7. Reality Bites
One of the earlier films in Hawke's career is a bit of slow-burning brilliance. At first, I never really appreciated Reality Bites because I was young, but as I aged and passed through my twenties the film took on a certain resonance and weight. An ensemble piece, Reality Bites orbits around a group of close friends just out of college and aimless as they try and figure out what to do next. While Winona Ryder is the focus of the film, Hawke's performance as Troy Dyer is an evolving one. At first glance, Troy seems confident and appropriately defiant as he fights off conformity and the corporate world. But he is, at his core, just as insecure as all of these characters. He simply hides it behind a facade of artistry and arrogance. While each of these characters in Reality Bites evolve from start to finish, I would argue it is Hawke who changes the most from beginning to end.