Jake Gyllenhaal's 10 Under-the-Radar Movies Worth Every Minute

From the indie darlings to the outskirts of blockbuster territory, these movies might not all be front-row-center on the red carpet, but they're every bit the main event.

10. Accidental Love (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%

Accidental Love is a satirical romantic comedy with Gyllenhaal as Howard Birdwell, a clueless congressman. Jessica Biel plays Alice, a roller-skating waitress who gets a nail shot into her head, causing erratic behavior. When she's denied surgery, she heads to Washington, D.C., to fight for a bizarre health care bill. Howard, captivated by Alice, supports her cause, which leads to absurd situations, given the political circus and their budding romance.

9. Bubble Boy (2001)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 31%

Bubble Boy is a zany comedy that follows Jimmy Livingston (Gyllenhaal), born without immunities and thus has lived his life in a plastic bubble. When he learns that his childhood crush is about to get married, he constructs a portable bubble suit and sets off across the country to stop the wedding. On this bizarre road trip, Jimmy encounters a biker cult, a freak show, and a millionaire, each adding to the mayhem.

8. Love & Other Drugs (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 49%

In Love & Other Drugs, Gyllenhaal plays Jamie, a pharmaceutical rep who's as slick with his sales pitches as he is with women. He meets Maggie (Anne Hathaway), a young woman with early-onset Parkinson's, during one of his sales runs. They begin a no-strings-attached relationship, which, against all odds, starts to deepen into something more meaningful. As Jamie climbs the career ladder with a blockbuster drug, he also grapples with the reality of Maggie's condition and what it means for their future.

7. Demolition (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 54%

Demolition is a study in unconventional grieving. Davis (Gyllenhaal), an investment banker, starts to deconstruct his life after losing his wife in a car crash. Unable to process his grief traditionally, he begins to literally take apart his belongings, from his refrigerator to his computer, as a metaphor for his unraveling. In his quest for catharsis, Davis befriends a customer service rep, Karen (Naomi Watts), and her son, who are dealing with complex issues of their own.

6. Moonlight Mile (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%

Set in the 1970s, Moonlight Mile sees Gyllenhaal as Joe Nast, a man whose fiancée is tragically killed in a shooting at a bar. Joe, deeply embedded in his grief, moves in with her parents, Ben and JoJo (Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon), as they plan a posthumous wedding. Meanwhile, Joe meets Bertie Knox (Ellen Pompeo), a local bartender who helps him confront his complex web of emotions. Throughout the movie, Joe grapples with his internal conflict of living up to expectations and his evolving feelings for Bertie.

5. Brothers (2009)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 64%

Gyllenhaal takes on the role of Tommy Cahill in Brothers, a man who's spent time in prison and is the polar opposite of his brother, Capt. Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire), a Marine. When Sam is presumed dead in Afghanistan, Tommy steps in to care for Sam's wife, Grace (Natalie Portman), and their kids. However, Sam is very much alive, held captive by the Taliban. Upon his return, Sam is tormented by war trauma and suspicion about his brother's relationship with his wife.

4. Enemy (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

In the psychological thriller Enemy, Gyllenhaal pulls double duty as Adam and Anthony, two men who are identical in appearance but lead vastly different lives. Adam is a college professor, while Anthony is an actor. Their lives intertwine when Adam spots Anthony in a movie and becomes obsessed with meeting him.

3. The Good Girl (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

In The Good Girl, Gyllenhaal plays Holden Worther, a disenchanted retail clerk who forms an intense bond with a depressed co-worker, Justine (Jennifer Aniston). Named after J.D. Salinger's Holden Caulfield, he sees himself as a misunderstood author. Justine and Holden start an affair that spirals into a web of deceit and complication. As the plot thickens, their relationship leads to dire consequences.

2. End of Watch (2012)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%

End of Watch is a gripping police drama where Gyllenhaal portrays Officer Brian Taylor. Alongside his partner and friend, Officer Mike Zavala (Michael Peña), Brian patrols the mean streets of South Central Los Angeles. Shot documentary-style, the movie captures the bond between the two cops, the daily threats they face, and their commitment to the job. Things take a turn when they confiscate money and firearms from a notorious cartel, placing a target on their backs.

1. October Sky (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

In the heart of coal-mining America during the 1950s, we follow the true story of young Homer Hickam (Gyllenhaal) in October Sky. After the launch of Sputnik, Homer gets starry-eyed about rockets, much to his miner father's dismay. Homer, with the help of his teacher and a trio of friends, starts building homemade rockets. Despite the failures, the town's disapproval, and his father's clear-cut life path for him, Homer persists. Through trial and error, the boys launch several rockets, gradually improving with each attempt.