Before comic book adaptations took over his schedule, Reynolds built his early brand on screwball timing. The pinnacle was 2009's The Proposal, where his grounded reactions balanced Sandra Bullock’s high-strung publishing executive. The film grossed $317 million globally on a modest budget, proving his charm worked best when an equally charismatic co-lead pushed back against him.
He revisited that dynamic in 2022 with Spirited, an Apple TV+ Christmas musical alongside Will Ferrell. Adapting Charles Dickens through tap dance numbers and contemporary satire seemed risky on paper. Yet the film developed an immediate annual following, holding strong streaming numbers every December alongside perennial holiday fixtures. It showed an actor willing to look ridiculous, rehearse complex dance choreography, and share the spotlight with another veteran comic force.
Overlooked titles also litter his résumé. In 2015's Mississippi Grind, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Reynolds played a charismatic drifter opposite Ben Mendelsohn’s down-on-his-luck poker addict. The movie bypassed mainstream multiplexes but earned critical acclaim for its melancholy portrait of compulsive gambling. Viewers hunting for depth will find it here.
