Sam Claflin’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

Sam Claflin

’s best movies and TV shows demonstrate an impressive versatility. Claflin began acting professionally in 2010, but he got his big break thanks to earning the role of Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games franchise. Since then, he has appeared in both movies and television, making sure to stack his resume with a huge variety of roles.

Though Finnick might be his best-known role, he has done a lot more than just action movies. Claflin has appeared in numerous romances, period pieces, and even a rockumentary in the last 20 years. Those roles help showcase his ability to completely transform himself for the parts he plays. Claflin can embody a dastardly villain as easily as he can the leading man in a romance.

10

Love, Rosie (2014)

Sam Claflin As Alex Stewart

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Love, Rosie

R

Comedy

Romance

Release Date

October 16, 2014

Runtime

102 minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Lily Collins In The 77th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs)

    Lily Collins

  • Headshot Of Sam Claflin

    Sam Claflin

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Tamsin Egerton

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    Suki Waterhouse

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…the leads have to be able to sell the audience on the hope of a happy ending.

Because Sam Claflin has such a variety of projects to his name, it’s actually rare to see him appear in a rom-com. That’s a shame because he certainly has the charm and charisma to carry romantic comedies as Love, Rosie proves.

The movie follows a pair of childhood friends as they grow up and fall in love – with other people and with each other – their timelines not always lining up just right for them. Rosie (Lily Collins) and Alex prove the idea that you can find the right person at the wrong time in your life. They always strive to be there for one another, but their own feelings sometimes get in the way of that. Alex even becomes instrumental in helping Rosie raise her daughter long before either of them ever admits to their feelings for one another.

One of the biggest selling points for this movie is the chemistry between Claflin and Collins. Rosie and Alex are constantly pulled apart over years of their lives. That kind of storytelling can be frustrating for a viewer, so the leads have to be able to sell the audience on the hope of a happy ending. Claflin and Collins are perfectly matched, from their dramatic abilities to their comedic timing to their convincing portrayals of both teenagers and adults.

An SR original image featuring Lily Collins in Love, Rosie and Emily in Paris, over a background image of The Blind Side

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9

The Nightingale (2018)

Sam Claflin As Lieutenant Hawkins

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The Nightingale

R

Drama

Thriller

Western

Release Date

September 23, 2018

Runtime

136 minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Sam Claflin

    Sam Claflin

    Hawkins

  • Headshot Of Aisling Franciosi In The Los Angeles Premiere of Netflix`s The Unforgiven

    Aisling Franciosi

    Clare

  • Headshot Of Baykali Ganambarr

    Baykali Ganambarr

    Billy

  • Headshot Of Damon Herriman In The Premiere of Prime Video's 'Thirteen Lives'

    Damon Herriman

    Ruse

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Though Claflin is excellent leading man material, he also proves himself adept at taking on a little villainy. He has a handful of darker roles on his resume that demonstrate he has what it takes to be a truly terrifying villain. The Nightingale is one of those.

Set in 1825, the movie takes place at an Australian penal colony. There, a female convict is determined to get revenge for her family who has been traumatized by the actions of a military officer. Claflin is that officer. He is also the person in charge of her imprisonment.

The movie does not focus on the tragedy of the past, but on the survival of the woman in the present. It earned a lot of criticism because of the graphic nature of the story, but the graphic content actually makes the movie feel more grounded in reality than other stories, which can make it an uncomfortable watch for some audience members.

Claflin is perfectly cruel in the role, and it’s certainly a jarring one to see after fans have seen him in something like Love, Rosie.

8

Peaky Blinders (2019-2022)

Sam Claflin As Sir Oswald Mosley

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Peaky Blinders

TV-MA

Crime

Drama

History

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

9/10

100

9.5/10

Release Date

2013 – 2021

Showrunner

Steven Knight

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Annabelle Wallis

    Annabelle Wallis

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    Ian Peck

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Peaky Blinders follows the rise and fall of criminal gangs in England during the early to mid-20th century. Specifically, it follows Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his gang members, who are known for sewing razor blades into their caps.

Claflin does not enter the series until season 5, and he only appears in about a dozen episodes over the course of his time in the show. He brings to life Sir Oswald Mosley, who is inspired by the real person of the same name. Mosley is the primary antagonist of season 5, allowing Claflin to really sink into the villainous role for longer than a movie would usually allow him. Mosley is a fascist who makes no secret about his abhorrence for other sexualities and races.

