Leonardo DiCaprio Once Played Two Almost Identical Characters In The Same Year

Over the years, Leonardo DiCaprio has played a number of iconic roles, yet in 2010, the actor took on two almost identical characters within months of each other. Leonardo DiCaprio’s acting career began in 1989 when he began earning minor parts on television, including the TV reboot of the movie, Parenthood. Just a few years later, DiCaprio took on what would become his breakout roles, including projects like This Boy’s Life and the coming-of-age movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Since then, DiCaprio has risen to A-list celebrity status, best known for movies like The Wolf of Wall Street, Titanic, and Romeo + Juliet.

Because Leonardo DiCaprio started his career at a young age, it has been interesting to see the roles he has been given over the years. As a young man, DiCaprio often played precocious yet intelligent characters who were scrappy but did incredible things. Jack in Titanic and Frank Abnegale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can are strong examples. However, in his later years, DiCaprio has transitioned into darker, more dynamic roles. His characters are still eccentric, but hide traumatic pasts and morally ambiguous actions. A great example of this is the two movies DiCaprio led in 2010.

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DiCaprio Starred In Inception & Shutter Island In The Same Year

Inception & Shutter Island Have A Lot In Common

In 2010, Leonardo DiCaprio starred in two popular movies: Shutter Island and Inception. The first one to premiere was the Martin Scorsese-directed Shutter Island. This psychological thriller follows a U.S. Marshal who arrives at an isolated insane asylum to investigate the disappearance of a patient from her locked room. A few months later, DiCaprio starred in Inception. This sci-fi film tells the story of Dom, a man who can infiltrate people’s dreams, and as a result, is asked to take on a dangerous mission: planting a thought in someone’s head.

Undoubtedly, Shutter Island and Inception have a lot in common. Aside from both starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the movies are both dark and thrilling. They throw audiences into mysterious scenarios where both the characters and viewers have to work hard to decipher how the world works and what is going on. Furthermore, both Shutter Island and Inception offer up surprising twists and turns that make the movies iconic even 14 years later. These mind-bending movies take viewers on an engaging journey through the main character’s trauma and his desire to break free of his past.

How DiCaprio’s Inception & Shutter Island Characters Compare

DiCaprio’s Characters Hide Important Information

DiCaprio’s Shutter Island and Inception characters share a number of commonalities. In Shutter Island, DiCaprio plays Teddy Daniels, a U.S. Marshal who is dedicated to solving this case, no matter how strange or inexplicable it is. In the same vein, Inception’s Dom Cobb is driven to complete this difficult mission in order to redeem himself. The most interesting aspect of these characters is that they are on the same journey without really realizing it. Both men are running from their traumatic pasts, but only Dom understands his full story; Teddy’s truth doesn’t come out until much later.

From a personality perspective, Teddy and Dom are also very similar. Both are serious and determined people who are wary of asking for help. Unlike the film characters of DiCaprio’s youth, Teddy and Dom are seasoned and have clearly seen a lot of dark things over the years. Ultimately, these traumatic pasts affect how Teddy and Dom go about their present-day struggles. The main difference is that Dom knows what is driving him. On the other hand, Teddy has pushed away his past in favor of fantasy. Regardless, both men have virtually the same goal.

Inception vs. Shutter Island: Which Was DiCaprio’s Best 2010 Movie?

Inception Is Critically Better But Shutter Island Is Highly Entertaining

Shutter Island and Inception both have their merits, but Inception is probably the better of the two DiCaprio movies. After its premiere in the summer of 2010, Inception received eight Academy Award nominations and won four Oscars. Meanwhile, Shutter Island received no nominations. Furthermore, Inception has a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than Shutter Island. While Inception received 87%, Shutter Island only has 69%. As a result, Inception performed better critically than Shutter Island.

However, from an audience perspective, both films are certainly worth the watch. Though Inception was lauded by critics, it can still be confusing and will perhaps not appeal to everyone. Shutter Island, on the other hand, may have more of a mass appeal as a psychological thriller than a sci-fi film. Ultimately, it is up to each audience member to decide which DiCaprio movie is a better fit for them. Regardless, Shutter Island and Inception represent a successful and exciting time in Leonardo DiCaprio’s amazing career.