14 Jake Gyllenhaal Action And War Movies, Ranked By How Much They Get Your Heart Pounding
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Jake Gyllenhaal has risen to the ranks of a beloved household name through hard work. The actor has made a lot of movies over the years, and in recent years, he's steered more towards action and war films than other genres. Whether dealing with troops on the ground of superheroes swinging through the sky, his work in this bombastic category of cinema is always exceptional, and he's often one of the most significant contributors to these movies' success.
Gyllenhaal's filmography includes a wonderful range of heroes and villains in high-octane thrillers, with roles that show off his impressive physical capabilities, as well as the depth of emotion he can capture. Take a look through his greatest action and war movies, and vote on which get the heart racing the most.
- 16 VOTESPhoto: Open Road Films
What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays Louis “Lou” Bloom, a petty thief. Before long, he discovers the world of freelance photojournalism and steals a bike to pawn it for a camcorder and police radio scanner. It takes some work, but Lou manages to capture footage worth selling, and his success pushes him to do some rather unethical things at the scenes of violent crimes to capture the footage he wants.
This behavior only intensifies as Lou’s desire for more money sends him to new levels of tampering with evidence. He also withholds evidence so he can later use it to his advantage, but this blows up in his face as a call to the police results in several people killed. This doesn’t deter him as he continues to up his game at the cost of people’s lives, and the news eats up his footage, pushing him to continue what he’s doing, only at a more significant rate as he takes on a team of interns to improve his “business.”
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? With each new crime scene Lou steps into, he puts more and more people in danger to get the shot he desires. This makes each successive scene all the more thrilling and impactful, building towards the fittingly grim ending. The film was loved by critics, who gave it a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, and, thanks largely to its low budget, it was a smashing box office success.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal is a true villain in Nightcrawler, but he’s less actively harmful and more of a selfish bystander, hoping to profit off the pain and loss of others. Somehow, he feels even more evil than many of the criminals he films.
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- 228 VOTESPhoto: Universal Pictures
What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays Anthony “Swoff” Swofford, a Marine who followed in his father's footsteps into the Corps in 1989. He tells people he joined after he “got lost on his way to college” and initially struggles through training. Still, he shows potential, so he’s placed into the Scout Sniper course and advances in rank and status.
Soon after training, Swoff heads to the Middle East in support of Operation Desert Shield, but some shenanigans land him in trouble, and his mental health worsens. Eventually, his unit enters the war, and they meet little to no opposition before ultimately redeploying to the States without him ever firing a shot. Swoff’s time in the service is less about his combat experiences and more about the friends he made and lessons he learned along the way.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? Jarhead isn’t as action-packed as most war movies because the conflict itself isn’t the point - it’s more important to show the relationships between the Marines than their individual combat actions. The most intense moment comes toward the end, when Swoff and Corporal Troy (Peter Sarsgaard) are ordered to take out a high-ranking member of the Iraqi Republican Guard. The moment intensifies right up to the moment when Swoff is about to pull the trigger, until he's ordered to stop as an air strike is called instead.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal is incredibly believable as a Marine, and it’s clear he put a lot of time and effort into preparing for the role. This results in an extremely believable movie spotlighting the personal struggle of the Marines sent to fight.
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- 317 VOTESPhoto: Warner Bros. Pictures
What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays Detective Loki, who is called into an investigation about the abduction of two young girls. After arresting a man whose vehicle fits the description, Loki releases him, believing he lacks the mental capacity to plan the kidnapping. Still, Loki’s beliefs aren’t held by the girls’s father, who takes matters into his own hands. Despite this, Loki continues his investigation and closes in on the truth about what happened.
The investigation is hampered by falsified evidence and leads that send him looking in the wrong places. He continues his investigation as the violence and secrecy intensifies. Eventually, he finds the perpetrator but nearly dies in the attempt as he manages to save one of the girls.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? Prisoners places the audience in a situation where they don’t know what’s true and what isn’t, effectively making the viewer as interested in the investigation as Detective Loki. This brings the viewer to the edge of their seat as everything intensifies toward the bitter end. Prisoners isn’t packed with spectacles, but still gets the heart rate going as the investigation ramps up and the bodies begin to pile high.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal is very convincing as a detective, giving a methodical performance. Viewers can easily empathize with his drive to unravel the mystery, feeling the same suspense he does.
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What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays Tommy Cahill, the older brother to Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire). Sam serves in the Marines in Afghanistan, and a few days before he leaves, his older brother, Tommy, is released from prison on parole. Sam is shot down in Afghanistan and declared KIA. Though, in truth, he's taken captive by the Taliban, news of his death causes all kinds of turmoil back home.
