The 10 Best Charlie Hunnam Movies, According to Rotten Tomatoes

Charlie Hunnam is currently trending because of his transformative role in Monster: The Ed Gein Story. The controversial Ryan Murphy series about notorious serial killers has once again managed to shake audiences and deliver intense, bleak stories to our screens; the worst part—it’s all based on real life, and Hunnam portrays Ed Gein, a convicted killer and body snatcher. This is the first season of Monster not helmed by Murphy, but by Ian Brennan instead.

Though Hunnam is talked about because of this show, we mustn’t forget he’s had quite a decent TV and film career thus far. He’s probably most known for portraying Jax Teller in the Shakespearean tragic crime series Sons of Anarchy. His movie career, however, is a little brighter, and he has some really fun movies up his sleeve that have been certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Here are the best Charlie Hunnam movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

10

‘Last Looks’ (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 70%

Last Looks is a movie Hunnam stars in and is the executive producer of. This crime caper was written by Howard Michael Gould, and it was based on his novel of the same name, following a detective named Charlie Waldo as he solves a Hollywood mystery. Besides being a mystery/crime, Last Looks has elements of black comedy and action, and is a pretty fun, quite overlooked movie. The RT critics’ consensus landed on 70% for this film, writing that it’s “A mostly well-cast caper brightened by colorful characters,” and “reasonably compelling in the moment.”

Last Looks follows former recluse and private eye Charlie Waldo (Hunnam), as he retires from his life as a hermit to find his missing ex-girlfriend, Lorena (Morena Baccarin). Waldo is hired to solve the murder of famous actor Alistair Pinch’s (Mel Gibson) wife; now looking for Lorena and the Pinch case culprit, Charlie gets involved with a lot of different players in the case. Hunnam is a charismatic lead in Last Looks, and often considered the best part of the film; if you’re his fan, this movie will satisfy the desire to enjoy some of his most decent work.

9

‘Triple Frontier’ (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 71%

Triple Frontierwas unfairly dumped on, because, while it may not be a clever and thought-provoking film, it’s a pretty straightforward and fun action flick with stylish fight and pursuit sequences; it’s also set in some of the most stunning areas of the world—the jungles of South America (specifically Colombia). The cast is pretty stellar, too—Hunnam is joined by Garrett Hedlund,Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, and Pedro Pascal as a hefty team of Special Ops. With a 71% RT score, critics said, “An outstanding cast and ambitious story help Triple Frontier overcome an uneven narrative.”

Triple Frontier follows five former US Army Delta Force members, led by Santiago “Pope” Garcia (Isaac), who invites them to plan a heist of a drug lord’s stash house in the deep jungle. Each member of the Delta Force team has personal lives after leaving the Army, with Hunnam’s character, William “Ironhead” Miller, becoming a motivational speaker. Though audiences disliked the movie more than the critics, Triple Frontier is a fun time and, well, let’s face it, a feast for the eyes, too (if that’s your thing, of course).

8

‘Pacific Rim’ (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 72%

Guillermo del Toro‘s underrated sci-fi kaiju film, Pacific Rim, is one of the coolest parts of Hunnam’s filmography. Pacific Rim became a franchise, and though it’s had a nice run, nothing beats the first movie with Charlie Hunnam in the lead as the “chosen one,” the hero to fight off the sea monsters for good. We may not equate Hunnam with sci-fi so much, but he’s versatile enough to take on various roles across genres and make it look cool. The movie scored a 72% from RT critics, who called Pacific Rim “a solid modern creature feature bolstered by fantastical imagery and an irresistible sense of fun.” In terms of fulfilling a sci-fi fan’s fantasy, del Toro managed to create a kaiju film on par with most others out there.

Pacific Rim is set in a parallel Earth where humanity is at war with the kaiju, or massive sea monsters (for reference, Godzilla is a kaiju film). Humans fight the monsters with the help of mechas, giant robots that are piloted by adept human pilots from within. Raleigh Becket (Hunnam) is one of those adept pilots, and he must find an adequate co-pilot to help him pilot a mecha after being recruited by Marshal Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) for a special mission. Pacific Rim is a fun and bold movie with a lot of style.

7

‘Crimson Peak’ (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 72%

Speaking of stylish movies, Crimson Peak is up there as one of the finest-looking Guillermo del Toro films ever made. This Gothic romance is a tragic and haunting portrayal of family, love, and fate; it’s also part horror and part mystery, full of flawed and intriguing characters. Hunnam is one of the supporting roles, but his charm works perfectly here; this is his second collaboration with del Toro after Pacific Rim. Critics enjoyed Crimson Peak, awarding it 72% and calling it delightful, particularly focusing on del Toro’s “brilliant knack for unforgettable visuals.”

Crimson Peak is set in the beginning of the 20th century, and follows the daughter of a wealthy American businessman, Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska). Edith meets English baronet Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), and they fall in love and get married. They move to Thomas’ estate, Crimson Peak in England, where he lives with his eccentric sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain). Edith’s childhood friend, Dr. Alan McMichael (Hunnam), uncovers a truth about Thomas and rushes to England to help Edith, but she gets involved in some sinister dealings with the siblings. Crimson Peak is a visually gorgeous, haunting, and beautiful film that feels quite underrated.

6

‘Jungleland’ (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 75%

Jungleland is another lesser known movie in Hunnam’s filmography that warrants more attention. He stars in this sports drama alongside Jack O’Connell, portraying his older brother; they have great chemistry, and both deliver some of their finest dramatic work. Jungleland is subdued, and while it’s a drama about a fighter, it’s more about the dynamic between the brothers and how Hunnam’s character, Stanley, raised his younger brother. Critics gave Jungleland a 75% score, saying it “punches above its weight in a crowded genre.”

