Bill Skarsgard Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Bill Skarsgard-whose latest project "Nosferatu" releases in theaters on Christmas Day. 

Bill Skarsgard's Filmography Ranked:

14.It: Chapter Two (C-)

13.Allegiant (C+)

12.Boy Kills World (B-)

11.Assassination Nation (B-)

10.The Crow (B-)

9.Villains (B)

8.The Devil All the Time (B)

7.Nine Days (B)

6.Barbarian (B)

5.It (B)

4.Eternals (B+)

3.Atomic Blonde (B+)

2.Deadpool 2 (B+)

1.John Wick: Chapter 4 (A)

Top Dog: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

The only real problem with John Wick: Chapter 4 is that Lionsgate is probably going to feel compelled to continue Wick's story given that it's arguably the most valuable IP in their library and they're desperate for moneymakers at the moment. But for now, John Wick: Chapter 4 is a perfect conclusion to Wick's character arc and one of the most essential pieces of action cinema I've ever laid my eyes on. 

Bottom Feeder: It: Chapter Two (2019)

Even 5+ years after it hit theaters, it remains an absolute mystery to me how the same behind-the-camera creative team behind It and a gifted ensemble led by James McAvoy, Jessica Chastian and Bill Hader managed to drop the ball so hard on the sequel. The attempts at building an ominous atmosphere are regularly broken up by ill-times needle drops and comedic moments, the entire primary cast save for Hader looks completely lost in trying to the play the adult versions of the characters we met in the first installment and quite frankly, there's just a lot of goofy plot developments that ensure that the story is considerably weaker than the first installment. If it weren't for Skarsgard once again shining as Pennywise and a couple of great setpieces (the scene under the bleachers and the hall of mirrors scene), this would've been a complete disaster.  

Most Underrated: Eternals (2021)

While the puzzling choice to introduce a team of heroes that have been alive for centuries and have complicated relationships with each other, mortality and Earth in a 2.5-hour movie opposed to a 6+ hour series makes the narrative unwieldy at times, Eternals remains one of the MCU's most unique and ambitious movies. Academy Award Winner Chloe Zhao is able to bring her grounded, humanist sensibilities to the world of blockbusters by rooting this story in character above anything else and having these complex dynamics inform all of the love, destruction, death, etc. that takes place in the story gives Eternals the type of sincere emotional core that aren't typically found in Kevin Feige productions that weren't helmed by James Gunn. Plus, the action beats are really cool and Zhao's choice to shoot primarily on location ensures that it's the best-looking Marvel movie ever released.         

Most Overrated: None

Skarsgard's age (34), the sizable volume of little-seen indie projects in his filmography and my positive feelings towards projects like John Wick: Chapter 4, Barbarian and Deadpool 2 were enough to ensure that he didn't have a film appear in this section.  

Most Overhated: The Crow (2024)

As we approach the end of 2024, I feel pretty confident in saying The Crow will be my selection for the year's most overhated movie. While it absolutely would've benefitted from a sharper script and a character design for Eric Draven/The Crow that didn't look like the spiritual successor to Jared Leto's Joker from Suicide Squad, remixing this story to be a supernatural tragic romance revenge actioner mostly works. Skarsgard and FKA twigs have an easygoing chemistry that feels true to their characters, Rupert Sanders' direction is pretty stylish and the big opera house setpiece is an awesome, gory delight that is easily among the best action sequences of the year.