Who is Robert Downey Jr.?
Born in New York’s Greenwich Village, RDJ comes from a family of artists. His father was an independent filmmaker who gave our beloved Iron Man his first break at the age of five.
Later, he dropped out of school in California and moved to New York City to pursue his love for acting. This led to some stints as supporting characters and as a comic presenter in the notable comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live.
RDJ got his first role as a lead in the romantic comedy named Pick-up Artist and, later on, got his well-earned recognition for the role of a cocaine addict in the film Less than Zero. So, a star was born.
However, the late 90s was not his time, as he got into some pretty public scuffles with the law. And as a result, he was sentenced to three years in prison.
From there, RDJ has picked himself up and has found himself frequently topping the list of the “MOST FAMOUS PERSON IN THE WORLD” world today. So here are six Robert Downey Jr movies you need to watch.
Zodiac
Based on true events of the Zodiac killer. Here we see Robert Downey Jr. take up the role of Paul Avery. Released back in 2007, the movie follows a team of investigators and reporters who are trying to find the true identity of the Zodiac killer.
As the killer moves from victim to victim, we see him leaving a trail of clues that the team is expected to decipher. So the team is taken on a gritty cat-and-mouse chase. Several critics claim this thriller to be one of the best works of RDJ, but still, it did not receive a single Oscar that year. Now that was truly criminal if you ask me.
Natural Born Killers
Back in 1994, this movie created some waves in the filmmaking community. Based loosely on a Quentin Tarantino screenplay, this is also a movie where RDJ is seen to be playing a sleazy tabloid host. Paired alongside Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis, this movie is the epitome of janky filmmaking.
The movie is located in a federal prison where RDJ’s character is set to interview Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis). Two lovers are convicted of several counts of murder.
Characterized by classic jank and gore, a staple of Oliver Stone’s filmmaking. This movie will definitely satiate you if you want something riveting and gory.
Wonder Boys
Hailed as one of the truest depictions of campus lives. The film is centered around Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas). It encapsulates how students are just a long list of names that are replaced from time to time, but faculty remains ‘stuck’ in the same cycle.
The movie follows Grady Tripp, a boy wonder who wrote a phenomenal novel six or seven years back and is now just a ‘burn-out’ along with Terry Crabtree (Robert Downey Jr.), a New York editor who is visiting the campus during a winter literary festival.
The movie follows a storyline of finding the missing manuscript of the upcoming novel of Grady that he has been ‘“working on” for a while now. A must-see if you like campus drama.
Read Also:
Indubitably: A Closer Look at its Definition and Its Synonyms
Sherlock Holmes
I know Benedict Cumberbatch might be the OG Sherlock Holmes for many, but I believe that RDJ’s iteration of the character encapsulates the ‘mad-genius’ vibe of the character best. Written by Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, and Simon Kinberg, and directed by Guy Ritchie.
The plot of the story is quite true to the story where our reclusive sleuth tries to apprehend the ever so elusive Lord Blackwood, played by Mark Strong, along with his trusty friend Watson, who is played by Jude Law. We see the pair go toe to toe with London’s criminal underbelly to tackle mysterious happenings that are threatening London.
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
A movie about an aspiring actor Harry Lockhart played by Robert Downey Jr., who moves to New York to take up lessons on becoming a private detective. A tongue-in-cheek comedy masked as a neo-noir film.
The movie stars Val Kilmer as well, playing the role of Gay Perry. An actual gay detective hired to show Harry the ropes. The movie plot lines twist and turn before coming to a screeching halt. It is more like an acid trip than a movie where you just go along with everything.
Although the movie hardly got any accolades, it still does sit as one of the best works from RDJ’s filmography if you ask critics.
Tropic Thunder
Here RDJ is seen as “a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude.” Tropic Thunder, for me, is one of the best works of RDJ. The movie follows a rag-tag team of actors who get sucked into a conflict while filming a Vietnam War film.
Ben Stiller directs the movie and has everything that you can expect from his band comedy. The film also makes a commentary on celebrity egotism and trivialism of regional conflicts of other countries by America. A must-watch if you love satire and a deliberate cringeworthy comedy.
Read Next:
