Jesse Eisenberg Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a filmography or franchise from worst to best and hand out assorted superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Jesse Eisenberg-whose latest project "Sasquatch Sunset" releases in select theaters today and expands wide next week. 

Jesse Eisenberg's Filmography Ranked:

19.The Village (D+)

18.Wild Indian (C-)

17.The Hummingbird Project (C)

16.Rio (B-)

15.Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (B-)

14.30 Minutes or Less (B-)

13.Cafe Society (B)

12.Justice League (B)

11.The End of the Tour (B)

10.The Art of Self-Defense (B)

9.Adventureland (B)

8.Zack Snyder's Justice League (B)

7.The Squid and the Whale (B)

6.American Ultra (B+)

5.Now You See Me (B+)

4.Now You See Me 2 (B+)

3.Zombieland: Double Tap (A)

2.The Social Network (A)

1.Zombieland (A)

Top Dog: Zombieland (2009)

The root of Zombieland's success is simple: Put four well-matched actors playing polar opposite characters together (Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin) and let them mine situational comedy gold in a zombie apocalypse setting. Throw in some heart, moments of over-the-top gore and one of the greatest, most unexpected cameos in movie history from Bill Murray as himself and you have a classic zomcom that will continue to stand the test of time.      

Bottom Feeder: The Village (2004)

I've developed at least some form of appreciation for the bulk of M. Night Shyamalan's filmography in recent years. One of the only films of his that I hated when I was younger that I continue to view in a harshly negative light today is The Village. Outside of the reveal of its loopy plot twist at the beginning of the third act, the film proves to be a massive bore as Shyamalan struggles to build the rich gothic horror atmosphere he's aiming for, and Bryce Dallas Howard flounders in her first-ever lead role with what remains by far the most wooden performance of her career.         

Most Underrated: American Ultra (2015)

It's so fucking cool that Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart took a break from their typical quiet indie collaborations to play a couple in a degenerate B-movie. American Ultra is a hyperactive yet almost always cohesive genre stew that manages to stay on the rails thanks to a group of actors (joining the well-acquainted leads on this journey are the likes of Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Tony Hale, Walton Goggins, Bill Pullman and John Leguizamo) who are always fully in sync with its anarchic frequency and an energy level from director Nima Nourizadeh (Project X) that never dips below an 11/10.     

Most Overrated: None

There isn't a single film of Eisenberg's that I've seen that was even a halfway viable contender for this honor. The Social Network is one of the most towering achievements in David Fincher's incredible filmography. Both Now You See Me films are some of the purest examples of dumb fun blockbusters that Hollywood has released in recent memory. Despite the comical indulgence of its 4-hour runtime, Zack Snyder's Justice League is a compelling, sometimes exceptional superhero epic that I have a ton of respect for. Even indie titles like The End of the Tour and The Art of Self-Defense that I view as merely good movies aren't hyped up nearly enough to qualify for this camp. How much longer can Eisenberg keep this streak up? Beats me, but hopefully forever.