10 Must-Watch Movies Starring The Cast Of Netflix's Hillbilly Elegy

Summary

• Hillbilly Elegy features a star-studded cast including Amy Adams and Glenn Close.
• The main actors in Hillbilly Elegy have all been in many great projects over the years;
• The cast of Hillbilly Elegy has plenty of other movies that received much better reviews than the 2020 film.

Ron Howard’s film Hillbilly Elegy has faced some controversy since its release in 2020, but its star-studded cast remains notable, and their other movies are certainly worth the watch. Hillbilly Elegy follows the true story of J.D. Vance’s Appalachian childhood, alongside his wise grandmother and his addicted mother. Though the film’s message has been brought into question, the cast led by Amy Adams and Glenn Close has been singled out as one of the film’s undoubted strong suits.

Hillbilly Elegy’s cast includes many big stars and relative newcomers. Amy Adams and Glenn Close are the most familiar faces, and therefore, take on the most pivotal roles. Owen Asztalos and Gabriel Basso split the role of lead character, JD Vance. Meanwhile, Haley Bennett, Freida Pinto, and Bo Hopkins make up the supporting characters. Hillbilly Elegy has received brutal reviews over the years, but luckily, this cast has several great movies with outstanding reviews to check out instead.

10 Presumed Innocent (1990)

Bill Winkler

For the character of Brooks Houghton in Hillbilly Elegy, director Ron Howard cast veteran character actor Bill Winkler to play the part. Winkler has appeared in many quality pictures and television series in his career, but few are as memorable as Alan J. Pakula’s 1990 legal thriller, Presumed Innocent. In the film, Winkler plays Officer Tom. This was his first-ever feature film appearance.

Presumed Innocent
was recently remade into an Apple TV+ mini-series starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

Presumed Innocent traces the story of high-ranking prosecutor Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford), a lawyer who becomes the primary suspect in the murder of his one-time mistress, Carolyn (Greta Scacchi). Sabich must fight for his innocence, even as those around him begin to suspect the worst. The excellent courtroom drama explores the titular legal edict of being presumed innocent until proven guilty, leading to a jaw-dropping finale that makes this movie worth watching.

9 The Highwaymen (2019)

Jesse C. Boyd

Jesse C. Boyd plays the character of Matt in Hillbilly Elegy. Boyd has spent equal time working in film and television, appearing in big projects such as Halloween Ends and Netflix’s Reptile. His career started back in 2005 with an episode of Veronica Mars. However, in terms of the big screen, one of Boyd’s most notable projects is John Lee Hancock’s historical crime drama,The Highwaymen. Boyd plays Ray Hamilton in the film.

The Highwaymen stars Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson star as former Texas Rangers, Frank Hamer and Maney Gault. The two dogged lawmen are assigned to track down and arrest real-life bank-robbing lovers, Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. Overall, the movie is thrilling and offers a peek into the law enforcement side of the crimes of Bonnie and Clyde. Plus, Harrelson and Costner make a convincing and unique duo.

8 Remember The Titans (2000)

David Dwyer

Experienced character actor David Dwyer plays Uncle Arch in Hillbilly Elegy. Like his co-stars, Dwyer has enjoyed a long career in both TV and movies. His best-known projects include October Sky, Stranger Things, and The Firm. He even appeared in The Highwaymen alongside Jesse C. Boyd. However, what is likely Dwyer’s best and most beloved movie is 2000’s Remember the Titans. In that movie, Dwyer played Coach Tolbert.

Remember the Titans
was not the only based-on-a-true-story football movie that David Dwyer ever starred in. In 2006, he appeared in
We Are Marshall.

Remember the Titans tells the true story of Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), a real-life football coach who dedicated his life to racially integrating players on the same high school football team in 1971 Virginia. Upon its release, Remember the Titans was not a critical darling, yet the movie has gained significant praise over the years. For many, Remember the Titans is one of the best football films to date. Therefore, for another taste of David Dwyer, audiences should check out this movie.

7 Bridge Of Spies (2015)

Stephen Kunken

Stephen Kunken has appeared in a handful of must-see movies and shows over his 20-year career. Some of his most notable appearances are in The Handmaid’s Tale, Jason Bourne, and The Wolf of Wall Street. These days, he is likely best known for his recurring role on Billions. However, the most salient film role belongs to Steven Spielberg’s Cold War espionage drama Bridge of Spies. Kunken portrayed a Republican member of the New Jersey General Assembly and a lawyer who was close to President Eisenhower.

Bridge of Spies
was nominated for five Academy Awards.

Bridge of Spies is a twisty historical film starring Tom Hanks as lawyer James Donovan. Donovan is tasked with negotiating the release of U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers from the Soviet Union. In exchange, Donovan must give the Russians a convicted spy that he defended in court. This Steven Spielberg movie succeeds as a character study and may be one of his most underrated of all time.

