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HBO’s highly anticipated and award-winning TV show, Succession will return for its fourth and final season on Sunday, March 26th, 2023. Succession grabbed fans’ hearts for its sardonic humor, brutal roast, and profound insight into the human mind in addition to all the familial and business conflicts.
However, the audience cannot fully appreciate the screenplay’s brilliance without the skilled cast members’ gorgeous and great portrayals that fully bring their characters to life and even more. One of the talented actors is no other than Jeremy Strong, who, with a career spanning over two decades, is a fan-favorite character thanks to his superb performance as Kendall Roy. Thus, while waiting for the last season of Succession to drop, there are a few of Strong’s greatest movies based on their Rotten Tomatoes scores.
10 ‘Humboldt County’ (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 60%
Humboldt County follows Peter Hadley (Strong), a medical student at UCLA who pushes himself too far. His lecturer, who is also his father, gives him poor grades on his final exam. Angry and disappointed, Peter never imagined he would find himself in a rural village of counterculture marijuana farmers where he is stranded for the summer.
Even with the shock of Bogart’s (Fairuza Balk) abrupt exit from the scene and the film’s tempo adjustment, the film takes on an appealing quality. Moreover, some plot problems may be overlooked since the characters are well-developed, the acting from the entire cast is brilliant, and the cinematography is gorgeous. Strong makes his big-screen debut in the movie, making him a household man as a result.
9 ‘The Gentlemen’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 76%
The Gentlemen centers on an American cannabis salesman, Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) in England who wants to sell his company, so he can retire peacefully with his wife – this sparks a series of blackmail attempts and conspiracies to bring him down. Strong portrayed Matthew Berger, an American billionaire who wants to buy from Pearson.
The Gentlemen is a classic Guy Ritchie crime movie that incorporates trademarks all fans know and love about the man while also introducing a few fresh characters and weaving his intricate plot at a somewhat slower tempo. Additionally, Strong produces a highly unique character that bears some resemblance to his Succession persona and is not overpowered by the formidable cast, especially in terms of facial expression.
8 ‘Armageddon Time’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 76%
Inspired by director James Gray‘s childhood experiences, Armageddon Time centers on a young Jewish American boy named Paul Graff (Banks Repeta) who becomes friends with a Black classmate and faces pressure from his family and the realities of privilege, injustice, and prejudice as he grows older. Strong played Irving Graff, Paul’s father.
With its weighty topics and wonderful, lighthearted moments, director James Gray‘s personal story strikes an excellent balance that makes the viewers care more about the said family and the entire film. In addition, the movie might be compared to Belfast and The Fabelmans as excellent fictional biopics for its sensitive and intelligent treatment of hard truths. Strong has the chance to display his sensitive side on film as well.
7 ‘Time Out of Mind’ (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 80%
Set in the urban cacophony of New York City, Time Out of Mind follows George (Richard Gere) finds sanctuary at Bellevue Hospital, a Manhattan intake center for men without housing, where he makes friends with another client and tries to mend fences with his daughter who he hasn’t spoken to in years. Strong played a minor of Jack.
There is much to appreciate about the movie since it explores homelessness from the perspective of people without homes rather than offering arrogant solutions. Additionally, Strong did his best to maximize every second of his brief on-screen time, turning it into a show-stealing supporting performance in the movie.
6 ‘Molly’s Game’ (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 82%
Based on the 2014 memoir of the same name by Molly Bloom, Molly’s Game follows the titular character, played by Jessica Chastain, who is the subject of an FBI probe after her underground poker operation, which she runs for A-listers, athletes, business moguls, and the Russian mob, is made public. Strong played the role of the real estate developer Dean Keith, who introduces Molly to the world of underground poker.
Aaron Sorkin‘s heavily worded script is delivered beautifully by Chastain with lightning speed, giving it a very complicated, completely intriguing, and quite contentious truth-based character. Moreover, Strong has a small role once more, but his presence and purpose are crucial to the plot of the entire movie as well as Bloom’s faith, and his portrayal in this film is very different from that of his role in Succession.
5 ‘Robot & Frank’ (2012)
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 86%
Set in the near future, Robot & Frank follows Frank Weld (Frank Langella), an elderly ex-thief who lives alone and has dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. He then received a robot butler from his son to help look after him. Yet, the duo soon attempts to pull off a theft together. Strong portrayed Jake whose jewels are planned to be robbed by Frank and his robot.
The underrated recent sci-fi movie gives viewers a surprisingly modest, upbeat, and highly credible depiction of a technologically advanced future, which is supported by an outstanding performance from Langella. Once more, Strong portrays a plot element with a clear plan of action. Robot & Frank is a must-watch even though Strong was impressively overshadowed by the leads, which include a robot.
4 ‘The Big Short’ (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 89%
Based on the 2010 book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis, The Big Short contains three different but continuous stories that are only loosely related by their events in the years preceding the collapse of the housing market in 2007. Strong portrayed Vinny Daniel, one of Mar Baum’s (Steve Carell) team at FrontPoint Partners, a small independent trading firm.
With biting wit and highly stylistic editing that keeps you on your toes, The Big Short smartly manages to explain how the economic collapse happened. Additionally, Strong makes the most of his short screen time and fully inhabits his role despite being cast alongside actors with immense talent like Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, and Ryan Gosling.
3 ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 89%
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a movie based on the true story of and follows The Chicago Seven, a group of anti-Vietnam War protesters accused of conspiring and traveling across state lines with the intent to spark riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Strong portrayed Jerry Rubin, founding member of the Yippies and one of the Seven.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a serious, approachable, and emotional courtroom drama that perfectly captures the mood of the conclusion of the counterculture movement. Moreover, the most uninteresting or difficult subjects may be made to be not only palatable but also enjoyable by Aaron Sorkin. Strong also cleverly makes use of more given screen time compared to his typical parts to showcase his versatility and ability.
2 ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (2012)
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 91%
Zero Dark Thirty follows CIA analyst Maya Harris (Jessica Chastain) who is tasked with locating Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda. The movie dramatized bin Laden’s decade-long manhunt after September 11, 2001, attacks and his murder at the hands of the Navy SEALs Team 6 in May 2011.
Zero Dark Thirty strikes a deft balance between emotion and closure without using divisive techniques like overt theatrics or chilly documentary reenactment. It’s also a film that doesn’t back down from challenging accepted wisdom or posing difficult topics with Chastain leading the talented cast to recreate one of the most triumphant events in U.S. military history.
1 ‘Selma’ (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 99%
Based on the true event that occurred in 1965, Selma chronicles the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s (played by David Oyelowo) fight for equal voting rights through an extraordinary march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Strong played James Reeb, an American Unitarian Universalist minister, pastor, and activist during the civil rights movement in Washington, D.C., and Boston, MA.
The majority of the film acts as an unwavering reminder of Martin Luther King Jr.’s perseverance and belief. The movie challenges audiences to think back on a recent period in which things were significantly different and also makes them reflect on how far there is still left to do. Strong gave an excellent performance alongside other skilled actors in the movie, accurately portraying Reeb.
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