, we combined the Dune movies; if you’re curious, Dune: Part One would be 5th and Dune: Part Two 4th.

Denis Villeueve’s monument to the wonders of science fiction, the Dune movies (yes, we combined them), follow Paul Atreides, a young man born into a noble house given stewardship of the planet Arrakkis and the responsibility of harvesting the wonder drug Spice. Things go tits up for House Atreides very quickly, though, when their ancient enemies, the Harkonnens, take back the planet. Lost and with few allies left alive, Paul’s forced to team up with Arrakkis’s native people, the Fremen, to get revenge on those who betrayed his family.

Everything about this new Dune franchise is big, from the visuals to the sweeping score. It speaks, then, to Chalamet’s talent that he (and the rest of the cast) aren’t lost in the melange. What’s more impressive, however, is the way Chalamet’s understated, implacable performance sells you on the bizarre world around him. If you want to check out Chalamet’s latest for yourself, give our ‘How to watch Dune 2‘ guide a look.

3. Lady Bird (2017)

A frictious coming-of-age story, Lady Bird follows Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), aka the titular Lady Bird, a troubled teenager who has a difficult relationship with her domineering mother (Laurie Metcalf). Set over the span of Lady Bird’s final year in high school, the film tracks the pair’s many trials and tribulations.

A perennial favorite of film critics the world over, Lady Bird is probably one of the best movies of the last decade. That’s in large part thanks to Ronan and Metcalf’s sensational performances and Greta Gerwig’s clever and relatable script, as well as her stylish but not overbearing directorial flair. For his part, Timothee is brilliant as the film’s cliched bad boy, with his knowing performance helping to give the character something approaching depth.

2. Little Women (2019)

Greta Gerwig’s (two in a row, you go, Greta) take on Louisa May Alcott’s best-known novel, Little Women, tracks the ups and downs of the March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Another critical darling, Little Women owes its success to the exceptional talent of its impeccable cast and Gerwig’s dynamic directorial skill.

When combined, these two elements help turn what could have been a stuffy period piece into something spectacularly modern. All in all, it’s heartbreaking, joyous, and exceptionally entertaining. Again, Chalamet’s role is a small one, yet his sheer talent shines through, and he makes the role of Laurie completely his own.

1. Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Timothee Chalamet in Call me By Your Name

Set during a long, hot Italian summer, Call Me by Your Name documents the burgeoning relationship between the young Elio Perlman (Chalamet) and Oliver, an older graduate student visiting Elio’s dad.

The film that put Chalamet on the A-List and proved his talent as an actor, Call Me By Your Name, is an evocative and sensual film all about the intoxicating power of first love. While director Luca Guadagnino (we told you he’d come back) does a superb job at capturing the intimacy of Elio and Oliver’s relationship on camera, it’s Chalamet’s harrowing and powerful performance that sells the lover’s unique connection.

That’s it for the best Timothée Chalamet movies so far. If you want to know more about Chalamet’s latest, then check out our articles breaking down the Dune 2 box office and the Dune 2 runtime.

Or, if you want to know what’s next for an Arrakis, we have a guide breaking down whether Dune 2 is the end or if we might get a Dune 3. If there is, we fully expect it to be among the best Timothée Chalamet movies one day.