6 The Kings Of Summer (2013)

Gabriel Basso

The main protagonist in Hillbilly Elegy is played by Gabriel Basso. This actor began his career as a child in the 2007 film Meet Bill. Nowadays, he has earned renewed fame for his roles in The Strangers: Chapter 1 and Netflix’s streaming hit, The Night Agent. However, it was in 2013, after his breakout in Super 8, that Basso starred in the heartening coming-of-age tale The Kings of Summer. Basso plays Patrick in the film, best friends to Joe (Nick Robinson) and Biaggio (Moses Arias).

The Kings of Summer follows three young teenage friends who forge bonds of a lifetime when heading into the woods building a massive fort and enjoying a self-sustainable lifestyle. Notably, this coming-of-age movie is bursting with stars. Alongside Nick Robinson and Moses Arias, the cast includes Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Megan Mullally, and Erin Moriarty.

5 Midnight Express (1978)

Bo Hopkins

With over 130 credits to his name since 1966, Bo Hopkins is one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history. Therefore, it’s no surprise that he appeared in many big-name films including American Graffiti and Posse. In Hillbilly Elegy, he played Papaw. While he’s worked with some of the all-time greatest directors, no film is more of a must-see than Midnight Express. In it, Hopkins played a man named Tex.

Hillbilly Elegy
was Bo Hopkins’ final film.

Based on the real-life case of writer Billy Hayes (Brad Davis), Midnight Express centers on the Turkish imprisonment of an American hash smuggler in 1970. Directed by Alan Parker from a script by Oliver Stone, Hopkins plays Billy’s friend and ally Tex, a man who helps Davis translate his story to Turkish authorities. The film won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay and Best Original Score.

4 Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Freida Pinto

Acclaimed Indian actress Freida Pinto plays Usha, J.D.’s present-day girlfriend, in Hillbilly Elegy. In her first starring role, she played the title character in Julian Schnabel’s must-see coming-of-age drama, Miral. From there, she appeared in bigger projects such as Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Immortals. Her newest project is in the Scarlett Johansson movie, North Star. Yet, one of Pinto’s most memorable roles is Latika in the British drama Slumdog Millionaire.

Slumdog Millionaire sees Dev Patel in his feature film debut as Jamal, a young man from a Mumbai slum who unexpectedly wins an Indian-Hindi version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? Pinto’s character, Latika, is Jamal’s love interest. Though Slumdog Millionaire has faced some backlash, it ultimately earned 10 Academy Award nominations in 2008 and continues to be praised for its heartwarming story and incredible performances.

3 Swallow (2019)

Haley Bennett

Haley Bennett plays J.D.’s sister Lindsay in Hillbilly Elegy. In the past, Bennett has performed in movies like The Equalizer, The Magnificent Seven, and Girl on the Train. However, for a much more riveting central performance from the skilled actress, tune into the superb 2019 thriller, Swallow. In the film, Bennett plays the lead character, Hunter.

Swallow follows Hunter Conrad (Bennett), a deeply troubled young woman who, as a means of therapeutic self-control, develops a habit of swallowing life-threatening household objects. Her quirky compulsion devolves into a dangerous obsession, making for an absolute must-see cinematic experience. This is likely the most gripping of all the movies on this list. It’s probably the strangest as well. Ultimately, Swallow will offer audiences a vastly different view of Bennett and her acting abilities.

2 Dangerous Liaisons (1990)

Glenn Close

Glenn Close is not only one of the most respected actors in Hollywood, but she’s also one of the best performers yet to win an Oscar Award. Despite her long list of iconic performances, she has yet to hold the golden statue in her hand. Though Close earned her eighth nomination as Mamaw in Hillbilly Elegy, along with a Golden Raspberry for the same role, it’s her work in Dangerous Liaisons that really stands out. In the film, Close plays Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil.

Directed by Stephen Frears, the film is an erotic cat-and-mouse game in which the bored aristocrats Valmont (John Malkovich) and Merteuil (Close) make bets on who and how many women the former can take to bed. When Merteuil challenges Valmont to sleep with Cecile (Uma Thruman), he can’t resist Madame Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer) instead. Among Glenn Close’s best movies, this is a true gem.

1 Junebug (2005)

Amy Adams

Junebug is a Southern family done right. Amy Adams earned an Oscar nod for her breakout role in the film as Ashley, a warmhearted Southerner dealing with domestic issues while nine months pregnant. Though Adams has succeeded in countless projects, from the Superman franchise to darker films like American Hustle and Arrival, this is an Amy Adams performance audiences won’t want to miss.

Like Glenn Close, Amy Adams has yet to win an Academy Award.

The film follows Madeleine, a sophisticated art dealer from Chicago who travels to the rural North Carolina home of her artist boyfriend, George. While there, Madeleine meets George’s eccentric family, including his brother’s pregnant girlfriend, Ashley. During their visit, old wounds are opened as Madeleine learns more about her boyfriend’s unexpected childhood and inner world. In many ways, Amy Adams’ Junebug is everything Hillbilly Elegy wanted to be but failed to achieve.