With more than 20 years in the business under his belt,Shia LaBeoufhas crafted for himself one hell of a resumé. At 34, LaBeouf’s varied career has already gone through three major chapters — the Disneyfied tween star, the big studio hotshot, and the actor conducting a careful search for authenticity — and it’s possible he’s headed into another soon. Every chapter has molded LaBeouf, made him the dedicated, near-Method actor we see today in movies likeHoney BoyandThe Tax Collector, the latter of which was recently released.
As such, there is no actor currently working today who could reasonably be compared to LaBeouf; his talent and skill are unlike any of his peers. He is an actor who lives onscreen with his whole heart exposed, giving himself over to his roles so completely that he risks disappearing inside them for good. Of course, he never truly disappears because, at the end of the day, this is LaBeouf we’re talking about. His public persona is just as present in every role as the fictional persona he takes on.
I’m taking a look at 22 of LaBeouf’s biggest roles to date and re-assessing them, ranking them from worst to best. “ButAllie,” you’re shouting as you read this, “we all know Shia LaBeouf has 60 acting credits to date per IMDb, a site I unequivocally trust.” Well, that’s true, friend-o, but when you remove all of the shorts LaBeouf’s appeared in, his earlier roles where he’s appearing in small TV movie roles, anything pre-his breakout role inHoles, any roles where he appears in a few scenes and/or barely impacts the plot of the movie he’s in (see:Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,I, Robot,Constantine, andDumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd), and his voice role inSurf’s Upbecause seriously who cares, then we hit the magic number of 22.
Now, to be clear, I am an avowed LaBeouf fan. In my opinion, there are technically no performances that are “the worst.” But we’re ranking here so, something’s gotta give. And so, on that note, let’s take a look at LaBeouf’s performances and see how they measure up.
Bobbyis extremely average and LaBeouf is absolutely fine in it. Directed byEmilio Estevezand featuring a starry cast which includesSharon Stone,Demi Moore,Christian Slater,Elijah Wood,Lindsay Lohan,Ashton Kutcher,Laurence Fishburne, and LaBeouf,Bobbyfollows multiple characters who pass through the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on the day ofRobert F. Kennedy’s assassination. LaBeouf is not even the most memorable part of the cast. Additionally, he does very standard, good acting. His arc sees he andBrian Geraghtyas two campaign volunteers for Kennedy who spend less time campaigning and more time going on an acid trip.
Bobbycomes at a turning point in LaBeouf’s career. 2006 marks a more concerted effort from LaBeouf to transition out of independent movies or Disney-backed projects. He’d already cut his teeth with similarly bit parts inI, Robot,Constantine, andCharlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, butBobbyis interesting in that he’s playing more of an adult role rather than some wide-eyed, lovable kid popping in for a few scenes.Bobbyteases LaBeouf’s abilities to make some interesting choices as an actor and hold his own in a cast with veteran stars even when he’s a day player. However, this is hardly the first (or favorite) LaBeouf role anyone will cite when asked.
21. The Battle of Shaker Heights
2003’sThe Battle of Shaker Heightsis the first of two post-Disney Channel indies which sees LaBeouf securing top billing in what is his first lead role the same year asCharlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, and the end ofEven Stevensthree-year TV run. This is a big year for LaBeouf and his headlining ofThe Battle of Shaker Heightsis attention-grabbing, to be sure. Here’s the thing: It’s very clear LaBeouf is in a transition period.
InShaker Heights, he plays Kelly Ernswiler, a know-it-all teenager who believes he’s gained important life experience because he is a battle re-enactor on the weekends. But, as with all indie coming-of-age pics, Kelly’s whole jaded/precocious schtick fails him as he tries to weather the rollercoaster that is high school. LaBeouf once again turns in a very decent, watchable performance here. The performance is nothing to write home about, truth be told. Is LaBeouf playing a slightly jaded, slightly precocious, observant-in-all-the-wrong-ways teenager believably? Sure! He was 17 at the time he made the movie, so of course it all scans.
WhileThe Battle of ShakerHeightsis a generally unremarkable movie and does nothing in the way of allowing LaBeouf to put any of his acting talents to good use, the movie does allow us the chance to consider this child star actually transitioning into lead actor material further down the line. In this sense, LaBeouf absolutely succeeds.
20. A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
The last out-and-out indie LaBeouf stars in isDito Montiel’s 2006 directorial debut,A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. Based on Montiel’s memoir of the same name, LaBeouf plays a fictionalized version of the director in what will be the first of two films the pair collaborate on. (He’ll star in the Montiel-directed 2015 war dramaMan Down, too.)
By this point in LaBeouf’s career, his performance as Young Dito (Robert Downey Jr.plays Older Dito!) is his most adult to date.A Guide to Recognizing Your Saintsreflects on Young Dito’s teen years growing up in Astoria, Queens in the ’80s. The film takes an impressionistic approach to examining a specific and formative period of time in Dito’s life, with the teenager coming-of-age as he dreams of a life bigger than the confines of Astoria. As Dito tries to carve a path out of the violence which engulfs his neighborhood, he watches as childhood friends meet far more grim and lonely fates.
