Jesse Plemons' Chilling Civil War Performance Is A Powerful Reminder Of His Role In A 96% Rotten Tomatoes Drama

Summary Jesse Plemons shines in Civil War with his limited appearance, leaving a lasting impact on viewers with his compelling performance.

Plemons' character in Civil War, much like his role in Breaking Bad, portrays a morally decayed persona with a cold, ruthless demeanor.

His ability to immerse himself in morally complex characters across various movies and shows solidifies Jesse Plemons as one of the best character actors of our time.

Jesse Plemons' compelling Civil War performance serves as the perfect reminder of his forgotten role in a show with an impressive 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by Alex Garland, Civil War is a dystopian drama that walks through a fictional conflict between the US government and various local factions. The film primarily unfolds through the eyes of a group of journalists played by Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Stephen McKinley Henderson.

While Civil War's main cast members do an incredible job at portraying their respective characters and immersing viewers into the horrors they experience during their journey to Washington, even the secondary actors in the film deliver standout performances. One of the secondary actors is Jesse Plemons, who barely shows up for seven minutes in the Alex Garland movie. However, despite his limited appearance, he leaves a lasting impact with his performance and even reminds a viewer of one of his old roles.

Related Jesse Plemons' 10 Best Movies, According To Metacritic Jesse Plemons is an extremely versatile actor, and his filmography covers everything from studio comedies to crime epics.

Jesse Plemons' Civil War Character Is A Lot Like Breaking Bad's Todd

Both Characters Are Morally Decayed

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In Alex Garland's Civil War, Jesse Plemons appears briefly as an unnamed soldier who delivers the movie's most memorable line: "What kind of American are you?" Although it is unclear which faction or organization Plemons' character represents, he carries himself with a cold, ruthless demeanor. The mere sight of him strikes fear in Joel, Lee, Jessie, and Tony. After he mindlessly shoots Bohai dead, it becomes evident he is an erratic killer, uncompromisingly loyal to his cause and merciless toward those who are allied with his enemy forces. Long before Civil War, Plemons plays a similar character, Todd, in Breaking Bad.

Although Jesse Plemons was relatively lesser known as an actor when he first appeared in Breaking Bad's season 5 as Todd, he convincingly captured his morally drained character. Like the Soldier from Civil War, Todd in Breaking Bad is also portrayed as an emotionless character who even kills a child without thinking twice just to establish his loyalty towards his employer, Walter White. Even after committing the deed, he shows no qualms about his actions and seems unfazed by the potential consequences. Both the Soldier and Todd also do not even try to justify what they did because they seemingly lack empathy.

Related Civil War Ending Explained Alex Garland's latest, Civil War, has an explosive ending that leads to multiple deaths. We break down the film ending's biggest moments and more.

Civil War & Breaking Bad Prove Jesse Plemons Is One Of The Best Character Actors Of Our Time

Jesse Plemons Always Reigns Supreme As Morally Complex Characters

Even in other movies and shows like Love & Death, Judas and the Black Messiah, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, and Black Mirror, Jesse Plemons perfectly embodies similar morally complex characters. His ability to brilliantly play such a wide range of multi-layered and mostly antagonistic characters speaks volumes about his talent as an actor. The fact that he briefly appeared in movies and shows like Civil War and Breaking Bad and still managed to steal the show with his flawless and immersive performances proves he ranks among the best character actors of modern times.