In the years since River Phoenix’s death 30 years ago, at the age of 23, the actor has been heavily mythologised, as we often do with those who leave us prematurely. The pretty face who played with fire; the poster boy of unrealised potential; a martyr in the name of the causes closest to his heart. It’s ironic that one of the most anti-establishment celebrities of his generation is now reduced to the ultimate Hollywood cliché, when there’s so much else we can choose to remember him by.
River left behind a dazzling, diverse filmography — one that almost included The Basketball Diaries and Interview with the Vampire, films that could have catapulted him to Leonardo DiCaprio or Brad Pitt levels of fame. Without any formal training in the arts, River proved experience was the best teacher, taking on roles far beyond his years and steering clear of the teenage heartthrob stereotype. His most memorable characters were the type to hide layers of trauma beneath tough exteriors, and River mastered each of them with such profound authenticity that he often blurred the line between himself and his character. As his Stand by Me co-star Wil Wheaton said in an interview: “[He was] this raw, emotional open wound all the time. He felt everything. And it’s what made him such a wonderful, wonderful actor.”
Here are the 10 essential River Phoenix films, each one a testament to his boundless capacity for empathy. He was — and still remains — a benchmark for all rising actors.
10. Sneakers (1992)
Set in a world before social media and smartphones, this witty ensemble comedy features a slew of cyber experts scrambling to retrieve a device that can unlock every major computer system in the world. River is the ragtag team’s stereotypical awkward nerd, who admittedly doesn’t get much of the spotlight. Thankfully, he holds his own (even alongside big names like Robert Redford, Sydney Poitier, and Dan Aykroyd) with his signature deadpan humour and occasional out-of-character antics.
9. Silent Tongue (1993)
River’s final role might not be for the faint of heart (or for the self-confessed thirst-watchers). In this haunting Western horror, he plays Talbot, a man in such despair over the death of his wife that he refuses to burn her corpse. When his father recognises this grief, he decides to kidnap the woman that he sees as the next best thing for Talbot, his dead wife’s sister-in-law, in an effort to replace her somehow. But the disturbed ghost of his bride comes back to haunt them, revealing a series of intergenerational sins that drive River’s character to the point of insanity. Although his frenetic acting is disturbing, it’s hard not to be moved by the sight of him whispering to the rotting remains of his wife as he refuses to let go of her.
8. I Love You to Death (1990)
This Lawrence Kasdan-directed black comedy is for those with an acquired taste, but it features some of River’s best character acting. In it, he plays Devo Nod, a soft-spoken employee at a small-town pizzeria who loves the philandering store owner’s wife — so much so that he’s willing to help plot her husband’s death. Chaos ensues, with their unsuspecting target evading death so many times it requires a slight suspension of disbelief. But River succeeds in making the absurd entertaining, all while wooing viewers with his sleek blond hair and collection of spiritual crystals. Truly, Devo walked so that Amy Dunne could run.
7. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Although the focus of this film was mainly on Harrison Ford and Sean Connery as his father, River made very good use of his 10 minutes of screen time as young Indy. He had begun impersonating Ford’s mannerisms and acting style while shooting The Mosquito Coast with him a few years prior, and what had started as a behind-the-scenes gag landed him a role in the most popular film franchise of its time. While River remained faithful to the source material and did the beloved character justice, he also packed on some of his signature charm in his thrilling action scenes. Imagine an alternate universe where he got to star in his own set of spin-offs.
6. Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia (1984)
It might be shocking to see an after-school special score so high in this ranking. While the material itself veers off into Hallmark card territory with its preachy dialogue and overdone background music, River gives a phenomenal performance as a tortured preteen who’s unaware he has dyslexia. For the majority of the film, we see him struggle, doubt and punish himself for being what he calls “a dumbbell”, all while the adults around him fail to support him or see that it isn’t simple laziness. River had the learning disability in real life and had no trouble applying an instinctual approach to his craft.
