10 Underrated Films by Jude Law You Must See

Jude Law’s filmography stretches across thrillers, literary adaptations, comedies, and ambitious experiments, and it includes many projects that did not dominate headlines yet showcase the range of roles he has taken on. Across these films you will see collaborations with respected directors, screenwriters, and crafts teams, along with stories that explore technology, identity, crime, and reinvention.

This list focuses on titles where Law’s character is central to the plot mechanics or themes, and where production choices stand out through technique, location work, or adaptation history. You will find details on who made each film, what the story covers, and how it was put together, so you can decide what to queue up next with solid context in hand.

‘The Wisdom of Crocodiles’ (1998)

Directed by Po Chih Leong, this British thriller features Jude Law as Steven Grlscz, a man in London whose relationships with women draw the attention of a persistent detective. The cast includes Elina Löwensohn and Timothy Spall, and the story blends elements of crime investigation with hints of the supernatural.

Released in some regions under the alternate title ‘Immortality’, the film uses urban locations and restrained visual effects to keep the focus on character behavior and police procedure. Its tone leans on forensic detail and moral questions that unfold through interviews, surveillance, and casework.

‘eXistenZ’ (1999)

Written and directed by David Cronenberg, ‘eXistenZ’ pairs Jude Law with Jennifer Jason Leigh as they navigate a bio engineered gaming system that blurs the boundary between simulation and reality. Law plays Ted Pikul, an inexperienced handler drawn into a security crisis around a celebrated designer.

The production is known for practical bio mechanical props, organic looking interfaces, and location work in Canada that supports its near future setting. It screened at the Berlin International Film Festival and stands out for its emphasis on tactile effects, minimal green screen, and a narrative that folds game layers into real world action.

‘Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow’ (2004)

Kerry Conran wrote and directed this adventure starring Jude Law as Joe Sullivan alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. The plot follows a reporter and a pilot investigating mysterious attacks tied to a missing scientist and a fleet of giant machines.

The film was created on a digital backlot with actors performing in front of blue screen while environments were built later in post production. Its design draws on pulp serials and aviation art with extensive computer generated sets, miniature references, and a production pipeline that influenced later virtual workflows.

‘Alfie’ (2004)

Directed by Charles Shyer, ‘Alfie’ places Jude Law in the title role of a chauffeur navigating relationships and consequences in New York City. The film is a new screen version of the material previously adapted from Bill Naughton’s play, with supporting performances by Marisa Tomei, Susan Sarandon, and Sienna Miller.

This update relocates the story from London to Manhattan and incorporates contemporary fashion, music, and location photography across the city. The soundtrack features original songs by Mick Jagger and Dave Stewart, and the production emphasizes direct address moments where the lead speaks to the audience.

‘Breaking and Entering’ (2006)

Written and directed by Anthony Minghella, the film centers on Jude Law as Will Francis, an architect whose firm experiences repeated break ins. The story links him to a Bosnian family through the young burglar, with key roles for Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright, and Rafi Gavron.

Shot around North London neighborhoods, the film folds urban redevelopment, immigration, and policing into a network of personal and professional choices. The production uses real construction spaces, canal paths, and mixed language dialogue to anchor its intersecting plotlines.

‘Sleuth’ (2007)

Kenneth Branagh directs this two hander adapted by Harold Pinter from Anthony Shaffer’s stage play, with Jude Law as Milo Tindle opposite Michael Caine as Andrew Wyke. The setup revolves around a tense negotiation that turns into a contest of strategy inside a heavily secured country house.

Rather than retracing the earlier screen version, this adaptation introduces a modernist interior, pervasive surveillance motifs, and dialogue that reflects Pinter’s clipped rhythms. The film was staged to emphasize shifting power in a confined space, with controlled lighting, mirrored surfaces, and camera placements that underline the competing performances.

‘My Blueberry Nights’ (2007)

Wong Kar Wai’s first English language feature casts Jude Law as Jeremy, a cafe owner who meets a traveler played by Norah Jones. The journey structure brings in Rachel Weisz, David Strathairn, and Natalie Portman across connected encounters that chart distance, loss, and renewal.

Production moved from New York to Memphis to the Nevada desert, with cinematography by Darius Khondji and a score by Ry Cooder that favors slide guitar and spare themes. The film uses handwritten notes, postcards, and recurring food imagery to link locations and characters through visual motifs.

‘Repo Men’ (2010)

Directed by Miguel Sapochnik and based on Eric Garcia’s novel ‘The Repossession Mambo’, this science fiction thriller stars Jude Law as Remy, an employee tasked with reclaiming artificial organs from customers who fall behind on payments. Forest Whitaker and Liev Schreiber appear in major supporting roles.

The production builds a corporate healthcare dystopia through industrial set design, prop fabrication for synthetic organs, and action work that mixes practical stunts with digital enhancement. It was released by a major studio and includes fight choreography that highlights the brutal logistics of the repossession trade.

‘Dom Hemingway’ (2013)

Richard Shepard writes and directs this crime story with Jude Law as a safecracker who leaves prison and travels to collect money he believes he is owed. Richard E Grant co stars as his friend and Emilia Clarke appears as his estranged daughter, with Demián Bichir as a powerful employer.

Filming took place in London and along the French Riviera, and the production leans on bold wardrobe choices, stylized credits, and needle drops that trace the lead character’s mood shifts. The narrative structure pairs a quest for payment with attempts at reconciliation, tying both threads to the London underworld and a coastal retreat.

‘The Nest’ (2020)

Written and directed by Sean Durkin, ‘The Nest’ follows Jude Law as a commodities broker who moves his family from the United States to an English estate. Carrie Coon plays his wife, and the story tracks the strain that financial risk and status anxiety place on work, marriage, and parenting.

The film was shot in and around a country house setting with period appropriate production design that reflects late twentieth century tastes. Sound design and score choices reinforce the isolating feel of the estate, while scenes in offices, stables, and dining rooms map the pressure points that drive the family’s decisions.

Share your favorite lesser known Jude Law performances in the comments and tell us which of these films you plan to watch next.