Luke Grimes is having a moment. The Yellowstone star has been wowing audiences and critics with his turn in the neo-Western drama, which has seen increasingly rave reviews with each new season. The series has really turned it around after a middling first season, partly thanks to the stellar performances of the cast. Nowadays, it’s fair to say it’s one of the most celebrated shows on television, and will likely earn some of its stars (Grimes included) some tasty — and deserved — award nominations.
Grimes has been a gigging actor for well over a decade now, and over the years, he has found himself in some great shows and films, as well as some… not-so-great outings. But if you’re a fan of the American heartthrob and are looking for more content of his to binge, there are definitely a few things that should go on the list.
10. Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades of Grey is not what many critics would consider a good film, but it is exactly what you want it to be: sexy. Given how terrible the source material is, the adaptation of the best-selling but truly awful book actually manages to be relatively engaging, even if you aren’t a bored housewife who harbors fantasies of being tied up by a charming billionaire. Grimes plays Christian Grey’s brother, Elliot, and puts in a performance that manages to stand out in a sea of mediocrity, being both believable and watchable. The only shame is he doesn’t get more screen time.
While many of the terribly cliché plot points remain (like Dakota Johnson’s character’s grossly handled virginity and the fact that none of the writers seem to have done the tiniest bit of research into fetish and bondage communities) if you accept Fifty Shades of Grey for what it is, it’s an enjoyable movie.
9. Freeheld
This 2015 drama, based on a true story, has an absolutely stellar cast. Alongside Grimes, there’s Julianne Moore, Steve Carell, and Elliot Page, and they manage to tell this moving tale incredibly well. Freeheld follows a lesbian police officer who’s been diagnosed with cancer as she fights to have her pension benefits to be transferred to her long-term female partner once she dies. The film was based on an Oscar-winning short film of the same name, about the police officer in question (Laurel Hester).
Grimes puts in a great performance as one of Hester’s closeted police colleagues, adding depth and emotion to a tricky role. Although he only has a bit of screen time, he manages to convey just how hard life on the force can be for gay police officers. Despite its heavy content, the film is incredibly watchable, although it does suffer from a lack of real urgency in parts. However, you’ll come away with a new appreciation for the basic rights that the LGBTQ+ community has had to fight for, and in the end, that’s a worthy way to spend your time.
8. El Camino Christmas
Some films are good because they’re innovative or reshape how you see the world. Some films are good because they know exactly what they are and lean into it. El Camino Christmas is the latter, but boy is it worth a watch. The film’s plot is simple: a group of alleged strangers wind up barricaded in a convenience store on Christmas Eve, leading to shoot-outs, corny but hilarious one-liners, and family reconnecting with one another.
The film stars Grimes, and the cast is rounded out with some stellar names, including Tim Allen and Jessica Alba. While the movie is best watched ironically, Grimes does a great job of making his character’s actions believable, and might even draw a tear or two from viewers with his acting in the emotional peak of the film towards the end. Although El Camino Christmas won’t be replacing Home Alone on any “best Christmas films” list out there, it is unapologetically itself, delivering great action sequences and plenty of laughs, all in under 90 minutes.
7. All the Boys Love Mandy Lane
This teen slasher was Grimes’ first major film role, with the young actor playing a stereotypical jock. The plot involves a bullied teenager and his friend (Mandy, played by Amber Heard) exacting revenge on the popular kids (including Grimes) at a secluded ranch, and although it doesn’t hit the heights of slashers like Scream, it packs a lot of great moments into its 90 minute run time.
Grimes pulls off a great performance as an obnoxious and arrogant pretty boy, and his on-screen death is one of the film’s most tense moments. Although he played this role incredibly early on in his career, his magnetism was already abundant.
6. The Magnificent Seven
A modern remake of a Western classic (which in turn was an Americanized remake of the incredibly influential and frankly astounding Japanese classic Seven Samurai), The Magnificent Seven had a lot to live up to when it was released in theaters in 2016. While the screenplay fell a little flat, the action sequences and great performances by its star-studded cast make it well worth a watch.
