Kieran Culkin's 15 Best Movies & TV Shows, Ranked

Now that Kieran Culkin received high praise and recognition for his role as Roman Roy in HBO's Succession, it's a reminder that he has many excellent roles in film and television dating back to the beginning of his career. Though Culkin was not an enormous star before he was cast in Succession, he did make his name with several high-profile works, as well as projects that have become cult classics in the years since their release.Though not always cast in the leading role, Culkin easily steals scenes and makes himself a memorable part of the cast.

His performance of Roman may lead audiences to believe that Culkin has always been type-cast as the neurotic wise guy, but he has been known to explore deeply sensitive themes, especially in his early work. Like his brother, Macaulay Culkin, who starred in Home Alone, Kieran got his start as a child actor and developed his skills from there. He displayed great range from an early age, which allowed him to test the waters in terms of the genres and roles he was most interested in.

15 She's All That (1999)

Simon Boggs

The same year that Kieran Culkin shined in The Cider House Rules, he also had a smaller role in the romantic comedy She's All That. This film stars Freddie Prinze Jr. as a popular high school student whose girlfriend cheats on him. He makes a bet with his friends that he can turn any random girl in their school into the prom queen in six weeks.

That person is Laney (Rachael Leigh Cook), and he succeeds. This movie has been parodied and is the focus of many spoofs over the years, but it remains a favorite from its era. The movie has a great young supporting cast, including Matthew Lillard, Paul Walker, Dule Hill, and Anna Paquin.

It also includes a very young Kieran Culkin as Simon Boggs, Laney's younger brother. He was extremely funny in his performance, a young, bullied boy who starts to find his stride thanks to Prinze Jr.'s Zack Siler. The movie was a box office success and spawned a remake on Netflix that arrived 22 years later called He's All That.

14 No Sudden Move (2021)

Charley

No Sudden Move is a crime thriller released in 2021 by Steven Soderbergh. The film takes place in 1954 in Detroit when a gangster named Curt (Don Cheadle) needs money to get out of town and accepts a job to threaten a family as part of a blackmail scheme. He is accompanied by two other gangsters, Charley (Kieran Culkin) and Russo (Benicio del Toro). However, when he learns that Charley has orders from their recruiter (Brendan Fraser) to massacre the family, Curt kills Charley and leaves.

It was a little surprising to see Culkin in this role, as the man initially set to betray both Curt and Russo. However, as his work in Succession showed, Culkin was on a different level than he was when he was getting his big breaks in Hollywood. The film was released on Max and never had a theatrical distribution. However, it received high critical praise, with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score, with most critics praising Soderbergh's direction and his cast.

13 The Mighty (1998)

Kevin Dillon/Freak

Kieran Culkin starred in The Mighty in 1998. In this coming-of-age movie, he played a 12-year-old boy named Kevin "Freak" Dillon, who was diagnosed with Morquio syndrome, which causes him to walk with leg braces and crutches. However, he is very smart and is assigned to tutor a young boy named Max (Elden Henson), who has learning challenges. Both boys find themselves tormented by a gang of bullies, although the much larger Max protects Kevin. The two become close friends as they bond over shared experiences.

Based on the young adult novel by Rodman Philbrick, the movie was not a huge box office success but it did receive positive reviews from critics, with reviews calling it a "spirited and sweet" story about the power of friendship. Sharon Stone also received praise for her performance as Freak's mother and earned a Golden Globes nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. Culkin also earned a Best Performance in a Feature Film nomination from the Young Artists Awards.

12 Solar Opposites (2022-)

Glen Kumstein / Dodge Charger (voice)

In 2022, Kieran Culkin joined the voice cast for the Hulu adult animated series Solar Opposites. Created by Justin Roiland and Mike McMahon, the series follows a family of aliens who crash-land on Earth and are forced to remain on the planet. The humor comes in their fish out of water story and the fact that they don't all agree that remaining on Earth is a good thing.

There are also very bizarre side stories, including a society of humans living in the Wall of their house, SilverCops brutalizing aliens escaping from their world, and more. Kieran Culkin joined the cast in the third season in one of the latter roles, a member of the SIlverCops named Glen Kumstein.

He was a neighbor of the Shlorphians who was shot into space and joined the SilverCops. However, in the fourth season, he ended up changing his DNA to become a dog-like humanoid and then joined the GoldCops to get revenge against the SilverCops. The series has received critical acclaim, with reviews praising its humor and its ability to push on after losing one of its creators after its third season.

