Chris O’Dowd has wowed audiences with his powerhouse performance in season seven Black Mirror episode, Common People.
The actor stars opposite Rashida Jones as married couple Mike and Amanda in this horrifying tale about an experimental tiered subscription keeping his wife alive after she falls into a coma.
The widely-praised episode is quintessential of the dark and disturbing depths the sci-fi dystopia show reaches and is pulled together by an astonishing turn from the 45-year-old actor.
He exquisitely captures the anguish and terror of having your and your loved ones’ lives beholden to a paid service that you simply can’t afford, and the madness people are driven to.
The cross-genre star has made countless laugh, cry and everything in between throughout his career, renowned for his roles in huge hits like Bridesmaids and The IT Crowd.
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He’s even been in an episode of the The Twilight Zone reboot, the show Black Mirror is inspired by. So, if you’re looking for your next Chris O’Dowd watch, read on…
Moone Boy
Moone Boy is a three-season-long Irish comedy which ran from 2012 to 2015 and is your one way ticket into Chris’s mind.
The show is a semi-autobiographical sitcom recounting the actor’s life growing up in Ireland and deals with the shenanigans of a young boy called Martin Moone and his imaginary friend Sean in his ‘wacky’ small town.
The show, which boasts an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes, has been praised by fans as ‘downright hilarious’, ‘relatable’ and ‘the most underrated show’ they’ve ever seen.
If that’s not enough to convince you, it also picked up the International Emmy award for best comedy.
Moone Boy is available to stream on Now and Sky.
Calvary
Chris stars alongside Oscar nominee Brendan Gleeson in this 2014 movie about a good-hearted priest who must reckon with his internal and external demons after receiving a death threat from an anonymous parishioner.
The Bridesmaids star plays one of the parishioners, Jack Brennan, who has an unfaithful wife as he balances the fine line between funny and serious in this comedy-drama.
In another personal project, the movie was shot only 20 minutes from where Chris grew up in rural Ireland with the script being lauded as ‘remarkably intelligent’ and his performance as ‘great’.
Calvary is available to stream on Now and Sky.
Slumberland
This Netflix movie follows a young girl Nemo who is sent to live with her ‘deeply awkward’ Uncle Phillip played by Chris O’Dowd. When she discovers a magical map, she embarks on an adventure with the help of her eccentric companion Flip (portrayed by Jason Momoa).
The family film has been praised by fans for its standout performances and heartfelt plot portraying, whimsy, joy and navigating childhood grief.
It’s been described as ‘absolutely perfect’ and ‘hits all the right notes’.
Slumberland is available to stream on Netflix.
Get Shorty
No list of Chris’ greatest performances would be complete without Get Shorty.
The three-season comedy ran from 2017 to 2019 and follows Miles Daly (Chris) who abandons his dangerous high-crime life in a Nevada crime ring to become a Hollywood producer.
But you can’t outrun your past forever.
Its chaotic brilliance has prompted people to ‘binge the whole show’ and show praise on the ‘unbelievable talent’ of the main stars. One review went as far as to say it was ‘a truly magnificent show [and] Chris Dowd was born to play this part.’
Get Shorty is available to stream on Amazon Prime with an MGM+ subscription or through Apple TV+.
The Boat That Rocked
Next up we have Richard Curtis’ 2009 movie, The Boat That Rocked, which has the added bonus of a star-studded cast including the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy and Kenneth Branagh.
The movie is set in the 1960s about ‘a band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain’ by taking over the radio waves to push back against the classical music agenda.
Chris plays ‘Simple’ Simon Swafford, Radio Rock’s breakfast DJ and whips out all his comedic charm in this memorable performance.
The Boat That Rocked is available to stream on Now.
The Incredible Jessica James
This 2017 rom-com follows a heartbroken NYC aspiring playwright who decides to go on a date with a recently divorced app designer, Boone (played by Chris).
Chris delivers a reliably delightful performance with witty rapport between him and his titular love interest, played by Jessica Williams.
It’s been praised for its ‘amazing performances, relatable characters, sharp comedy, and engaging drama’ and even been called the best romcom of the last decade by some.
‘Refreshingly authentic. Every moment shined and shimmered. Couldn’t recommend it more,’ user @eatartsaily declared at the time.
The Incredible Jessica James is available to stream on Netflix.
The Sapphires
The 2012 movie, The Sapphires, is another unconventional 60s comedy (clearly, Chris has a special interest).
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This time around we follow the eponymous all-girl group made up of four talented young Australian Aboriginal girls who are sent to entertain the US troops in Vietnam.
The comedian plays a would-be music promoter who sees something special in them and is his ‘usual loveable self’ with some fans saying the entire movie was ‘truly elevated’ by his performance.
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The Sapphires is available to stream on Netflix.
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