The 10 Best Jacob Elordi Movies And TV Shows, Ranked

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Most actors have to spend a few years taking whatever minor film and television parts they can get as they wait for that breakout role. However, as has been made abundantly clear by now, Jacob Elordi isn't most actors. After a couple of short films and some work as an extra, Elordi was cast in Netflix's 2018 teen rom-com "The Kissing Booth," which became massively popular and instantly catapulted him to the top of the game. The following year, Elordi proved he wasn't only good for playing the handsome lead in romantic comedies when he began his career-making run as Nate on the acclaimed HBO drama series "Euphoria."

Elordi quickly earned himself the clout to be choosy about his roles, and that has resulted in a fascinating career. While he's done a little bit of television outside of "Euphoria," the majority of Elordi's acting work has been in movies. He inevitably got roped into doing sequels to "The Kissing Booth" and hasn't always been able to steer clear of romantic fluff, but the actor has built an otherwise impressive resume. But which of his movies are his best, and how does "Euphoria" and his other small screen work fit in with them in terms of quality? We've ranked Elordi's top 10 films and TV shows.

A lot of people don't realize that Jacob Elordi is Australian, given that he has rarely played an Australian character nor used his native accent on screen. Much was made of him playing an Australian character for the 2025 miniseries "The Narrow Road to the Deep North," with some outlets even falsely reporting that it was the first time Elordi had ever done so. In fact, Elordi's first feature length movie credit was as an Australian character in an Australian comedy, 2018's "Swinging Safari."

The script for "Swinging Safari" was initially sold under its original title, "Flammable Children." That should give you an idea of the type of movie we're dealing with here. Indeed, "Swinging Safari" is sometimes dark, sometimes not particularly PC, and always wild. It is set in the 1970s and follows several families who are vacationing at the same beach, with inappropriate misadventures ensuing. 

While it's primarily a showcase for adult leads — and Australian acting vets — Guy Pearce, Radha Mitchell, Kylie Minogue, and Julian McMahon, Elordi is a standout presence in his handful of scenes as aloof teenage horndog Rooster. A cult classic in its native Australia, "Swinging Safari" is pretty much unknown anywhere else, but it deserves to be sought out, not only by Elordi fans, but by anyone who enjoys a raunchy throwback.

Cast: Guy Pearce, Radha Mitchell, Jacob Elordi

Director: Stephan Elliott

Year: 2018

Rating: R

Runtime: 97 minutes

Where to watch: Prime Video, Tubi

Not all of the romance films that Jacob Elordi has appeared in are of the disposable "Kissing Booth" variety. Just look at "On Swift Horses," the 2024 historical romance tale based on the 2019 Shannon Pufahl book of the same name. It's set during the aftermath of the Korean War and follows returning soldier Lee Walker (Will Poulter) as he reunites with his wife, Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones). Things get complicated when Lee's brother, Julius (Elordi), enters the picture and tries to sell his brother and sister-in-law on an exciting alternative to the lowkey lifestyle they had planned. Julius is trying to navigate life as a gay man during a time when intolerance was high, and Muriel realizes that she might have a similar struggle in store.

While critics were largely split on the film, most reviews were full of praise for the lead performances, with The Hollywood Reporter among the outlets that singled out Elordi for his work: "Elordi gives his best performance yet as Julius, showing his more sensitive, vulnerable side on the big screen for perhaps the first time." Looper's own review of "On Swift Horses" also praised the performances, giving a nod to Elordi and Edgar-Jones for their ability to "clearly communicate their characters' unspoken longings." And, while it may not be a perfect movie, it marks another important step toward fair representation in Hollywood. "'On Swift Horses' depicts a unique, rarely seen bond between a queer man and woman during a time when people lacked the language and the safety to openly live their lives," said The Queer Review.

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter

Director: Daniel Minahan

Year: 2024

Rating: R

Runtime: 119 minutes

Where to watch: Netflix

It's been well over four decades since Richard Gere and filmmaker Paul Schrader collaborated on "America Gigolo," a box office success and the movie that made Gere an A-list leading man. Their reunion project, 2024's "Oh, Canada," ended up being some of the best work either of them had done in years. Gere gives what the Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus of the film proclaims is an "egoless performance" as an aging filmmaker named Leonard Fife. Leonard is trying to give a warts-and-all interview recalling his storied career and complicated life before he dies — an event which is closely looming. 

As Leonard recalls pivotal events from his life, we see those events on the screen, with Jacob Elordi playing him in his younger years. Well, sometimes — Gere also plays a young Leonard in some of those flashbacks, either separately from Elordi's version or right alongside it. If it seems confusing, it is, but it's intended to convey the unreliability of Leonard as the narrator of his own history. "Oh, Canada" is intended to remind the world what a stellar actor Gere is, and it accomplishes that goal, but Elordi more than holds his own here, even opposite an industry veteran.

