Who’s the best Spider-Man around? That’s an extremely controversial question. Since Birthday Boy Tom Holland stepped into the shoes of Peter Parker in 2015, it been an endless argument on who is the better web slinger on screen – Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi trilogy, Andrew Garfield in Marc Webb duology or Holland for MCU and the chances are such that this argument will go on forever. The matter which should not be argued upon is the versatility of the just-turned-25 British actor Thomas Stanley Holland who is not only a fantastic Spider-Man but also an extremely talented actor.
Following are the 5 non-Spiderman or non-MCU performances of Holland which will make you love and swoon over him as a complete actor.
1. The Impossible (2012)
The Impossible is actually the first film which shot 15-year old Tom Holland to international fame. The film was based on a memoir of motivational speaker María Belón and her family in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Naomi Watts portrayed Maria in the film which earned her an academy award for her performance but little Tom, who played her 12-years old son, was as good as Watts who with his innocent eyes and helpless persona, won the hearts of the audiences. Upon releasing The Guardian praised both performances of Watts and Holland, stating that “as Maria, Watts is both brave and vulnerable, and her scenes with the young Lucas (the excellent Tom Holland) are among the film’s best, with adult and child now unexpected equals, the mother humbled, the son rising to the challenge”. The Impossible is currently not available in any of the Indian streaming services but we hope that we can soon get this film as content in Indian OTT Platforms.
2. In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
The year Holland debuted in MCU as Spider-Man, earlier that year he played the cabin boy, Thomas Nickerson in the movie adaptation of 1851 novel Moby-Dick. The film had an extremely ensemble cast featuring stars Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Ben Whishaw, and Brendan Gleeson apart from Holland. But amongst all these massive actors, an 18-years old Tom stole the show with some brilliant performances in this historical adventure-drama film. The film received mixed reception but it certainly put Holland further up in the maps of stars and then he eventually landed the role of Spider-Man. In the Heart of the Sea is still available on Netflix India and we recommend the film to swoon over Holland and the rest of the cast.
3. The Current War (2017)
This is a historical drama film inspired by the 19th-century competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over which electric power delivery system would be used in the United States. While the film focused mostly on the lead actors of the film, Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon, what fascinated the audiences was Tom Holland’s little but extremely important role as American business magnate, Samuel Insull. Why was it fascinating? Because Holland, then only 19 years old, has portrayed a 35 years old hard-core chap in the film which sure showed his credibility and versatility as an actor. The Current War is also not available in any of the Indian streaming services but we sincerely hope that we can get to see this film as an important content in Indian OTT Platforms.
4. The Devil All the Time (2020)
This was Holland’s first film to take simultaneous OTT route via Netflix and selected theatres. Tom Holland-Robert Pattinson-Bill Skarsgard- Sebastian Stan – We already knew them as Spider-Man, upcoming Batman, Pennywise and Winter Soldier but in this movie they were something else. A purely American movie with major British and Australian cast in a post WWII ambience with brilliant multi-dimensional storytelling – This movie was a critical winner of 2020 and so was Tom Holland. Tom Holland gave the performance of his life with this psychologically twisted thriller along with Robert Pattinson. This is a film which is disturbing, Brutal and also realistic which will force you to confuse yourself in what’s right and what’s wrong. Watch this film for Tom Holland’s acting prowess in Netflix India.
5. Cherry (2021)
Not a critically and commercially successful movie, but we recommend this only to show you how Holland can carry an entire film on his shoulder with some brilliant performances. The film revolves around an Army veteran suffering from PTSD, who resorts to robbing banks to support his opioid addiction. It is loosely based on a memoir by Nicholas Walker, an American author and US Army veteran who served time in prison for bank robbery, Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Holland’s Cherry, the character based on Walker was every inch an addict in the film and deserves all praises in the world. Cherry is available on Apple TV+ and we urge you to go and check out this unconventional film.
Now, these 5 performances will definitely make you fall in love with Tom Holland and if not, there are always the MCU Spider-Man films, streaming in Disney+ Hotstar Premium and you can enjoy them whenever you want.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
