Every Sam Mendes Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

6. Jarhead

Mendes' first foray into the war film couldn't be more different to 1917, a character-driven drama about the existential malaise of war, eschewing bombastic set-pieces in favour of extensive scenes of soldiers stewing in their own boredom.

It's a unique hook and one which Mendes executes terrifically, aided by a remarkable ensemble cast led by Jake Gyllenhaal, who gives one of his best and most underrated performances here.

It's easy to see how critics and audiences alike were heavily polarised by the film upon release, given that Universal opted to market it as a more action-heavy war film. Purely its own merits, though, it offers up a potent and deceptively smart commentary on modern masculinity.

That's not to ignore Roger Deakins' eye-wateringly beautiful cinematography, marking the first of the DP's four collaborations with Mendes to date, two of which resulted in Best Cinematography Oscar nominations for Deakins.