An Ode to Glen Powell Summer

or when I realized gatekeeping celebrities is kind of lame

I know it’s not cool to admit, but I’m a gatekeeper. I don’t mean to be. I want my favorites to get the love they deserve. But something in my gut twists whenever it happens. If we’re getting personal, I assume it’s because my interests were often made fun of growing up. I had to shove them deep within myself and hold them in secret because if I didn't, they were picked apart. I want to chalk it up to being a girl in a largely male-dominated friend group, but really, I think they were just kinda dicks. So my guess is the sour taste in my mouth whenever someone I know brings up the stars I’ve spent years following is a residual of that unfairness. It’s something I’m working on, I promise, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to tame it completely. 

So. Imagine my horror (but not surprise) when my co-worker waltzed into work wearing a Glen Powell Twisters shirt. If you’re on TikTok you know the one. She lamented about how obsessed she was with him and my mind short-circuited. What do you mean Glen Powell? Where were you when Scream Queens premiered? What do you know about him being the ultimate Jonas Brother hype man? Then I realized how unhinged my thoughts were. Who CARED when she became a fan? Or how much she learned about him? For her, it wasn’t that deep and that was okay. 

As we discussed the movie for the 100th time, I slowly started shaping this piece. A return to all of Glen’s work as an ode to Glen Powell and Twisters Summer. It was as much a treat for me as it was a challenge. Going through the back half of his IMDB page I realized just how much he’d been in over the years. I’d seen most of them but there were some deep cuts I was surprised to see existed. And to my horror, I realized that some of them were $3.99 on Amazon with no guarantee of how much he was featured. Others were unavailable completely and some looked so low-budget I couldn’t imagine anyone else even knowing they existed. Still. I pushed through. Started with the ones I knew I enjoyed and slowly sorted through the rest. 

It was in the middle of one of those movies that I stopped myself and asked the question, is this worth it? I always like to joke that I’ll sit through anything for someone I enjoy seeing on screen. Sometimes it leads to surprising finds - Two Night Stand, during my Miles Teller phase, is still one of the best discoveries of my lifetime - but mostly it leads to nights of forcing myself through things I don’t really enjoy just for a glimpse of someone who doesn’t even know my name. And who quite frankly, doesn’t need the 68 cents that comes from the residual check my stream provides them. So I turned it off. And the world didn’t end. No alarm bells blared announcing my fake fan ship. My laptop didn’t burst into flames because I was finishing this piece with only 95% of his work attached. Instead, I switched to a movie I love (Sleeping with Other People) and enjoyed the rest of my evening. 

What’s the long-winded lesson here? To stop being an obsessive freak about celebrities, obviously. Or. To say screw it and consume the art you enjoy. If it’s terrible movies from your favorite celebrity’s early years, awesome. If not. It’s okay! You’re still a fan, I promise. But since I have already made it this far, I might as well post my ranking. Because I am happy for him and his success. It’s been a long time coming, and while the summer might be ending, the Glen Powell Hollywood Domination is just beginning.

14. Red Wing

This is the movie that broke me. I don’t even know how to explain the plot in a way that truly conveys how bonkers it is. One of Glen’s first roles with an actual name it reminds me of a movie my grandma would have playing on the TV whenever we’d visit her. Every time you glance at the screen, you’re like, huh, I wonder what’s happening, but you never pay much attention. And maybe that’s what the writer was hoping for. Because the premise is Maddie, a sad farm wife married to Luke Perry, takes in Glen as a child and then slowly over the years... falls in love with him? And everyone else around them is so jealous that they get him shipped off at eighteen because instead of being like, Wait, this is creepy, they’re like, Wait, we want him too. Like I said. It’s next level unhinged. At one point there’s a montage of them dancing together where it flashes between her teaching him AS A CHILD and the romantic swaying of the present.

I don't fault Glen for taking the role. It had to have been exciting to land a large part. And it gives a sneak peek into who he will eventually become. He gets to deliver monologues about forbidden love with such earnestness that you believe his every word. But gross plot aside, this movie is boring and not worth wasting an afternoon. 

13. Sand Castle

This is one of the ones I couldn't bring myself to re-visit. It’s your typical Bro War movie, and Glen’s screen time is brief. BUT they don’t have him marrying his pseudo-mother, so for that alone, it manages to not be in last place! If you enjoy Buzzcut Glen and want glimpses of other Hollywood It Men (Nicholas Hoult, Henry Cavill), you might enjoy this, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it. There are much better options to see him basically play the same role.

12. Devotion

This time you get old-timey war Glen. With the swooped hair, bomber jacket, and Joe Jonas by his side. (The second Jobro he collected but the first on this list.) This was a passion project for him, and I really wish it wasn’t marred by his co-star. I don’t have much else to say about it, honestly, because I don’t want to give it too much attention, but as far as Glen’s performance goes, it’s solid. I just don’t think it’s worth watching when he shares equal screen time with an abuser.

11. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

If you like period pieces, you’ll probably enjoy this. Just don’t expect much from Glen. Set in the aftermath of World War 2, it follows Lily James as she attempts to write a book about a group of people who survived the Nazi Occupation. She is delightful in the role. Glen plays her rich fiance, and as we all know, romantic heroines hate rich people. He looks good and tries to give his performance a little more dimension than the stereotypical stepping stone to true love, but there’s not much for him to do. Although I love the layers he brings to their inevitable breakup. Unfortunately, he doesn’t stand a chance next to a pig farmer, but hey, at least he has his money!

10. The Expendables 3

His screen time is limited, but boy is it fun to watch him hold his own against action greats. He gets to do some cool stunts and say some typical action movie lines while rocking some sick neck tattoos. Did I mention his name is Thorn and most of his scenes involve a scruffy Kellan Lutz? I’d say it’s worth it if you’re a fan of ridiculous movie trilogies, but a skip if you’re looking for Glen to be in every scene.

9. Hidden Figures

Anyone who knows me knows I love space. So obviously this movie was made for me. Glen plays John freaking Glenn, and I almost died when I saw him in his little astronaut suit. There’s also the fact the movie is just a delight. The star power behind the main trio is incredible to watch, and it’s one of those feel-good movies that I normally scoff at but find myself completely drawn into. Again, he doesn’t have the most scenes, but it doesn’t matter when the rest of the performances are so good. And when the point is to honor the badass women responsible for helping us succeed in the “space race.”

8. Sex Ed

I’ll be honest, I avoided this movie for a long time. It seemed like the cringy, raunchy, American Pie adjacent movie that became typical in the early and mid-2000s. I’ll also admit I based that entirely on the name and cover art. But this is one of those rare exceptions where going back to an artist’s earlier work pays off. This movie has so much heart. Are some of the scenes ridiculous? Absolutely. But at the core is something special as we follow Haley Joel Osment as he attempts to find himself while teaching sex education at a school that doesn’t believe in it. Glen plays his roommate, an at first glance himbo who winds up being a steady and welcoming presence throughout the film. He’s crass, he loves sex!!!!, and Haley is always walking in on him and his girlfriend in compromising positions. But he’s also a supportive friend, sweet to said girlfriend, and provides the comedic relief. Still, it is a product of its time, and some of the jokes made me wince, but I think the overall sweetness of the movie is enough to outweigh those moments.

7. Everybody Wants Some!!
   

This is one of those movies where, even though it has a two-hour runtime, nothing really happens. They’re all allegedly college students, yet not a single one of them looks like they’re under 28 years old. Still, it’s mindless fun and easy to leave on in the background. Glen manages to pull off the 70’s shaggy hair and mustache combo way better than anyone should. It’s also the first time we see him and Zoey together, and while they only share one or two scenes, it’s the start of a beautiful partnership. 

Unfortunately, this is another movie featuring an abuser, so I feel conflicted about tuning in consistently. Luckily, the character said the guy plays is also kind of douchey and never gets the hero edit, so it’s easy to roll your eyes whenever he graces your screen. Still, I would recommend looking up Glen’s highlights on YouTube. I promise it’s just as rewarding as the actual movie without putting money in certain people’s pockets.

6. Top Gun: Maverick

If we’re going solely on aesthetics, this would easily be in the top 3. You have the uniform, the beach scene, the toothpick! There’s a reason this is considered the movie that brought the theater back, and it’s because it’s blockbuster gold. Everywhere you look, there’s a star, and for all the big action moments, there are just as many subtle ones between the characters, even if it’s just quick and in the background. Every time I watch it, I catch something new, and I love that the cast seemed to genuinely love each other.

When you look at it in terms of other Glen movies, though, there isn’t as much to work with. Hangman is the cocky foil to Rooster’s uptight hero. His purpose is simple, but Glen eats every scene he’s in. And I have a feeling we’ll be given a lot more Hangman in the sequel, if only because Tom Cruise seems just as charmed by Glen as the rest of us are.

5. Scream Queens

Chad Radwell supremacy. This is where I was first introduced to Glen, and when I say this role was made for him, I mean it. There is no one else who would have committed as hard as he did to play the ultimate parody of an alpha frat bro. He delivers each line with hilarious emphasis and enough absurdity that you can’t hate him. Even as he’s saying the most despicable things. Ryan Murphy is problematic as hell, and his shows follow the curse of having one thought-out season before spiraling into madness, and this is no exception. But damn, what a fantastic first season this is. Emma Roberts is a fantastic scene partner for him as they try to out pout and one-liner each other, and you have the start of his bromance with Nick Jonas, who plays the small but significant role of Chad’s roommate, Boone. With Halloween season upon us, I say this is the perfect time to re-watch or enjoy this bananas show for the first time. But maybe skip the second season.

