Few celebrities ooze as much charisma, confidence, and unparalleled physical magnetism as Jeff Goldbum. Between his slender appearance, effortless charm, consistent wit, and impressive fashion sense, Goldblum has managed to become a cultural icon unto himself.
With his earliest films helping him become a celebrated actor, Goldblum had undergone a genesis by the 1990s, amassing legions of fans for his eccentric behavior, agreeable personality, and quirky clothing choices.
Surprisingly, Goldblum’s filmography is fairly limited, the actor not having starred in many films on his own, and instead building a reputation as a talented character actor often relegated to supporting roles. However, using what limited screen time he has at his disposal, Goldblum has steadily become a celebrity adored by millions of fans, with many of his performances acclaimed by fans and critics alike.
From his most famous films like Jurassic Park and The Fly to his fantastic supporting appearances in Wes Anderson’s films, here are Jeff Goldbum’s greatest movies, ranked from best to worst.
Jurassic Park
Developing an island theme park where genetically-recreated dinosaurs are the feature attraction, a wealthy businessman (Richard Attenborough) invites several distinguished guests to visit the park. Once inside, internal sabotage leads to the animals getting loose, relentlessly hunting down the human visitors.
The most famous movie of Goldblum’s career, Jurassic Park also gives audiences Goldblum’s most iconic character: the peculiar, alluring, perversely laidback mathematician, Dr. Ian Malcolm. Inhabiting most of Goldblum’s distinct character quirks, Goldblum’s Malcolm injects the film with some much-needed comedy – whether he’s laughing incoherently with his fellow scientists on a helicopter, or competing for Dr. Satler’s attention with his chief romantic rival, Alan Grant.
The Fly
Designing an experimental machine meant for time travel, a brilliant scientist (Goldblum) accidentally mixes his DNA with that of a fly’s, slowly metamorphosing him into a grotesque, inhuman monster.
You can spend hours marveling at the technical achievements of David Cronenberg’s 1986’s The Fly. In true Cronenberg fashion, the movie boasts supremely well-done special effects, showing the gradual physical transformation from Goldblum’s Brundle into the haunting Brundlefly. Complimenting these excellent makeup effects perfectly is Goldblum’s own performance as Brundle, who starts the film filled with confidence and a hint of narcissism, and grows into an egocentric, bestial creature struggling to retain his humanity.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
After a strange pod-like alien species lands on Earth and begins replacing humans with near-perfect lookalikes, a pair of San Francisco health inspectors (Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams) try to escape the hostile creatures and prevent themselves from being duplicated.
An early role for Goldblum, Invasion of the Body Snatchers sees the future Jurassic Park star in the comparatively smaller role of Jack, a struggling writer who jealously criticizes the far more successful author/therapist character played by Leonard Nimoy. Once again adding a hint of comedy in an otherwise grim film, Body Snatchers helped Goldblum climb the ladder in Hollywood, gaining further recognition as a gifted supporting actor.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Seeking revenge for the rare deep-water shark that killed his best friend, a celebrity oceanographer (Bill Murray) embarks on a personal mission to find and kill the animal, reconnecting with his estranged son (Owen Wilson) along the way.
The Grand Budapest Hotel tends to receive the most repeated praise in terms of Goldblum’s appearance in the film. However, it’s hard to take anything away from Goldblum’s scene-stealing character, Alistair Hennessey, in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The personal and professional rival to Murray’s Zissou, Hennessey is a vain, self-centered, egotistical deep-sea explorer who you simply love to hate, clashing nicely with Zissou’s similarly self-involved lead character.
Thor: Ragnarok
Captured and forced to compete in gladiatorial fights on the planet Sakaar, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is put into a race against time to flee the planet and save Asgard from the looming destruction of Ragnarok.
In a film universally praised for its numerous strong elements, Goldbum’s appearance in the film as Sakaar’s bizarre ruler, the Grandmaster, is usually singled out as one of the movie’s best qualities. Once again channeling his own well-known eccentricities, Goldblum’s Grandmaster is responsible for delivering many of the movie’s best jokes, providing an ideal counterbalance to his fellow antagonist, the humorless Hela (Cate Blanchett).
The Big Chill
Reuniting for the first time in years after the death of their close friend, several college friends approaching middle-age reminisce about their youth, all the while coming to the sometimes grim reality of their adult lives.