Jungleland follows former pro boxer, Walter “Lion” Kaminski (O’Connell), and his older brother and idealistic manager Stanley (Hunnam). The two work menial jobs by day and participate in underground fights at night; they live in squalor and try to get by, but soon, become involved with a dangerous local gangster, Pepper (Jonathan Majors). Their lives take a turn, and they do their best to survive, while the dynamic between the brothers is explored further. It’s not a long movie—it lands at just 90 minutes, but it’s hefty and emotional.

5

‘The Gentlemen’ (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 76%

Guy Ritchie‘s long-awaited return to dialogue-heavy gangster flicks with massive ensemble casts and fun plot twists came in the form of The Gentlemen; and while people probably expected him to both keep in line with his old skills and move on from them, The Gentlemen delivers on everything it promises. Hunnam takes on the lead role here, which is among his essentials, since he returns to his English roots in it; he portrays the fixer and right hand of a crime lord, and is mean, menacing, and enjoyable, perhaps the most of any character in the film. With a 76% score, critics agreed that The Gentlemen is more for people who are already fans of this sort of Ritchie movie.

The Gentlemen follows Ray (Hunnam), the fixer for the American gangster Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey), who deals with the day-to-day problems Pearson encounters. Pearson has a deal with rich lords and owners of vast estates, in which he helps them pay their taxes for the properties so they allow him to grow marijuana on them. With enemies and rivals left and right, Pearson is planning to retire, and Ray has to keep threats at bay during his deal-making period. It’s fun, snappy, and star-studded.

4

‘Nicholas Nickleby’ (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 79%

Nicholas Nickleby is one of the essential Charlie Hunnam movies which brought him wider popularity and fame. He’s a very young lad here, only 22, and his starring role as the titular character is often praised as one of the best big screen debuts ever. The movie was based onThe Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, a series of stories published during 1838–39, and Douglas McGrath very skillfully directed a fun, comedic, and epic adaptation worthy of Dickens’ writing. Critics at RT gave the movie 79% and called Nicholas Nickleby “a worthy and respectful adaptation.”

Nicholas Nickleby is portrayed by Hunnam, and the movie follows his adventures after his father dies, and he moves with his family. Among many people, Nicholas also meets a young servant, Smike (Jamie Bell), with whom he roams around London and later adopts into his family. Nicholas also witnesses a lot of injustice around him and tries to fight it by speaking up. Overall, fans of period stories and adaptations of literary works will enjoy Nicholas Nickleby immensely.

3

‘True History of the Kelly Gang’ (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 80%

True History of the Kelly Gang is a bushranger film—an Australian Western. It depicts the life of a famous, or more so notorious, Australian bushranger, Ned Kelly, and it was based on the same-name 2000 novel by Peter Carey. This is different from the Heath Ledger biopic titled Ned Kelly, but both were heavily inspired by the real events that took place and involved the notorious Kelly and his gang. In True History, George MacKay portrays Kelly, while Hunnam portrays Sergeant O’Neill, one of the people relevant to Ned’s formative years. With an 80% score on RT, critics found True History to be “a distinctively postmodern look at Australia’s past.” The movie’s unusual style didn’t seem to work for the audiences as much.

True History of the Kelly Gang, ironically considering its name, is a highly fictionalized retelling of the upbringing and rise of bushranger Ned Kelly. It shows him from childhood, his mother’s (Essie Davis) attempts to raise her kids, her relationships with men who impacted Ned, in particular notorious bushranger Harry Power (Russell Crowe). Power influences Ned, and when he’s grown, we watch him become the man that legends were woven about. Hunnam’s role is small, and the movie is overall quite interesting, if somewhat unconventional.

2

‘The Lost City of Z’ (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 85%

The Lost City of Z is one of the best movies that Hunnam effortlessly leads. It’s a hefty movie to get into, but exciting and sometimes dark; it was based on the same-name book by David Grann, and portrays the British explorer Percy Fawcett, who becomes obsessed with finding a supposed ancient city of Z in the Amazon. Fawcett was a known cartographer, whose ventures and efforts resulted in people learning more about the Brazilian jungles and native people. With a great 85% rating on RT, with the critics’ consensus saying, “Charlie Hunnam turns in a masterful performance as its complex protagonist.”

The Lost City of Z follows Percy Fawcett (Hunnam), a former Army major who is sent by the British government on an expedition to South America to survey the border between Bolivia and Brazil, over which the two countries are in dispute. Fawcett leads an expedition together with a local guide, Tadjui (Pedro Coello), after which he develops a fascination with the jungle and a possible ancient city there, dedicating his life to studying it. Real-life accounts claim he was in great relations with the native tribes of the Amazon, and the movie implies he stayed living with the tribes, though his disappearance was often a big topic.

1

‘Children of Men’ (2006)

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score: 92%

Children of Men is a dystopian sci-fi thriller, and one of the best to ever be. Alfonso Cuarón co-wrote and directed an underrated masterpiece that feels like a social and character study, and an intense action movie with elements of sci-fi and drama. While Clive Owen leads, we can see Hunnam as one of the soldiers working for the militant freedom fighters. He himself mentioned his role in Children of Men as part of a “trilogy of mad men,” in which he plays a villainous character (using the word “psychotic,” specifically). Children of Men has a great RT score—92%, and the critics said it “works on every level.”

Children of Men is set in 2027, when the majority of the world’s population has become infertile. With civilization on the brink of existence, former activist-turned-bureaucrat Theo (Owen) is tasked with escorting the first pregnant woman in over 20 years, the refugee named Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), to the port where they can board a ship called Tomorrow. While on the run, they encounter numerous people greedy for Kee’s baby or money; survival turned them against each other, and Children of Men very bleakly portrays all this.