Crimes of the Future marked the comeback of Viggo Mortensen's partnership with David Cronenberg, now finally working with the director on a movie exploring body horror and sci-fi. As expected, the movie was divisive and created controversy but, most importantly, delivered a very intimate, yet brilliant performance by Mortensen.
Famous for his iconic role as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo is one of the most notorious American working actors of all time. Known for picking his roles carefully, he appeared in many classic movies as well as exciting hidden gems. The fans all over Reddit happily shared their favorites from the well-known to the unexpected.
The Indian Runner (1991)
Redditor Sonny_Crockett_1984 suggests The Indian Runner and says "I saw it when it came out and it blew me away". Sean Penn's directorial debut follows two brothers that are quite the opposite of one another. Viggo plays the violent, pessimist one, while David Morse is a self-assured person who desperately tries to show his brother the good things that life can offer.
The performances lead the movie alone, and The Indian Runner was one of the first films to show Mortensen's potential to the world. His deeply flawed, antisocial character goes through an incredible arc and beautifully portrays the duality of human nature.
Appaloosa (2008)
One of Viggo Mortensen's best movies, Appaloosa deserves more recognition. Directed by the legendary actor Ed Harris, the film tells the story of two friends hired to patrol a small town that is suffering at the hands of a ruthless rancher. To make things more complicated, the arrival of a young widow will shake the duo's life.
Flirting with noir elements, the story is a great new-age entry to the iconic Western gender. A Redditor said the Appaloosa is "one of the best 'I'll do anything for my bro' ever", and the relationship between Mortensen and Harris' characters truly stands out in the slow-burn narrative that sets up for an unforgettable ending.
The Prophecy (1995)
The Prophecy is a hidden gem that blends horror elements with fantasy, focusing on Christopher Walken's character Gabriel, an angel who comes to Earth to collect a soul which could end the stalemated war in Heaven, while a homicide detective investigates a bizarre murder in LA that points to to a lethal prophecy.
Redditor Stormy8888 claims "Viggo Mortensen's performance legit creeped me out in the best way". In another relatively smaller role, Mortensen plays none other than the devil, Lucifer, instantly stealing the scene for himself when he's onscreen and adding layers of horror to the movie.
Carlito's Way (1993)
The incredible Carlito's Way is starred by a weighty cast with Al Pacino and Sean Penn, following a Puerto-Rican ex-con fresh out of prison. He tries to stay away from his previous underground world filled with drugs and violence, in a final attempt to overcome the pressure around him to lead a better life in New York.
Redditor Paoa02 claims "somehow I will always remember him best from Carlito's Way". This Brian DePalma masterpiece counts with a small role by Viggo Mortensen playing Lalin, a whiny and cunning guy who ends up being a minor antagonist in the movie.
The Road (2009)
The Road is set in a despairing post-apocalyptical world where ashes rain from the sky and no human can be trusted. In this scenario, a father, played by Mortensen, tries to defend his young son as they travel south with the hope of a better future.
Slagithorn claims "he's excellent in The Road". While the film offers a minimalistic narrative that hardly moves, the desolating atmosphere of the movie is often just enough to convey the disturbing reality these two characters are in. Without many interactions and dialogues, Viggo Mortensen stands out for his facial expressions, impressive, especially because of the anguished look in his eyes.
Hidalgo (2004)
j_j_j_junit says Hidalgo is "criminally underrated". Released right after the success of The Lord of the Rings, Viggo Mortensen enchants the audience once again in another epic. Set in 1890, the movie tells the story of a courier who travels to Arabia to compete with his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous race for a massive contest prize.
The PG-13 rating grants the right amount of violence for Hidalgo to be considered a great family movie but also a compelling choice for older audiences. There's little to dislike in the film, which delivers the typical great adventure, a moving friendship between man and animal, and, of course, a beautiful romance involving the hero.
Captain Fantastic (2016)
mattynegs says that Viggo Mortensen "was fantastic" in Captain Fantastic. Apart from being one of the most lighthearted movies he's ever been in, his performance as Ben Cash is also one of the most heart-warming of his career, granting him an Academy Award nomination. In the film, Ben is an anarchist father who raised his six young kids away from the clutches of the modern world, living in the forest of the Pacific Northwest. Forced to leave his reclusive life with his family, he tries to assimilate back into society.
Captain Fantastic knows how to balance drama with hints of comedy by showing the family's awkwardness in their new reality and provides a relevant meditation of what means to be a parent in such a hopeless world.
A History of Violence (2005)
In contrast with William Hurt's villainous performance, Viggo Mortensen plays an unstoppable anti-hero in A History of Violence. One of Cronenberg's works most grounded in reality, the movie tells the story of a family thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner, unleashing demons from his troubled past.
Half family drama, half crime thriller, A History of Violence is a tale about the modern world and what ties a family together. Different from what the movie title implies, the story is much more focused in present Viggo's character's desperate journey to get rid of his life's trail of violence than depicting a story full of bloodshed.
Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Viggo Mortensen's role in The Lord of the Rings trilogy was certainly a life-changing opportunity for his career. He played Aragorn, one of the main protagonists and among the most beloved characters of the saga. It's unanimous among fans how Mortensen did justice to Aragorn's signature traits, adding on to the brilliant Lord of the Rings adaptation provided by Peter Jackson.
The popular trilogy follows the young Frodo and his companions on a distant journey to Mount Doom, where they must destroy an ancient ring that once belonged to the Dark Lord Sauron. They cross paths with Aragorn, who is later revealed to be heir to the Isildur and a key character for the future of Gondor. A deleted Reddit account said, "Although I like other movies of his, he will always be Aragorn to me".
Eastern Promises (2007)
In one more memorable partnership between David Cronenberg and Mortensen, Eastern Promises is a cleverly constructed crime thriller. The plot involves a teenager who dies during childbirth and leaves clues that could tie her child to a rape involving a violent Russian mob family.
Redditor bfk94 points out that "the Russian accent is one that actors easily mess up, but Viggo nails it in Eastern Promises". The movie counts with one of the best performances by Mortensen especially because he's the soul of the movie, playing a charismatic, yet ruthless Russian-born criminal. The character provides some of the most incredible scenes in Cronenberg's career, including naked Viggo fighting criminals in hand-to-hand combat in a sauna.