(Credit: Arturo Pardavila III)

Paul Rudd is out here fighting snakes now. That’s where we are at, in 2025. The Anaconda reboot just got released in the theatres, and it’s Rudd and Jack Black trying to remake a snake movie and accidentally killing their lead reptile. The whole thing goes off the rails from there, and Rudd? He is absolutely committed to the bit, as he always is.

Technically, Paul Rudd being thrown into absolute nonsense isn’t new. The man has been doing that on screen for decades. The only difference is this time it’s covered in scales and bad decisions, really bad ones. If you are only just realising how good he is at walking the line between breakdown and deadpan, you’re about to have a great time.

Netflix actually has a few of its best performances ready to go, and no, they are not the obvious ones. No Marvel suits. No ensemble comedies. Just Rudd being a mess in different ways.

So if you are done watching him get wrecked by jungle snakes, here is where to go next.

Three Paul Rudd movies to stream on Netflix

This Is 40 (Judd Apatow, 2012)

It’s safe to classify This Is 40 as a classic Rudd because it catches him in full domestic meltdown mode. A loose sequel to Knocked Up, the film follows Pete (Rudd) and his wife Debbie (Leslie Mann) as they hit that awkward, itchy point in their forties where nothing feels as fun as it used to. Their kids are loud, their finances are messed up, and their marriage is hanging on by failed romantic gestures. And yet, it’s not depressing. It’s just very, very real.

Rudd’s performance is exactly what you expect him to do when you tune in to one of these comedies. He is tired and slightly selfish, and constantly trying to talk his way out of being the problem. The chemistry between him and Leslie Mann makes the whole thing feel like you are, in fact, watching a real-life couple who is DONE.

The Fundamentals of Caring (Rob Burnett, 2016)

Then there is Paul Rudd in full sad mode, but in a good way. In The Fundamentals of Caring, he plays Ben, a man trying to pull his life together after a personal tragedy. He takes on a job as a caregiver for Trevor, who is a teenager with muscular dystrophy and is more sarcastic than sentimental. What starts off as a routine gig slowly turns into a weird road trip across the country. All you get is loads of interesting arguments along with a hitchhiker who might be the most stable person in the van.

Rudd brings a softness to Ben that can only come if someone really cares for you. And he has done a terrific job playing both vulnerable and funny. The film could have leaned too hard into drama, but it feels very real because of how Rudd plays it. The Fundamentals of Caring is a perfect light watch for a Sunday afternoon.

Mute (Duncan Jones, 2018)

And then, suddenly, you are in Mute. The tone shift is sharp, and so is Rudd. This time, he is Cactus Bill, a surgeon in a near-future Berlin, where everything feels neon-lit and slightly untrustworthy. His character has a very unclear moral compass. The story follows a mute bartender searching for his missing girlfriend, and Rudd is both the comic relief and the darkest part of the film at the same time.

It is a rare performance of his where he has properly dived into discomfort. And that’s what makes it fascinating to watch. It’s not your usual sci-fi thriller, and Rudd definitely isn’t playing the hero. But that’s what makes it interesting. If you only know him as the charming guy from all the comedies, this one might just surprise you.