Quite frankly, let’s not kid ourselves: Tom Hiddleston is the one and only Loki, and Loki will forever be Tom Hiddleston. The character has been nothing short of a career milestone for him, and nobody from the superhero fandom could expect one without seeing the other next, with a few exceptions, maybe. However, it would be a bit of an injustice to the great actor to assume the God of Mischief is the only one in his repertoire. In his works outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hiddleston has put together a very eclectic and captivating variety of films made up of independent productions, historical films, Gothic-horror, and even several roles, where he hardly appears but yet makes his presence felt. All these films tell of the things that the Loki character never told—weakness, sorrow, stylishly written, and yeah, even some Gothic disgrace. Begrudgingly saying goodbye to MCU? Hitherto is a selection of 5 works of art from his acting career outside Marvel in ascending order.
5. Exhibition (2013)
Before all the multiverse mayhem and cheeky grins, Hiddleston was already sharpening his chops in the realm of indie film. He metaphorically wields a real estate agent, lithe and agile enough to momentarily captivate the audience, and so brilliant yet so simple that one can hardly forget this brief but memorable off-screen appearance, dubbed Jamie Macmillan in Joanna Hogg’s Exhibition. The flicks itself doesn’t concentrate on him much, if not at all—it is about a grieving married couple transforming intimacy, personal, and even social identities while settling down into a plain modernist London abode.
Hogg’s methods of filmmaking are known to be very simple, even minimal. Instead of depicting everything immediately, she often chooses not to provide dialogue at certain points of the story. Consequently, Hiddleston’s little part may resemble an inconspicuous presence, yet it still can be an impactful reminder that in movies, ripple effects can still be possible through very small gestures. It is not the most eye-catching of his works; nevertheless, it represents the kind of small but sensitive appearances where he knows exactly when to fade away or show up.
4. Midnight in Paris (2011)
Not many actors can play F. Scott Fitzgerald’s role convincingly, and yet Tom Hiddleston skilfully does it while retaining his charm and grace. In Woody Allen’s fantasy Midnight in Paris, he dons the persona of the great American novelist with such a light and playful tone that one would seriously question whether they were really transported into a 1920s salon. His role may be a short one, but during it, he practically resurrects Fitzgerald’s with seductiveness and tragic-romantic aura as if it were one, and without ever becoming a stereotype, hence, being very believable.
You cannot help but be charmed by him while performing his scene exchanges with Alison Pill, who plays Zeld, and inevitably you would yearn for the film to become slower and thus letting you enjoy their company more. The movie itself is quite a witty and endearing portrayal of nostalgic affection, love for the arts, and admiration for Paris during its most beautiful time in the past, but Hiddleston’s Fitzgerald turns out to be one of the standout parts of it. It’s not every day that we can observe Loki in a formal black-tie suit, sipping champagne, and talking poetry—and that’s exactly why this is such a fun cameo.
3. Crimson Peak (2015)
It would be hard for anyone to better unveil the mixture of charm and sadness in Hiddleston that Guillermo del Toro does. Hiddleston in Crimson Peak is Sir Thomas Sharpe, an English gentleman whose once-grand and gorgeous gothic house is slowly dying and hiding not only secrets, but quite a few sinister ones. At the very moment when he appears on stage, he is a character of the tormented lover—cultured, carnal, but also masking lies and suffering behind his charm. The film itself overflows with and is weighed down by the extremes of the gothic: blood-colored walls, talking ghosts, and shadows that breathe.
Hiddleston fully immerses himself in this and makes you question whether you should fall for his good looks or escape to keep your sanity. And yes, the film also casually features one of his very intimate and daring exposure scenes that has always been pointed out when talking about its cult status—a scene which only contributed to the increase of the film’s cult status. The film Crimson Peak has indeed been known to split opinion, but Hiddleston’s performance was spellbinding, showing his ability to integrate even the most melodramatic of horror romances.
2. Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
This is one of the movies where Hiddleston’s acting really shines, for most of his fans. In Jim Jarmusch’s bleak, thoughtful Only Lovers Left Alive, he is Adam, an old vampire and musician who is disillusioned with the modern world and on the verge of existential despair. Hiddleston, in fact, becomes the person who has overstayed his welcome and lost far too much by his long dark hair, chalky-white face, and slow, deliberate movements.
Compared to Tilda Swinton’s glowing Eve, Adam is the emotional core of the story—a tragic yet attractive character. There is a lot of electricity in the relationship between Hiddleston and Swinton; their conversations meander through love, music, and philosophy as well as through an intimacy that is more ancient than time itself. The delicacy of this work is the very thing that makes it so striking because it is surprising how much work Hiddleston put into it—he even learned to play several instruments just to make it authentic and to add to the film’s beauty. It is a mesmerizing and sad portrayal that lingers on even after the end of the film.
1. Archipelago (2010)
Top-rated among the list of movies is Archipelago, a film that proved Hiddleston’s indie is the star and showed his sensitivity in a way that no blockbuster could. He teamed up with Joanna Hogg for the second time, an Edward, a guy in his late twenties who is lost during an anxious family holiday on the Isles of Scilly, and tries to get through an identity crisis within the span of the film. At first glance, the movie is just a series of family dinners, whispered conflicts, and endless silences, but it depicts the raw and visceral picture of disconnection, yearning, and the terrifying weight of expectations under the surface.
Hiddleston’s Edward is complicated with acute humanity: he is hesitant, uncertain, and quietly dissatisfied with his world. His performance is limited but deeply moving through small gestures, in the moments when he tortures his thoughts and in the feeble attempts of truth-telling. His realism was the subject of praise from critics, and even Martin Scorsese really liked it and went on to be an executive producer of Hogg’s films. Archipelago is an example of Hiddleston being able to be the center of the stage without the use of special effects or spectacular fight scenes; no more than the truth is required from him.
Indeed, Loki is and shall forever remain Tom Hiddleston’s signature, and not without reason—it is witty, naughty, and endlessly watchable. Yet the non-Marvel material maturely reveals another talent of his: not as bombastic, more thoughtful, and sometimes just as brave. The transformation from haunted mansion to metaphysical breakdown to coming to terms with literature and indie austerity is but a gamut of the range of one’s. The next time you catch yourself reaching for yet another MCU watch-through, try piling on Archipelago, Only Lovers Left Alive, or Crimson Peak instead. Without the horned helmet, you’ll find him just as spellbinding—if not more so.