Whether you like Tom Hardy for his physique, good looks, sense of humour, acting abilities, comedic timing or witty personality – you can’t deny the fact that this man is an absolute gem. He’s a great example of an actor doing his best and refusing to be pigeonholed into a specific character. It’s easy to imagine how he could be seen as just a mountain of muscles, but no, Tom is so much more than that. He’s smart, he’s funny, he’s emotional and he’s fit as hell. Here are some of the best Tom Hardy movies that showcase all of his different sides and talents.
1. The Dark Knight Rises
This is probably the movie thanks to which many were exposed to the wonder that is Tom Hardy. The role of Bane is definitely a physical one as well as an emotional. You’d think that acting with most of your face covered would be hard, but Tom managed it just fine. In fact, he did such a good job, that even despite the weird contraption on his face, we got every nuance of his performance not only through dialogue but also through his voice and his movements.
2. Legend
A great movie that has all the best elements of drama, crime thriller and comedy. It’s truly entertaining and you’re getting the double whammy of Tom Hardy because he plays two characters in it. He plays twin brothers, they’re often both in the scene and it’s amazing to see him portray them so differently that you actually believe it’s two different people on screen.
3. Inception
Inception is a mind-blowing movie on many levels and it deserves all the praise it gets, but it was also a unique opportunity for Tom to show how versatile his acting abilities are. He played Eames, who was a pro in stealing identities and shape-shifting inside dreams. He did a great job and while it’s not the main character role really, it’s definitely an integral one.
4. Dunkirk
Dunkirk has been nominated for many awards and has won quite a few, including three Oscars, so you know it’s a movie worth watching. It’s beautiful, despite it being about war. Tom Hardy played a pilot in it, so a lot of the time he’s being stoic, silent and also wearing a mask, and yet he did a great performance.
5. Mad Max: Fury Road
Tom Hardy was so freaking good in this movie it’s hard to put into words. A phenomenal performance and he barely even utters a word throughout the entire movie. It’s basically a silent role, but his rage and torment is shown clearly on his face and in his performance. A must watch for those who somehow missed it when it was in the cinemas. I mean you have to see Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy being incredible forces of rage and fury in this movie, it’s a sight to behold.
6. Locke
This is an incredibly emotional movie despite the fact that almost all of it we just see Tom Hardy driving a car. It’s about a guy who works at a construction site, he’s a manager, and he is about to supervise a massive project in the Midlands, but instead of being at the building site, he’s driving to London because of a family crisis. His marriage is crumbling and he’s clearly going through it and the entire movie is Tom driving and talking on the phone with various family members. It’s all about his emotions, his voice, his facial expressions and he totally masters that without being overly dramatic. Less is more is an approach Tom Hardy favours a lot and it really worked miracles in this movie.
