Tom Holland has cemented himself as one of Hollywood’s leading stars under the age of 35. After becoming a child star in Billy Elliot the Musical on the West End, Holland transitioned into movies, where he slowly became a reliable supporting actor in several films. In 2015, Holland’s life changed when Marvel cast him to play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the MCU.
More than 10 years later, Holland’s resume features Spider-Man appearances mixed in with some roles in potential new franchises. With over two dozen acting credits, what are Holland’s best movies? In honor of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we ranked Holland’s best movies below. To make things more difficult, only two spots could feature Holland as Spider-Man.
6
In the Heart of the Sea
The true story that inspired Moby-Dick
In the Heart of the Sea, Ron Howard’s adventure movie, should have been released during the summer, not December, and it should have showcased the sperm whale more than it did. All that said, In the Heart of the Sea is much better than its poor box office result would suggest. The movie is based on the true story of the Essex, a whaling ship that came into contact with a giant sperm whale, a tale that later inspired Moby-Dick.
Quiz
Tom Holland movies and career
Trivia challenge
From Spider-Man to Uncharted — how well do you really know Tom Holland’s
biggest roles?
Spider-ManCareerMoviesCharactersMarvel
In which Marvel Cinematic Universe film did Tom Holland first appear as Spider-Man?
Correct! Tom Holland made his debut as Peter Parker in Captain America:
Civil War (2016), recruited by Tony Stark to help during the Avengers’ conflict. It was a memorable
introduction that immediately won over fans.
Not quite. While Spider-Man: Homecoming was Holland’s first solo film,
he actually debuted in Captain America: Civil War (2016). Tony Stark personally recruited the young hero
for the airport battle scene.
What was Tom Holland’s feature film debut, released in 2012?
Correct! Tom Holland made his film debut in The Impossible (2012),
playing Lucas Bennett, the oldest son of a family caught in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. His
performance earned widespread critical praise.
Not quite. Tom Holland’s feature film debut was The Impossible (2012), a
disaster drama about the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. He played the eldest son and delivered a remarkably
mature performance for his age.
What is the name of Peter Parker’s high school in Spider-Man: Homecoming?
Correct! Peter Parker attends the Midtown School of Science and
Technology in Spider-Man: Homecoming. It reflects his status as an exceptionally gifted student, unlike
the more generic ‘Midtown High’ from the comics.
Not quite. The school is called the Midtown School of Science and
Technology, emphasizing Peter’s academic brilliance in STEM subjects. It’s a slight departure from the
comics’ simpler ‘Midtown High School’ name.
In the 2021 film Cherry, Tom Holland plays a character who struggles with addiction
and turns to what criminal activity to fund his habit?
Correct! In Cherry, directed by the Russo Brothers, Holland plays a
disillusioned Army veteran who becomes addicted to opioids and resorts to robbing banks to fund his
addiction. It was a bold dramatic departure from his superhero roles.
Not quite. In Cherry, Holland’s character becomes a bank robber to
support his opioid addiction. The film, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, showcased Holland’s range far
beyond his Spider-Man persona.
Which character did Tom Holland voice in the animated film Onward (2020)?
Correct! Tom Holland voiced Ian Lightfoot, the shy and cautious younger
brother in Pixar’s Onward. Chris Pratt voiced his enthusiastic older brother Barley, and the two had
great on-screen chemistry despite it being an animated film.
Not quite. Tom Holland voiced Ian Lightfoot, the younger, more reserved
of the two elf brothers in Pixar’s Onward. Chris Pratt took the role of the older, boisterous brother
Barley Lightfoot.
In the 2022 film Uncharted, Tom Holland plays a younger version of Nathan Drake.
Which veteran treasure hunter does he team up with?
Correct! Holland’s Nathan Drake partners with Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan,
played by Mark Wahlberg, in Uncharted. The film serves as a prequel of sorts to the beloved PlayStation
video game series, showing how their partnership began.
Not quite. Nathan Drake teams up with Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan, portrayed
by Mark Wahlberg. The film is based on the popular PlayStation game franchise and explores the early
days of their treasure-hunting partnership.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, which actor reprised his role as an older,
alternate-universe version of Peter Parker alongside Tom Holland?
Correct! Both Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire returned as their
respective versions of Spider-Man in No Way Home, creating one of the most celebrated moments in
superhero movie history. Their appearance had been one of cinema’s worst-kept secrets.
Not quite. Both Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire reprised their
Spider-Man roles in No Way Home. The multiverse storyline allowed all three live-action Peter Parkers to
share the screen together for the very first time.
Before becoming famous as Spider-Man, Tom Holland performed in which West End and
Broadway stage production as a child?
Correct! Tom Holland performed as Billy Elliot in the West End and
Broadway productions of Billy Elliot the Musical, showcasing his dancing skills from a very young age.
This stage background gave him a strong physical performance foundation.
Not quite. Tom Holland played the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical
on both the West End and Broadway. The demanding role required intense dance training, and his
performance helped launch his career in the entertainment industry.
