5 Films that Show the Dramatic Side of Vince Vaughn

The casting of Vince Vaughn for season two was shocking, even to us. Frankly, we never even considered him to be in the running. But that’s become part of the fun of watching True Detective; the surprise castings have officially become the norm. Hopefully next time around we won’t be quite as taken aback.

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Even though it’s not right (or fair) to put so much pressure on Vaughn so early — he hasn’t even met with co-star Colin Farrell yet — he has been involved in several dramatic films in the past. Most of his drama films, however, could also be considered comedy/drama. Here are three films that bring out Vaughn’s drama side, even if they happen to be couched in comedy.

5. Term Life

There’s not two-ways about this one, it’s cheating. We are cheating. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth mentioning. In what has become something a pet project to Vaughn, Term Life is a 2015 film based on a graphic novel of the same name. Vaughn is producing it and will also take lead. It’s a crime thriller that when combined with his upcoming stint in True Detective, makes for a compelling argument that he’s trying to broaden his horizons a bit.

But, yeah, we cheated.

4. Jurassic Part: The Lost World

The Lost World has gotten more than its fare share of flak over the last decade and some. Some of it is deserved, but looking at it today shows that its aged a little better than some might think. It’s not the disaster than it’s often painted as, but coming after the classic original it sure seemed like it at the time. It’s not a great film, but it does show Vaughn before his complete transformation into comedian, even if he does provide some unnecessary comedic relief here. It does star Jeff Goldblum, after all.

3. Return to Paradise

Time seems to have passed this one by. Released soon after The Lost World, Return to Paradise is perhaps an overall better film and certainly a better showcase of Vaughn’s dramatic talents. It’s unfortunate that it has been buried in the back of his career by his many comedic role, but it still stands up today. The 90’s were an interesting time for Vaughn, let it be said.

2. The Cell

The Cell is not a good movie in the classic sense, but it is a strange one. A psychological thriller/horror that features Jennifer Lopez is bound to be a little off-kilter. It’s worth seeing for the artistic imagery, but it’s not an easy recommendation. Consider this another lost film in the filmography on Vince Vaughn. Worth seeing once, but then maybe you should just lose it all over again.

1. Into the Wild

You probably thought this list would end with Swingers, right? It wouldn’t have been a bad guess, but it’s worth going in a different direction every one in a while. Vaughn doesn’t have a starring role in Into the Wild, but it’s nonetheless important in his canon of dramatic films. The film also came smack in-between The Break-Up and Fred Claus, when most people didn’t expect Vaughn would appear in a smaller dramatic film ever again. It also serves as the last serious film he’s been in to date.

What do you think of our choices for Vince Vaughn’s dramatic roles? Did we miss a favorite? Frustrated that Rudy’s nowhere to be found? Let us know!

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