4. Anyone but You

Romcoms are back baby! You already know the character he’s playing. The cocky hot guy who gets to be shirtless half the time and reluctantly longing for the heroine for the rest. It’s such a staple for these types of movies yet he embodies the role so well it doesn’t matter. The rest of the cast is equally charismatic and every minute is entertaining. 

Also take a shot every time Dermot Mulroney pops up in something. Man is booked and busy. Everyone plays off of each other beautifully and the chemistry between Sydney and Glen is palpable. Add in an end credits sing along and this movie is what 2000s girlies have been missing lately.

Unfortunately, I have to bump it down on my list because the allegedly publicity stunt of them cheating on their significant others is just not it. It doesn’t matter that they’ve since admitted to leaning into it for the press. It was an awful tactic to pull on the people you love and it wasn’t even needed! They could have manged the same numbers by hyping up their chemistry naturally, like he did with Zoey. 

And they also should have dyed either his or Sydney’s hair one shade darker. There are times in the movie they look like siblings. 

3. Hitman

My brother asked me the other day if it bothers me that Glen always plays the same guy. And after I told him Glen could read me the encyclopedia and I’d be entertained, I had to admit, he does have a type. Which isn’t a bad thing! He’s nailed a pivotal role in Hollywood that’s been lacking lately. But I also would argue that Hitman is proof he’s versatile. How else could he convince us that bad hair cut, jorts wearing Gary could pull Adria Adjora?

I would love to see him play a softer side more often. Gary is downright adorable with his bird obsession. But I also love how you get to see him slip into 100 different characters as well throughout this film—even if some of them are only 30 second clips (petition to release every scene he filmed in those costumes). The way he melds Ron and Gary together is fun, and getting to see him interact with Retta is a TREAT. She should be in everything! And have I mentioned how sexy he and Adria are together? The storyline is fast-paced and never outstays its welcome and is worth it for the notes app fight scene alone. THAT’S cinema. And both of them play it perfectly. I think Netflix dropped the ball by not releasing it in theaters, but selfishly, I’m glad I’ve been able to revisit it as many times as I have from the comfort of my home.

2. Set it Up

The romcom that started it all. The ease of the banter between Glen and Zoey Deutch is beautiful. Their relationship is sweet and fun in a way we haven’t really seen since. In these other movies, the dialogue is snappy. He’s a dick and she’s witty, and they go back and forth from enemies to lovers. Here, they quickly become friends, riffing off each other and falling in love without even realizing it. Plus, the ensemble cast is full of heavy hitters. 

This is my favorite trope of romance where things don’t HAVE to be hard. The buildup is slow, but once it hits, they don’t deny it. There is no third act of will they/won’t they. The conflict comes from outside of themselves and gives payoff with a spectacular end-scene declaration of love that feels earned, not forced. It also helps that Zoey Deutch is able to match his charm with the same eagerness. There are several moments within the film I could list as to why you need to give it a chance, but I won’t. Go watch it and find them yourself!

1. Twisters

Look. I low-key hoped that when I went through this list I would remember a deep cut that would be a surprise in the number one spot. But there’s a reason no one can shut up about this movie (and by no one, I mean myself), and it’s because it’s incredible. A summer blockbuster that kept me on the edge of my seat the first time I watched it and propelled Glen from an up-and-coming star to everyone’s dream man. Proven by my friend who has always been neutral about him telling me she finally understands the hype. Every other movie on this list was one long training montage that led him to give the performance he was born for.

Tyler is charming. He’s kind of a dick. He’s got that Texas accent. And. Most importantly, his wardrobe is out of every girl’s Tornado Wrangler fantasy. Seriously. A man in a hat is a force to be reckoned with, and he gives us a wide variety of looks to choose from. He gets to flirt and stare longingly at Daisy Edgar Jones (which, same) and check off almost every romcom trope while also whipping around performing stunts and running through rain machines. There’s literally a moment for everyone in this movie, and to top it all off, they’re all having FUN. Which seems like a requirement for any project he chooses to take on.

I know a lot of people were upset the kiss didn’t make it into the movie, but honestly, I am fine either way. We still got him running after her in an airport, and we all know there’s going to be a sequel. I just hope they don’t try to mess with the formula and give us what we want—the entire team hanging out together, wrangling twisters, and having the time of their lives.

So there you have it. My ultimate guide to the Glen Powell Cinematic Universe. Please tell me your own Top 3 or validate my opinion (it’s flawless, right?) or just gush about how fun it is to have a charming leading man on screen again. I’m here for all of it.