All Idris Elba Movies Ranked

To some fans, Idris Elba will forever be Stringer Bell from The Wire. To others, he’ll always be best remembered as John Luther. For still others, he’s the guy who gave us the Heimdall of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or — and this is admittedly a much smaller subset — finally brought gunslinger Roland Deschain to the big screen in the long-gestating adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. All of which is to say that Mr. Elba’s done a lot in his impressive career, and by all appearances, he’s still just getting started: even if those persistent rumors about him taking over the James Bond franchise never pan out, he’s got plenty of projects lined up to add to an eclectic filmography that already includes some of the more popular and widely acclaimed TV and film releases in recent memory. To celebrate that success (not to mention his birthday, which arrives September 6), we’ve rounded up all of his major roles, sorting them all by Tomatometer. Where do your favorites rank? Read on to find out!

#35

Prom Night (2008)
7%

#35

Adjusted Score: 8.796%

Critics Consensus: A dim and predictable remake of an already dull slasher film, this Prom Night fails to be memorable.

Synopsis: Donna's senior prom is supposed to be the best night of her life. After surviving a horrible tragedy, she has... [More]

Starring: Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis

Directed By: Nelson McCormick

#34

The Reaping (2007)
8%

#34

Adjusted Score: 12.022%

Critics Consensus: It may feature such accomplished actors as Hilary Swank and Stephen Rea, but The Reaping also boasts the apropos tagline "What hath God wrought?" It's schlocky, spiritually shallow, and scare-free.

Synopsis: A former Christian missionary, who lost her faith after her family was tragically killed, has since become a world renowned... [More]

Starring: Hilary Swank, David Morrissey, Idris Elba, AnnaSophia Robb

Directed By: Stephen Hopkins

#33

No Good Deed (2014)
11%

#33

Adjusted Score: 12.402%

Critics Consensus: Dull, derivative, and generally uninspired, No Good Deed wastes its stars' talents -- and the audience's time.

Synopsis: Terri (Taraji P. Henson), a devoted wife and mother of two, lives an ideal life that takes a dramatic turn... [More]

Starring: Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson, Kate del Castillo, Leslie Bibb

Directed By: Sam Miller

#32

The Unborn (2009)
10%

#32

Adjusted Score: 13.284%

Critics Consensus: David Goyer's Unborn is a tame genre effort with cheap thrills and scares that border on silliness.

Synopsis: Casey Beldon hated her mother for leaving her as a child. But when inexplicable things start to happen, Casey begins... [More]

Starring: Odette Annable, Gary Oldman, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Good

Directed By: David S. Goyer

#31

The Dark Tower (2017)
16%

#31

Adjusted Score: 27.22%

Critics Consensus: Go then, there are other Stephen King adaptations than these.

Synopsis: There are other worlds than these. Stephen King's The Dark Tower, the ambitious and expansive story from one of the... [More]

Starring: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Abbey Lee, Tom Taylor

Directed By: Nikolaj Arcel

#30

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)
18%

#30

Adjusted Score: 21.574%

Critics Consensus: With a weak script, uneven CG work, and a Nic Cage performance so predictably loony it's no longer amusing, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance aims to be trashy fun but ends up as plain trash.

Synopsis: Nicolas Cage reprises his role as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance. In this gritty new vision for... [More]

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ciarán Hinds, Violante Placido, Idris Elba

Directed By: Brian Taylor, Mark Neveldine

#29

The Gunman (2015)
17%

#29

Adjusted Score: 23.269%

Critics Consensus: With an uninspired plot and rote set pieces that are overshadowed by its star's physique, The Gunman proves a muddled misfire in the rapidly aging Over-50 Action Hero genre.

Synopsis: THE GUNMAN, the new action thriller from Pierre Morel, the director of Taken, stars Sean Penn, Javier Bardem, Idris Elba,... [More]

Starring: Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Jasmine Trinca, Javier Bardem

Directed By: Pierre Morel

#28

Obsessed (2009)
19%

#28

Adjusted Score: 21.24%

Critics Consensus: The inevitable Fatal Attraction comparisons aside, Obsessed is a generic, toothless thriller both instantly predictable and instantly forgettable.

Synopsis: Derek Charles, a successful asset manager who has just received a huge promotion, is blissfully happy in his career and... [More]

Starring: Idris Elba, Beyoncé Knowles, Ali Larter, Bruce McGill

Directed By: Steve Shill

#27

Daddy's Little Girls (2007)
26%

#27

Adjusted Score: 27.024%

Critics Consensus: Daddy's Little Girls boasts fine performances and a poignant message, but is ultimately let down by amateurish filmmaking.

Synopsis: Diary of a Mad Black Woman mastermind Tyler Perry turns the familiar Cinderella tale on its head with this story... [More]

Starring: Gabrielle Union, Idris Elba, Louis Gossett Jr., Tasha Smith

Directed By: Tyler Perry

#26

Takers (2010)
29%

#26

Adjusted Score: 31.769%

Critics Consensus: Takers boasts some gripping set pieces and keeps things moving quickly, but its two-dimensional characters, clichéd script, and brazenly derivative plot make it hard to recommend.

Synopsis: A Los Angeles detective races to bust a group of notorious thieves before they can carry out a 20-million-dollar heist... [More]

Starring: Hayden Christensen, Idris Elba, Matt Dillon, Paul Walker

Directed By: John Luessenhop

#25

The Gospel (2005)
32%

#25

Adjusted Score: 32.396%

Critics Consensus: While it features outstanding musical numbers, The Gospel reduces a series of worthy themes -- faith, family, forgiveness -- to soapy, banal clichés.