Claflin is distinctly unlikable as the character, and that’s what makes him so great in the role. The audience is used to loving him in his other projects, so Mosley is quite the impressive turn for him.

7

Their Finest (2016)

Sam Claflin As Tom Buckley

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Their Finest

Romance

War

Drama

Release Date

February 19, 2017

Runtime

117 minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Gemma Arterton

    Gemma Arterton

    Catrin Cole

  • Headshot Of Sam Claflin

    Sam Claflin

    Tom Buckley

  • Headshot Of Bill Nighy

    Bill Nighy

    Ambrose Hilliard / Uncle Frank

  • Headshot Of Jack Huston

    Jack Huston

    Ellis Cole

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Their Finest is inspired by the novel Their Finest Hour and a Half, which chronicles the making of a propaganda piece about the military evacuation of Dunkirk. Complicating the actual filming of the piece is the fact that the two screenwriters involved find themselves falling for one another despite one of them being married.

Claflin and Gemma Arterton star as the screenwriters, and they make for admirable scene partners. It’s hard not to root for them thanks to their chemistry, but their personal and professional lives start to crack as the result of their feelings for one another.

What makes the movie so great though is that, despite propping up the storyline on a wartime propaganda piece, war does not have such a stronghold on the movie. Instead, the tone rides the line of comedy and drama to tell a story of romance.

6

Enola Holmes (2020)

Sam Claflin As Mycroft Holmes

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Enola Holmes

PG-13

Crime

Mystery

Drama

Adventure

ScreenRant logo

6/10

8.3/10

Release Date

September 23, 2020

Runtime

123 minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Millie Bobby Brown In The Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

    Millie Bobby Brown

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Because Sam Claflin has such a varied film resume, it is just as likely for his fans to find him in a family movie as it is for them to find him in a crime drama. Such is the case with Enola Holmes.

The movie is inspired by the book series of the same name. It centers on the titular Enola (Millie Bobby Brown), the younger sister of Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft Holmes (Claflin) as she goes on the hunt for their missing mother. Enola is just as intelligent as Sherlock and loves a good puzzle. She also prefers not to conform to the role society would place her in, which is why she and eldest brother Mycroft clash so much.

Claflin is almost unrecognizable as Mycroft Holmes. He is best known for playing particularly charming characters, even in tear-jerking dramas. Here, however, he is often the butt of the joke when it comes to Sherlock and Enola. Mycroft is full of rage, almost constantly sneering, and holds himself above his siblings. Claflin is fantastic as an antagonist the audience loves to hate.

A composite image of characters from the Enola Holmes movies

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5

Me Before You (2016)

Sam Claflin As Will Traynor

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Me Before You

PG-13

Drama

ScreenRant logo

5/10

10

9.4/10

Release Date

June 3, 2016

Director

Thea Sharrock

Cast

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    Janet McTeer

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    Jenna Coleman

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Like many of Claflin’s best movies and TV shows, Me Before You draws its inspiration from a novel. It does have some controversial subject matter, but that subject does not detract from the heartfelt performances of the two leads.

Claflin stars as a former banker and athlete who has become a tetraplegic due to an accident. Emilia Clarke stars as the woman who becomes employed as his caregiver. Though there is initially tension, and even animosity, between the two, they slowly warm up to one another. Clarke’s character is eternal optimism to Claflin’s enduring pessimism, and their opposing views help to make them engaging scene partners.

Though the movie is quite the tear-jerker, it’s their chemistry that steals the show. Clarke’s performance also helps to keep the movie from getting too bogged down in darkness as she even brings a hopeful note to what could be a tragic ending.

Custom image of Emilia Clarke's roles in Marvel, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones.

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4

Journey’s End (2017)

Sam Claflin As Captain Stanhope

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Journey’s End

R

War

Drama

Release Date

February 2, 2018

Runtime

107 Minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Paul Bettany In The GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2021

    Paul Bettany

  • Headshot Of Sam Claflin

    Sam Claflin

  • Headshot Of Stephen Graham In The British Independent Film Awards in London

    Stephen Graham

  • Headshot Of Tom Sturridge

    Tom Sturridge

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Claflin has a good number of period pieces on his resume. He has also appeared in a decent number of war-centered movies, like Journey’s End.

Journey’s End takes place over a few days in 1917 just before the end of World War I. It’s inspired by the 1928 play of the same name and the story sees a group of British soldiers hiding in the trenches just before a German attack. As their leader begins to break down before their very eyes, they wonder if they will make it out alive.

