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Born in Louisiana in 1971, Leto has been acting professionally since the early 1990s and appeared in multiple movies as well as TV series. Other than his acting work, Leto is also known for his music thanks to his role as the frontman of the band 30 Seconds to Mars. Despite his popularity, some of Jared Leto’s underappreciated movies hadn’t gotten as much attention from the audience as they would have deserved.
5 Panic Room (2002)
David Fincher has directed some of the most celebrated movies, but Panic Room is one of the more overlooked ones. Despite the fact that it has a lot to offer to the audience, especially if they like thrillers. The movie focuses on the divorced woman Meg (Jodie Foster) and her young diabetic daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) who move into a new house. Shortly after that, at night, several robbers get into the house, determined to find something. Meg and Sarah hide in the panic room, unaware that what the robbers are looking for is right in the panic room.
The movie is full of tension and will keep the viewers hooked from the start right to the end since not only are Meg and Sarah in danger because of the intruders but also because Sarah’s insulin stayed outside the panic room. Each of the robbers has a distinct personality, and other than Forest Whitaker as Burnham, Jared Leto stands out as Junior, the more choleric and unpredictable one. Leto gives a strong performance so even though Junior isn’t sympathetic, it’s fascinating to watch what he does next. That’s also true for the rest of the characters.
4 Prefontaine (1997)
If the viewers want to see Jared Leto in one of his earlier feature film leading roles, Prefontaine is a good way how to fulfill that wish. Inspired by real events, as many of the best drama movies are, Prefontaine focuses on the life of the talented runner Steve Prefontaine, who became successful even though one of his legs was longer than the other. Steve worked hard, faced many challenges, but managed to qualify for the Olympics where he competed in the 1970s, but, unfortunately, died not long afterward.
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Those unfamiliar with Steve Prefontaine or the details of his life will be fascinated to learn more about this extraordinary person. It helps that Jared Leto gives a dedicated performance as Steve, proving that he can pull off his role regardless of what genre he appears in. The movie creates a strong atmosphere of times now gone, which is a plus for all viewers who like to travel to the past thanks to movies.
3 House Of Gucci (2021)
Those who have already watched Morbius but want to check out some of Jared Leto’s latest work shouldn’t miss out on watching this movie. With 93,000 ratings on IMDb, House of Gucci is still one of the lesser-known movies Leto has done. And that’s despite the fact it was directed by the iconic director Ridley Scott and even though it stars many famous names, such as Lady Gaga, Al Pacino, Adam Driver, Salma Hayek, and, of course, Jared Leto as Paolo Gucci, a member of the influential and complex Gucci family.
The movie is a must-watch not just for all fans of fashion since it pays attention to the complicated relationships between the characters and even a murder plan. House of Gucci was nominated for one Oscar but even though it didn’t win, Jared Leto’s fans are bound to enjoy it thanks to the actor’s traditionally solid performance.
2 Lonely Hearts (2006)
Even Leto’s fans might be surprised to realize that House of Gucci isn’t the first time Leto worked on a movie alongside Salma Hayek. Lonely Hearts is set in the middle of the 20th century and tells the story of the murders that the couple Martha Beck (Hayek) and Raymond Hernandez (Leto) committed together. They murdered multiple lonely women who were looking for love in the Lonely Hearts newspaper section.
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The movie manages to combine multiple genres, such as drama, crime, romance, and occasionally even a dark comedy. Hayek and Leto are both excellent and the chemistry between them works. However, the cast is strong overall, as the movie also stars names such as James Gandolfini and John Travolta. Since Lonely Hearts is a crime investigation story, it’s fascinating to see how it will turn out and whether the murdering couple will face justice or not.
1 The Little Things (2021)
Jared Leto is no stranger to crime movies as this more recent film once again proves. Even though the focus lies on the characters portrayed by Denzel Washington and Rami Malek, Jared Leto doesn’t disappoint and draws attention to himself whenever he appears on the screen. Leto portrays Albert Sparma, the main suspect in the case, and just like the detectives investigating it, the viewers will wonder whether he’s the person responsible or not, and if so, whether he will be punished for his crimes.
Whatever the answer is, The Little Things is an intelligent movie that draws the audience in easily and doesn’t release them until it’s finished. Leto was nominated for a Golden Globe for this part and even though he didn’t win, it fails to make his performance in the movie any less impressive.
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