Eventually, Sam is rescued and returns afflicted with severe PTSD, which causes problems at home. He’s initially suspicious of his brother, believing Tommy had an affair with his wife while he was gone. Things degrade from there, and after a violent outburst, Sam attempts to end his own life. His brother’s embrace ultimately saves him, as he’s taken into custody and admitted into a VA hospital.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? Viewers who have personal experience with PTSD from combat experiences or know someone who does will likely find that this movie resonates. Maguire brilliantly portrays the pain and anxiety that comes from horrible experiences, helping create more understanding of PTSD and lessening the stigma that often comes with it. The scenes involving combat in Afghanistan and Tommy’s torture will surely have anyone biting their nails.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal plays the brother left behind, trying to keep the family together after the tragic (presumed) loss of Sam. It’s no easy task for him; through it all, one can see how much Tommy cares for his brother. Gyllenhaal’s emotive performance is only one of the many factors that make Brothers worth a watch.
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- 519 VOTESPhoto: New Line Cinema
What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays CIA analyst Douglas Freeman; he's sent to observe an interrogation of a suspect in a terrorist attack that killed a CIA agent and 18 civilians. He’s dubious of the man’s guilt and of the agency’s practice of extraordinary rendition (in other words, capturing a suspect from another country and detaining them for interrogation).
It all comes to a head when Freeman makes a choice to advocate for the man's innocence, going straight to the Minister of the Interior. Ultimately, the man is freed and returns home to an enthusiastic family. Furthermore, the process of extraordinary rendition is exposed to the public, resulting in worldwide condemnation of the practice.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? The torture scenes are full of angst, especially with the question of whether or not they are justified. The audience is left wondering just as much as Freeman as to the man’s guilt or innocence, making these scenes difficult to watch, but also impossible to miss. So many aspects of the investigation (not to mention the ethics of the US agents' methods) leave the audience wondering that it’s difficult for multiple viewers to come away with the same conclusions.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal does an excellent job playing an agent willing to question his own organization's policies. That said, he’s not the most active player in this action movie, which is a powerful ensemble piece featuring others like Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep. Fans of Gyllenhaal should definitely check it out, but for others, it’s a hit-or-miss film that didn’t find enough of an audience upon release to do well at the box office.
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- 68 VOTES
Ambulance
Photo: Universal PicturesWhat’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays Danny Sharp, a career criminal who takes his veteran brother, Will (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), on a major bank heist. They take an ambulance hostage in an attempt to escape, but things go from worse to terrible as the plan completely blows up in their faces.
After enlisting the aid of a fellow criminal, the ambulance makes its way to a hideout, but the stress and frustration of the ordeal get to Danny and Will. Eventually, it all comes to a head as Danny becomes determined to take out the their EMT hostage and himself on live television. However, he cannot carry out his plan, thanks to Will's decision to step in and do the right thing at the last minute.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? For one thing, Ambulance is a Michael Bay flick, which promises plenty of action in the form of explosions and destroyed vehicles. The action ramps up as the minutes fly by, with viewers wondering just how far Danny will go to try to get away with this crime.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal typically plays a good guy, but not here. He dusts off his villain skills for Ambulance and doesn’t disappoint. He brings the same compelling mix of passion and pathos to Danny as he does to any of his more heroic characters, making for a layered performance.
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What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays LAPD officer Brian Taylor, partner to fellow officer Mike Zavala (Michael Peña). The two are close friends assigned to patrol South Central Los Angeles. They work closely with members of several gangs as they work to maintain peace and order in a chaotic part of LA. Eventually, they stumble upon something big: a human trafficking ring.
This bust brings officers Taylor and Zavala to the attention of the Sinaloa Cartel, which puts out a hit on both of them. They task two gang members with their assassination, and there’s a personal connection. They’re attacked, and Zavala is killed, leaving Taylor alive to deliver his eulogy, which he barely stumbles through with only a few words before recalling a previous conversation between the two men.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? End of Watch is the kind of movie that shows how dangerous police work can be. There’s plenty of action, from the patrols to the conflicts with the cartel, and it all culminates in a massive assassination attempt with lots of fire exchanged. Critics and audiences loved the film and its relatively unique narrative, which avoids the familiar tropes and clichés found in most police action films.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal's work here is superb, so it’s no wonder he earned a Best Actor in an Action Movie nomination from the Critics's Choice Movie Awards. While he didn’t win, he brought it all to this movie. His commitment and his chemistry with co-star Peña both helped Gyllenhaal establish himself as a true action star.
- 89 VOTESPhoto: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays Master Sgt. John Kinley, a US Army Special Forces soldier who, finds himself and his unit ambushed in Afghanistan. The Taliban orchestrate an attack that kills Kinley's interpreter, and after the dust settles, he gets a new one in Ahmed Abdullah (Dar Salim), a man who used to work with the Taliban but defected after they murdered his son. They work together for a while, and Ahmed earns Kinley's respect.