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In 1820, the Nantucket-based ship known as the Essex embarks on a voyage to find whale oil. The crew includes Captain George Pollard Jr. (Benjamin Walker), first mate Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), and cabin boy Thomas Nickerson (Holland). The crew eventually encounters a massive sperm whale that attacks and sinks their ship, forcing the men into a fight for their lives as they drift at sea. In the Heart of the Sea is more of a survival movie than a historical epic, which might not appeal to everyone. However, the visuals are quite impressive, and I respect the actors’ physical transformation to play emaciated sailors.
5
The Lost City of Z
The never-ending exploration
It’s pretty wild seeing Charlie Hunnam as the top-billed actor in a movie that includes Holland and Robert Pattinson. However, Hunnam backed up being first on the call sheet with one of the most intriguing performances of his career in The Lost City of Z. Based on David Grann’s book, James Gray’s The Lost City of Z stars Hunnam as Percy Fawcett, a British explorer who becomes fixated with finding a fabled lost city in the Amazon River region.
Despite being rejected by the scientific community, Fawcett remains determined to study the region and embarks on several expeditions to the area to find the Lost City of Z. Holland plays Fawcett’s estranged son who accompanies his father on what would be their last mission. Gray’s movie is the definition of a slow burn, as it methodically shows how an explorer’s obsession with discovery ultimately led to his downfall. Hunnam’s charisma does most of the heavy lifting, but Holland holds his own in his heartbreaking depiction of a son willing to do anything to win his father’s approval.
4
The Impossible
A family never gives up
To get a sense of Holland’s full career, this ranking needs to include some of his earliest roles. After Billy Elliot, Holland’s first live-action movie role came in 2012’s The Impossible, a disaster film based on María Belón’s experiences during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Dr. Maria Bennett (Naomi Watts), her husband Henry (Ewan McGregor), and three children are vacationing in Thailand when tragedy strikes: a tsunami floods the resort.
In the ensuing chaos, Maria and her eldest son, Lucas (Holland), separate from Henry and her two other children. It’s a journey to reunite a family separated by disaster in this tearjerker directed by J.A. Bayona. Watts gives an emotionally charged performance that results in an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. The real revelation in The Impossible is Holland, who matches Watts’ intensity with a moving turn as he comes of age before our eyes.
3
Avengers: Infinity War
The snap heard ’round the world
The first of our Spider-Man entries on the list is Avengers: Infinity War, which features what I consider the best cliffhanger ending in an MCU movie. After years of teasing, Thanos finally arrives on the scene and sets out to collect all six Infinity Stones by any means necessary. If that happens, Thanos will wipe out half of all life in the universe with the snap of a finger. The Avengers won’t go down without a fight, as they battle Thanos and his army on several fronts.
Spider-Man’s journey takes him to Titan; his supergroup—Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), and several members of the Guardians of the Galaxy—plans to fight Thanos and steal the Infinity Gauntlet. If you’ve seen Avengers: Infinity War, you’ll know that things don’t work out for our heroes. Despite the shocking ending, Infinity War is one of Holland’s best movies because it features his most powerful scene in the MCU: his final moments with Iron Man following Thanos’ snap. “Mr. Stark, I don’t feel so good” will make even the biggest cynics choke up.
2
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Why have one Spider-Man when you can have three?
Avengers: Infinity War might be the better MCU movie, but Spider-Man: No Way Home is Holland’s best Spider-Man entry. Following the events of Far From Home, the world now knows Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Wanting his old life back, Peter asks Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to conjure up a spell for the world to forget Spider-Man’s identity. Strange never completes the spell, but it leads to shocking consequences—villains from other universes infiltrate Peter’s world.
To fight the other villains and save the multiverse, Peter enlists help from alternate versions of Peter—Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man. Watching the three Spider-Men work together and fight as a team is the perfect example of how to properly use nostalgia. Spider-Man: No Way Home also packs an emotional punch, giving Holland multiple poignant scenes, especially his final goodbye to Zendaya’s MJ. We’ll see how Spider-Man: Brand New Day turns out, but for now, No Way Home is Holland’s top Spider-Man entry.
1
The Odyssey
Homer’s epic gets the adaptation it deserves
You know a movie is good when it’s No. 1 on an actor’s “best of” list, and it’s still in theaters. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is the clear top movie on Holland’s resume, and it isn’t close. Based on Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek King of Ithaca who embarks on a dangerous journey home. Odysseus comes across several peculiar beings on his voyage, including the Cyclops, Laestrygonians, and Sirens.
Holland plays Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, who is determined to find his father and fight off the suitors trying to marry his mother, Penelope (Anne Hathaway). Holland’s performance has been extremely divisive, but I commend Nolan for casting the Spider-Man star in a role that requires an actor to portray a character coming into adulthood, mirroring Holland’s own journey into more mature roles. The Odyssey is truly a magical theatrical experience, so go see it at your earliest convenience, even if you can’t score IMAX 70mm tickets.
What else should you watch on streaming?
After checking out some of Holland’s best movies, head to Prime Video to watch some forgotten Emmy winners, including Daisy Jones & the Six and Fleabag. If you’re uninterested in new programming, then start knocking some classics off your watchlist on the other streamers. My suggestions are The Sound of Music and Casablanca.
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