Claflin plays that leader. He is seen mostly through the eyes of Asa Butterfield, who plays a new recruit, and grew up seeing him as a friend and hero. What he finds in those few days of hiding is a man who is almost completely unrecognizable from the one he knew.

The movie is a claustrophobic take on war instead of going for sweeping battle scenes, which is part of what makes it such an emotional watch. Claflin is fantastic as a man who has been pushed to the edge – and maybe even across it – turning out a blistering performance.

3

Adrift (2018)

Sam Claflin As Richard

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Adrift

PG-13

Drama

Action

Adventure

ScreenRant logo

6/10

Release Date

May 31, 2018

Director

Baltasar Kormakur

Cast

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  • Headshot of Shailene Woodley

    Shailene Woodley

  • Headshot Of Sam Claflin

    Sam Claflin

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…most of the movie is quite literally just the two of them on a boat.

Yet another Claflin movie inspired by a book, Adrift is based on the book Red Sky in Mourning, which is inspired by real events that took place during 1983’s Hurricane Raymond. It sees a pair of free spirits and wanderers played by Claflin and Shailene Woodley decide to set sail together for a relaxing getaway. Instead, they end up caught in the middle of a hurricane.

Woodley and Claflin are both capable actors, but a movie like this means that they are in almost every scene, and most of the movie is quite literally just the two of them on a boat. That can place a lot of pressure on actors, but they both rose to the challenge. The bulk of the heavy lifting has to be done by Woodley since Claflin’s Richard is injured during the storm and Woodley’s Tami has to take command of the boat.

That being said, both Claflin and Woodley rise to the occasion and turn out impressive and harrowing performances. They begin the movie as two people having fun exploring a new relationship and end up being desperate just to survive.

2

Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Sam Claflin As Finnick Odair

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

PG-13

Action

Sci-Fi

ScreenRant logo

8/10

8.8/10

Release Date

November 1, 2013

Runtime

2h 26m

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Jennifer Lawrence In The 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

    Jennifer Lawrence

  • Headshot Of Josh Hutcherson

    Josh Hutcherson

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Though Claflin appears in two other Hunger Games movies, he made his debut in the franchise in Catching Fire, and it’s easily the best of the bunch. The second movie of the franchise sees former winners of the Hunger Games reaped again for the Second Quarter Quell. Just when they all believed they would be able to escape the wrath of the Capitol, they are pulled back in, and a large number of them secretly plan a rebellion. Finnick is eventually revealed to be one of those rebels as he allies with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and holds himself personally responsible for keeping her alive.

Claflin does such a great job at bringing Finnick to life from the pages of Suzanne Collins’ novels. Finnick is disarming in his charm. He is cocky and knows his way around a trident, making him dangerous in the games. He is also, however, someone who has a lot of hidden layers that are only hinted at in this chapter of the story, and Claflin is able to display those hints without completely telegraphing the truth of his background or his life outside of the Games.

Claflin’s role as Finnick has helped many fans make the case for a prequel surrounding his character, though so far, two prequels centered on two other characters have been made instead.

1

Daisy Jones And The Six (2023)

Sam Claflin As Billy Dunne

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Daisy Jones & The Six

Drama

Music

9/10

Release Date

2023 – 2022

Network

Amazon Prime Video

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Riley Keough

  • Headshot Of Sam Claflin

    Sam Claflin

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Daisy Jones and the Six is a miniseries inspired by the novel of the same name. The story takes inspiration from bands like Fleetwood Mac whose romantic entanglements and personal lyrics have become legendary in the entertainment industry. The series frames its story around a documentary that examines how the titular band got together and broke up with the show mixing interviews, performances, and flashback sequences to tell its story.

Claflin is Billy Dunne, the lead singer of a band called the Dunne brothers before it is renamed The Six. Dunne is an artist whose creative mind is sometimes fueled by drug binges and nights with groupies despite his commitment to his wife and child. It’s his chemistry with Daisy (Riley Keough) that improves his songwriting and the band’s performances, but it complicates his personal life.

Daisy Jones and the Six was nominated for nine Emmys, winning two. Claflin and Keough also earned Golden Globe nominations for their roles.

Claflin is electric in the role of Billy. Here, he has the charisma some of his rom-com roles would allow, but also edges at the darkness of when he plays a villain. It’s also one of the rare roles that allows him to sing, and he shows off an impressive skill set.

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