Film "Trinities"

[Starkweather]

You've heard of film trilogies, but how about film trinities?

Film trinities are something I made up off the top of my head this morning when I realized that Jake Gyllenhaal had been in three critically-acclaimed dark psychological thrillers: Donnie Darko, Zodiac, and Nightcrawler. Together they form a loose group based on their lead actor, genre, and so on. It was here that I began to think about other ways to connect three movies within any given actor's filmography. For instance, did you know Leonardo DiCaprio has been in three films where his wife dying or being dead is an important plot point? Three! And they form a trinity. Would anyone like to join me in discovering and discussing them? The "rules" for film trinities are as follows:

They have to be three films that:

-Share at least one actor, and
-Share at least one other similar trait, and
-Are not already connected by continuity (such as a regular trilogy), and
-Are not commonly associated with one another despite not being a formal trilogy (Simon Pegg trilogy, Dollars trilogy). 

The point here is to find connections where there were none before. Like the above Leo DiCaprio, the findings can be quite surprising. Here are some of my favorite examples from the Reddit thread I posted about this to make the concept absolutely clear:

Nic cage breaking and entering:

Con air

The Rock

National Treasure

DiCaprio's rich debauchery trilogy - The Great Gatsby, The Wolf Of Wall Street, and then Django Unchained.

He gets more and more unhinged in that order, too.

Mel Gibson's "Fuck the English" War Trilogy: *Gallipoli*, *Braveheart*, and *the Patriot*.

Robert Downey Jr.'s eccentric character who talks to himself trilogy: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, A Scanner Darkly, Sherlock Holmes

I hope I've gotten my idea through all right! Does anyone have any good ones to add? :)

[SapphireStar]

Bruce Willis "Not John McClane" trilogy: The Fifth Element. 16 Blocks. Cop Out

[Starkweather]

Bruce Willis "Not John McClane" trilogy: The Fifth Element. 16 Blocks. Cop Out

That's a really good one.

How about Keanu Reeves "Not Neo" trilogy: Constantine, Man of Tai Chi, 47 Ronin.

[Oniya]

Can a director be used instead of an actor?

Terry Gilliam directed three films that most people wouldn't link together:

Time Bandits
Brazil
The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen

The three films all involve a main character trying to escape the chaos of the real world through imagination (a young boy in Time Bandits, a middle-aged man in Brazil, and an elderly man in Munchhausen.)

[Starkweather]

Can a director be used instead of an actor?

Terry Gilliam directed three films that most people wouldn't link together:

Time Bandits
Brazil
The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen

The three films all involve a main character trying to escape the chaos of the real world through imagination (a young boy in Time Bandits, a middle-aged man in Brazil, and an elderly man in Munchhausen.)

That's fine and dandy but it looks intentional. This is more about unintended connections.

[SapphireStar]

Robert DeNiro "You Lookin' at Me" Trilogy:  The Fan. Heat. Untouchables.

[Starkweather]

Another "Not" one: The "I'm not Captain Jack Sparrow" trinity.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, The Lone Ranger.

You fucking are, buddy. Same goddamn character.

[SapphireStar]

Michelle Pfeiffer "Scifi and Fantasy with a Whip" Trilogy: Ladyhawke. Batman Returns. Stardust.

[consortium11]

I don't really want to be that guy but doesn't a trinity requires three and only three of whatever to count? Because it strikes me that many of the examples listed have more than three entries:

Jake Gyllenhaal critically acclaimed dark psychological thrillers: you could throw in Enemy and possibly Brothers.

DiCaprio's rich debauchery trilogy: One can certainly add in Celebrity and possibly even both the Beach and Catch Me If You Can.

Mel Gibson's "Fuck the English" War Trilogy: A slight stretch but The Bounty may fit in.

Nic Cage breaking and entering: Wild at Heart, Gone in 60 Seconds, Stolen, Rage and probably a whole bunch of other low budget action movies he's made.

Robert Downey Jr.'s eccentric character who talks to himself trilogy: Even excluding Sherlock Holmes 2 then the entire plot of The Singing Detective is his eccentric character talking to himself.

[Callie Del Noire]

This one is intentional but didn't start out that way:  the Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Nira Park and Edgar Wright involved in all three of the following:
Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The Worlds End.