Like a lot of us, I’ve been going through Tom Sturridge’s filmography since watching Sandman on Netflix. I’ve watched a good amount of stuff so far, and I have Thoughts™ . Writing a few lines about him in each of the projects (because apparently this is a Tom Sturridge fan blog now??)
Now, you watch Tom in interviews and he is the DEFINITION of a cinnamon roll, so you would never think this- but this man has been absolutely wildin for over a decade. The projects he chooses? The roles he takes on? Half the time it’s as if he’s like ’if it’s not excruciatingly dramatic, absolutely insane, and/or heart-poundingly, breath-chokingly sexy, don’t even bother’. Also something else I think I figured out from watching these and Tom’s interviews- it’s possible that in his mind, wild/dangerous = seductive. So, anytime he’s playing a character of that sort, he turns it on and immediately has intense sexual tension with everyone in sight. It’s mind-blowing.
This is what I’ve watched so far:
Like Minds/Murderous Intent (2006)- Eddie Redmayne’s first movie. Tom plays Ed’s boarding school classmate, a psycho. He was 20/21 in this, unbelievably pretty, and nailed the ‘devil with an angel’s face’ character to a tee. The chemistry with Ed is, predictably, insane. He says and does some seriously disturbing things in the movie. This was so early in his career too! It’s possible that Tom’s always been a 'choose the interesting project’ person vs 'choose something that might make me a popular sweetheart’ person.
Waiting for Forever (2010)- I have to say this first, I legit loved this movie so much. It strikes just the right balance between soulful and real, and the whole effect is incredibly sweet and touching. They don’t make movies like this anymore. Tom’s character is a very innocent type: naive and clueless to the extent of disturbing, but full of hope and belief. Tom is SO good in this. He plays it a bit slow and spacey, and captures the wide-eyed wonder and confusion of the character perfectly. *chef’s kiss*
The Hollow Crown s2 (2012)- This was a series of BBC adaptations of Shakespeare’s historical plays based on English kings. Tom was Henry VI, and I was fkn depres*ed for a week after watching this, no lie. Henry VI on screen is spineless, pathetic, and being manipulated left and right by every single person in his vicinity. The politics is nasty, the murders are brutal, and King Henry, 17, doesn’t want any of it (but is still too much of a wuss to give up his crown so he clutches on religion instead). Tom, with his young face, long hair, gray cloak and his rosary that he desperately hangs onto, speaking of hope and heartbreak in Shakespearean lingo, just made me feel lots of emotions - terribly angry and frustrated with the king, then sad and horrified for him. It was draining. (The series overall is fantastic tbh.)
On The Road (2012)- Based on Jack Kerouac’s novel, this movie is all sorts of nasty- drugs upon drugs, lurid sex, people treating other people terribly. Tom in this is sensitive writer boi in unrequited love with a fuckboy, and his personality is “we can take sexuality out of it, just hold me, man”. I pray for the gays who will see this movie now because they won’t survive Tom in this. (I mean I’m straight and I barely survived). The messy hair? Thick black-framed glasses? The hurt glances? Manic-pixie smiles? Teary-eyed, swollen-lipped monologue? (Edit: Scene) I’m f*cking deceased. (No kidding tho, I can’t take movies that are so on-the-nose seriously and I skipped through it, and still Tom with his limited screen time managed to make me genuinely feel for his character. He was amazing.) Fun fact: The scene of him being bodily carried away for a threesome and proceeding to break the bed (literally) lives rent free in my head. No, I am not all right.
Far From the Madding Crowd (2015)- Adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s classic novel. Tom plays Sgt. Francis Troy (opposite Carey Mulligan) and is a regular no-good rake. Listen, you’d think Tom with his sweet mouth and wispy facial hair couldn’t pull off a moustache. You’d be wrong. He looks great. And he has that charisma that makes you wanna drive off a cliff for him even though you know he’s an asshole. They made his character halfway decent tho, Troy is worse in the book. (EDIT: No they did NOT! I was skipping thru the movie and missed a scene lol. But I’ve watched the whole thing now and, yeah). And Tom switches vibes from sinister to emotional without missing a beat. What a goddamned treat watching this man is.
I’ll stop now, and do the next installment on another 5 Tom projects (I guess Remainder, Mary Shelley, Sweetbitter, Irma Vep, Sea Wall/A Life? We’ll see.)
(Edit: Part 2 , Part 3, Part 4, Part 5/ Bonus)