Later, they're the only two survivors of an attack by Taliban reinforcements, and they escape on foot. While attempting to return to base, Kinley is wounded in action, and Ahmed carries him to safety. After returning home to the US, Kinley learns that Ahmed is in hiding after helping him and attempts to secure visas for him and his family, but to no avail. When his plan doesn't work, he heads to Afghanistan to rescue his rescuer and finds himself in even more firefights than when he was there under orders.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, hundreds of interpreters and their families were murdered for helping the US during the occupation of Afghanistan; Guy Ritchie's The Covenant shines a light on their suffering by focusing on one interpreter among many. The film did poorly at the box office, which doesn't align with the critical reception, as the film has been highly praised for its depiction of both the struggle to free those who helped the US during the war and of combat during the war itself.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal returns to familiar territory in this movie, playing a soldier. He fits the character well, perfectly affecting the Special Forces visage as he struggles to repay a debt few could ever hope to achieve. Gyllenhaal is excellent in loud action scenes as well as slow, dramatic ones; it's evident how much heart he put into this role.
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- 915 VOTESPhoto: Netflix
What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays LAPD officer Joe Baylor, who works the night shift at a 911 call center. He answers a call from an abducted woman, and after they are disconnected, he begins an investigation from his desk, calling to speak with her daughter. He learns that the woman’s estranged husband likely abducted her and has a record of assault, so he dispatches a patrol unit to do a welfare check.
As his investigation intensifies (much to the chagrin of his partner), he uncovers the truth about the abductee and the nature of her abduction, and things aren’t as black and white as they initially appeared. The ordeal leads Officer Baylor to come to terms with his own guilt regarding an incident that got him placed on dispatcher duty in the first place, and he ultimately comes clean, admitting he was guilty of manslaughter.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? There’s so much intensity in The Guilty that it’s difficult to name the peak moments. Throughout it all, Baylor is left at the desk and on the phone, trying to conduct an investigation entirely via telephone as he directs units of the California Highway Patrol to determine what’s truly going on. He's both key to the action and physically removed from it, making for a unique situation not typical within this genre.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal performs remarkably as officer Baylor, a man determined to uncover the truth and save the woman on the other end of the phone while dealing with his own demons. He captures an inspiring shift from indecision to determination, and his work is one of the highlights of the film.
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What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays US Army Captain Colter Stevens, a pilot who awakens on a Metra commuter train with his most recent memory coming from a mission he flew in Afghanistan. He’s a different person to everyone around him, and even his reflection shows him to be someone else: Sean Fentress (Frédérick De Grandpré), a school teacher. He barely understands what’s happening before the train explodes, killing everyone on board.
Stevens awakens again, learning that he’s reliving the final moments of an attack that already happened, and his mission is to learn as much as he can to prevent future attacks. He’s within the Source Code, a machine that reconstructs the residual collective memories of the train’s passengers in the eight minutes leading up to their deaths, and it’s up to him to uncover the truth, eight minutes at a time.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? This film combines all the best aspects of sci-fi and thrillers, as Captain Stevens attempts to uncover the truth within eight-minute replays of the event, so the clock is constantly ticking. Each time he enters the Source Code, he’s left with different choices, ensuring it all plays out differently each time. This makes for an exceptionally enjoyable film, which boasts an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal is a man on fire in Source Code as he strives to uncover the truth. There’s an underlying plot element that won’t be spoiled here, making Gyllenhaal’s performance all the more impressive.
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- 117 VOTESPhoto: 20th Century Fox
What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays Sam Hall, the son of NOAA paleoclimatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), the scientist at the beginning of the movie who foretells doom but is ignored by everyone in power. His predictions come true as the world is violently thrust into a new Ice Age. Sam is stuck in New York City, where he uses his father's advice to keep warm enough to survive, but after a member of his party falls ill, things go from bad to worse.
They must find antibiotics to save Laura (Emmy Rossum) from sepsis, so they board a passing Russian cargo ship trapped in the ice. They are soon chased by a pack of wolves that has escaped from the Central Park Zoo, all while the planet continues to freeze. In the end, Sam's quick thinking and take-charge attitude save many lives, but not everyone, and the world is left reeling from its new reality as the storms abate, leaving much of the globe covered in ice.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? The film is directed by Roland Emmerich, who absolutely dominates the world-ending disaster movie format. Naturally, the survival scenario is packed with danger and harrowing moments, which are improved upon by the impressive special effects that imagine the modern world trapped under snow and ice. The film was a major success, earning more than half a billion at the global box office, though critics were not so kind to it.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal manages to hold his own in this film, capturing the desperation to help as many others as he can with the knowledge his character has learned from his father. Unfortunately for some stubborn folks, they don't heed his warning. Despite this, Sam carries on and manages to hold things together as the world falls apart - and Gyllenhaal delivers a great performance, relatively early in his career.
