10 of Ryan Gosling’s Best Movies to Stream Before the Oscars

He’s Kenough … and he knows it.

Ryan Gosling earned high praise for his performance as Ken in 2023 Barbie. Not only did the actor receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role, but his hit song in the film, “I’m Just Ken,” took on a life of its own and became an unforgettable part of Hollywood history in its own right.

Gosling got his start in the early 90s when he starred in The brand new Mickey Mouse Club alongside other soon-to-be-famous faces like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Keri Russell. Since then, Gosling has starred in everything from Oscar-winning dramas to sci-fi adventures, beloved rom-coms, and more.

Ahead of the 2024 Oscars, here are the best Ryan Gosling movies, including Barbie, La la country, Notebook and more.

Notebook

The Notebook – 2004 Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams. Melissa Moseley/New Line/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

One of Gosling’s first major film roles was in 2004 Notebook, where he starred opposite Rachel McAdams. Based on the 1996 novel by Nicholas Sparks, the film follows two lovers who meet in the 1940s and begin a whirlwind romance, which ends with the couple in old age. Notebook it also has a touching and somewhat heartbreaking ending, which is rare for romance movies. The film became a huge hit and left a lasting legacy as one of the most legendary romantic films ever.

To watch Notebook on Hulu

Half Nelson

Ryan Gosling in ‘Half Nelson’.

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Gosling received his first Oscar nomination for his role in 2006 Half Nelson, a film about a high school teacher who secretly hides a drug addiction. As his addiction worsens, he begins to lose track of his life and his lies are exposed. “I didn’t want to show the typical roller coaster ride of addiction,” Gosling said The Seattle Times 2006. “This story was about the monotony of addicts.” Half Nelson also starring Anthony Mackie and Denis O’Hare.

To watch Half Nelson on the Peacock

Lars and the real girl

Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider in ‘Lars and the Real Girl’.

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In 2007 Lars and the real girl, Gosling stars as Lars, an isolated young man with a debilitating amount of social anxiety. To subconsciously alleviate his loneliness, Lars buys a life-size sex doll, which he names Bianca, and starts treating her as his girlfriend. Soon the town sees how much the doll helps Lars and everyone starts treating her like a real person. Gosling earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance, and the film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

To watch Lars and the real girl on Tuba

Blue Valentine’s Day

Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling in the movie ‘Blue Valentine’.

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In 2010, Gosling returned to the big screen after a three-year hiatus with Blue Valentine’s Day. He stars alongside Michelle Williams (who received an Academy Award nomination for her role) as a couple during two periods of their relationship: the steamy and passionate beginning of their romance and their destructive, unhappy marriage years later. Blue Valentine’s Day is gripping, raw and often painful, with fantastic performances from Gosling and Williams that make the story all too real.

To watch Blue Valentine’s Day to Max

Drive

Ryan Gosling in the movie ‘Drive’.

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IN Drive, Gosling plays a character known only as The Driver, a Hollywood stuntman and criminal-for-hire. But he gets in a little too deep after he agrees to take on what seems like a simple robbery job, only to find himself in the middle of two warring mob gangs. Drive premiered to rave reviews, and while the film isn’t known as an ensemble film, it has a fantastic star-studded cast including Christina Hendricks, Carey Mulligan, Oscar Issac, Bryan Cranston, and Ron Perlman.

Lease Drive on Prime Video

Crazy stupid love

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in the movie ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’.

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In this 2011 rom-com, Gosling plays a womanizer named Jacob who helps Cal (Steve Carell), a recently divorced father, regain his fashion and re-enter the love field. The two become good friends until Cal finds out that Jacob’s last relationship is with… his daughter. From there, sparks fly in all directions and every character in the film quickly realizes that they are all connected in a web of sex, love and lies. The cast also includes Emma Stone and Julianne Moore.

To watch Crazy stupid love on Hulu

La la country

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling La La Land. Lionsgate

Gosling received his second Academy Award nomination for a romantic film in 2016 La la country. In the film, he and Emma Stone play two Angelinas who fall in love while struggling to build a career in the entertainment industry. Although the action is set in the present day, the film is a nod to the Golden Age of Hollywood. La la country was nominated for an incredible 13 Academy Awards, winning Best Director and Best Actress for Stone’s performance.

Lease La la country on Prime Video

Blade Runner 2049

Ryan Gosling in the movie ‘Blade Runner 2049’.

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The action takes place 30 years after the first film, Blade Runner 2049 sees Gosling play K, a clone-like “replicant” – a race treated as slaves by society and considered inhuman because they were created through bioengineering. But after K discovers that replicants can reproduce on their own, the lines between what is and isn’t life become blurred, and this knowledge risks sparking a replicant rebellion. The film became a blockbuster hit and was praised for its visual effects. It also saw the return of Harrison Ford reprising his role as Rick Deckard.

To watch Blade Runner 2049 on Hulu

The first man

Ryan Gosling in the movie ‘The First Man’.

Daniel McFadden/Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock

In the 2018 biopic The first man, Gosling plays the famous astronaut Neil Armstrong, who became the first person to walk on the moon. The film traces Armstrong’s life from his days as a NASA test pilot to his role in the Gemini rocket program and, of course, his famous trip to the moon on the Apollo 11 spacecraft. “I don’t think Neil saw himself as an American hero, quite the opposite Gosling said The Hollywood Reporter 2018. “Neil was someone who was extremely humble, like many of these astronauts… the way we made the film was to honor the way Neil viewed himself.” Gosling was joined in the cast by Pablo Schreiber, Patrick Fugit and Claire Foy, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role.

Lease The first man on Prime Video

Barbie

BARBIE, Ryan Gosling as Ken, 2023.

Pictures by Warner Bros

Bright, colorful, fun, wacky and wacky … but also filled with plenty of scathing criticism about the power dynamics in our society, Barbie not only became the biggest film of 2023, but also made history as one of the highest grossing films of all time. With a fantastic script, an epic all-star cast, and even a Grammy Award-winning original Billie Eilish song “What Was I Made For,” Barbie exploded into a global phenomenon. Gosling earned several awards and nominations for his role as Ken, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, as well as Golden Globe, Grammy, SAG Award nominations and more.

To watch Barbie to Max

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education