Bob Odenkirk’s four favourite movies of all time
One of the narratives surrounding Breaking Bad is that it helped Bryan Cranston brush off the image he had obtained through Malcolm in the Middle.
The one-time Hal was completely reborn in this new dramatic role, but he wasn’t the only former funnyman to get an image overhaul. Prior to his career-defining turn as Jimmy ‘Saul Goodman’ McGill, Bob Odenkirk was best known for comedies like The Larry Sanders Show and Mr. Show with Bob and David. Now, he’s a bona fide TV megastar.
He might be best known for his work on the small screen, but Odenkirk isn’t averse to turning up in feature films. On the dramatic side, he can find jerking tears in Nebraska, The Post, and Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. However, once a comedian, always a comedian, as he’s also appeared in Life Upside Down and Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie. He’s repeatedly denied rumours that he’s joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but proved himself a very capable action star with Nobody.
Speaking of Nobody, in which Odenkirk plays a regular man who is forced to confront his past as a killer-for-hire, the star was cornered by Letterboxd while promoting its 2025 sequel. As they are one to do, the social site asked him what his ‘Four Favourites’ were, and he was all-too-happy to oblige. “I think I can,” he said. Ok, maybe he wasn’t that happy about being asked.
Odenkirk’s first pick was one that has almost certainly graced many other top fours – Chinatown. Directed by Roman Polanski (which is a shame), this emblematic neo-noir stars Jack Nicholson as a private detective who is hired by a stereotypical ‘dynamite dame’ (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband’s alleged affair. In true noir style, this seemingly simple case turns out to be about so much more than somebody playing away.
Next up was a classic comedy, regarded by many as one of the funniest films ever made. Planes, Trains and Automobiles pairs a tightly-wound Steve Martin with a happy-go-lucky John Candy as they attempt to traverse the country in time for Thanksgiving in what has become an era-defining release.
His recent role possibly inspired Odenkirk’s third pick, as he opted for the classic Jackie Chan romp Police Story. This 1985 Hong Kong classic pits Chan against a ruthless drug lord who frames him for murder. Like most Chan efforts from around this time, he does all of his own insanely dangerous stunts.
In this writer’s humble opinion, Odenkirk saved his best pick for last. Withnail & I is the epitome of a ‘cult’ comedy. Starring Richard E Grant and Paul McGann as two down-on-their-luck actors, this meandering, mostly plotless film follows the duo as they go on holiday ‘by accident’. As well as being blisteringly funny, the film is also surprisingly emotional. Its much-dissected ending continues to inspire discussion almost 40 years after it first played. Given that Odenkirk is such a big fan of British comedy, this must have been a no-brainer.
Though he didn’t provide much (or indeed any) detail about why he loves these films, all of Odenkirk’s choices speak for themselves. Whether these actually are his top picks or he just wanted the Letterboxd people to go away, we’ll never know. That man is a mystery.
