Walton Goggins has starred in some of the most popular TV shows of the 2020s, but Rotten Tomatoes says his 2022 hidden gem is the best film he’s made thus far. Known for his intense performances and one-of-a-kind look, Goggins is not like a lot of his Hollywood contemporaries.

Hearkening back to an older age, Goggins brings lived experience to his roles and has been doing so for decades as he slowly built a reputation. He began working in the 1980s, and found consistent work in smaller movie and TV roles throughout the 1990s. In the 2000s, Goggins was a bona fide character actor, stealing the show every time.

Shows like Justified made him a household name, and The Righteous Gemstones made him beloved, but his big screen work is often overlooked. Though he’s been appearing in movies for over three decades, Goggins hasn’t quite landed that film role that’s defined his career. As such, his highest-rated movie is a recent hidden gem that deserves a second look.

Dreamin’ Wild Is Walton Goggins’ Best Film On Rotten Tomatoes

Scoring an impressive 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, Walton Goggins’ highest-rated movie (thus far) is an understated musical biopic called Dreamin’ Wild. Based on the real-life Emerson brothers, the film catches up with the mostly-failed musical duo as their simple lives are transformed by a sudden rush of newfound popularity.

Unlike most musical biopics which are large and bombastic spectacles, Dreamin’ Wild is small-scale and focuses on the personal conflicts of the Emersons and their loved ones. Goggins co-stars alongside Casey Affleck as Joe Emerson, and the movie’s rough-around-the-edges feel gives the characters real weight. What it lacks in budget, it makes up for with a strong ensemble cast.

Dreamin’ Wild actually has something interesting to say about its subjects. Too many biopics get bogged down in historical detail, and often don’t have much else to show the audience. The 2022 film is the exact opposite, with the inherent drama of the brothers’ lives making for compelling cinema, and the music is just a bonus.

Walton Goggins Is Making A Habit Of Portraying Real People

Though Goggins has a distinctive look that makes him stand out, he has carved a nice niche for himself playing real-life figures in movies. Dreamin’ Wild might be the high point of his cinematic career thus far, but he also played historical figures in The Luckiest Man in America and Queen of the Ring.

Flashing his toothy grin in The Luckiest Man in America, Goggins got to have some fun playing game show host Peter Tomarken. Meanwhile, he appeared as legendary wrestling promoter Jack Pfefer in Queen of the Ring. While the two parts were wildly different, it’s the human element of Walton Goggins‘ style that makes him so adept at playing real people.