If we were talking about any other actor inA Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, this movie might rank higher. But we’re talking about LaBeouf, whose ultimate function in this movie is to be a kind of quiet anchor in what is otherwise a storm of action raging around him. LaBeouf is given a lot to chew on here as his character deals with sexual situations, violence, and other demanding material. While there are no real star-making moments for LaBeouf (that honor goes to his co-star,Channing Tatum), LaBeouf rises to the occasion and holding his own in an assured, confident manner which, at this stage of his career, continues to cement the feeling he could actually break out in a big way.
19. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Woof. TheTransformersfranchise was already fading fast by the time LaBeouf’s final outing as Sam Witwicky inTransformers: Dark of the Moonrolled around in 2011.Dark of the Moonjuggles a couple of arcs centered, once again, around the Autobots vs. the Decepticons conflict when the Autobots and their U.S. allies learn of secret Cybertron technology hidden on — you guessed it — the dark side of the moon and must beat the Decepticons to securing and activating it.
Here, LaBeouf makes his once-fresh, fun Witwicky performance feel very perfunctory. To the average viewer, seeing LaBeouf getting a little more latitude to dial the performance up as navigates an otherwise boring arc (compared to previousTransformersstorylines) might seem fun. But even with the actor actively searching to find ways to freshen up a plotline which has him teaming withJohn Turturro’s Seymour Simmons,Dark of the Moonreads very much as an “I’m contractually obligated to be here” kind of performance, and that really takes all the enjoyment out of watching it play out on screen.
18. Disturbia
In 2007, Paramount Pictures asked, “What if we remadeRear Window, but we put up-and-comerSarah Roemeropposite Shia LaBeouf and called it — wait for it —Disturbia?”
Disturbiasees LaBeouf testing out new genre territory playing Kale Brecht (really,Disturbia?), a teen grieving the death of his father and put on three months house arrest for assaulting a teacher shortly thereafter. Kale initially thrives under his new normal, spending the days lounging around and doing whatever he wants. As the doldrums of easy living under house arrest begin to set in, Kale takes an interest in his possibly shady, maybe a murderer neighbor, Robert (David Morse). Kale and the new girl in town, Ashley (Roemer), set up shop in David’s room, staking out Robert’s place to figure out if he’s been up to no good.
IsDisturbiaasking LaBeouf to deliver anything new? No. This is very much an easy paycheck kind of exercise that happily catered to teens heading to the movie theaters and looking for a Friday night thrill back in the twilight years of the ’00s. It was fun to see LaBeouf test out some new genre territory with this thriller, but maybe just watchRear Windowinstead.
17. The Greatest Game Ever Played
2005 marks the last gasp of LaBeouf’s connection to the Disney machine withThe Greatest Game Ever Played. Directed by Bill Paxton (his second and final time in the director’s chair),The Greatest Game Ever Playedsees LaBeouf take on the role ofFrancis Ouimet, a real-life amateur golfer who won the 1913 U.S. Open. LaBeouf goes toe-to-toe withStephen Dillaneas British pro golferHarry Vardon, withElias Koteas,Peter Firth, andPeyton Listin supporting roles.
LaBeouf’s turn as Ouimet sees him turning in solid work for a more adult Disney prestige picture. While the movie might lean more toward tracking Ouimet’s journey to golf gold, this is a movie equally concerned with following Vardon’s 1913 U.S. Open journey and breaking into the fuddy-duddy social politics surrounding the noble sport. As such, LaBeouf is left to put as much zeal as possible into a co-lead role which frequently risks him just turning in a one-note performance. What makes LaBeouf’s performance interesting here is this, in addition toBobbywhich arrives one year later, has him handling meatier roles (compared to the bit-part fare in big studio features or leads in overlooked indies) opposite road-tested actors. In this area, LaBeouf succeeds and manages to make Ouimet’s fictional arc inThe Greatest Game Ever Playeda touching, charming affair.
16. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
LaBeouf succeeds in the otherwise very clunkyWall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the sequel to 1987’sWall Street.Money Never Sleepsarrives toward the end of LaBeouf’s run of studio efforts, which runs fromBobbythrough to the end of the glut ofTransformersmovies clogging up the (currently) middle portion of his resumé. At the end of this studio run, which saw LaBeouf tackling populist fare and trying out the role of a leading man,Money Never Sleepsputs the actor to the test as he goes toe-to-toe with returningWall StreetalumMichael Douglas.
Given the pedigree ofMoney Never Sleeps, you’re able to see why any actor would want to get in on this. DirectorOliver Stonereturned to helm the 2010 sequel, with Douglas and LaBeouf leading a cast which includedCarey Mulligan(then also in the midst of a fruitful career upswing),Josh Brolin,Eli Wallach,Frank Langella,Jason Clarke, andAustin Pendleton. Set in 2008, LaBeouf assumes the portion of theWall Streetdynamic previously inhabited byCharlie Sheen, tackling the role of hotshot Wall Street trader Jake Moore. Jake is embedded in the Wall Street world, a protégé of a prominent firm managing director Louis Zabel (Langella) and engaged to Winnie Gekko (Mulligan), daughter of the infamous Gordon Gekko (Douglas). In the wake of his mentor’s death and Gordon’s return to the Wall Street scene, Jake becomes embroiled in a plot to take down the man responsible for Zabel’s passing and take over Wall Street with a little help from Gordon, who’s also out for revenge.
