Pedro Pascal’s 5 Most Skippable Movies

Pedro Pascal has been everywhere the last few years, and yes, he finally snagged that much-deserved SAG Award last year for The Last of Us. But even Zaddy has a few titles that are more background-noise than essential viewing. Not many, but a few. The five below span horror-comedy, mystery-thriller, action-adventure, fantasy, and straight-up comedy. If you are completing the Pascal filmography, go for it. If you are just here for the hits, consider this your map to the detours.

1. Bloodsucking Bastards (2015)

   Horror-comedy office satire where the corporate ladder is literally full of bloodsuckers. Directed by Brian James O'Connell and written by Ryan Mitts and O'Connell's comedy troupe Dr. God, it stars Fran Kranz as Evan, Pedro Pascal as Max, Emma Fitzpatrick as Amanda, and Joey Kern as Tim. The premise is simple: Evan realizes his coworkers are turning into vampires. Pascal plays the villain here and he is fun, if not exactly stretching.

   Reception snapshot: 68% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, 49% audience score, and 5.7/10 on IMDb. The vibe is 'amusing enough, instantly evaporates from your brain' compared to Pascal's stronger work. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

2. Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

   A bigger, busier sequel that swaps some charm for excess. Matthew Vaughn directs and co-writes with Jane Goldman, adapting Millarworld's comic The Secret Service. The returning cast includes Colin Firth as Harry Hart, Taron Egerton as Eggsy, Mark Strong as Merlin, Sophie Cookson as Roxy, Edward Holcroft as Charlie, and Hanna Alstrom as Princess Tilde of Sweden, with Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, Pedro Pascal, Elton John, Channing Tatum, and Jeff Bridges joining the party.

   Plot-wise: after the Kingsman HQ goes boom, the surviving agents team up with their American counterparts to take down a ruthless drug cartel. Pascal plays Agent Whiskey, who lands in that villain/anti-hero sweet spot.

   "Kingsman: The Golden Circle offers more of everything that made its predecessor so much fun, but lacks the original's wild creative spark."

   Scores: 51% critics and 64% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.7/10 on IMDb. You can stream it on HBO Max, and it is also available via the HBO Max Amazon Channel.

3. The Equalizer 2 (2018)

   Denzel Washington returns as Robert McCall in Antoine Fuqua's second round of vigilante justice, with Pedro Pascal as Dave York, Ashton Sanders as Miles Whittaker, Melissa Leo as Susan Plummer, Bill Pullman as Brian Plummer, and Orson Bean in his final film role as Sam Rubinstein. The setup: McCall, a Marine Corps veteran and retired DIA officer, hunts down the people behind the murder of his friend Susan, who was killed while investigating a murder-suicide.

   "The Equalizer 2 delivers the visceral charge of a standard vigilante thriller, but this reunion of trusted talents ultimately proves a disappointing case study in diminishing returns."

   Numbers land in the middle: 52% critics, 62% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, and 6.7/10 on IMDb. Solid action, not much new. Streaming on Fubo TV.

4. The Bubble (2022)

   Judd Apatow's R-rated pandemic comedy about actors and crew quarantined in a hotel trying to finish a dinosaur blockbuster sequel. The cast is stacked: Karen Gillan, Vir Das, Pedro Pascal, Iris Apatow, Fred Armisen, Maria Bakalova, David Duchovny, Keegan-Michael Key, Leslie Mann, Kate McKinnon, Guz Khan, Peter Serafinowicz, and Harry Trevaldwyn. On paper, this should absolutely work. On screen, it very much does not.

   "Meandering and mostly unfunny, The Bubble gums up an all-star cast with hackneyed gags about showbiz and pandemic life."

   "Don't be fooled by all the funny people in the cast - The Bubble is two largely laugh-free hours you'll never get back."

   Brutal scores: 20% critics, 30% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, and 4.7/10 on IMDb. Widely panned despite the talent involved. Streaming on Netflix.

5. The Great Wall (2016)

   Zhang Yimou directs this fantasy/action swing that pairs Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal as European mercenaries captured by imperial Chinese forces at the Great Wall while searching for gunpowder. They wind up joining the fight against an alien monster threat that emerges every 60 years. The cast also includes Jing Tian, Willem Dafoe, and Andy Lau. Screenplay by Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro, and Tony Gilroy, from a story by Max Brooks, Edward Zwick, and Marshall Herskovitz.

   "For a Yimou Zhang film featuring Matt Damon and Willem Dafoe battling ancient monsters, The Great Wall is neither as exciting nor as entertainingly bonkers as one might hope."

   Reception: 35% critics, 42% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, 5.9/10 on IMDb. Looks big, plays thin. Streaming on HBO Max.

Seen any of these? Planning to? If you are ride-or-die for Pascal, there is fun to be found. If not, your queue will survive without them. Tell me where you land.