The youngest Hemsworth Brother may ultimately be best known for his tumultuous relationship with Miley Cyrus, but he does have a few solid acting roles under his belt. From a sappy Nicolas Sparks romance to action thrillers, he’s traversed a wide variety of genres throughout his career. This is my definitive guide to which of Liam Hemsworth’s biggest roles are worth a watch, and which can be quietly skipped.
- Skip: The Last Song
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Liam and Miley met and started dating during filming, and while their chemistry does show, this is definitely one of those movies I loved at 15 but have since grown out of. One of the many Nicolas Sparks adaptions of the 2000s, it features a sappy love story with some tear-jerker moments. Unfortunately the dialogue is very basic, and while the ending is heartwarming there are many a cringy scene on the way there. Watch only if you just want to see a few shirtless shots of Liam or you’re a die hard Liley shipper.
- Hit: The Hunger Games Trilogy
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Arguably Liam’s biggest-deal role to date, he took on the role of Gale Hawthorn, love interest to a favorite strong female protagonist, Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence). The movies’ take on the books is largely faithful and well-made, with a pretty solid cast and great special effects. The first two films (The Hunger Games and Catching Fire) have a lot less Liam but provide much needed context for the series and a lot more action. The third book was split into two films, which means they drag a little, but on the plus side there’s a lot more Liam. Even though The Hunger Games: Mockingjay parts one and two were not as well-recieved, I still enjoyed them and I like the political intricacies that they explored. I was always a big fan of the books, and I can’t not call these films a hit.
- Skip: Isn’t It Romantic
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A romcom that parodies it’s own genre starring Rebel Wilson as Natalie, a romcom-hating architect who, after getting knocked out by a serious blow to the head, finds herself in an actual romcom complete with singing, a gossiping side kick and a PG-13 rating. Liam Hemsworth is featured as the classic romcom-hottie-billionaire who suddenly takes an interest in Natalie.
It’s definitely more of a Rebel Wilson vehicle than a feature of Liam’s acting talents, and I also can’t help but feel this is the kind of film that’s best jokes are already shown in the trailer. It’s a cute idea, but I don’t think it was quite enough to justify a full-length movie. If you love Rebel’s humour and you love the classic romcom cliches you may very much appreciate this movie’s attempt at a new spin on the classic formula, however, if neither of these are your usual movie genre go-tos then you can probably skip.
- Skip: Independence Day: Resurgence
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This film falls into the saturated category of big-budget heavy-CGI catastrophe / action / alien sci-fi. This is the type of movie that may do well at the box office but is soon forgotten after. Liam’s character, Jake, basically takes over from Will Smith, who was the lead in the original 1996 film. To me this was another film that doesn’t really present an opportunity for Liam to showcase the depths of his acting skill, but if you’re a fan of this genre you will probably enjoy it. For the most part though, I feel it can be skipped; these types of movies are often best seen when first released in theatres anyway, to feel the full force of the special effects.
- Hit: The Expendables 2
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This isn’t my usual type of movie, but I did find it surprisingly watchable. Sure, it’s saturated with big names from Sylvester Stallone to Jet Li, it’s got more testosterone than a movie should be able to handle, and the plot isn’t exactly complex, but it was just kind of fun. The movie is pure entertainment, from quips between Stallone and Jason Statham, to cheesy action scenes with bomb timer countdowns and shootouts. Alas, Liam still doesn’t really get that much screentime, but it was nice while it lasted. I never saw the original, but apparently this one is the best of the franchise’s three films.
- Skip: The Dressmaker
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The film follows Kate Winslet as a talented seamstress who returns to her small Australian home town to uncover the truth behind a murder case from her childhood. Kate Winslet is pretty captivating as a classic femme fatale character, but I just couldn’t get into this movie. Everything is a bit overdone and all the characters feel like caricatures. The tone is also fairly uneven, bouncing from a comedy to a darker revenge movie. I will commend the stylish costume design and cinematography, though, and Liam plays–of coursex0a hunky love interest. Plus, it’s nice to see him with his natural accent.
I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit disappointed by Liam’s filmography. As most of his roles are on the smaller supporting side, I feel like I haven’t really seen what he can do as an actor. Never the less, there are a few binge worthy hits on here to shake up your next movie night.