Few actors have had as meteoric rise of late as Pedro Pascal. The Chilean-born actor has starred in some of the best TV shows of the past decade, from "Game of Thrones" and "Narcos" to "The Mandalorian" and "The Last of Us".
(The latter's much-anticipated second season premieres on HBO this Sunday, April 13.)
Pascal has also proved his star power on film, including big-budget titles like "Kingsman: The Golden Circle," "Wonder Woman 1984" and, most recently, "Gladiator II."
Movie-wise, the 50-year-old performer has a busy year ahead, including Ari Aster's upcoming Western-comedy "Eddington" alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone; Celine Song's rom-com "The Materialists" with Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans; and as Reed Richards-slash-Mister Fantastic in Matt Shakman's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."
But before all of those hit theaters, let's take a look back at five of Pedro Pascal's best movies that you can stream right now.
5. 'Strange Way of Life'
In between his packed filmography of full-length features, Pascal fit in this sultry Western short directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Opposite Ethan Hawke, Pedro plays a gunslinging rancher named Silva who rides a horse across the desert to visit his old friend and former lover Jake (Hawke) — now the sheriff of a small Wild West town — after 25 years apart.
The reunion between the two men turns romantic, but Silva soon reveals the real reason for his trip: Silva's son Joe is the prime suspect in the murder of Jake's sister-in-law, and he's come to town to help Joe escape.
"Strange Way of Life" is powered by palpable chemistry between its two lead actors — which feels remarkably lived-in for only 30 minutes of screentime — as well as a particularly heart-wrenching performance by Pascal as a man torn between loyalty to his son and love for his former flame.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
Watch "Strange Way of Life" on Netflix now
4. 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent'
It takes a very charismatic performer to keep up against the cinematic dynamo known as Nicolas Cage, especially when he's playing a heightened version of, well, Nicolas Cage.
Pascal holds his own and even manages to steal a few scenes against the iconic actor in the over-the-top 2022 action-comedy "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent," starring as Javi Gutiérrez, a billionaire Cage superfan who pays the actor a million bucks to appear at his birthday party.
Things are going smoothly between the two men — they bond over their love for "Paddington 2", for example — until Cage gets word from some CIA agents that Javi might not be an enthusiastic fan at all but a dangerous arms dealer who kidnapped the daughter of a Catalan politician. Gonzo hijinks ensue.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
Watch "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" on Netflix now
3. 'If Beale Street Could Talk'
Pascal has only a small role in this stirring Barry Jenkins-directed romance — based on James Baldwin's 1974 novel of the same name — but it's no less a memorable one.
Joining an ensemble that includes KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Colman Domingo, Brian Tyree Henry and Regina King, the actor appears as Pietro Alvarez, a man who sets up the meeting between Sharon Rivers (King), the mother-in-law figure of Fonny Hunt (James), and Victoria Rogers (Emilia Rios), the woman Fonny is falsely accused of raping.
The film itself is a stunning and devastating adaptation of Baldwin's original story, and Pascal's powerful scene work opposite Regina King — who earned the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance — packed plenty of gravitas in a short amount of screentime.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Watch "If Beale Street Could Talk" on PLEX now
2. 'Prospect'
"The Last of Us" isn't the first time that Pascal has led a dystopian survivalist drama opposite a teenage co-star. And while he's definitely a hero figure in that hit HBO series, his morals are a bit murkier in the 2018 sci-fi flick "Prospect", written and directed by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell.
Pascal uses his considerable charms to menacing effect as an ambitious prospector who has been stranded on an alien moon. When he encounters teenaged Cee ("Yellowjackets" star Sophie Thatcher) and her father Damon (Jay Duplass), the latter two are aiming to strike it rich by harvesting elusive gems hidden in the moon's poisonous forest.
Things get complicated for all involved, not only due to the moon's natural threats but also because of its ruthless inhabitants.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%
Watch "Prospect" on Tubi now
1. 'The Wild Robot'
You don't actually get to see Pedro Pascal onscreen in the acclaimed animated epic "The Wild Robot", but he nevertheless makes an impression among the cast of fellow voice actors, which includes Lupita Nyong’o, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill and Catherine O'Hara.
The Oscar-nominated DreamWorks flick follows the journey of Roz (Nyong’o), a robot that's shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings. While on the island, she bonds with some of the animals, including a charming fox called Fink (Pascal), who becomes part of Roz's found family.
Through voice work alone, Pedro charts a compelling character development for Fink, starting at a surface-level mischievousness and deftly adding layers of heart and humanity to the role.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Watch "The Wild Robot" on Peacock now
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