In the early 2010s, YA book to movie adaptations swept the screens. With The Hunger Games crushing the box office, dystopian dramas where pumped out; titles like The Maze Runner, Divergent, The Fifth Wave, and so many more gained such popularity with the younger demographic and grossed millions over the years. Adjacent to the end-of-the-world narratives and tales of revolution leaders, the other, more grounded end of the book world was also coming to life on the big screen. Tragic, teenage love stories always centered around some real-life battle. Author John Green, for instance, created many of these titles, such as The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, and Paper Towns. These movies catapulted young stars into the limelight, names we know today like Cara Delevingne (Suicide Squad), and Shailene Woodley (Big Little Lies).
One of these actors is Justice Smith. Smith started off as the lovable best friend of Nat Wolff’s character in Paper Towns, and easily stole the show in the scenes he was in. Acting alongside Austin Abrams (The Walking Dead, Euphoria), they both provided comedic relief and the heart behind the movie. After Paper Towns,Smith stared in hit after hit. With 19 acting credits — and counting — Smith has essentially done it all, which is a major achievement considering his youth. In addition to teen movies, the actor has starred in a major blockbuster franchise (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Jurassic Dominion), has tackled streaming platforms (Generation), and has been on multiple soundtracks for the productions he’s starred in. Next, Smith is set to star in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which he promises, per Game Rant, to be “funny as hell.” It’s set to release in 2023, so, until then, let’s take a look at Smith’s best performances, ranked.
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7 The Voyeurs
Divide/Conquer
Starring opposite Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney, The Voyeurs take seventh on this list. Smith and Sweeney play a couple that begin to take interest in their neighbors in the apartment complex across the street, and, as a result, start spying on them in this Rear Window-esque film. This innocent voyeurism turns suspiciously vicious when the pair decides to try and intervene in the neighbors’ lives. Naturally, things take a turn for the worse. Smith plays Thomas with sarcasm, curiosity, and an overall flirtatious vibe that leaves the views rooting for him throughout the film. He brings charm to this role and plays a great horror victim.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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6 Paper Towns
Fox 2000 Pictures
In the movie adaptation of Paper Towns, Smith plays Radar, the marching band and computer science nerd. The movie follows Q (played by Nat Wolff) and his search to find the runaway Margo (played by Cara Delevingne), whom he has had a crush on for ages, claiming he has always been destined to be with her. Radar is Q’s best friend, and follows him on the journey with his new girlfriend Angela (played by Jazz Sinclair). Bringing this character to life, with dorky charm, unapologetic intellect, and a relatable naivety, Smith steals the show.
5 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Universal Pictures
Along the same lines as his character in Paper Towns, Smith plays research analyst Franklin Webb in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. He is the “I hate nature” person of the group, but inexplicably finds himself in the midst of a lot of nature — and a lot more dinosaurs. Once again, Smith steals every scene he is in, doing an excellent job at making all of his lines hilarious, and really nailing comedy in delivery and in his body humor.
4 The Get Down
Netflix
In the series The Get Down, centered around the birth of hip hop in the late 1970s, Smith plays Ezekiel “Books” Figuero. Starring alongside Shameik Moore, Skylan Brooks, Jaden Smith, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, with Daveed Diggs playing the adult version of Books, this Netflix two-part series is about music and the city that created the hip hop scene. Smith plays a member of the young ragtag group of kids trying to make their way in the Bronx, bonding over music and trying to find a place in the world. Smith plays Books with a passion, steering the heart of this series. This is one of his more serious roles, trading that humorous charm for sincerity and drive.
3 Detective Pikachu
Warner Bros. Pictures
Starring in a beloved franchise that stretches across countless generations could come with a lot of pressure, but Smith does it with ease. Acting as the companion to a Ryan Reynolds-voiced Pikachu in Detective Pikachu, Smith plays Tim Goodman, the wannabe Pokémon trainer with a tragic past. He plays Goodman with wit and charm, bringing life to this new character in a familiar world. There is an element of sarcasm and annoyance that Smith brings to Goodman that is equally matched with Reynolds’ usual brand of humor, and ends up being a wonderful mesh for a like buddy-cop film that is an excellent addition to the Pokémon franchise. In an interview with Inverse, Smith stated that though he wants a sequel to happen, he doesn’t think it will.
2 Generation
HBO Max
The second on this list is the HBO Max original series Generation. Smith plays Chester, the leader of his school’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), and one of the handful of characters in this ensemble-cast dramedy. Chester is the outgoing, loud, confident character that seems to know what he wants to get out of life. Smith is able to play this character with equal amounts of confidence, but with a hint of longing and uncertainty, which matches this piece perfectly. In this series about finding love and where you belong, trying to navigate modern school experiences, sexuality, and family, Smith gives a stellar performance.
1 All the Bright Places
Smith has most definitely made a name for himself with his ability to make even the smallest lines comedic, so one might expect his best performance be something in comedy. On the contrary, Smith’s best performance was in the Jennifer Niven novel adapted into a Netflix film called All the Bright Places, which will send you to the store needing to purchase more tissues after watching. Smith plays the troublesome Theodore Finch, who falls into an unlikely relationship with Violet (played by Elle Fanning). Throughout the film, they navigate love, loss, and their scarred past in this heart-wrenching piece of media. Smith brings Finch to life like never before. He is able to play this teen drama heartthrob with charisma, all while portraying the weight this character has gone through, making him seem so human and relatable. Finch has gone through a lot in his life, and Smith portrays this so well through his words, his actions, and the way he fleshes this character out. This is definitely Smith’s best performance so far.