Cast: Richard Gere, Jacob Elordi, Uma Thurman

Director: Paul Schrader

Year: 2024

Rating: Not rated

Runtime: 95 minutes

Where to watch: Kanopy

When "The Sweet East" first gets going, it seems like it's going to be an on-the-nose commentary on recent political and cultural events. High school student Lillian (Talia Ryder) is on an otherwise uneventful class trip when a restaurant she and her classmates are at is stormed by a man who believes the eatery is actually a front for underage sex trafficking. But a movie about "Pizzagate," this is not. Instead, that event just ends up being a catalyst for Lillian to go on a surreal adventure that spans multiple Eastern Seaboard states and brings her into the orbits of a variety of interesting characters.

Among the people Lillian encounters is Ian (Jacob Elordi), her co-star in the movie she finds herself starring in — like we said, it's a surreal adventure. Ian is a famous heartthrob actor, and he wastes little time in trying to date his co-star. That is, until he — along with almost everyone on set except for Lillian — is attacked by the friends of the skinhead whose duffel bag full of cash Lillian had previously stolen. And things only get stranger from there, if you can believe it.

It can be argued that Elordi is playing a self-referential parody of his image here, leaning on his association with "The Kissing Booth." Elordi has admitted that he hated filming his breakthrough role, and he apparently isn't afraid to poke fun at his status as a teen rom-com icon. What's more, Elordi's performance (which The Times described as one of the "big draws" of the critically acclaimed film) proves that he's capable of shining as part of an ensemble cast.

Cast: Talia Ryder, Jacob Elordi, Ayo Edebiri

Director: Sean Price Williams

Year: 2023

Rating: Not rated

Runtime: 104 minutes

Where to watch: Hulu

If you need further proof that Jacob Elordi revels in the chance to be a part of provocative projects, look no further than him being really excited by the infamous bathtub scene in "Saltburn" when he first read it in the script. If you don't already know what it entails, watch "Saltburn" and see for yourself why it became one of the most viral movie scenes in recent memory. Just proceed with caution if you've got a weak stomach. The aforementioned scene no doubt contributed to all the attention "Saltburn" received when it was released in 2023, with a lot of social media posts made about it. But to dismiss it as a movie that was nothing but a springboard for TikTok engagement would be to sell short what writer/director Emerald Fennell and her cast accomplished.

Elordi plays Felix, a member of the ridiculously wealthy and powerful Catton family who befriends his less fortunate classmate Oliver (Barry Keoghan) and invites him to spend the summer at the sprawling Catton estate. Oliver proves to be strangely adept at inserting himself into all the drama on the Catton property, to the point where he seems to be more or less pulling all the strings. It's at this point that "Saltburn" goes from being yet another "rich people sure are terrible people, aren't they?" drama into something much darker and more complex. To say any more would spoil the ending of "Saltburn," which is a must-watch for all Jacob Elordi fans.

Cast: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike

Director: Emerald Fennell

Year: 2023

Rating: R

Runtime: 131 minutes

Where to watch: Prime Video

Even if he didn't dive so deeply into the role that he retained an enduring Elvis voice like Austin Butler did after playing Elvis Presley, Jacob Elordi's performance as the tragic rock and roll pioneer has been hailed as the superior take by several critics. It's definitely the more grounded of the two, with Elordi portraying Presley as the flawed figure he actually was. Butler's take is far more glossy, though that has more to do with "Elvis" and "Priscilla" as movies than it does with either actor, each of whom understood the assignment of their respective film and nailed it accordingly.

As the title suggests, "Priscilla" is told through the eyes of Priscilla Presley (née Wagner), but it's still very much the story of her relationship with Elvis. Cailee Spaeny gives an achingly wonderful performance as Priscilla, who was only 14 years old when she first met Elvis and whose parents seemingly needed little convincing in letting him pursue a romantic relationship with their underage daughter. 

Elordi had already proven his adeptness at playing a toxic partner in "Euphoria," but his performance in "Priscilla" is a different animal. Here, he had to play someone who was beloved by the entire world while being a controlling husband behind closed doors. You're charmed by Elvis when you're supposed to be charmed by him, you hate him when you're supposed to hate him, and you even pity him when you're supposed to pity him — and that's thanks in large part to Elordi's stellar performance.

Cast: Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Ari Cohen

Director: Sofia Coppola

Year: 2023

Rating: R

Runtime: 114 minutes

Where to watch: Available to rent or buy at Amazon and Apple TV

Nate Jacobs is often a scary character in "Euphoria," and Jacob Elordi had recent experience in the horror genre when he started his run on the show, having featured in 2019's "The Mortuary Collection." The film, which came out just a few weeks before "Euphoria" debuted, was released to the horror-focused streaming service Shudder after a brief theatrical run, so it's mostly horror aficionados who know about it. But the film definitely deserves to have a wider reach, especially for fans of Elordi.

