One of my favorite TV shows that has only gotten more popular with time is the Hulu original series, The Great. From the start, I’ve loved The Great cast, its humor, its scenery, and so much more, but one of my favorite parts is the leading man, Nicholas Hoult, and his amazing acting ability as (former) Emperor Peter of Russia.
After watching him in the series, I decided to take it upon myself to watch some of his other films, where he has shown just how much acting talent he has within him. From hilarious forbidden romances, to fantasy films and biographical movies, Hoult has done it all. Here are some of the best Nicholas Hoult movies, and how you can rent or watch them streaming right now.
About A Boy (2002)
If you’re looking for a heartwarming comedy-drama, check out About a Boy. In this movie, a rich, child-free Londoner is in his thirties and looking for women, so in order to meet them, he pretends to have a son so he can attend single parent meetings. However, because of this he ends up meeting Marcus, a 12 year old boy with his own set of problems at school, changing both their lives forever.
This was a breakthrough role for Hoult, because while he did have some appearances on television before, it wasn’t until About a Boy that you really saw his acting capability and what he could do, hence why he started to get more roles and more involved with Hollywood after his part in this movie. The relationship between Hugh Grant’s character and Hoult’s character is worth the time to watch this romantic comedy that not only deals with serious topics, but has a heart.
Rent/Buy About a Boy on Amazon.
Clash Of The Titans (2010)
Next up, we have this fantasy film, adapted from the ancient myths of Greece. Clash of the Titans tells the story of Perseus, a demigod who takes it upon himself to challenge Hades, the ruler of the underworld, when his mortal family dies.
Nicholas Hoult plays Eusebios, a soldier who accompanies Perseus on his journey, creating fun moments between him, the other soldiers, and Perseus himself that makes this feel like a grand adventure. Is Clash of the Titans the best movie inspired by Greek mythology? No, it’s not, but it’s still a lot of fun. I think the soundtrack and the score is great, paired with some cool-looking CGI, and Hoult is one of the pros that outweighs the cons for this action fantasy movie.
Stream Clash of the Titans on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Clash of the Titans on Amazon.
A Single Man (2009)
In this critically acclaimed drama, A Single Man follows the story of an English professor who lost his boyfriend a year before, and now, he is unable to cope with the pain of his grief while living in 1960s Los Angeles.
This was actually Hoult’s first major step into adult roles, and what a role it was. His portrayal of Kenny in A Single Man is wonderfully done, paced perfectly with Colin Firth, who was the lead of the movie. Their scenes together are enthralling from beginning to end, and really tell a story of how a man learns to cope with his grief, when everything feels like the world is falling apart. It’s definitely a film that showed just how talented of an actor Nicholas Hoult is, and one you should definitely see.
Rent/Buy A Single Man on Amazon.
X-Men: First Class - And Other X-Men Films (2011 - 2019)
In 2011, Hoult actually signed on to join the X-Men franchise, with his first film being X-Men: First Class. In this film, we primarily focus on the relationship that grows between Charles Xavier and Magneto, while they build the group of X-Men that we know and love today.
There are awesome moments in the X-Men movies that I truly love, including Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine (which he’ll be reprising in Deadpool 3), or Halle Berry as Storm, but one of my favorite parts of these films is the focus on the younger years of the X-Men, including Nicholas Hoult’s character, Beast. He was the perfect pick for a scientist with a kind and caring heart who is also a mutant with ridiculous strength, who's able to transform into a crazy-looking, almost apeman. If these characters end up coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I’d love to see him return.
Stream the X-Men movies on Disney+.
Rent/Buy the X-Men movies on Amazon.
Warm Bodies (2013)
I bet you didn’t think a zombie romance would pop up on this list, and yet here we are! Warm Bodies is a romantic comedy mixed with the zombie genre about R, a zombie who finds himself growing feelings for Julie, a human, and due to this, his life starts to change again.
I know, this is such a strange premise, but I promise you that this film is worth it and more. I love this movie so much because of its strangeness, which works wonders. Hoult is absolutely awesome as ‘R,’ and his chemistry with Julie (played by Teresa Palmer) is so hilariously perfect that it makes me smile every time. I mean, who would expect a story about a zombie and a human falling in love to work? But, Warm Bodies is the perfect example of how it can work.
Stream Warm Bodies on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Warm Bodies on Amazon.
