Whether soberly discussing the shape of Stephen Malkmus’s tongue with a voice coach in Pavements (2024), or directing a misplaced sense of injustice at a meager online following in Spree (2020), Joe Keery has earned his place in the pantheon of sought-after acting talent as a performer who brings a winning frankness to even the most unsavoury roles. Alongside finding fame in television, Keery has been quietly building a parallel career in American independent cinema, one defined by humility and a willingness to experiment. Here, he proves himself to be an actor of great versatility, whose naturalness and low-key charisma anchor diverse narrative worlds.
The films in this collection pit the young American against his cultural moment. In the innovative, split-screen horror Spree, Keery lends poignancy to the flailing of would-be influencer Kurt, who is slavishly of his time and painfully uninspired. In thrall to livestreaming, likes, and views, Kurt uses his day job as a driver for a ride-hailing service to stage a viral stunt: a journey to nowhere but derealization and a heavy kill count.
Keery sets the tone of Stephen Cone’s suspenseful drama Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party (2015), a nondidactic exploration of teen sexuality within an Evangelical Christian community. Gifted at making dialogue sound unscripted, Keery brings his mellow, sotto voce stylings to the film’s opening scene, which perfectly encapsulates the soft hypocrisies of Christian youth: two friends masturbating to a shared sexual fantasy, whispered out of earshot of parents in other rooms.
In Alex Ross Perry’s tribute to ’90s indie band Pavement, Keery plays misfit frontman Malkmus, a once-in-a-generation talent at odds with the profit-driven music industry. At the same time, Keery plays himself—an actor preparing for a role—and channels into this complex roleplay a first-hand understanding of what it means to put the music and the integrity of a project before personal gain.

Whether soberly discussing the shape of Stephen Malkmus&#8217;s tongue with a voice coach in Pavements (2024), or directing a misplaced sense of injustice at a meager online following in Spree (2020), Joe Keery has earned his place in the pantheon of sought-after acting talent as a performer who brings a winning frankness to even the most unsavoury roles. Alongside finding fame in television, Keery has been quietly building a parallel career in American independent cinema, one defined by humility and a willingness to experiment. Here, he proves himself to be an actor of great versatility, whose naturalness and low-key charisma anchor diverse narrative worlds.
The films in this collection pit the young American against his cultural moment. In the innovative, split-screen horror Spree, Keery lends poignancy to the flailing of would-be influencer Kurt, who is slavishly of his time and painfully uninspired. In thrall to livestreaming, likes, and views, Kurt uses his day job as a driver for a ride-hailing service to stage a viral stunt: a journey to nowhere but derealization and a heavy kill count.
Keery sets the tone of Stephen Cone&#8217;s suspenseful drama Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party (2015), a nondidactic exploration of teen sexuality within an Evangelical Christian community. Gifted at making dialogue sound unscripted, Keery brings his mellow, sotto voce stylings to the film&#8217;s opening scene, which perfectly encapsulates the soft hypocrisies of Christian youth: two friends masturbating to a shared sexual fantasy, whispered out of earshot of parents in other rooms.
In Alex Ross Perry&#8217;s tribute to &#8217;90s indie band Pavement, Keery plays misfit frontman Malkmus, a once-in-a-generation talent at odds with the profit-driven music industry. At the same time, Keery plays himself&#8212;an actor preparing for a role&#8212;and channels into this complex roleplay a first-hand understanding of what it means to put the music and the integrity of a project before personal gain.

Performers We Love: Joe Keery

PERFORMERS WE LOVE: JOE KEERY

Best known for his turn in Stranger Things, Joe Keery has also left a significant imprint on American indie cinema. Far from starry, his everyman naturalness and lovably lo-fi charisma anchor even the most experimental of these films about growing up and dropping out in the “land of the free.”

Best known for his turn in Stranger Things, Joe Keery has also left a significant imprint on American indie cinema. Far from starry, his everyman naturalness and lovably lo-fi charisma anchor even the most experimental of these films about growing up and dropping out in the &#8220;land of the free.&#8221;

Joe Keery

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JOE KEERY

Performers We Love:

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PERFORMERS WE LOVE:

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