He is best known for playing the lead role of Ian Curtis in the movie Control, a biopic about the lead singer of the 1970s post-punk band Joy Division. His performance in the role won him the British Independent Film Award for "Most Promising Newcomer". He also won a Kermode for Best Actor 2007 for the film. Prior to his portrayal of Ian Curtis, Riley played The Fall frontman Mark E. Smith in the Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People, which details the Factory Records era. His scenes, however, were omitted from the final cut. In September 2007, Riley was cast in Gerald McMorrow's British science fiction film Franklyn. He will play a lead role in 13, an English-language remake of the French thriller 13 Tzameti. He is currently playing the role of Pinkie Brown in a remake of Brighton Rock alongside Helen Mirren.

Filmography

• 2026Bulk — Corey Harlan
• 2026Cezanne on Art — Joachim Gasquet
• Mint — Dylan
• 2025Islands — Tom
• 2024Firebrand — Thomas Seymour
• 2024John Cranko — John Cranko
• 2024Widow Clicquot — Louis Bohne
• 2023She Is Love — Idris
• 2022Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos! — Jack
• 2021The Vault — James
• 2020Radioactive — Pierre Curie
• 2020Rebecca — Jack Favell
• 2019Maleficent: Mistress of Evil — Diaval
• 2019Sometimes Always Never — Peter
• 2019The Naked King - 18 Fragments on Revolution — Narrator English (voice)
• 2018Happy New Year, Colin Burstead — David Burstead
• 2017Free Fire — Stevo
• SS-GB — Douglas Archer
• 2016Pride and Prejudice and Zombies — Fitzwilliam Darcy
• 2016Robby and Toby's Fantastic Voyager — Brad Blutbad
• 2015Suite Française — Benoit Labarie
• 2014Maleficent — Diaval
• 2014The Dark Valley — Greider
• 2013Byzantium — Darvell
• 2012On the Road — Sal Paradise / Jack Kerouac
• 2011Woman in Love — Wagenmeister
• 201013 — Vince
• 2010Brighton Rock — Pinkie
• 2008Franklyn — Milo
• 2007Control — Ian Curtis
• Lenny Blue — James Milton
• 2000Tough Love — James Milton
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Eric Bruney

Appearances as themselves (2)

• 2009Shadow Play: The Making of Anton Corbijn — Self
• Leute heute — Self