The plot follows a group of seven hired guns who’ve been recruited to liberate a town from a robber baron (played by Peter Sarsgaard). Grimes might not be one of the more magnificent characters in the film, but he is vital to the plot as he helps to recruit them to save his town, and his on-screen presence ensures that every frame he is in gets our attention.
The seven eventually succeed, but not after a lot of turmoil and spilled blood (including the deaths of some of the main cast). With standout turns from Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Haley Bennett, and Grimes, you’ll be glued to your seat as the action unfolds.
5. Brothers & Sisters
This well-regarded drama series follows the well-off Walker family as they deal with their food business and love lives. The inciting incident is the death of the family patriarch, which leads to an avalanche of secrets coming out that threatens to destabilize what many family members thought was a solid set of relationships. The series picked up numerous awards and nominations throughout its six-season run, most notably an Emmy for Sally Field.
Although a young Grimes only appeared in two later seasons of Brothers & Sisters, his performance definitely showed off his burgeoning talent, and when you watch it’s clear he was destined to do well in Hollywood. Frankly, he was one of the better cast members who weren’t involved from day one of the series. And, given the fact that there are a ton of famous faces who make guest appearances, including Rob Lowe and Ron Rifkin, that’s pretty high praise.
4. American Sniper
Although it’s highly controversial, American Sniper remains a compelling film. Director Clint Eastwood is famously anti-war and claims the film is too, although anybody who watches it might come out thinking it couldn’t have been more obviously pro-war if the army themselves had made it (which, of course, they sometimes do). Also, two years prior to the film’s release, Eastwood famously spent a cringy twelve minutes shouting at an empty chair in front of a crowd of braying Republicans at the RNC, so perhaps he might not have been at his best when it comes to discussing the subtleties of the effects of war films on public discourse. But you can’t argue it’s not a cracking watch.
The film is based on the real-life story of Chris Kyle, the U.S. army’s most successful marksman, and delves into how all the lives he took on tours of the Middle East impacted his life negatively. Grimes plays Marc Lee, the first SEAL to lose his life in Iraq, and his short but important part is incredibly well acted, and his on-screen death is one of the most important parts of the movie’s final section.
3. Assassination of a High School President
A bit of a forgotten gem, Assassination of a High School President was scuppered by its distributor going bankrupt. In this dark high school comedy Grimes plays the major antagonist, a student politician who’s also sleeping with his equally devious stepsister (Mischa Barton). His character, Marlon, is behind a group of drug-dealing students who steal tests and alter the marks of various smart students to make them feel the need to buy study drugs. They frame the popular president, but their scheme is eventually exposed. This is a rare occurrence of Grimes showing off his comedic chops, and he shows his range with a performance that will leave you gasping for breath as you will laugh to the point where even your gut hurts.
The 2008 film has some big names involved, including Bruce Willis, Zoe Kravitz, and Michael Rappaport, which makes it all the more shocking it isn’t known. It was received positively when it premiered at Sundance but was nonetheless doomed by financial difficulties.
2. True Blood
Although the final two seasons of this vampire drama weren’t quite up to scratch, the first five were rightly praised by critics and garnered plenty of well-deserved awards and nominations. Set in a world where synthetic blood has allowed vampires to reveal themselves to humans, the show is incredibly binge-able, and a set of standout performances and great writing kept True Blood from going stale for a long while.
Grimes appears in the sixth season as the smart, sexy vampire James Kent. He’s a leading light in what was a bit of a drop in form after the original showrunner, Alan Ball, left the series. Ironically, he brings a real human element to the role too, which was another reason his performance stood out in a show that was becoming increasingly “Flanderized.”
1. Yellowstone
Was there ever any doubt that this would be number one on the list? The Paramount series isn’t just the best thing Grimes has been in, but also one of the best things on television. The show follows the Dutton family, ranchers who own a huge swathe of land in Montana that borders the eponymous national park, and delves into their various relationships, as well as the problems that come with owning the largest ranch in the state.
Grimes plays Kayce Dutton, the youngest son of the family, and he is beyond exceptional as the conflicted character, delivering a resonant performance that makes it impossible to turn away. Since the show’s second season, the award nominations have been rolling in, and once you start watching it’s easy to see why. You will be hooked.