There is a slew of rising young actors in Hollywood that audiences have their eyes on, showcasing their talent and range by picking unique and exciting projects. One of those is undoubtedly the dynamicAlex Wolff. It doesn’t seem fair to call him a rising star,as he found fame as a child actorin Nickelodeon’sThe Naked Brothers Bandseries alongside his brotherNat Wolff.
However, it is the past decade or so that has really shown his growth as a performer and heightened his reputation in the industry. Wolff has starred in many successful films, ranging from small indies likeMy Friend Dahmerto giant blockbusters likeJumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. He has appeared in both supporting and leading roles in some of the biggest movies over the past couple of years, making him one to watch.These are Alex Wolff’s best movies, ranging in genres and scopes but proving he is a compelling and engaging presence on the screen.
10‘Old’ (2021)
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
M. Night Shyamalanis king when it comes to telling creepy and twisty stories, continuing his comeback streak with the horror-thrillerOld. The film follows a family on vacation who visit a secluded beach for a few hours. They eventually discover they are trapped and that the beach is causing them to age rapidly, limiting their lifespan to a single day.
Wolff plays Trent, the family’s son, at the age of fifteen. Trent starts the movie as a six-year-old and ends it as a fully grown adult.Wolff convincingly plays a teenager with a child’s mentality, a feat that could’ve easily gone wrong, especially while trying to keep the film’s suspense. However, Wolff is great in a relatable yet off-putting role that adds to the eerie nature of the film.Old, of course,also features a classic Shyamalan twist near the end, which will delight some and frustrate others.
9‘A Good Person’ (2023)
Directed by Zach Braff
Zach Braffdirects the dramaA Good Person, starringMorgan Freemanand another one of Hollywood’s brightest young actors,Oscar-nomineeFlorence Pugh. Pugh plays Allison, a young woman with a promising life and a wonderful fiancé. Her world is turned upside down when she is involved in a car accident and kills her future brother and sister-in-law. While trying to deal with her grief, she turns to opioids and forms a serious drug addiction.
A Good Personis a deep exploration of tragedy and sorrow and how people deal with it. Wolff only appears in one scene, playing Matt, a former schoolmate of Allison’s. When they see each other at a bar, Matt taunts her about her substance abuse problem. It is one of the film’s most memorable moments,showcasing Wolff and Pugh playing off each other effortlessly.A Good Personshows Wolff’s ability to make his mark on a movie despite having only a few minutes on-screen, a task not many actors can achieve.
A Good Person
8‘My Friend Dahmer’ (2017)
Directed by Marc Meyers
The question of whether monsters are born or made is always a topic of interest, andMy Friend Dahmerexplores it.The film tells the true-crime storyof the high school years of notorious serial killerJeffery Dahmer, played byRoss Lynch. Dahmer is a shy teen who struggles to fit in, but a troubled childhood, questionable obsessions, and an alcohol addiction hint at something more sinister to come in the future.
While the film doesn’t chronicle Dahmer at the height of his sadism, he is shown torturing and hurting animals, which is highly disturbing. Wolff plays John Backderf, Dahmer’s unknowing friend and aspiring graphic artist. The film is based on his graphic novels that chronicle his friendship with Dahmer and shares the film’s title.Wolff brings considerable and much-needed humanityto the movie, acting as an audience surrogate reacting to Dahmer’s unsettling presence.
My Friend Dahmer
Directed by Cory Finley
Bad Educationtells a wild, true story that is hard to believe actually happened.Hugh Jackmanplays Frank Tassone, a Long Island school superintendent who, along with his assistantPam Gluckin(Allison Janney), puts the school district on the map. However, a student reporter uncovers an embezzlement scheme the pair are hiding, the biggest ever in the education world. To save their reputations, Frank and Pam must cover their tracks.
Biting and entertaining,Bad Educationis a pitch-black story about ambition and the dangers of unchecked power.Jackman shines in his lead performance, and the film is darkly shocking and funny at the same time. Wolff playsNick Fleischman, one of the editors of the school paper who initially breaks the story. It’s only a small role, butWolff is in good company alongside Jackman and Janney, as well asRay RomanoandGeraldine Viswanathan.
Bad Education
6‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ (2017)
Directed by Jake Kasdan
When a newJumanjifilm was initially announced, fans weren’t exactly happy. The original movie from the ‘90s starringthe belovedRobin Williamsis considered a classic with a lot of nostalgia attached to it. A newJumanjifilm could have easily been forgettable, but a fresh new story set in modern times was actually a hit.
