Best Brendan Fraser Movies & TV Shows
2023 has been a good year for Brendan Fraser and fans waiting for him to get his due. While the recognition and hype have been more than worth it, we are here to remind you of the complete icon that he was in the 90’s, ruling our screens for almost two decades with super hits like George of the Jungle and The Mummy.
While we celebrate his totally predictable but worthy Oscar win in advance for The Whale, here are some of his best movies and TV shows to watch and join in on the Brenaissance.
George of the Jungle (1997)
If you are living under a rock and have no idea why Brendan Fraser was clubbed with the other heartthrobs of the 90’s, this film will shed some much-needed light. With gorgeous long blonde hair, starry blue eyes, a glazed six-pack and dressed in only a loin-cloth, Brendan Fraser plays George in this parody of Tarzan.
In the search for the legend White Ape, Ursula gets lost in the jungle and is attacked by a lion. In comes the White Ape to save her who happens to be none other than George and sparks fly.
The Mummy (1999)
Before you had the Avengers and John Wick franchises, we 90’s kids had The Mummy series. With one of the most visually pleasing adventure movies, fall in love with Rick, Evelyn, Ardeth, Imhotep and Anck-su-namun. Brendan Fraser’s Rick is a gun-toting regular joe who shoots first and asks questions later.
Evelyn, a librarian ropes him in for one of her quests to discover an ancient city. They accidentally end up waking up a cursed mummy, the powerful Imhotep who resumes his evil plan of destroying Egypt.
Airheads (1994)
Airheads is your typical grunge 90s comedy as the wanna-be band The Lone Rangers made up of Chazz, Rex and Pip go to extreme lengths to get famous. They struggle in LA as producers turn them down, they get kicked out of Chazz’s girlfriend’s house and radio stations turn them down.
In a desperate attempt, they take a local radio station hostage, and it escalates to a SWAT team surrounding them and negotiations taking place. But all the Lone Ranger wants is for the radio station to play their demo tape.
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
If you loved the mash-up of cartoons and live actions such as the likes of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Space Jam, Looney Tunes: Back in Action is for you. Daffy Duck is thrown out by WB’s vice president, Kate after he demands his own film.
He gets roped into a conspiracy with the security guard DJ whose father tells him that the ACME chairman wants to control the world with the Blue Monkey Diamond. The two end up getting kidnapped by ACME while Bugs Bunny and Kate try to rescue them while also taking down the chairman.
Bedazzled (2000)
Another fun quirky movie that purely worked because of Fraser’s comedic timing and eagerness to experiment with whatever role he gets, Bedazzled is a funny and supernatural rom-com. To find more ways to torture souls, the Devil decides to pick a human and figure out what makes the species tick.
She ends up picking Elliot, a simple and nice man with a sad life and a one-sided crush on Alison. The Devil befriends him by telling him that she will grant him seven wishes to help him get his crush. But like any twisted genie-like wish, there is always a catch.
Doom Patrol (2019-2023)
How would the world actually react if the Avengers or the Justice League were real? Well, Doom Patrol goes through that as it follows a group of superheroes who are in reality victims of terrible accidents that have ended up giving them superpowers. They are all brought together by the Chief to give them a purpose in life. Brendan plays the short-tempered NASCAR driver Cliff aka Robotman. A body of steel but a heart full of love, he looks out for the rest of the group.
Gods and Monsters (1998)
Brendan truly has it all from the looks to the talent and the range that he not only led hugely successful commercial hits but also dabbled in serious, indie films and critically acclaimed works. Gods and Monsters is a modern classic as it follows the life of horror icon James Whale who is known for popular films like Frankenstein.
Brendan plays the naive gardener Clayton who befriends the lonely Whale. But as they bond, Whale starts to fall for him.
The Quiet American (2002)
Based on the novel by Graham Greene, The Quiet American is a nuanced film with several important themes from the disillusion of war and blind nationalism to love and betrayal.
Set in 1950’s Vietnam, it focuses on the end of the first Indochina War and the participation of USA. Brendan portrays the patriotic American, Alden Pyle who starts questioning his ideals after he falls in love with a Vietnamese woman.
Crash (2004)
Crash is an ambitious crime thriller with a star-studded cast including the likes of Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon and Thandiwe Newton. It focuses on the racial tensions in LA after the 9/11 attack with every person of colour being suspected to the point that an undercover Black cop is shot dead by a White cop.
Brendan plays the district attorney, Rick whose car is stolen by two Black men. A racist White cop is put on his case which leads to a disturbing chain of events.
The Whale (2022)
To end your Brenaissance binge session, The Whale is the perfect movie for the night. A tear-jerker, get ready to bring out your tissues as Brendan Fraser puts on the performance of a lifetime as Charlie. The morbidly obese English teacher has congestive heart failure and is told he only has 1 week to live. With food and work being the centre of attention, he has many regrets as he tries to make things right with his estranged daughter.
And there we have it, our list of the best Brendan Fraser movies and TV shows of all time!
What do you think of our list? Have we included your favourites? Or have we missed any must-watch movies or TV shows? We love to hear from you so do feel free to let us know in the comments below.