Pedro Pascal's 15 Best Movies

Pascal reprises his titular role from the streaming Disney+ series The Mandalorian (at least when the mask's off) in Mando and Grogu's first big-screen outing—and the first Star Wars feature of any kind in seven years. Also back to direct the film is series creator Jon Favreau.

Critics are ranking it among the worst Star Wars films to date thanks to a lack of major stakes in an easygoing, unambitious story that could have (should have?) been an episode or two of television instead. But it's certainly not Pascal's worst film (even if a film this lackluster probably doesn't belong in any actor's top-15 list).

"For all its dull, forgettable, and sometimes egregious misjudgments, 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' is not terrible, exactly. It is occasionally cute, occasionally funny, and sometimes harmlessly silly. But it is also completely disposable, and that may be worse." —Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist

"Love is a sleigh ride through hell" is a refrain that runs through the journey of free spirit Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and repressed Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), two young women who are unwittingly on the run from criminals while their friendship evolves into a romantic relationship in Coen brother Ethan Coen's first solo directorial effort that he also co-wrote with his queer/bisexual wife, Tricia Cooke.

Pascal has a very brief role as a man named Santos, who possesses a briefcase that causes him to lose his head. That briefcase weaves its way throughout this violently comedic road movie that also features appearances by Colman Domingo, Beanie Feldstein, and Matt Damon. Most critics were mixed on the lesbian road movie, with some finding the offbeat movie amusing, and others finding it amused with itself. 

"It's a lightweight, weirdly teen-friendly (but very R-rated) slumber party movie with an upbeat and liberating "be gay, do crime" vibe. It's a queer, hand grenade-shaped squeak toy." —Whitney Seibold, Slashfilm

Writer/directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck follow up their MCU megahit Captain Marvel with a return to Earth in Oakland, California. Freaky Tales is an anthology film made up of four different intersecting narratives taking place in the late 1980s in the East Bay. The surprising cast includes Ben Mendelsohn (Mississippi Grind), Jay Ellis (Top Gun: Maverick), Dominique Thorne (Ironheart), and Oakland rap legend Too $hort as himself. Pascal plays Clint, a criminal who's looking for revenge after his life of crime has tragically impacted his family.

The violent indie received mixed reviews, with some critics entertained by this cult film in the making while others thought it was the equivalent of a cinematic junk drawer. Decide for yourself when the film begins streaming on HBO Max in August.

"It's infectious, the love Freaky Tales has for the Oakland, Calif., of the mid-1980s." —Mark Meszoros, The Seattle Times

The second solo adventure for Gal Gadot's Diana Prince a.k.a. Wonder Woman in the DCEU was this simultaneous theatrical and HBO Max premium streaming pandemic release. Set seventy-odd years after the first film, WW1984 features Pedro Pascal going for broke as influential con man and megalomaniac Maxwell Lord, whose wish-granting power has him salivating to take over the world.

Throw in an undercooked second villain Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and the questionable return of Chris Pine's Steve Trevor in the body of an unconsenting man, and you've got another disappointing DCEU movie. Critics were mixed, with some appreciating the lightweight pandemic distraction, and others lamenting the weak story and the lack of its predecessor's charm. 

"If there ever was a role that played perfectly to Pascal's natural charisma, it's Maxwell Lord." —Hoai-Tran Bui, Slashfilm

J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) directed this Netflix action-adventure movie about a former team of U.S. Army Delta Force operators who plot the heist of a South American crime lord. The Delta Force team is played by Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal as Francisco "Catfish" Morales, who's essentially the getaway helicopter pilot. Of course, when you rip off a crime lord, things don't go according to plan.

Triple Frontier received solid reviews, with many critics appreciating the dramatic stakes and themes of greed vs. conscience, while other critics thought the action too boilerplate and characters too one-dimensional.

"An unconventional heist film in which a majority of the action occurs after the loot has been liberated, Triple Frontier features impeccable photography, strong acting, and well-staged action scenes that ooze tension." —James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Written and directed by Nadia Conners, this cinematic chamber piece is about an elderly woman, Helen (Lois Smith), who shows up uninvited to a home she insists is hers. Helen has stumbled into a rocky Hollywood marriage between agent Sammy (Conners' real-life husband Walton Goggins) and his wife, former theater actress Rose (Elizabeth Reaser). While throwing a houseparty for Sammy's drug-addled star client, Gerald (Rufus Sewell), tensions flare, especially when Rose's former theater actor boyfriend, movie star Lucian (Pedro Pascal), enters the scene.