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- 124 VOTESPhoto: Sony Pictures Releasing
What’s Jake Up To? After gigantic elemental monsters begin tearing the world apart, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) enlists the aid of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) to stop them, giving him Tony Stark's sunglasses, which allow access to the E.D.I.T.H. artificial intelligence system. The only problem is that Peter's also on a school field trip in Europe at the time, making it difficult to balance his real life and secret identity. Fortunately, Quentin Beck AKA Mysterio (Gyllenhall) shows up to help Peter.
In reality, it's all a ruse, and Beck is only playing Peter for access to the sunglasses all in the name of using the powerful capabilities of E.D.I.T.H. to make himself look like a superhero. Fortunately, Peter senses something is wrong and takes the fight to Beck in London as Spider-Man, where he ultimately defeats Mysterio - only to have his secret identity revealed to the whole world as a result.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? As a Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man movie, this film creates a lot of hype, and it lives up to it. It's one of the best Spidey flicks, absolutely packed with high-intensity action from beginning to end. The climactic battle between Spider-Man and Mysterio is easily the best, but there's plenty of fun along the way, too.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal is perfectly cast, because he has the charisma to fool not only Peter, but the audience as well. While comic book fans likely know Mysterio isn't the good guy he claims to be, he still fools many viewers right up until the moment he reveals his true intentions. This isn't something any actor can pull off, but Gyllenhall does so expertly, making him one of the best villains Spider-Man has ever faced.
- 131 VOTESPhoto: Universal Pictures
What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays Scott Fischer, an American expedition group leader who takes adventure seekers up Everest. He joins forces with his rival, Rob Hall (Jason Clarke), to reduce overcrowding and delays, so they embark on their summit attempt together. As often happens when summiting Mount Everest, things don't go according to plan, and Scott has to return to base camp to help one of his climbers. At the same time, Rob reaches the summit with problems of his own.
Meanwhile, Scott begins to suffer from high-altitude pulmonary edema, which ultimately costs him his life as he sends his climbers down to the safety of the base camp, but a blizzard upends that plan as things go from bad to worse. Rescue becomes impossible as the cold and high altitude takes its toll on the climbers, as one succumbs after the other. In the end, few remain as the survivors make it to safety, having lived through one of the deadliest ascents of the infamous mountain, which is now known as the 1996 Mount Everest disaster.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? Everything about Everest is thrilling, and not necessarily in a good way. Watching the climbers succumb to their various injuries and the elements is harrowing to watch. The gutting, realistic film was critically acclaimed and made nearly four times its budget.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Since the film is based on a true story, Gyllenhaal and the rest of the cast were tasked with capturing the the tragic ends of real people. Gyllenhaal handles this task with aplomb, capturing Scott Fisher succumbing to the elements as he sends his people down to safety in a bittersweet, noble end.
- 144 VOTES
What’s Jake Up To? Gyllenhaal plays Dastan, a Persian street urchin adopted by the King. Years later, Persia goes to war with Alamut; Dastan does well in battle and even gets his hands on an ornate knife. When the dust settles, Dastan’s adoptive brother, Tus (Richard Coyle), agrees to marry Alamut’s princess, Tamina (Gemma Arterton), but after the King is killed, he turns his attention to Dastan, believing him responsible.
Dastan and Tamina escape, and he soon discovers that the blade in his possession allows its wielder to travel back in time. The dagger is sought after by the fallen king's brother, Nizam (Ben Kingsley), who unleashes Persia's full might against Dastan to try to seize it. Dastan and Tamina work together, using the blade to set things right by piercing the veil and traveling back in time before everything goes awry.
What Makes It Heart-Pounding? The producers put a lot of money into the VFX budget, and it shows. Almost every scene is action-packed with excellent fight choreography and seemingly death-defying stunts. The film did remarkably well for a video game adaptation; though it received some criticism for whitewashing the cast, it's a fun ride both for fans of the game and those who never played it.
Gyllenhaal Power Factor: Gyllenhaal gives it his all as Dastan, though his casting was criticized by many who pointed out the character should be played by someone of Iranian descent. In the years since, Gyllenhaal admitted the whitewashed role wasn't right for him:
I think I learned a lot from that movie in that I spend a lot of time trying to be very thoughtful about the roles that I pick and why I’m picking them. And you’re bound to slip up and be like, ‘That wasn’t right for me,’ or ‘That didn’t fit perfectly.’ There have been a number of roles like that. And then a number of roles that do.
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