With the children’s fantasy IF opening in theaters this weekend, I want to look back at director John Krasinski’s career and highlight his best movies and television performances. This is a weird one because Krasinski is best known for his television work, so I decided to amend the criteria (just this once) to better highlight the man, the myth, and the legend.
Now, everyone turn, look into the camera, shrug, and read about the best John Krasinski best movies and TV performances ranked in no particular order.
Jack Ryan (2018)
The Jack Ryan television series may not have lived up to its potential — a result of straying too far from Tom Clancy’s novels. Regardless, Krasinski still delivered an outstanding performance as CIA analyst Jack Ryan. The biggest folly here is that the showrunners turn Ryan into an action hero in the vein of 24’s Jack Bauer. In Clancy’s novels, Ryan operates behind a desk, occasionally venturing into the field only when no other option exists. At one point, he becomes the President of the United States!
Krasinski fits the bill better than any actor since Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October, but the series is saddled with clunky plots that rely more on action and contrived twists than intellect. The series certainly merits a watch, and to Krasinski’s credit, he somehow keeps the show afloat even as it slowly sinks into mediocrity.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)
Krasinski tried his hand at the action genre in Michael Bay’s true-life war epic 13 Hours and delivered the goods as Jack Silva, a devoted husband/father forced into action when militants attacked the US Consulate in Benghazi in 2012. The actor packed on an absurd amount of muscle for the role and believably navigates the deadly circumstances alongside James Badge Dale and fellow Office alumni David Denman, among others.
Honestly, I have no idea how much of the story is factual. However, as a war epic, 13 Hours packs quite the punch. Bay delivers a relentlessly intense series of set pieces that put our boys through the grinder. While the final product falls short of epics like American Sniper and is perhaps a little too heavy-handed in its messaging, the 2016 thriller offers a heartfelt look at a terrifying situation that led to the deaths of several Americans, which is why it makes the list of the best John Krasinski movies and TV performances.
The Office (2005)
Krasinski has done a commendable job packing his resume with various roles, demonstrating his natural charisma and solid acting chops. Even so, we’ll never forget him as lowly Jim Halpert, the understated everyman forever dealing with his eccentric boss (Steve Carrell) in the popular, award-winning comedy series The Office. Ostensibly the straight guy to Carrell’s hilarious Michael Scott, Krasinski’s performance proves vital to the series. He deals with real-life problems, falls in and out of love, and maintains a relatability even after later seasons oddly push him aside to focus on other characters.
Krasinski is downright brilliant in the role and deserves far more credit than he receives. His chemistry with Jenna Fisher’s Pam Beasley is the stuff of a TV legend, and his dry, comedic timing works perfectly alongside his manic coworkers. In short, Carrell may have stolen the show, but Krasinski consistently provided its heart.
A Quiet Place (2018)
Following the end of The Office and appearances in films such as Something Borrowed and It’s Complicated, Krasinski tackled his most ambitious project to date: 2020’s A Quiet Place, in which he serves as star and director. Against the odds, Krasinski delivered a unique thriller that spawned two sequels (and counting) and paved the way for IF.
A Quiet Place follows a family attempting to survive a world populated by deadly aliens. The twist? These aliens can’t see and rely on their hearing, meaning people survive only by remaining silent. Krasinski milks this novel premise for all its worth. It helps to have his real-life wife, Emily Blunt, supplying solid support and a handful of slick set pieces that push the intensity meter to its breaking point.
Now, A Quiet Place is a tad overblown and perhaps more melodramatic than it needs to be. Still, genuine thrills abound, and Krasinski keeps the production moving quickly. It’s a lot of fun, provided you don’t think about it too hard.
Leatherheads (2008)
George Clooney’s Leatherheads isn’t very good, but Krasinski is really good in it. As beleaguered war hero turned football star Carter Rutherford, Krasinski delivers a likable enough performance that makes his character easy to root for. The story is fascinating, revolving around Dodge Connolly’s (Clooney) efforts to turn football into an American pastime in 1920. Carter is the man Dodge recruits to anchor his team. The pair develop a rivalry in their attempts to capture the attention of a newswoman named Lexie Littleton (Rene Zellweger), leading to a fun, if not tonally inconsistent, romantic screwball comedy, which lands at the end of our list of the best John Krasinski movies and TV performances.
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