If You’re a Real Glen Powell Stan, You Need to Watch These Movies

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Last summer was Glen Powell summer, and this summer is not technically Glen Powell summer, but that's okay, because we're celebrating him anyways! As Cosmopolitan's resident Glen Powell correspondent, I feel it is important to make sure people are caught up on the filmography before new releases, and because there are so many projects coming later this year or next (Chad Powers, The Running Man, Huntington), it's time to re-up the syllabus.

As much as we love our man, the filmography is not as full of bangers as it could be. So if you're looking to immerse yourself, you can do it in about five movies. We'll start with Glen's best, then give honorable mention to some others. Here's what you need to watch to be a baseline stan:

1) Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Let's just say hypothetically—and god forbid—Glen never made another movie in his life, his career would be solidified by participating in this movie alone. Top Gun: Maverick was the moment he truly became a star. As the story goes, he auditioned for the Miles Teller part of Rooster but didn't get it. As a consolation, he got the role of Hangman and the producers wrote more for the part because his audition was so good. He became a pivotal player in the movie and held his own against Tom Cruise. The movie made a bajillion dollars and is, personally, my favorite airplane movie of all time. And yes, I do rewind the beach football scene every time. Sue me!

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2) Hit Man (2024)

After Top Gun: Maverick, it was a bit of a question whether Glen could build on the momentum and success of that breakout moment. I'm not naming names, but some of his costars were not able to. So it was a huge delight when this Richard Linklater movie debuted at Sundance last year. The movie hinges on how charming Glen can be, and boy, does he deliver. He plays a consultant for a local police department who gets a little too comfortable with his undercover persona. He and Adria Arjona have dynamite chemistry, and the notes app scene (iykyk) is one of the sexiest things I saw last year.

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3) Set It Up (2018)

While many people met Glen through Top Gun, this is where the real ones started their journey seven years ago. This Netflix romcom was a bit of a moment. He and his costar Zoey Deutch play personal assistants who try to get their bosses to get a life by setting them up on a date. There are a lot of mid Netflix romcoms, but this is not one of them. Another entry in the Glen Powell chemistry canon.

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4) Twisters (2024)

If you feel it... chase it! You don't face your fears, you ride 'em! This is the movie that solidified what we call Glen Powell Summer. T-shirts were made. It was serious business. He stars opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones as a storm chaser in Oklahoma following tornadoes, and the opposites attract romance makes this one particularly fun.

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5) Anyone But You (2023)

This movie deserves a spot in the top five because it really cemented Glen as not only an actor who can elevate a script but also someone who is famous enough that their dating life is of interest to people. That doesn't technically have anything to do with the movie itself, but it's important because it was a graduation of sorts towards household name territory.

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And here's what you need to watch to be a real stan:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Hidden Figures (starts Glen's brief flirtation with period pieces)

Scream Queens (TV, but it counts)

Everybody Wants Some (the first Richard Linklater collaboration)

The Dark Knight Rises (I'm not going to tell you what his role is because it's a fun surprise when he comes on screen, I promise)

Spy Kids 3: Game Over (yes, seriously)