The Current War (2017)
There’s just something about Nicholas Hoult and historical dramas, because he just does them so well. In The Current War, we follow the real-life story of the battle to find out which electrical system would be used within the United States in the eighteenth century, featuring three of the pioneers of electricity – Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla.
Nicholas Hoult portrays Nikola Tesla and wow, I’m surprised that he never got more attention for his role in this film, because honestly, it truly is one of his best. There’s just something that Hoult does where he really is able to fully bring a historical figure to life and he does that so well with Nikola Tesla. The movie itself is also really intriguing too, featuring a captivating storyline.
Rent/Buy The Current War on Amazon.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Next up, we have the popular action/post-apocalyptic movie, Mad Max: Fury Road. This film follows Max Rockatansky, who ends up joining forces with Imperator Furiosa after his life is threatened and he is chased down by Immortan Joe, the leader of a cult, and his army in an armored truck.
Man, Mad Max: Fury Road is a hell of a good time. I remember when it first came out, I was so worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype but boy was I wrong. Nicholas Hoult plays Nux, and oh my God, I can’t even believe that is the man we'd seen before. He looks so different as Nux, with a shaved head, strange facial features and eyes that are sunken in, but he is one of the best parts of this movie. His madness paired with the brilliance of these car chases and the wonderful acting of the Mad Max: Fury Road cast made this movie a masterpiece, and I can’t wait for when the next installment comes out - whenever that may be. Hoult really gave it his all.
Rent/Buy Mad Max: Fury Road on Amazon.
The Favourite (2018)
In this hilarious black comedy, The Favourite tells the story of cousins Sarah Churchill and Abigail Masham, who are trying to become the court favorite of Queen Anne, capturing their hilarious rivalry and what they are willing to do for power.
While The Favourite is brilliant for many reasons, from its set design and costumes to its story, I personally adore the cast, including Nicholas Hoult’s character, Harley, the Leader of the Opposition. I feel like this movie was training for him to play Peter in The Great, as he totally fits in this period piece, and helps create funny moments between the characters that make me snicker every time I watch. And, man, can he rock that ridiculous wig.
Rent/Buy The Favourite on Amazon.
Tolkien (2019)
As someone who grew up reading Tolkien and watching The Lord of the Rings movies, this movie has a special place in my heart. Tolkien is a biographical film about the legendary author himself, J.R.R. Tolkien. It talks about the life of the man, from his beginnings as an author to his life as an English professor, all the way to when he began writing his brilliant life’s work.
There are so many things I love about this movie, but the one thing I love the most is Hoult’s portrayal of Tolkien. I think that he perfectly captured the author’s way of life and how he wrote, from the struggles he went through to how he used his real-life experiences to influence his characters and his stories. Another aspect that I adored was Tolkien's love story with Edith Bratt, played by Lily Collins. Their chemistry was beautiful and I enjoyed watching their romance play out. It was truly wonderful.
The Banker (2020)
In The Banker, an Apple TV+ original movie, we have a drama that follows the story of Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson) and Bernard S. Garrett Sr. (Anthony Mackie), the first two African-American bankers in the United States in the 1950s.
Nicholas Hoult plays Matt Steiner in The Banker, the man who works with Joe and Bernard to help them succeed, despite the racism in America, and I have to say this film exceeded my expectations. Mackie, Jackson, and Hoult have such great chemistry together that I would definitely pay to see them in another movie. I don’t want to expose the twists of this plot so I’ll say just watch it for yourself if dramas are your thing. You won’t regret it.
Stream The Banker on Apple TV+.
Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)
Last but not least, we have Those Who Wish Me Dead, Hoult’s latest entry into film. This neo-Western movie starring Angelina Jolie is about a smokejumper who aids a little boy after he witnesses the murder of his father. They travel through Montana in order to try and escape the two assassins who were hired to kill him.
See, now this is what I needed in 2021, a good, bare bones basic action thriller that caught my interest right away and didn’t lose me one bit. Nicholas Hoult plays one of the assassins in this film, and I have to say… he legit had me feeling a little nervous, not going to lie. He played the villain extremely well, so much so that I’d love to see him as a villain again in some other movie. The film is full of kick-ass moments from start to finish, and one that you’ll enjoy the heck out of. And, this is now definitely one of the best Angelina Jolie movies.
Stream Those Who Wish Me Dead on HBO Max.
Boy Those Who Wish Me Dead on Amazon.
With such a long career, I’m already wondering what Nicholas Hoult might do next. Perhaps Season 3 of The Great? Maybe some 2022 movies? Now, that would be awesome.
