List compiled by Eddie on 15/05/2026

Starting his career in his early teens as a member of the famed Mickey Mouse Club, Canadian born actor Ryan Gosling has defied all the odds to become one of Hollywood’s most recognisable leading actors as well as managing the tricky balancing act between being a critical darling as well as a general audience favourite.

From notable dramas, heavy-hitting indies right through to big commercially orientated offerings like the billion-dollar behemoth that was Barbie, Gosling has done it all over his 30+ year career, with Oscar nominations, box office hits and general audience adoration coming in droves.

With his Hollywood good looks and ability to play it dumb as well as smart, one suspects that sometimes there’s a lack of appreciation for the type of quality work Gosling has managed to deliver over his career, with far more hits than misses coming through his C.V that would be the envy of many in similar positions.

Below are a collection of Gosling’s 10 best films, based off overall results not Gosling’s performances.

Happy reading and see you at the movies!

Disclaimer – Plot summaries from http://www.imdb.com

10. The Big Short (2015)

Gosling plays – Jared Vennett

Prior to the 2008 financial crisis, a group of investors bet against the US mortgage market and are stunned by the corruption they uncover through their research.

A key member of Adam McKay’s large ensemble for his first foray into more serious territory with the insightful and highly entertaining The Big Short, Gosling and his co-stars worked their magic with some what you’d think to be dry subject matter to make The Big Short one of 2015’s biggest surprise hits.

9. The Notebook (2004)

Gosling plays – Noah

An elderly man reads to a woman with dementia the story of two young lovers whose romance is threatened by the difference in their respective social classes.

It’s easy to dismiss The Notebook as nothing more than a well-made Hallmark weepy but when it comes to romantic dramas that tug on the heartstrings The Notebook really is right up there with the best of the best. Rising to great heights thanks largely to Gosling and his co-star Rachel McAdams chemistry (that from all reports wasn’t true to real life), The Notebook remains to this day a quintessential genre entry that has rarely been bettered.

8. The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)

Gosling plays – Luke

A stunt rider turns into a robber in order to lead a happy life with his child and lover and grabs the attention of a police officer. They both get on a collision course that affects their families.

Those that have seen Derek Cianfrance’s epic would know what I mean when I say Place Beyond the Pines doesn’t play out the way you’d expect from initial expectations but it’s all the better for it. A challenging, well-acted and beautifully filmed crime drama that hits hard, Pines is one of the more undervalued minor masterpieces of the modern era.

7. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Gosling plays – “K”

Young Blade Runner K’s discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who’s been missing for thirty years.

An amazing result of a final product despite its box office troubles, much like its forefather, Blade Runner 2049 was another stunning sci-fi spectacle from esteemed director Denis Villeneuve that further established him as one of the modern greats. A large film that deserved far more of a big-screen audience than it got, 2049 is now well and truly regarded as a modern classic that will live long into the future.

6. Remember the Titans (2000)

Gosling plays – Alan Bosley

In 1971, Virginia high-school football was everything to the people of Alexandria, but when the school board was forced to integrate an all-Black school with an all-White one, the foundation of football’s tradition was put to the test.

One of the most well-liked and re-watched sport themed films in cinematic history, Remember the Titans is a Denzel Washington led classic that age shall not weary. With a loaded cast of up-and-coming stars, including a then fresh-faced Gosling, Titans had many stars aligning to make it the film it ended up being, a crowd pleaser with heart and soul and one of the most accessible sporting dramas of all time.

5. Drive (2011)

Gosling plays – Driver

A mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbour’s husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.

An endlessly cool film that many have tried to replicate in the years that followed its release, Drive may be short on dialogue and light on plot but it’s a gripping viewing experience that showcased a whole different side to Gosling as a leading man. Gosling and his Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn worked together again on the less successful Only God Forgives, proving that lightning doesn’t always strike twice but allowing us to appreciate just how uniquely successful Drive was.

4. Project Hail Mary (2026)

Gosling plays – Ryland Grace

A science teacher wakes up alone on a spaceship. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing Earth’s sun and that an unexpected friendship may be the key.

A substantial recent hit for Gosling and the movie industry in general, Project Hail Mary is a rare crowd-pleasing sci-fi that has ample heart, humour and creativity to boot. Christopher Miller and Phil Lord’s big budget adventure is likely to live out a long shelf life in the years to come, proving once more that Gosling is one of the best in the business when it comes to delivering high quality films that can appease critics and audiences alike.

3. Blue Valentine (2010)

Gosling plays – Dean

A couple cannot halt the downward spiral of their marriage.

One of the more raw and intimate relationship films I can recall sitting through, Blue Valentine is an unashamedly tough watch but it’s an important one, showcasing the talents of Gosling and his Oscar nominated screen partner Michelle Williams at the same time. A gut-wrenching drama that I am sure many could relate to in some way; Valentine is worthy of seeking out if you’ve yet to endure it.

2. First Man (2018)

Gosling plays – Neil Armstrong

A look back at the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

One of the most criminally underrated features of the past 10 years, First Man is a stunning achievement in multiple ways and features an understated performance from Gosling who has arguably never been more impressive at supressing his natural charms. An enthralling and captivating experience that perhaps wasn’t the crowd-pleasing biopic many had hoped for, First Man should continue to be revaluated as the masterpiece it always was.

1. La La Land (2016)

Gosling plays – Sebastian

When Sebastian, a pianist, and Mia, an actress, follow their passion and achieve success in their respective fields, they find themselves torn between their love for each other and their careers.

The Oscar winner that wasn’t, La La Land is an abundantly enjoyable and engaging movie musical that flew to the stars off the back of Damian Chazelle’s enthusiastic direction and the all-time performances from his leading duo Gosling and the Oscar winning Emma Stone. One of my fondest personal experiences in the theatre watching a movie, La La Land was an instant classic that was questionably not rewarded with the Oscars key award during its awards run.

Honourable Mentions – The Nice Guys, Half Nelson, The United States of Leland, Crazy Stupid Love

What are your favourite Ryan Gosling films? Let me know in the comments below!