5. The Mosquito Coast (1986)
Many of us today find ourselves increasingly disillusioned by the trappings of our capitalist society, but are we willing to do the extreme and establish a world of our own? Harrison Ford thinks he’s the man for the job in this thought-provoking drama, as an obsessive inventor who wants to create a utopia out of a deserted South American jungle. River plays his son Charlie, forced to leave his old life behind and watch his father’s slow descent into madness. As the narrator of the story, we watch him outgrow his desperate need for his father’s approval. It is through Charlie’s coming-of-age that we bear witness to River’s, as he successfully transitions from promising child star to serious actor.
4. Dogfight (1991)
Dogfight is a war movie, but it’s set on a battlefield free of bloody combat: the unique experience of first love. Here, River is Eddie Birdlace, a Marine recruit who enters a bet with his fellow soldiers to see who can bring the ugliest date to a dance. He finds and brings along Rose (Lili Taylor), who discovers why she was asked out and yet, sensing his remorse, decides to give Eddie another chance. What follows is a charming story set over the course of one evening, much like the beloved Before series: two young people unraveling the many ways in which they’re similar, revelling in each other’s company before circumstances force them apart. It’s pretty much River’s entire personality in a movie: unspeakably tender and way ahead of its time.
3. Stand by Me (1986)
To this day, Stand by Me remains River’s most resonant and recognisable role — and with good reason. At 14, River already had a certain screen presence that distinguished him from his contemporaries. For the first half, he commands the screen as cool guy Chris Chambers, who makes wise guy remarks and stashes cigarettes in his sleeves like a true leader of his pack. But as the film goes on, he reveals how he feels trapped by his family’s tainted reputation and doomed to a life gone astray. It’s heartbreaking enough to watch him admit that he needs help, even more so to see him be strong for a friend burdened with grief. It is in these moments where we see Chris for who he truly is — a child desperate to find someone to lean on.
2. My Own Private Idaho (1991)
When Gus Van Sant first conceived My Own Private Idaho, there was a prevailing image of what masculinity looked like: brusque and bold, and capable of executing multiple dangerous action sequences a la Terminator or Die Hard. So putting a narcoleptic gay hustler at the helm immediately made his project prone to mockery or misunderstanding. River knew the risks of taking on the lead role and used it as an opportunity to show the strength in his sensitivity. His portrayal of Mike is a masterclass in the subtle ways a character can break hearts: from his intense stares and permanently sullen expression, to his vulnerable confession of love in the film’s popular campfire scene. As Keanu Reeves’ Scott tells him that two men can’t love each other and he only has sex with guys for money, Mike replies, “I could love someone even if I wasn’t paid for it. I love you and you don’t pay me.” He delivers this crushing blow with such authenticity you’d think you were intruding on a real conversation between two friends.
1. Running on Empty (1988)
In this criminally under-seen family drama, we find River as Danny Pope, a charming young boy who notices two suspicious vehicles following him on his bike ride home. After setting off a routine that’s obviously been practiced many times, his entire family leaves everything behind and heads to a new town, where they will assume a new identity. This is how life has always been for him: forever on the run for a crime his parents committed decades ago, and isolated from the rest of the world. But after meeting Lorna (Martha Plimpton) and learning about the life that awaits someone with his talent, he’s not sure if he wants to keep hiding anymore.
The decision to break free from all he’s ever known isn’t easy to make at 17. River captures this push-and-pull with a quiet intensity likely to have been informed by real-life experience. As the son of former members of the controversial cult Children of God, River undoubtedly brought some of his own internal struggle to the part of Danny, who aches to build a life for himself amidst the uncertainty of tomorrow. It’s a role that feels like it was made for him.
In the film’s bittersweet ending, Danny’s parents finally set him free, giving him the chance to fulfil his own potential. He stays behind as his family’s pick-up truck speeds off into the horizon. We’re left to hope that both Danny and River are happy wherever they are now.