Josh Hutcherson kicked off his acting career at a young age. Though the 27-year-old actor appeared in many minor parts throughout the early 2000s, the size of his roles continued to grow until he scored his biggest to date: that of Peeta Mellark in the film adaption of The Hunger Games series.
Hutcherson is currently working on the third and final season of the Hulu comedy Future Man. In anticipation of this (and because of his successful young career), we thought it was time to look at Hutcherson’s best films to date. We’ll be picking his best using the scoring system on Rotten Tomatoes.
Every film on the review aggregation website has been given a Tomatometer Scores, based on the positive and negative scores of professional reviewers. Those with the highest scores will be showing up here.
Are you ready to look back at Hutcherson’s impressive resume? We are, too. Here are his greatest movies of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015): 70%
As aforementioned, one of Hutcherson’s best-known roles is that of Peeta Melark in The Hunger Games series.
In the final installment, Mockingjay - Part 2, Katniss leads a team of rebels to The Capitol in hopes of assassinating President Snow. Though Peeta is still working through his brainwashing, he chooses to come along with the group.
The action, acting, and story of this one made for one epic conclusion.
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005): 75%
Adapted from the children’s book the same name (and set in the Jumanji universe), Zathura follows siblings whose house gets shot into space while playing a mystical board game. They attempt to get back to earth with help from an astronaut.
Though the family adventure film didn’t score well at the box office, opening against Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Zathura was enjoyed by those who did see it, thanks to the film’s magical effects and well-executed story.
Hutcherson showed up as one of the siblings, Walter.
Little Manhattan (2005): 77%
Little Manhattan tells of the romance between a ten-year-old boy named Gabe and the first girl he ever falls for, Rosemary, in New York City. Though Gabe is forced to deal with his parents impending divorce, he must also deal with the distance that will soon separate his girlfriend and him.
Hutcherson brought innocence to the young Gabe. The wholesome story left critics enchanted.
Tragedy Girls (2017): 82%
This comedy horror film tells of two high school seniors, who go on a hunt for a serial killer. After finding a way to capture him, they get engulfed in a killing spree of their own in order to gain more followers on social media.
Hutcherson played one of the friends’ ex-boyfriends in Tragedy Girls. Let’s just say they didn’t like him very much.
The dark humor and thrill kept viewers intrigued.
The Hunger Games (2012): 84%
Far before Hutcherson was finishing off the Hunger Games, he was opening them.
In the first film in the series, a boy and girl from every district in Panem are recruited for a televised fight-to-the-death inside of an arena. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are chosen from District 12.
While Katniss is set on getting out alive and getting back to her sister, Peeta becomes romantically interested in her, and sharing this love with the audience might just be the thing that gets them out alive.
The opening film received many positive reviews from critics, who loved the building tension, believable performances, and entrancing narrative.
Bridge To Terabithia (2007): 85%
Bridge to Terabithia had Hutcherson playing a boy named Jessie who befriends a girl named Leslie. Though they like to escape to the imaginary land of Terabithia together, the pair can’t run away from the harsh realities of life forever.
The coming-of-age fantasy was applauded for staying true to its source material. It managed to explore weighty themes with sentiment and authenticity.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013): 89%
The highest-rated film in The Hunger Games series is the second one: Catching Fire.
This time around, Peeta and Katniss are pulled back into the Hunger Games arena for a second battle after sparking rebellion during their victory tour. Other former tributes are also brought into this special Quarter Quell competition, meaning that in order to get out alive, alliances must be formed.
Catching Fire had noticeably smoother direction when put next to the previous film. Additionally, the acting, cinematography, and emotion were upped.
The Disaster Artist (2017): 91%
Based on the true story of one of the worst films ever made, The Room, this biographical comedy tells of the two young L.A. filmmakers who accidentally create a cult classic for all the wrong reasons.
The Disaster Artist has Josh Hutcherson playing actor Philip Haldiman, who in The Room, plays a character named Denny.
The film was funny, charming, and fresh. This balance impressed critics.
The Kids Are All Right: 93%
The Kids Are Alright follows a set of siblings (one of which is played by Hutcherson) whose parents used an anonymous donor to conceive them. After tracking down their biological father, Paul, he begins to get involved in the family’s life. However, this causes a huge stir among its four members.
Critics loved the film for being well-acted and interesting while exploring themes that had rarely been looked at before.
American Splendor (2003): 94%
Topping off the list as the highest-rated film to feature Josh Hutcherson is American Splendor. Though Hutcherson’s role was small, it’s worth mentioning, especially because it was his first.
This biographical comedy-drama follows the life of comic book creator Harvey Pekar as he lives in Cleveland with his wife.
The creative comic-like film structure caught the eyes of critics. In addition to its stylish presentation, American Splendor was moving and genuine.
A young Hutcherson can be seen during a Halloween scene, dressed up as Batman’s sidekick, Robin.
