Ed Speleers’ 10 Best Movies & TV Shows, Ranked

Summary

• Ed Speleers excels with innovative scripts and complex characters that showcase his talents in film and TV.
• “Irish Wish” may not be his best role, but Speleers shows unexpected comedic chops in romantic comedies.
• From horror in “Howl” to drama in “Breathe,” Speleers showcases versatility in his roles on screen.

Ed Speleers is an English actor who has made a name for himself in the best movies and TV shows he’s been a part of. He gained notoriety for his early role in the film adaptation of Eragon in the leading role. However, Eragon proved to be a box-office disaster, and Speleers quickly left fantasy behind for projects that would better showcase his talents. Since then, he’s worked in British period pieces like Downton Abbey but achieved fame in the U.S. for his work on the Netflix series You.

Speleer’s best work indicates that he excels with an innovative script and complex characters that he can develop throughout a film or television show.

Speleers is in Lindsay Lohan’s Netflix rom-com Irish Wish, and his newest foray into the romantic comedy genre is sweet but doesn’t rank among his best roles in film and television. Speleer’s best work indicates that he excels with an innovative script and complex characters that he can develop throughout a film or television show. As both leading and supporting characters, Speleers demonstrates excellent chemistry with his co-stars and brings energy and dedication to all his roles.

10
Alice Through The Looking Glass (2016)

As James Harcourt

The sequel to Tim Burton’s live-action Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through The Looking Glass, introduced James Harcourt. He’s a man in the real world who works for Hamish Ascot (Leo Bill), the man trying to take Alice’s (Mia Wasikowska) ship and prevent her from exploring the world. Harcourt was a small role for Speleers, but he’s memorable for his earnest delivery and the impact he made on Alice during her time on Earth. This adaptation of the famous story wasn’t met with the highest critical praise, but it’s notable for its reinvention of the tale and its excellent world-building.

Watch Alice Through The Looking Glass on Disney+.

9
Remainder (2015)

As Greg

Based on the novel by Thomas McCarthy, Remainder is a chilling psychological drama that explores memory, fate, and the cyclical nature of time. The subject material can get complicated and heady, and it’s exciting to see Speleers in a role that challenges him as an actor and pushes him outside the role of romantic lead he so often portrays. Although the film doesn’t revolve around Speleers’ character, Greg, he’s a vital part of the confusing world the film creates and helps the audience feel as disoriented as the unnamed protagonist, played by Tom Sturridge.

8
For Love Or Money (2019)

As Johnny

For Love or Money has a decent amount of humor in its attempt to subvert the romantic comedy genre, and Speleers shows unexpected comedic chops in his role as Johnny. The role is a fun and unforgiving one, as Johnny is a shallow scam artist who teams up with a woman trying to steal her fiancée’s money. However, Speleers manages to make his time onscreen worth watching and provides a strong foil to the leading man. For Love or Money successfully capitalizes on the classic rom-com tropes that it pokes fun at but ultimately capitulates to in the end.

Watch For Love Or Money on Peacock.

7
Howl (2015)

As Joe

While Howl might not be the best werewolf movie of all time, it does put an interesting spin on the monster’s lore and is an early example of how well Speleers does in horror and thriller movies. His character, Joe, is trapped aboard a train with a group of other passengers when a werewolf-like creature attacks and the film quickly turns into a nightmarish bottle movie that takes place almost entirely inside the train. It’s a clever concept and explores the realities of survival situations and class dynamics in Britain within a fantastical world.

6
Breathe (2017)

As Colin Campbell

The film Breathe, starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy, tells the true story of Robin Cavendish. He was a champion for wheelchair users in the 20th century after he was struck with polio and became paralyzed from the waist down. Colin Campbell comes in as a friend to Robin and Diana (Foy), and his best moment of the film comes in the final moments when he and Robin are saying their goodbyes.

The biggest criticisms of Breathe come from the fact that it shies away from painting a nuanced portrait of Cavendish’s life and chooses to focus on romance and happier times. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this, and seeing Speleers in a feel-good movie rather than a thrilling nail-biter is a welcome change. He’s a sensitive support system for Robin and helps establish the story outside of Robin.

Watch Breathe on Hulu or Prime Video.

5
A Lonely Place To Die (2011)

As Ed

Survival, nature, and the evils of man come into play in A Lonely Place To Die when Ed (Speleers) and the mountain climbers he’s with find a young girl who’s been kidnapped. It’s a grueling concept, and the kidnappers the characters soon find themselves facing are no more forgiving than the brutal landscape that the hikers must overcome. What A Lonely Place To Die does best is incorporate action into the story while allowing each character to have moments of growth and understanding within the life-or-death situation. The film’s pace rarely slows down, but this matches the story’s high stakes.

4
Outlander (2014 – )

As Stephen Bonnet

Outlander has gone through many evolutions as a TV series since its premiere in 2014, and the addition of characters like Speleers’ Stephen Bonnet is what has kept the show interesting for so many years. Stephen Bonnet is a horrible villain in the later seasons of the series. He makes for an excellent villain that the audience has no trouble rooting against. This role demonstrates another side of Speleers, one where he can be brutal, cruel, and unforgiving when his character calls for it.

Though Jamie and Claire’s relationship in Outlander is one of the major thrusts of the series, Bonnet primarily interacts with their daughter, Brianna. Bonnet is a pirate and smuggler, and though he is an antagonist, he isn’t the worst villain of the series. What makes him a great character is that he’s not one-dimensional and serves as an example of how harsh treatment throughout life can affect a person.

3
Downton Abbey (2010 – 2015)

As Jimmy Kent

Downton Abbey is a hallmark British period piece about the transformation of the monarchy and the evolution of England in the early 20th century. The class system and monetary divide between characters on the show play a key role in determining the fates and storylines of the characters, as well as how they interact. Jimmy Kent was a major role for Speleers as it put him in the public eye like never before due to Downton Abbey‘s popularity. Additionally, Kent was a compelling character who provided insight into how people lived who didn’t have access to immense wealth and privilege.

2
You (2018 – 2024)

As Rhys Montrose

Though it seemed Rhys Montrose was an even more notorious killer than Joe (Penn Badgley) in You season 4, his true identity became much more unbelievable. It turned out that Speleers was not only playing Rhys but a pretend version of Rhys that Joe was imagining to trick his conscious mind into believing he wasn’t a killer anymore. It’s a shocking twist and one that only works because of how well Speleers plays the part of both Rhys’. Though he’s a separate character, he captures what it’s like inside Joe’s mind and will surely be back to haunt him soon.

1
Star Trek: Picard (2020 – 2023)

As Jack Crusher

Speleers gets the opportunity to work alongside Sir Patrick Stewart in a revisiting of his iconic Star Trek character, Jean-Luc Picard, in Star Trek: Picard. Though the series was short-lived, it made an enormous impact, and Speleers’ character, Jack Crusher, and his emotional arc is part of why. Crusher livened up the reboot and served as an energetic continuation of Picard’s legacy as his son in season 3. Star Trek: Picard season 3 is widely considered the best season of the show, and this is because of how far Speleers’ performance and the great writing pushed the series.