The Best and Worst of Wyatt Russell

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Overlord” star Wyatt Russell.

Films starring Wyatt Russell that I've seen:
Cowboys & Aliens
This is 40
22 Jump Street
Cold in July
Everybody Wants Some!!!
Table 19
Ingrid Goes West
Goon: Last of the Enforcers 

Best Performance: Ingrid Goes West (2017)
Ingrid Goes West is such an impeccably-acted film that Russell's tremendous work as the disenchanted husband of social media influencer Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen) isn't even among the top 3 performances in it. Like all of his co-stars that have significant screen time, Russell does a magnificent job of capturing the bitterness, ego and complete lack of self-awareness that defines the persona of a lot of failed artists.    

Worst Performance: Table 19 (2017)
This is a classic case of tonally-scattered writing leading to a noncommittal, lackluster performance. As the ex-boyfriend of Anna Kendrick's character who ends up playing a pivotal role in the latter stages of the film, Russell isn't arrogant enough to be an irredeemable jackass or likable/relatable enough to be a sympathetic figure.

Best Film: 22 Jump Street (2014)
After seeing 22 Jump Street in theaters, I was quick to declare the best comedy sequel I'd ever seen. Nearly four and a half years after it was first released, that take has gotten only stronger. The addition of more great side characters (Jillian Bell, Russell, the Lucas Brothers), even better performances from its lead actors (Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube) and a deeper embrace of the original's meta tone makes this a riotously funny home run that holds up beautifully on repeat viewings.      

Worst Film: Table 19 (2017)
In its first act, Table 19 is a really funny and charming ensemble comedy about a group of strangers that are relegated to the dreaded outcast table at a wedding. Then a revelation about Anna Kendrick's character comes to light around the 30-35 minute mark and the proceedings immediately become way darker. While the end result isn't entirely awful, the drastic change in tone and abundance of forced melodrama that comes with it squandered a lot of the potential it flashed in the earlygoing.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Instant Family” star Octavia Spencer.