In some ways,Money Never Sleepshas aged awfully well. Toward the end of the first act,Gordon delivers a monologuethat begins with, “You’re all pretty much fucked” before laying out the pain of the coming financial crisis awaiting a packed auditorium. It’s a powerful moment, which sees Douglas firing on all cylinders but, alas, we’re not here to litigate his performance. Instead, we’re here to consider LaBeouf’s.
As Jake, LaBeouf is an active listener but very much a passive participant. This is, unfortunately, part of what LaBeouf is lumped withinMoney Never Sleepsas the machinations of shady Wall Street suits happen around him. When acting opposite Douglas or Brolin, LaBeouf is neutral, a straight man allowing his scene partner to go full ham. There are flashes of charm and slickness to LaBeouf’s interpretation of Jake. However, considering this does come at the end of a run of roles in big studio plays, it’s hard not to feel like LaBeouf is on leading man autopilot, eager to cash his check when filming wraps.
15. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
If I must be forced to watch and then consider a secondTransformersmovie, at least it’sTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen. LaBeouf’s secondTransformersmovie is very much a typical, middle child sort of follow-up to a franchise. Not yet incoherent in the way later installments will be but already wearing thin on the viewers' tolerance forMichael Bay-directed nonsense,Revenge of the Fallenpresents us with a LaBeouf at the height of his big studio, leading man career phase.
LaBeouf returns as Sam Witwicky, human friend and ally of the Earth-bound Autobots. While the Autobots deal with the usual Decepticon malarkey (Who cares? It only gets more convoluted inTransformers: Dark of the Moon.), Sam, his girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox), and his college roommate Leo (Ramon Rodriguez) find themselves once again in the middle of all-out conflict. And while there is nothing particularly revolutionary about LaBeouf inRevenge of the Fallen, I like to see him just having fun, engaging with the very wild story he is arguably co-leading, and get cutesy with Fox. I don’t demand every LaBeouf performance be jaw-droppingly note-perfect in order to be good (wait until you see what’s coming up), but I do hope it’s at least enjoyable. LaBeouf readily doles out the comedy with the action, proving at that point in his career he deserved to be as big as a star as he was. I can’t ask for much more than that.
14. The Company You Keep
I’m not mad aboutThe Company You Keep, but I expected better given the names attached to this one.
By the time LaBeouf has signed on toThe Company You Keepsometime before filming kicked off in 2011, our guy had made his way through Disney stardom, aTransformersfranchise, and some indies. Our guy was road-tested and ready to go. Considering he was primed for greatness, it should come as no shock he manages to shine in an otherwise mildly entertaining yarn directed by and starringRobert Redford, as well as folks likeSusan Sarandon,Stanley Tucci,Chris Cooper,Julie Christie,Brendan Gleeson,Nick Nolte,Brit Marling, andAnna Kendrick.
InThe Company You Keep, LaBeouf plays reporter Ben Shepard, an overly confident and somewhat cynical local reporter who stumbles into the biggest story of the decade involving former Weather Underground activists who have been in hiding since the ’70s. LaBeouf is so damn cool in this role, facing off against the likes of Sarandon, Redford, Cooper, and Gleeson like he’s had just as many years in the biz and can perform Ben in his sleep. There’s a stillness in LaBeouf’s performance, as well as a charming pain-in-the-ass quality embedded deep into every moment of his onscreen time which is so key to playing a journalist worth keeping your eye on. To me, the whole thing recalls the coolness of Redford asBob WoodwardinAll the President’s Men, so yeah, pander to me, Shia LaBeouf.
13. Man Down
LaBeouf reunites withA Guide to Recognizing Your SaintsdirectorDito MontielforMan Downand sees the actor turning in what is arguably the less of his outings playing a soldier. Here, LaBeouf is Gabriel Drummer, a young American soldier sent overseas to Afghanistan with his close friend, Devin (Jai Courtney), joining him. Gabriel makes it through his tour in Afghanistan, but witnesses Devin’s death as well as the harsh toll of serving the United States Army. When Gabriel returns home, he is a shell of his former self, haunted by Devin and wracked with PTSD as his life spirals out.
Man Downis way too high-concept for the performance LaBeouf is delivering. The actor’s grounded and committed performance is competent and committed, but LaBeouf is let down by a story that moves between genres and attempts to obfuscate an otherwise obvious ending with a nonlinear structure. LaBeouf’s instincts as a dramatic actor marry well to the temperament of a character like Gabriel, but it falls short. This is not the last time LaBeouf will star in a movie that moves through time in a nonlinear fashion, nor will it be the last movie in his career phase as a serious actor working to live authentically onscreen. WhileMan Downultimately highlights is LaBeouf’s success in doing what he does best really depends on the material and the people he’s working with.
