Ranking the Performances of Wes Bentley because it’s his birthday…
Well, this was more difficult than I thought. Anyways, happy birthday, Wesley!

Ever since American Beauty (1999), Wes Bentley faced a rocky road due to drug abuse (which the actor has openly discussed since) but has come through the dark tunnel with a new strength and some amazingly memorable performances. Often typecast broadly into the categories of “awkward guys who are, at worst, creepy and obsessive” or simply criminals due to his intimidating eyes, sharp features, pale skin and coal-dark hair, Bentley has added his own interpretation to the otherwise two-dimensional characters in a range of works.

Here is a ranking of Wes’ performances in some of his most well known films/TV shows, as well as lesser known gems, from Worst to Best. Consider this my gift to Wes on 4th September.

PS. These are my subjective opinions. Let me know in the comments section what you think!

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25. The Best of Enemies (2019)

Bentley plays Floyd Kelly, a racist working for the KKK in 1970s America. Sam Rockwell has a larger chunk to play in this film which looks at his character C. P. Ellis undergo an ideological and moral reformation. Meanwhile, Bentley’s role is rather miniscule, and he is wasted here. Still, he makes his ominous presence felt even in scenes where he does not appear (which is most of the movie), and when he does appear, he is a silent observer, staring in judgement and suspicion at Rockwell’s increasingly tolerant Ellis.

24. Broken Vows (2016)

Patrick breaks into Tara’s apartment and hops into her shower to give her a surprise. He cannot understand why this isn’t enough to please Tara, his one-night-stand who is begging him to leave before her fiancé arrives.

Bentley is a sexy smooth-talker in this psychological-stalker movie. Sadly, his performance is hilariously embarrassing. Wes mumbles his lines which are cookie-cutter, basically going “you can save me”, “we are meant to be together”, “you hurt me”, and “oh, so she is finally accepting”…. Bentley has an expressionless face which we cannot penetrate. We barely get to know what’s going on in his mind and the little we do know is through expositional dialogue. Wes rarely plays obsessive stalkers these days and he blew this. But on the plus side, he worked on his body and maintained fitness.

23. The Time Being (2012)

Daniel is a painter who must do shady work for a mysterious millionaire because he needs the money to support his family.

A review for this film observed that Wes has these “crazy eyes” which he just can’t control. On top of that, he naturally looks creepy. His character, Daniel, was meant to be an ordinary husband, father and struggling artist, but Wes makes him look like a psychopath. The review goes on about how the financially struggling Daniel was meant to watch his family with love and concern, but Bentley stares at them in such a menacing way that it looks like he wants to kill them or eat them alive. Sadly, I had to agree with that review.

22. The Tomb (or Edgar Allan Poe’s Ligeia) (2009)

Ligeia seduces poor Jonathan Merrick with dark magic.

Wes plays Jonathan Merrick, an English professor and well-known writer who finds himself in a bind after falling in love with the mysterious but beautiful Ligeia (Sofya Skya). Jonathan is not more than a puppet being pushed around by the spell-casting Ligeia. Just when you think he has finally broken free from Ligeia’s charms, he gets passed between her and his long-suffering girlfriend Rowena (Kaitlin Doubleday). It also doesn’t help that the script is such a snooze.

21. Pioneer (2013)

The shady Mike butts heads with the hero, Petter

Here, Wesley Cook Bentley plays Mike, an American employee working for a big oil company. He is mostly a foil for the Norwegian protagonist Petter (Aksel Hennie), getting in his way and preventing him from uncovering a government conspiracy. What can we say? Wes is wasted here.

20. Interstellar (2014)

Doyle’s last moments before he goes under

Our birthday boy plays Doyle, a high-ranking NASA member and the doomed crewmember of Endurance. Wes does well in the little screen time he gets before getting swept under by a giant wave, and before the real drama begins. Really, Christopher Nolan? This is the best role you could write for him?

19. Amnesiac (2015)

Man is getting suspicious that Woman might not be his wife and he is probably being kidnapped.

This is a close tie with Interstellar. The unnamed protagonist wakes up with amnesia and cannot remember a thing. He slowly gets suspicious of the woman (Kate Bosworth) taking care of him as she claims him to be her husband. Wes hints at a creeping sense of dread and paranoia with his subtle cues and nuanced acting choices.

18. Pete’s Dragon (2016)

There is a certain unspoken sadness and weariness about Jack Magary, a lone dad.

Wes essays a worn out ‘lumberjack-like’ father in David Lowry’s live-action spin on an ancient Disney movie. Jack Magary is responsible and hardworking. There’s not much for him to do in the story but when he sets his eyes on Pete’s dragon friend for the first time ever, we feel the astonishment and a return of boy-like wonder setting in on him.

17. Final Girl (2015)

Wes uses his charms and alluring good looks to such perfection that you forget William has sexual tension with a 17-year old.

William is a mysterious secret agent and trainer of Abigail Breslin’s Veronica. Wes is heartless, cold and sexy in this neo-noir action thriller. But the dialogues he spews are occasionally crummy and unintentionally funny. At one point, the assassin Veronica asks William why she can’t just use a gun to obliterate her targets. William’s simple answer is this: guns run out of bullets (#?!). He has a sizzling chemistry with Veronica, though. And the closing diner scene is to die for.

16. After The Fall (or Things People Do) (2011)

Breaking Bentley (credit for the pun-genius title goes to a Letterboxd reviewer)

This is basically a poor man’s Breaking Bad. Wes essays the spirit of Walter White in this film about a financially struggling husband and father who finds himself breaking the law to keep his family afloat. Bentley’s acting isn’t enough to save this movie from being a sleep fest. And it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. But Bentley brings his tragic turmoil for us to see and we sympathize with him.

15. The White River Kid (1999)

Wes, a native Arkansan, appeared early on in his career in the first “proper” Arkansan movie.

A very young (and pretty) Wes plays a psychopathic serial killer named White River Kid in this quirky comedy. It is interesting to see how even back then casting directors saw him as perfect to play deranged characters. He is charming and sweet, innocent and scary, ready to pull a trigger but also madly in love with his girlfriend Apple Lisa (Kim Dickens). Bentley holds his own against the bigger actors Bob Hoskins and Antonio Banderas.

14. Ghost Rider (2007)
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