The seldom-seen indie drama received praise for its performers and its satirical look at aging and Hollywood superficiality.

"The dialogue-driven movie is genuinely funny and heartfelt, rarely, if ever, losing its momentum from start to finish. Conners is a confident director, bringing together a story that is personal while touching upon issues women face as they age with grace and care." —Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

Pascal's later career hot streak landed him in the long-gestating sequel to Ridley Scott's Russell Crowe-starring blockbuster and Best Picture winner, Gladiator. Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as a new gladiator (with a connection to the past film) who does battle with Roman armies, politicians, and CGI sharks alike. Pascal plays the solemn General Acacius of the Roman army, who attempts to overthrow current Roman emperors Geta (future The Fantastic Four: First Steps brother-in-law Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).

Reviewers mostly focused on the addition of scheming Macrinus, played by Pascal's former The Equalizer 2 co-star Denzel Washington, but critics generally agreed that the film couldn't compete in the arena with the original. 

"This incredible cast, especially Washington, Nielsen, and the overlooked Pascal, and this expansion of the compelling political machinations make Gladiator II a worthwhile sequel, even if it can't match its predecessor. Gladiator II will leave you entertained, but leave you with an unfortunate feeling of déjà vu." —Ross Bonaime, Collider

The third and final MCU movie of the year (and last film until next July's Spider-Man: Brand New Day) is Marvel Studios' take (and fourth cinematic team) on Marvel's first family. WandaVision executive producer and director Matt Shakman directs his first major motion picture, which comes two weeks after former Marvel Studios creator James Gunn's Superman kicked off the DCU, a month after Ironheart was unceremoniously dumped on Disney+, and months after Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* were soft at the box-office.

Pascal plays Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic alongside Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing in this alternate universe, early-1960s origin story of this popular superhero team. Has all of July's superhero goodwill gone to DC? Will critics and audiences get behind the retro-futuristic vibes of The Fantastic Four: First Steps? The good news is that, though slightly short of fantastic, First Steps is easily the best-reviewed F4 film to date.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the MCU getting back to basics - a solid superhero movie, grounded in heart, but with little flashiness." —Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

American enfant terrible Ari Aster returns two years after his polarizing three-hour Joaquin Phoenix-starring Beau Is Afraid with a social satire/modern Western that's inspired by social media, the pandemic, and the increasing division of the American population. Taking place in 2020 during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic in Eddington, New Mexico (Aster spent much of his childhood in Santa Fe), the film stars Pascal as the small town's cautious mayor who, out of an abundance of caution, imposes a lockdown and mask mandate, while Phoenix plays the town's asthmatic and stubbornly reluctant-to-mask-up sheriff who grows increasingly paranoid and violent.

Premiering in competition at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Eddington went home empty-handed and received mixed-to-decent reviews, with most critics focusing on Phoenix's performance and Aster's rare choice to examine a provocative real-world subject. Some reviewers felt he hit a darkly satirical target, while others thought the film missed the mark. 

"Eddington is only a partly coherent mishmash of tones and ideas: sincere and satirical, astute and self-obfuscating. The only thing it is completely is ambitious." —Farah Cheded, The A.V. Club

Argentinian drama, Hermanas is about Natalia and Elena, two sisters who separate in 1976 during the Argentine dictatorship and then reunite in Texas after being apart for eight years. A youthful Pascal has a small role as Steve, a handsome thrift store worker who ends up dating Natalia. Not surprisingly, the sisters are the stars of the show, and actresses Valeria Bertuccelli and Ingrid Rubio received most of the critical acclaim. Writer and director Julia Solomonoff (assistant director on Walter Salles' The Motorcycle Diaries) was also praised for bringing the sisters' mysteries of the past and complex emotions of the present to light. 