"The Mortuary Collection" is an anthology film that consists of four segments connected by an ongoing frame story. The entire thing is well worth watching — it's the rare horror anthology that is actually consistent throughout and doesn't have any skippable segments. In the segment "Unprotected," Elordi stars as Jake, a college guy who publicly supports feminism and sexual freedom but is only interested in impressing women so he can hook up with them. When he has unprotected sex with a co-ed without her permission — the sex was consensual, but the removal of the condom was not — he finds out that he is not only somehow pregnant, but that it's not a human fetus he's carrying.

It's fun to see Elordi play a Nate-type bad boy who gets his comeuppance for his toxic behavior towards women. What makes "Unprotected" even better (at least, for gorehounds) is that the comeuppance arrives in the form of some grotesque body horror. Had "Euphoria" not become a cultural phenomenon, there's a chance that Elordi would have kept making movies like "The Mortuary Collection" — and it's not a bad alternate timeline, as his performance here is fantastic.

Cast: Jacob Elordi, Clancy Brown, Caitlin Custer

Director: Ryan Spindell

Year: 2019

Rating: Not rated

Runtime: 108 minutes

Where to watch: Roku Channel, Shudder

Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" has not yet been released on Netflix, so we're not going to spoil it here — we won't even show you a clear image of Jacob Elordi post-transformation as the classic horror monstrosity created by the titular character. But, thanks to a limited theatrical release, the movie has already been seen by plenty of critics, and the vast majority are blown away: "Frankenstein" is already Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. As such, it's not only valid to include it here, but to include it near the top of this ranking.

While the story of scientist Victor Frankenstein and his quest to successfully reanimate a corpse has been told countless times across numerous forms of media, the fact that Guillermo del Toro was taking on this version for Netflix was reason enough to be open to yet another "Frankenstein" movie. Originally, the role of The Creature — the actual "name" for the monster, not Frankenstein, as he is often inaccurately referred to as — was to be played by Andrew Garfield. A scheduling conflict led to Garfield being replaced by Jacob Elordi, who by all accounts has turned in one of his finest performances yet.

"Frankenstein" is undoubtedly a triumph, a film that both pays homage to the legacy of the tale while also bringing enough fresh twists to the material for it to count among the best screen adaptations of the story to date. Add it to your Netflix reminders now so that you can watch it the moment it becomes available on November 7, 2025.

Cast: Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Year: 2025

Rating: R

Runtime: 150 minutes

Where to watch: Netflix (starting November 7)

Including "Euphoria," Jacob Elordi has only been in three television projects. He participated in a COVID-19-inspired series of stage readings of classic plays called "Acting for a Cause" in 2020, and, more recently, he took on the role of Dorrigo Evans in the Amazon Prime Video miniseries "The Narrow Road to the Deep North," an adaptation of Richard Flanagan's novel of the same name.

"The Narrow Road to the Deep North" follows Evans as he gets deployed in World War II, becomes a prisoner of war, and attempts to adjust to a normal life back home after the war, taking the viewer behind the curtain of his life in three different time periods. The third timeline, in which Dorrigo is an elderly surgeon, has Ciarán Hinds playing the character, with both actors turning in memorable performances.

The miniseries doesn't play out in chronological order but instead jumps between the timelines, slowly revealing the full breadth of what Dorrigo went through and the life he came to lead as a result. At the time of this writing, "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" has a perfect 100% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest-rated project of Elordi's career thus far, television or otherwise.

Cast: Jacob Elordi, Olivia DeJonge, Ciarán Hinds

Creators: Justin Kurzel, Shaun Grant

Year: 2025

Number of episodes: 5

Where to watch: Prime Video

So why does "Euphoria" top this list if "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" is the most critically-acclaimed project of Jacob Elordi's career to date? Part of it is simply down to there being a lot more "Euphoria," meaning we've seen a lot more of Elordi as Nate Jacobs. "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" may technically be the better show, but if you're looking specifically for a Jacob Elordi show, then it's "Euphoria" you turn to. After all, of everything he's done, this is still the ultimate showcase of his acting chops and his ability to command the screen.

As Nate, Elordi has been a part of some of the most disturbing moments in "Euphoria" — and that's saying a lot when considering some of the places "Euphoria" goes. The show has received some criticism from people who view it as an amped-up, overexaggerated depiction of high school, and that's certainly valid. But the performances of Elordi and his co-stars go a long way in making it work, keeping Nate, his classmates, and the people in their orbit from becoming caricatures.

With a third season still pending at press time (the reason "Euphoria" Season 3 got delayed is deeper than people think), it remains to be seen if the HBO series can stick the landing, as it were. But there's little worry that Elordi won't continue to fire on all cylinders as Nate, one of the ultimate characters we love to hate — or hate to love, depending on your perspective.

Cast: Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Maude Apatow

Creator: Sam Levinson

Years: 2019-present

Number of episodes: 18

Where to watch: HBO Max