Perhaps the best film of Lawrence Kasdan’s directorial career, The Big Chill is notable for its large assortment of fantastic ‘80s actors like Kevin Kline, Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, William Hurt, and of course Jeff Goldblum. Compared to his co-stars, Goldblum’s character isn’t featured altogether as prominently as Berenger or Close’s characters, but he still brings enough of a screen presence to hold his own against each actor he finds himself in a scene with.
Deep Cover
Recruited into a DEA sting operation, a Cincinnati police officer (Laurence Fishburne) goes undercover, infiltrating a notorious drug cartel by posing as a street-savvy career criminal to get close to the organization’s most prominent parties.
Possibly Goldblum’s most versatile performance, Deep Cover is a terrifically overlooked crime film from the 1990s. Simultaneously playing the principal antagonist and main ally to Fishburne as he continues to build his burgeoning criminal empire, he’s friendly to those closest to him yet sadistic, cruel, and near psychopathic in his rage when someone makes the mistake of crossing him.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Framed for the murder of his elderly lover (Tilda Swinton), a renowned hotel concierge (Ralph Fiennes) and his faithful lobby boy (Tony Revolori) go on the run in 1930s Europe, struggling to find the real killer in the hopes of proving their innocence.
The second of Goldblum’s three (soon to be four) films with Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel features Goldblum as the renowned attorney, Deputy Vilmos Kovacs. One of Goldblum’s more straight-laced performances, Kovacs contains none of Goldblum’s trademark peculiarities. Far from being a boring character, though, Goldblum’s presence adds a dimension of sanity in the other zany landscape of the film, measuring up nicely to the cartoonishly evil Dmitri (Adrien Brody) or Fiennes’ lovably odd Gustave H.
Igby Goes Down
Plagued by an uncertain personal life at home, a brilliant young man (Kieran Culkin) with a cynical outlook on life rebels against his family’s privileged, wealthy background by running away and living with his godfather (Goldblum).
A dark comedy drama film, Igby Goes Down is without a doubt one of Goldblum’s most underrated films, acting almost as a narrative retelling of JD Salinger’s monumental novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Popping up in the movie as Culkin’s wealthy godfather – the only family member who Culkin’s teen holds some sort of an attachment towards – Goldblum once again delights in a suitably strange performance.
The Tall Guy
Frequently belittled by his cruel employer (Rowan Atkinson), a long-suffering comedian’s assistant (Goldblum) pursues a romantic relationship with the nurse (Emma Thompson) who delivers his regular hay fever medicine.
Another lesser-known entry on this list, The Tall Guy features Goldblum in an early starring role. Released three years after his inspired work on The Fly, it’s an altogether minor addition to Goldblum’s canon, but one that illustrated his incredible range as an actor, able to go from a serious horror film to a silly, lightweight comedy within the span of a few years.
Independence Day
With humanity on the brink of extinction after the arrival of a genocidal alien invader, a handful of U.S. citizens – including politicians, scientists, soldiers, and the President himself (Bill Pullman) – plan ways to fight back against their colossal, unstoppable extraterrestrial enemy.
Along with Jurassic Park and The Fly, Independence Day remains Goldblum’s most well-known performance (even if the finished film is simply meh at best). Playing the environmentally-concerned, chess-loving scientist, David Levinson, Goldblum’s character ultimately proves vital in humanity’s fight against their alien aggressors. What’s more, his comedic presence with both Judd Hirsch and Will Smith make for some consistently hilarious scenes.
Silverado
Finding out they’re all going to the same place, four wholly different cowboys (Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, and Kevin Costner) journey together to the frontier settlement of Silverado, a lawless town run by a cattle baron (Ray Baker) and his corrupt sheriff (Brian Dennehy).
The second of Goldblum’s collaborations with Lawrence Kasdan, Silverado sees Goldblum in an even smaller role than their previous film, The Big Chill. As the aptly-named villainous cardsharp “Slick” Stanhope, Goldblum hands in a rare antagonistic performance, showing his ability to play sympathetic heroes in addition to slimy, unlikable characters.
Richard Chachowski is a freelance writer based in New Jersey. He loves reading, his dog Tootsie, and pretty much every movie to ever exist (especially Star Wars).