"Solomonoff draws out vivid performances by Valeria Bertuccelli (Elena) and Ingrid Rubio (Natalia) that make up for the script's predictability." —V.A. Musetto, New York Post

This Hollywood action-comedy send-up stars Nicolas Cage as a version of himself who is hired by Pedro Pascal's billionaire—and Cage superfan—Javi Gutiérrez to attend his birthday party. Their budding bromance is tested when Cage is intercepted by CIA agents (Ike Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish) and told that Javi is a notorious arms dealer and that Cage must acquire intel for them.

Critics loved the conceit behind the Cage cinephile hijinks and chemistry between Pascal and Cage, who was frequently applauded for being a good sport to play with his image and to finally appear in a bigger budget movie after spending years in more modest independent features. 

"The real heart and soul of the picture is Cage's on-screen bromance with Pedro Pascal's Javi. Their chemistry carries the movie into far more memorable territory, and more than makes up for a few of the film's less-interesting elements." —Alex Navarro, IGN

Initially made as a well-received short in 2014 and plussed out for a feature in 2018, this this science fiction tale from Seattle filmmakers Zeek Earl and Chris Cadwell follows a teenage girl, Cee (Sophie Thatcher), and father, Damon (Jay Duplass), as they travel to a distant alien moon to strike it rich off of rare gems. Once there, they realize they are not alone as they encounter two hostile prospectors, one of whom is Ezra, played by Pascal.

Critics embraced the science-fiction thrills, world building, and impressive performances that were all achieved with modest means. Given the past couple of years Pascal and Thatcher (Heretic, Companion) have had, this one seems ripe for a fresh look. 

"Western or sci-fi Western, Prospect never sets its sights higher than violent, quasi-poetic B-movie and as such does not disappoint." —Roger Moore, Movie Nation

Writer/director Celine Song's follow-up to her 2023 triumph, Past Lives, is this much-debated romance which is not as much of a comedy as the A24 marketing would have you believe. Materialists stars Dakota Johnson as a successful professional New York matchmaker who tries to balance the needs of her very particular clients and, while being pursued by a dashing and wealthy financier (Pedro Pascal), runs into her good-hearted, struggling theater actor ex (Chris Evans).

The refreshingly adult drama was warmly received by most critics for telling a story about self-worth and the complexity of modern relationships. That said, some critics balked at the tonal shifts found in a jarring workplace subplot and a twist involving Pascal's character, either of which, depending on the viewer, could derail the entire enterprise. 

"Both embracing and deconstructing the genre, Materialists is a well-acted affair with three A-list leads – Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal – and while certainly thoughtful, the film's strengths are upended by a mood-murdering melancholy." —Brian Truitt, USA Today

This acclaimed Dreamworks animated adaptation of the first book of Peter Brown's popular series was a sleeper hit for viewers last year in a sea of animated sequels and reboots. On an uninhabited island, a mysterious (wild) robot Roz (Lupita Nyong'o) appears and attempts to assimilate into its new natural habitat while becoming friends with the neighboring animals. Roz eventually takes orphaned gosling Brightbill (Kit Connor) under her proverbial wing, causing many a parental viewer's tears to flow. Pascal is a standout as the sly and initially mischievous fox Fink, who is one of the first animals to interact with Roz.

Critics were nearly unanimous in their praise, loving the beautiful animation as well as the poignant themes of found family and the relationship between technology and nature. 

"The movie is a dazzling triumph of animation in which you feel the filmmakers' attention on every frame. In a revivifying turn away from the gag-a-minute, computer-generated extravaganzas clogging up the animated zoological canon, this is a work that cares most about two things: big feelings and great beauty." —Natalia Winkelman, The New York Times

Barry Jenkins' follow-up to his Best Picture-winning Moonlight is an adaptation of legendary author and civil rights activist James Baldwin's acclaimed, Harlem-set 1974 novel of the same name about a young pregnant Black woman named Tish (KiKi Layne), whose fiance and father of her child, Fonny (Stephen James) is falsely imprisoned. Pascal has an uncredited role as Pietro Alvarez, a man who sets up a meeting between Tish's mother, Sharon (Regina King) and the young woman who falsely accused Fonny of rape. This standout scene is assuredly one of the reasons why Regina King won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role.

Critics universally praised the film and the way the sumptuous images and music act as a substitute for Baldwin's prose. 

"A great American novel has been turned into a great American film." —Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times