In the early 2010s, YA book adaptations swept across screens. With The hunger Games box office smashing, dystopian dramas were pumped out; title like The Maze Runner, Divergent, The Fifth Wave, and so many more gained such popularity with the younger demographic over the years and grossed millions. Alongside the tales of the end of the world and the tales of revolutionary leaders, the other, more down-to-earth end of the book world also came to life on the big screen. Tragic teenage love stories have always revolved around a real struggle. Author John Green, for example, created many of these titles, such as The fault in our stars, looking for Alaska and paper cities. These films catapulted young stars into the limelight, names we know today like Cara Delevingne (suicide squad)and Shailene Woodley (Big little lies).
One of those actors is Justice Smith. Smith started out as the lovable best friend of Nat Wolff’s character in paper towns, and stole the show in the scenes he starred in. When he was alongside Austin Abrams (The Walking Dead, euphoria), both provided comedic relief and the heart behind the film. To paper cities,Smith stared at hit after hit. With 19 acting credits and counting, Smith has pulled off essentially everything that’s quite an achievement given his youth. In addition to teen movies, the actor has starred in a major blockbuster franchise (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Jurassic domination), has tackled streaming platforms (generation) and was on several soundtracks for the productions in which he starred. Next, Smith will star Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which he promises via Game Rant to be “damn funny.” It’s slated for release in 2023, so until then, let’s take a look at Smith’s best performances, ranking.
7 The voyeurs
actor opposite euphoria star Sydney Sweeney, The voyeurs Take seventh place on this list. Smith and Sweeney play a couple who become interested in their neighbors in the apartment complex across the street and then spy on them Rear window-Esque movie. This innocent voyeurism turns suspiciously vicious when the couple decides to intervene in the neighbors’ lives. Of course, things take a turn for the worse. Smith plays Thomas with sarcasm, curiosity, and an overall flirtatious mood that keeps him carried away throughout the film. He brings charm to the role and plays a great horror victim.
6 paper cities
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In the film adaptation of paper cities, Smith plays Radar, the marching band and computer science nerd. The film follows Q (played by Nat Wolff) and his search for runaway Margo (played by Cara Delevingne), whom he has had a crush on for ages and claims he was always destined to be with. Radar is Q’s best friend and accompanies him on his journey with his new girlfriend, Angela (played by Jazz Sinclair). Smith brings this character to life with idiotic charm, uncompromising intellect and an understandable naivety, and steals the show.
5 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
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In the same direction as his character in paper towns, Smith plays research analyst Franklin Webb Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. He’s the “I hate nature” persona of the group, but inexplicably finds himself surrounded by a lot of nature – and a lot more dinosaurs. Once again, Smith steals every scene he’s in, does an excellent job of making all of his lines hilarious, and really nails the comedy in the delivery and his body humor.
4 The come down
In the series The come down, which centers on the birth of hip-hop in the late 1970s, Smith plays Ezekiel “Books” Figuero. Starring Shameik Moore, Skylan Brooks, Jaden Smith and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Daveed Diggs, who plays the adult version of Books, this two-part Netflix series is about music and the city that created the hip-hop scene. Smith plays one member of the young, ragtag group of kids trying to navigate the Bronx, connecting through music and trying to find a place in the world. Smith is a passionate book enthusiast and controls the heart of this series. This is one of his more serious roles, trading that humorous charm for sincerity and drive.
3 Detective Pikachu
Starring in a beloved franchise that spans countless generations could be a lot of pressure, but Smith does it with ease. Act as the companion of a Ryan Reynolds-voiced Pikachu Detective Pikachu, Smith plays Tim Goodman, the wannabe Pokémon trainer with a tragic past. He plays Goodman with wit and charm, bringing this new character to life in a familiar world. There’s a sarcastic and annoyed element Smith brings to Goodman that also fits in with Reynolds’ usual sense of humor and ends up being a wonderful weave for a similar buddy cop film that’s an excellent complement to the film Pokemon Franchise. In an interview with Inverse, Smith explained that while he wants a sequel, he doesn’t think it will be.
2 generation
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 few characters in this cast-only dramedy. Chester is the outgoing, loud, confident character who seems to know what he wants out of life. Smith is able to play this character with equal confidence, but with an air of longing and insecurity that suits this piece perfectly. Smith delivers an outstanding performance in this series about finding love and where one belongs, trying to navigate modern school experiences, sexuality and family.
1 All bright places
Smith definitely made a name for himself with his ability to make even the tiniest lines comedic, so you might expect his best performance to be something in comedy. On the contrary, Smith’s best performance was in the Jennifer Niven novel, which was adapted into a Netflix film called All bright places, This will take you to the store where you need to buy more tissues after watching. Smith plays 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 heartbreaking piece of media. Smith brings Finch to life like never before. He’s able to play this teen drama heartthrob with charisma while also portraying the weight this character has gone through which makes him seem so human and relatable. Finch has been through a lot in his life and Smith shows it so well through his words, his actions and the way he fills this character. This is definitely Smith’s best performance to date.