11 Margaret (2011)

As Paul

Culkin's Succession co-star J. Smith Cameron also appears in Margaret, an intense coming-of-age drama that explores the life of a teenage girl in the aftermath of a bus accident that she partially caused. He has a small part as Paul, a secondary love interest for protagonist Lisa (Anna Paquin). Due to his youth and inexperience, much like Lisa's own, he doesn't have the emotional awareness to understand what she's going through, so the pair have a difficult time connecting.

It's a softer and less taxing role than the others in the film, but it's a much-needed respite to the high drama going on in the rest of the plot. Despite the short screen time, Culkin provides an effective foil to Lisa's tortured character. Where she rejects the innocence and joy of youth because of the accident, Culkin is able to embody it and show what she's missing.

10 The Cider House Rules (1999)

As Buster

The Cider House Rules portrays complex issues and the trials of coming-of-age in an atmospheric and unique package. Based on the novel of the same name by John Irving, the film is set during World War II at an orphanage in Maine. Culkin plays Buster, an older boy living at the orphanage who takes care of the younger boys and looks up to Homer (Tobey Maguire), the protagonist. Though Homer leaves, Buster is still too young and must stay to be a role model for the other children.

Despite being so young when playing Buster, Culkin imbues the role with sensitivity, becoming a source of joy within the orphanage. The Cider House Rules was a minor box office success, but it was a huge success critically and during awards season. It won two Academy Awards, one for Best Adapted Screenplay and one for Michael Caine's Best Supporting Actor performance. While critics praised Culkin's performance, he didn't receive any nominations.

9 The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys (2002)

As Tim Sullivan

The titular altar boys in The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys are unafraid to make their mark and rebel from the strict teachings of the Catholic school they attend. As Tim Sullivan, Culkin is part of a group of friends who find ways of expressing themselves through art, pranks, and rock music.

It's in this film that Culkin starts to emerge from his child star roots and begins to be taken seriously as an actor.

Although the boys put up a front of not caring about the repressive forces in their lives, they struggle to fit in and find themselves in their environment. Tim is no different, but is shown time and again to be a supportive and loyal friend to the other boys.

It's in this film that Culkin starts to emerge from his child star roots and begins to be taken seriously as an actor. Though he still has his youthful innocence and energy, the things he goes through are much more adult and tragic. He is no longer used entirely for comedic relief, or as a symbol of youth, but as a fully-fledged person.

8 Lymelife (2008)

As Jimmy Bartlett

In Lymelife, Culkin teams up with his younger brother, Rory Culkin, as brothers in the film. Kiernan Culkin plays Jimmy, the older brother who returns home from the army to find the family in a mess of interpersonal drama. His performance gives insight into Scott's (Rory Culkin) behavior, as Jimmy has often played the role of protector.

It's the parents who create the biggest mess, and the children, like Jimmy, must step up and fend for themselves. Jimmy has a lot of anger in the film, and though his real-life brotherly love for Scott comes through, he balances it well with the rage of a child who feels abandoned.

The movie mostly slipped by, with only a limited box office release before dropping onto home video. However, it won the International Federation of Film Critics award and went on to receive a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the cast's performances but knocking off for the script's perceived lack of depth and focus.

7 Wiener-Dog (2016)

As Brandon

Told in a loose series of vignettes, Wiener-Dog stars Culkin as part of the ensemble cast with Greta Gerwig as his story's companion. His character, Brandon, is a drug addict whose father recently died due to complications with alcoholism. He and Dawn (Gerwig) attempt to rekindle their relationship, but it's clear that they both are lost in life and have a lot of growing to do before they can commit to anyone.

Somewhere between a coming-of-age role and one of someone struggling with adulthood, Culkin's performance makes it hard not to root for him and hope that, given time and support, he'll make it out of his hardships. Directed by Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness), critics mostly praised the movie, with most of the reviews crediting the black comedy and a group of actors who seemed to dive into Solondz's always off-kilter dialogue.

6 Infinity Baby (2017)

As Ben

Infinity Baby has a concept that seems impossible, but the performances ground the film and make it worth the watch. Culkin plays Ben, one of the many characters who are disillusioned with their lives, and trying to do something about it. Though an adult, Ben wishes for nothing more than to not grow up and return to the comfort and simplicity of childhood.

He's at his best as a sarcastic cynic who can't find it in himself to commit to anyone or anything. The good news is, that only makes it more satisfying when he finally realizes how great it can be to grow up. The film is one of the more interesting of Culkin's career, a science fiction comedy that follows "babies who don't age." Joining him in the cast is Nick Offerman, Martin Starr, Kevin Corrigan, and Megan Mullally, and it remains one of the most obscure films on Culkin's resume, although one worth seeking out.

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