Chris Messina is one of the most consistently underrated character actors working in the industry, and he’s having the year of his career in 2023 thanks to his leading role on the Peacock original series Based On A True Story and his scene-stealing supporting role in Ben Affleck’s critically acclaimed biopic Air.
Messina has appeared all over television in shows like The Newsroom, Gaslit, Sharp Objects, and Six Feet Under, but it’s his film work that has truly proved his range. Here are the top ten best Chris Messina movies, ranked.
10 ‘I Care a Lot’ (2020)
I Care A Lot is a Netflix original dark comedy that seems perfectly suited for Messina’s unique personality; it’s sharp, wickedly funny, and slightly outside the norm. The film stars Rosamund Pike as the con artist Maya Grayson, who poses as the legal guardian of elderly citizens in order to steal their property and take over their lives.
Messina has a fun supporting role as the mafia lawyer Dean Ericson, who realizes that the typical deceptive tactics that he uses on his criminal employers won’t always work when dealing with someone like Maya.
9 ‘Like Crazy’ (2011)
Like Crazy is one of the most charming independent romance films to emerge in the last few decades, as it was among the first smaller romance films from the Sundance Film Festival to become a major sensation. The story follows the American student Jacob Helm (the late great Anton Yelchin), who falls in love with the British girl Anna Gardener (Felicity Jones) during their studies together.
It was a groundbreaking film in many ways, and Messina was a part of it as the supporting character comically named “Mike Appletree.”
8 ‘Greenberg’ (2010)
Greenberg marked a major turning point in writer/director Noah Baumbach’s career, as it was his first major collaboration with Greta Gerwig. The film follows the single man Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller), who begins to fall in love with the younger woman Florence Marr (Gerwig).
Messina appears in a supporting role as Roger’s older brother Phillip, who grows tired of his brother’s constant yearning and inability to make decisions. Phillip is the character that actually tells the sort of practical tips that he should use if he wants to get back into dating.
7 ‘Vicky Christina Bareclona’ (2008)
Woody Allen’s 2007 comical romance Vicky Christina Barcelona tells a very odd story about love, passion, and infidelity in a number of beautiful locations; basically, it’s another Allen movie.
The film follows the strange artist Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardem) as he sets aside his relationship with his estranged wife Maria (Penelope Cruz in an Oscar winning role) to focus on his interest in the tourists Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Christina (Scarlett Johansson). Messina appears as Vicky’s dopey, yet reliable husband who never discovers any of the romantic intrigue that occurs.
6 ‘Digging For Fire’ (2015)
Joe Swanberg’s mystery dramedy Digging For Fire is one of the best achievements of the “mumblecore” movement, as it simply examines the realistic conversations and arguments that various couples would get into when their relationships begin to drag on to the point of being stale.
The film follows the slacker Tim (Jake Johnson) as he becomes obsessed with uncovering the remains of a skeletal body, much to the dismay of his wife Lee (Rosemarie DeWitt). Messina appears as Tim’s supportive, yet skeptical friend Billy, who tries to share some wisdom with the struggling couple.
5 ‘Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey’ (2020)
Birds of Prey is one of the best films in the DCEU, as it allowed director Cathy Yan to embrace all the eccentricities and violent mayhem that comes with the character of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). The film’s villains, Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) and Victor Zsasz (Messina), are absolute buffoons, but the dynamic between Roman and Victor is an interesting one.
Roman is self-aggrandizing to an absurd degree, yet Victor continues to worship his knowledge like it is essential; a romantic interest is implied, as Victor is constantly seeking Roman’s approval and attention.
4 ‘Julie & Julia’ (2009)
Julie & Julia is one of the best films about fan culture, as it explores the costs of becoming a little too obsessed with one of your idols. Based on a true story, the film follows the blogger Julie Powell (Amy Adams) as she becomes obsessed with learning the cooking of Julia Child (Meryle Streep), and decides to cook Child’s recipe for one year in her apartment with her husband Eric (Messina).
Eric is basically the best husband ever; he’s supportive, excited about his wife’s opportunities, but warns of what issues may emerge if she becomes too obsessed,
3 ‘Air’ (2023)
Air is a film that shouldn’t work nearly as well as it does because it’s essentially all about a sales pitch. The film follows the NIKE employee Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) as he attempts to sign Michael Jordan to an exclusive brand of shoes.
The film is filled with memorable performances, but Messina is clearly the standout as the profane sports agent David Falk, who spends most of the film screaming on the phone and giving rants about his success. Hopefully, Messina will be remembered in the Best Supporting Actor race during Oscar season.
2 ‘Palo Alto’ (2013)
Palo Alto is an extremely underrated high school drama from director Gia Coppola, and follows the struggles of the teenage loner April (Emma Roberts) as she navigates her relationship status during the last days of her senior year. April is shocked by the wild behavior of her friend Fred (Nat Wolfff), who is struggling to deal with his abusive father (Messina).
It’s a genuinely terrifying performance from the generally likable Messina; he’s often cast as the comic relief, but he successfully shows the abuse that Fred’s father inflicted upon him.
1 ‘Argo’ (2012)
Messina’s brilliance has caught the eye of many great directors, including Ben Affleck. In addition to Air, he appears in the Affleck-directed Live by Night and Argo.
A Best Picture winner, Argo tells the incredible true story of the CIA agent Tony Mendez (Affleck), who comes up with an absurd plan to save the American hostages in Iran during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Mendez believes that it would be possible to smuggle the passengers out of hostile territory by pretending that they are part of the production of a fake science fiction movie.