In the film, a group of teenagers play a video game that sucks them into the world of Jumanji, where they must embody the game’s avatars and win to return home. Wolff plays Spencer Gilpin, the teen who is turned intoDwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s character, Dr. Smolder Bravestone. While he only appears at the beginning and end of the film,his character arc as Bravestone is crucial to the film’s story and development.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
5‘Patriots Day’ (2016)
Directed by Peter Berg
Patriots Dayis based on the true story of the tragic Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, following the aftermath of the incident and the city-wide manhunt to find the terrorists responsible.Mark Wahlbergplays an FBI agent who teams up with the police to bring them to justice oppositeKevin Bacon,Michelle Monaghan,John Goodman,J.K. Simmons, and more.
Patriots Dayfeaturesone of Wolff’s darkest and most challenging roles to date, playingDzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the brothers who perpetrated the bombing. Wolff pulls off his complicated performance, with the film choosing to put more attention on the heroes and power of the human spirit in the midst of such devastation. His participation might be short compared to others in the cast, but Wolff leaves a lasting impression with his cold depiction.Patriots Dayis a difficult but rewarding watch that will truly move audiences.
Patriots Day
4‘Pig’ (2021)
Directed by Michael Sarnoski
Oscar-winnerNicolas Cagehas been known to take on daring and unusual roles in his career of late, and one of those can be found in the meditative dramaPig. The actor plays a truffle hunter who was once a renowned chef and now lives alone in the Oregon forest. When his beloved truffle-hunting pig is kidnapped, he must return to civilization in Portland to find her and face his past.
Wolff plays Amir, a young Portland businessman who supplies luxury ingredients to high-end restaurants. Amir helps Rob (Cage) search for his pig, and the pair form a personal and meaningful bond.Cage and Wolff give beautifully nuanced performancesand have poignant on-screen chemistry.Pigmay be quiet in its approach, but it speaks volumes, largely thanks toMichael Sarnoski’s subtle direction and Cage and Wolff’s powerful work.
3‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan’s historical epicOppenheimerwas the biggest movie of 2023,winning multiple Oscars, including Best Picture. The film is a biopic based on the life of American scientistJ. Robert Oppenheimer(Cillian Murphy), the leader of the Manhattan Project and father of the atomic bomb. Shot specifically for IMAX, the film is a triumphant technical and cinematic experience.
Wolff playsLuis Alvarez, the Nobel-winning physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project with Oppenheimer and other scientists.He is one of many known actors who have a brief supporting role in the film, only popping up in a few scenes yet making the most of his screen time. Wolff shares compelling and engaging scenes with Oscar-winner Murphy andJosh Hartnett, who plays fellow scientistErnest Lawrence. It’s hard to stand out in such a stacked cast, but Wolff certainly makes an impression.
Oppenheimer
2‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ (2024)
Wolff reunited withPigdirector Michael Sarnoski forA Quiet Place: Day One,the prequel to the previous sci-fi horror moviesstarringJohn KrasinskiandEmily Blunt.Lupita Nyong’oplays the lead role of Samira, who has terminal cancer and lives at a hospice. When New York City is first attacked by the sound-sensitive monsters from the first two movies, she must keep quiet to stay alive alongside friendly stranger Eric (Joseph Quinn).
Wolff appears at the start of the movie, playing Reuben, Samira’s nurse. He convinces her to join him and the other patients on a group outing to Manhattan, which is where they are attacked.Wolff is warm and charming in the role, as Reuben shows a lot of kindness to Samira and constantly tries to lift her spirits and be positive. He is also deeply understanding of her reservations and cynicism, too, lending the film a relatable presence that quickly makes audiences feel in the action.
A Quiet Place: Day One
Rent on Apple
1‘Hereditary’ (2018)
Directed by Ari Aster
Highly regarded as one ofthe best horror movies of the 21st century, A24’sHereditaryis a deeply unsettling piece of work. Annie (Toni Colette) and her family are left grief-stricken when her grandmother passes away. As they try to deal with the process, strange and supernatural things start occurring, linked to generational trauma and allowing sinister family secrets to be revealed.
Wolff plays Peter, Annie’s son, who has a deeply fractured relationship with his mother. Hisheartbreaking and unnerving performance is undoubtedly the best and most complex of his careerso far, catapulting him into the conversation of rising young actors in Hollywood. Colette is also phenomenal, depicting grief with pain and fury, thus crafting a layered and challenging portrayal. Their performances were so good that there was much rage when the pair weren’t nominated for Oscars.Hereditarystands as a true modern classic and a testament to Wolff’s commitment and intensity on the screen.
