Simon Pegg is an actor known for his cinematic comedy. While he has done several roles that show his range, the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy with Edgar Wright and Nick Frost continues to be his most celebrated work. Fans can easily pick moments in each of those three films that showcase the actor’s ability. His body of work also includes spy films and classic science fiction, and he brings a particular presence to each performance.
Fans love Simon Pegg for one role or another. Audiences can rate most of his films as favorites and not-so-favorites. Metacritic takes another approach and rates his films by calculating a world of reviews and commentary. As a result, Metacritic has determined which films are Simon Pegg’s top movies.
10 Star Trek Into Darkness Gave Simon Pegg Another Run As Scotty
2009’s Star Trek reintroduced a world that is beloved by countless fans and brought Simon Pegg into the role of Scotty. While that film gave Scotty a strong entrance, it was the franchise’s sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, that made connections to the original character.
Simon Pegg, in his return as Scotty, allowed fans to see him in his element as the famous engineer of the flagship USS Enterprise. Pegg gets great moments where he gets to show off in action and drama. For die-hard fans of 1966’s Star Trek tv series, there is also some nice dialogue that pays homage to the character’s original incarnation.
9 Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Let Pegg Get In On The Action
A film full of action, suspense, and quips, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol was a high-grossing movie that took advantage of its budget. Audiences get to look on as the heroes travel to diverse locales and play with all kinds of spy gadgetry. There is never a dull moment.
Metacritic ranks this movie as the lowest of Simon Pegg’s top ten. With its emphasis on action, the film does get a bit monotonous at times with its chase sequences. Simon Pegg’s Benji gets to be a field agent for the first time in the series, which allows fans to enjoy randomly placed humor in-between moments of drama.
8 For The Love Of Spock Has Pegg Tell A Funny Story
Simon Pegg has very little screen time in For the Love of Spock, a documentary about Leonard Nimoy, who is best known for playing the iconic Star Trek character. The documentary does a great job cross-examining how the character of Spock touched generations of audiences from all over the world. It highlights key moments in Nimoy’s life while simultaneously collecting first-hand accounts that shed light on intriguing events.
Simon Pegg’s interview is brief and involves a story where Leonard Nimoy fell asleep on set. Even at that moment, Simon Pegg’s respect for the original Spock actor is very visible. It is clear that Pegg has a love for the original Tret series.
7 Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation Takes Advantage Of Pegg’s Humor
Another action-fueled spy outing, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation succeeds in delivering a fun experience for audiences. This time the IMF organization faces a group that mirrors their talents and actions. Fights, gunplay, and chases are abundant with countless uses of fun gadgetry.
Simon Pegg, in his third time playing the tech genius Benji Dunn, is given more screen time than ever before. While he still interjects humor into dramatic situations, Simon Pegg is also given deeper moments to act out his character’s angst and emotions. This does up the movie’s interest since Benji is such a lovable fan favorite.
6 Shaun Of The Dead Made Pegg A Movie Star
Simon Pegg has performed many roles, but none are more synonymous with his name than Shaun of the Dead. This is the film that brought Simon Pegg to a broader audience. In this interesting take on the zombie genre, Pegg plays an underachiever named Shaun who ends up battling an undead horde.
While this film is filled with laughs and gags, it is also a skilled cinematic experience. The movie uses quick cuts, dialogue, and several other film tricks to create an interesting watch for audiences. Shaun of the Dead offers a rich story that looks into relatable human situations and more than earns a place as one of Simon Pegg’s best films.
5 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Has A Quick Cameo By Pegg
Few franchises have a following as large or diverse as Star Wars. After many years of great films and then so-so prequels, the space opera gained a revival in the modern day with a new trilogy. Star Wars: The Force Awakens would arguably be the best of the most recent trilogy, as it got audiences ready for a new adventure. Several issues with the direction would cause problems for following productions, but die-hard fans will always show up for another movie.
Simon Pegg plays an alien pit boss by the name of Unkar Plutt in this film. His role is minor and barely any fans recognized the actor, either due to makeup or the lack of screen time.
4 The World’s End Closed Out The Three Flavours Trilogy
The final chapter in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, The World’s End offers an intertwining look at drama and comedy. This film is the darkest of its trilogy with material that ventures into suicide and alcoholism.
Simon Pegg plays the depressed and nostalgic character Gary King. While he performs antics for humor, Gary King’s story is revealed to be much deeper and more disturbing than his behavior would first indicate. Featuring a bar crawl that goes wrong due to an alien invasion, this film delivers great visuals and a well-placed story. Despite some considering it to be the weakest of the Three Flavours trilogy, The World’s End still more than deserves its place on Metacritic’s list.
3 Hot Fuzz Gave Pegg A Chance To Show Off His Action Movie Side
The second and most celebrated film of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy. Hot Fuzz is an action-suspense movie that succeeds in being both a satire and great fun. In this film, Simon Pegg stars as sergeant Nicholas Angel, a big city cop who is relocated to the country. As Nicholas grows weary from the slow-paced lifestyle, he soon discovers a sinister plot hidden in the countryside setting.
Hot Fuzz rates highly on Metacritic’s list of the best Simon Pegg films, and is the top movie where he plays the main protagonist. This film is also filled with gags and jokes that will follow audiences well after they have watched it.
2 Star Trek Put Pegg In The Center Of A Franchise
Star Trek was a revolutionary experience in the world of science fiction. Many fans can credit their slide into the genre with this great franchise. As with most cornerstone concepts, Star Trek would get the renewal treatment with a new movie in 2009.
Simon Pegg would end up playing the famous chief engineer of the Enterprise, Scotty. The film is an enjoyable experience and while Pegg’s Scotty does not star as the main protagonist, he does get quite a few memorable scenes. Fans and audiences all agree that this movie was indeed a success that respected its source material.
1 Mission: Impossible – Fallout Gave Pegg A Chance To Grow His Character
As the top-rated film on Simon Pegg’s Metacritic page, Mission: Impossible – Fallout changes up the formula of its predecessors just enough to be more interesting. It still succeeds in being an action-packed spy film filled with chase scenes and gadgets, but it takes the audience further by bringing more heart into this outing. Betrayal, sacrifice, and near-death experiences highlight character development that was missing from the franchise’s previous films.
Simon Pegg returns in this installment and brings with him everything the fans have enjoyed thus far. The character’s growth into becoming more dramatic successfully plays out in some very intense scenes, but he still delivers the quips when they’re needed.