Top 5 Shia LaBeouf Performances

By Austin Johnson

From Even Stevens to Honey Boy, I am amazed by Shia LaBeouf's career. There’s so much to it and I really think he deserves a Weird Shit Wednesday on the pod some day. I felt like Shia was the MVP of 2019. The most valuable performer. In 2018, I think that title went to Josh Brolin for playing Thanos and Cable. It’s really cool to see folks working a lot, especially when the performances are worth it. Shia’s career has been riddled with controversy and strange choices, but his talent is undeniable and I truly think 2019 was exactly what he needed.

5.) Kale in Disturbia (2007)

“But think about that, why does he want his privacy?
I mean he's hiding something, we know that.”

So, obviously LaBeouf broke out in '07 with a monstrous year, appearing in Transformers, Surf's Up, and Disturbia. He was 21 years old and four years out of his Even Stevens stint. I saw all three of those films in theaters, but it’s definitely his work in Disturbia that stands the test of time and is my favorite from the beginning stages of his career as a film actor. The film itself is pretty thrilling, but Shia gives it this relatability that is so intriguing. He’s just a normal dude, but the guy that lives next door is not. It’s really simple, but again, Shia offers his charm and skill in the right tones. I think a lot of Even Stevens fans were really proud when Disturbia came out. We knew he had it in him the whole time.

4.) John McEnroe in Borg vs. McEnroe (2017)

“You can't be serious! You can not be serious! The ball was on the line! Chalk flew all over, man. The chalk flew up! He saw it.
That's why he's walking all over it. Everyone saw it was in.
You cannot possibly call that out.”

I still don’t know why no one has seen this brilliant biopic. Sure, it wasn’t marketed too well and the subject matter is tennis, but it’s so good that I figured the word of mouth would’ve gotten it some more attention. Shia LaBeouf plays John McEnroe, who is one of the most audacious athletes of all time. He had an infamous rivalry with Bjorn Borg during the 80’s, and the film focuses on that. I love McEnroe’s game and I love LaBeouf’s acting so this was a no-brainer for me. Shia is one of the only guys who could even pull off John’s look and he was most certainly the right pick for his attitude.

3.) Jake in American Honey (2016)

“Prove to me your name is Star, and I'll give it to you.”

American Honey is an epic film about a young girl named Star, who joins a traveling magazine sales crew after meeting a guy named Jake. Shia has been on this remarkable run since 2016 starting with his role as Jake in American Honey. Every role since then has been written extremely well for him, from his dialogue to his costumes, he pulls it all off. Jake is a little bit scary, mysterious, and comforting as one of the leaders in the magazine crew. The first time we see him, he’s leading a wild dance to Calvin Harris and Rihanna’s “We Found Love” in a grocery store. From there on out, he’s unpredictable as hell and so entertaining.

2.) James Lort in Honey Boy (2019)

“The real world truth is: wood fuckin' rots, man. You know, stone crumbles. People fucking die. That's the real world. The only thing
that's gonna live on is stories and fables and dreams.”

So, here’s one of the roles that makes Shia the Most Valuable Performer of 2019 in my mind. He wrote Honey Boy and then starred as his own father in the film. Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges play a 12 year old and 22 year old version of Shia while he plays his own fucking dad. I still can’t get over that. Shia has pushed himself as an actor for over a decade now, but Honey Boy has got to be the most impressive part of his career. To confront your own demons, your father's demons, put it all on paper, and then a giant screen is extremely admirable in my mind. Shia’s vulnerability alone is something to behold, but then the film is actually really good so it’s a win win with Honey Boy.

1.) Tyler in The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

“You might not be saying the word, retard, I'll give you that,
but you're damn sure making him feel retarded.”

You got to be in at least two films to be the MVP, so here’s the other role of Shia’s that I think gives him full rights to the award for 2019. The Peanut Butter Falcon is a superb film with multiple performances that are perfect. Bruce Dern, Dakota Johnson, Thomas Haden Church, John Hawkes, and Zack Gottsagen stand out, but then Shia LaBeouf rises above what anyone knew he was capable of acting-wise and delivers one of the best performances of 2019 altogether. He plays a troubled young man named Tyler, who literally burns his bridges and then runs into a disabled man named Zak as he is on the run. It’s a duo worth every second of your time, and if you have any questions about Shia as an actor, this performance and film will put that to rest.