The Best Oscar Isaac Movies & TV Shows, Ranked

Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac reunite to deliver some of the most inherently natural performances in Scenes From a Marriage, making it an absolute must for people who appreciate darker romantic dramas that emphasize all the difficult feelings that come from sharing a life with someone. This isn't a love story, yet interestingly, it's so much more at times—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

It's especially a must-watch for anyone who enjoyed Marriage Story (2019), but more than anything, it's a must-watch for the achingly palpable performances. Oscar Isaac's range is incomparable to anything else, and while the series isn't groundbreaking, it's one that does an acutely fantastic job of portraying a complex relationship that's easy to appreciate, even as we grow increasingly frustrated with the characters.

It's a shame that Oscar Isaac's role in the Dune films is cut short because his character, Duke Leto Atreides—spoiler—dies. Still, in the short amount of time we spend with him throughout the epic sci-fi's first movie, Isaac layers the character with tremendous nuance and depth, ensuring that his book counterpart comes to life with perfect embodiment.

The Dune films are beloved for a reason, and they're especially worth watching for Star Wars fans, as there are countless similarities to appreciate. But more than anything, it's how each performer adds something memorable to Denis Villeneuve's incredible vision as a director. The movies are incredibly relevant to the time we're living in, and it feels especially rewarding to watch the type of directing that's coming to pass with them. 

Oftentimes, when actors portray people of a specific ethnicity, it's upsetting because why couldn't directors hire someone who's actually Armenian? But in this case, it's a good thing because the Armenian Genocide isn't something many people know about, and in order for people to watch it, we'd need actors with established fans who'd be interested. Starring in the film alongside Christian Bale, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Angela Sarafyan, and more, Oscar Isaac's brilliant performance will move anyone to tears.

How he not only layers the character but evokes every heartbreaking and tumultuous emotion is no small feat. If you came into this movie shortly after the success of Star Wars, Isaac's range is an astounding detail to admire. The Promise is profoundly heartbreaking and heavy, but an important film to watch if you're curious about the Armenian Genocide. 

As a movie, A Most Violent Year isn't exactly unique, but it's definitely something fans of The Untouchables (1987) or The Departed (2006) can enjoy. It's also one of the best films, where Oscar Isaac's performance is concerned, as a man who's consistently trying to make a name for himself in a world where odds are often stacked against him. Funnily, it's also another property where he and Jessica Chastain play a married pair, where their characters are drastically different from one another.

A Most Violent Year is the type of compelling thriller that's so well shot and acted, it deserves every bit of recognition as a must-watch at least once. While the plot doesn't do much outside of the usual tropes centered around inherited family businesses, it's how Isaac's character grapples with everything that's so riveting to watch. 

As a relatively scary sci-fi horror film, Annihilation isn't for the faint of heart, but Oscar Isaac offers another compelling performance that fans of Moon Knight will likely appreciate. Though he doesn't exactly embody two different versions of his character Kane in the same way as he does in the MCU, there are instances throughout the movie where there are similarities that show off his range. 

More than anything, it's another incredible performance that continues to showcase what a multifaceted and impeccable actor he is on all fronts. With every expression, Isaac proves that there's no role or emotion he can't deliver to perfection. And even when some of his roles may be similar, he makes it clear that the character we're currently watching is the one we're most locked in on.

Moon Knight is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's strongest series adaptations to date, and so much of it is because of Oscar Isaac's compelling performance as both Marc Spector and Steven Grant. The superhero genre is full of vulnerability, but beyond the explosions, skeptics often don't recognize just how impactful it can be, and Moon Knight was among the first shows to really dive into the mess of it all. 

Isaac's performance is indescribable throughout, but it's especially brilliant when we see glimpses into the characters' headspaces, understanding that there's a bigger story being told here. And like WandaVision (2021), because we get more than two hours with these characters, we get deeper explorations of the pain and trauma plaguing them. Isaac nails each emotion perfectly, making Moon Knight a must-watch for anyone who wants to see a more serious exploration of innermost struggles in the MCU

If you loved Oscar Isaac's means of embodying the mad scientist in Frankenstein, then you'll 100% appreciate his work as Nathan Bateman in Alex Garland's Ex Machina. This one's also for the people who want a modern version of what happens when abuse, greed, and control result in AI taking over. It's both a cautionary tale and a revolutionary one that touches on emotions with a thoughtful lens.

Isaac stars alongside Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson, with each of them delivering something thoroughly memorable throughout the eerie sci-fi. Featuring beats that are so different from anything he's done before, the role of Nathan Bateman is one of Isaac's finest performances to date. It's uncanny at times, absurd, and yet so incredibly riveting throughout as a movie that's so character-driven. 

The sequel trilogy, starting with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, rightfully gets a ton of flak for some of its narrative decisions, but one thing none of us could ever argue is how perfect the casting is for every new character. Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron instantly became a fan favorite the moment he went head-to-head with Adam Driver's Kylo Ren, and he grew even more memorable by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) when his "Somehow Palpatine returned" became the entire trilogy's vibe.

Isaac took on the role of droid dad/pilot with so much ease that he brought something genuinely special to the stories. As one of the first Latine actors to come aboard such a massive franchise, Isaac's legacy is so significant in the films that it's hard to imagine the world of a galaxy far, far away once existed without him. 

Before they hated each other in a galaxy far, far away, Poe Dameron and Kylo Ren recorded a folk song with Justin Timberlake. You read that currently. Inside Llewyn Davis is a perfect vibe for the dejected artists and creatives. It's an accurate account of what it looks like to try in an industry that's almost designed to work against you, and it's still relevant even today.

Fans of the Coen brothers will likely love it, and even those who aren't can definitely appreciate this one for how Oscar Issac embodies the titular character with so much heart and depth. It's almost agonizing to watch him struggle as much as he does because you feel every ounce of his depression, frustration, and rage. You feel everything he's feeling just by looking at him, and it makes the movie that much gripping. There really is no happy ending here, and sometimes, that's a whole mood in any creative industry.

Dr. Victor Frankenstein is one of the most well-written villains in classic literature because of his innately dark and complex flaws, and no actor embodies his viciousness as brilliantly as Oscar Isaac. To cast an actor who's as charming as Isaac to play such an iconic role is where Guillermo del Toro's vision is so prestigious, and Isaac does such a breathtaking job of adding depth to make Victor a character worth analyzing for hours on end.

And interestingly, Isaac's performance also layers Victor Frankenstein with a quiet, brief softness that perfectly captures the duality of man, making the character that much more compelling. Because of this, Frankenstein isn't just one of the best book-to-screen adaptations to ever grace our screens. It's also one of the best films of the year, and one worth watching for those who love complex, gothic narratives.