Synopsis: David, a successful R&B singer, returns home when he learns that his father, a much-loved bishop in the local church,... [More]

Starring: Boris Kodjoe, Idris Elba, Nona Gaye, Clifton Powell

Directed By: Rob Hardy

#24

100 Streets (2017)
41%

#24

Adjusted Score: 41.792%

Critics Consensus: 100 Streets strands its talented cast - led by a clearly overqualified Idris Elba - in the midst of a well-meaning but fatally contrived drama.

Synopsis: 100 STREETS, a powerful ensemble drama, follows three contrasting and interwoven stories as they play out in one square mile... [More]

Starring: Idris Elba, Gemma Arterton, Charlie Creed-Miles, Franz Drameh

Directed By: Jim O'Hanlon

#23

The Mountain Between Us (2017)
39%

#23

Adjusted Score: 45.672%

Critics Consensus: The Mountain Between Us may be too far-fetched for some viewers to appreciate, but it's elevated by reliably engaging performances from Idris Elba and Kate Winslet.

Synopsis: Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote... [More]

Starring: Idris Elba, Kate Winslet, Beau Bridges, Dermot Mulroney

Directed By: Hany Abu-Assad

#22

The Take (Bastille Day) (2016)
48%

#22

Adjusted Score: 50.394%

Critics Consensus: Bastille Day proves Idris Elba is an action hero in waiting -- specifically, waiting for a script that deserves his talents.

Synopsis: Michael Mason is an American pickpocket living in Paris who finds himself hunted by the CIA when he steals a... [More]

Starring: Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Charlotte Le Bon, Kelly Reilly

Directed By: James Watkins

#21

The Losers (2010)
48%

#21

Adjusted Score: 52.519%

Critics Consensus: The Losers is loud, fast, and unrelentingly violent -- but it's also funny and well-acted, which will make all the difference for some action fans.

Synopsis: Director Sylvain White adapts the Vertigo comic about a team of mercenaries who wage war on the CIA after they're... [More]

Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba

Directed By: Sylvain White

#20

This Christmas (2007)
54%

#20

Adjusted Score: 56.11%

Critics Consensus: This Christmas features strong performances and a sharp portrayal of family dynamics, but relies too heavily on holiday movie clichés.

Synopsis: Upon gathering together under one roof for the first time in seven years, an estranged family celebrating Christmas rediscovers long-forgotten... [More]

Starring: Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba, Loretta Devine, Chris Brown (II)

Directed By: Preston A. Whitmore II, Preston A. Whitmore

#19

RocknRolla (2008)
60%

#19

Adjusted Score: 65.135%

Critics Consensus: Mixed reviews for Guy Ritchie's return to his London-based cockney wideboy gangster movie roots, but most agree, it's a step in the right direction following two major turkeys.

Synopsis: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels director Guy Ritchie heads back to the London underworld for this hyperkinetic crime comedy... [More]

Starring: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Mark Strong (II)

Directed By: Guy Ritchie

#18

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
61%

#18

Adjusted Score: 65.867%

Critics Consensus: It might be too respectful to truly soar, but there's no denying Idris Elba's impressive work in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom -- or the inspirational power of the life it depicts.

Synopsis: MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM is based on South African President Nelson Mandela's autobiography of the same name, which chronicles... [More]

Starring: Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Riaad Moosa

Directed By: Justin Chadwick

#17

Thor: The Dark World (2013)
67%

#17

Adjusted Score: 77.315%

Critics Consensus: It may not be the finest film to come from the Marvel Universe, but Thor: The Dark World still offers plenty of the humor and high-stakes action that fans have come to expect.

Synopsis: Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth... [More]

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard

Directed By: Alan Taylor

#16

28 Weeks Later... (2007)
71%

#16

Adjusted Score: 77.27%

Critics Consensus: While 28 Weeks Later lacks the humanism that made 28 Days Later a classic, it's made up with fantastic atmosphere and punchy direction.

Synopsis: The devastating rage virus that annihilated the British Isles mysteriously resurfaces in Goya Award-winning director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's sequel to... [More]

Starring: Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau

Directed By: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

#15

Pacific Rim (2013)
71%

#15

Adjusted Score: 82.028%

Critics Consensus: It may sport more style than substance, but Pacific Rim is a solid modern creature feature bolstered by fantastical imagery and an irresistible sense of fun.

Synopsis: When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions... [More]

Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Diego Klattenhoff

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#14

Prometheus (2012)
73%

#14

Adjusted Score: 84.183%

Critics Consensus: Ridley Scott's ambitious quasi-prequel to Alien may not answer all of its big questions, but it's redeemed by its haunting visual grandeur and compelling performances -- particularly Michael Fassbender as a fastidious android.

Synopsis: Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner, returns to the genre he helped define. With Prometheus, he creates a... [More]

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba

Directed By: Ridley Scott

#13

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
75%

#13

Adjusted Score: 88.914%

Critics Consensus: Exuberant and eye-popping, Avengers: Age of Ultron serves as an overstuffed but mostly satisfying sequel, reuniting its predecessor's unwieldy cast with a few new additions and a worthy foe.

Synopsis: When Tony Stark jumpstarts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America,... [More]

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth

Directed By: Joss Whedon

#12

Thor (2011)
78%

#12

Adjusted Score: 86.777%

Critics Consensus: A dazzling blockbuster that tempers its sweeping scope with wit, humor, and human drama, Thor is mighty Marvel entertainment.

Synopsis: The epic adventure Thor spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the mystical realm of Asgard. At the... [More]

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston

Directed By: Kenneth Branagh

#11

American Gangster (2007)
80%

#11

Adjusted Score: 87.02%

Critics Consensus: American Gangster is a gritty and entertaining throwback to classic gangster films, with its lead performers firing on all cylinders.

Synopsis: Nobody used to notice Frank Lucas, the quiet driver to one of the inner city's leading black crime bosses. But... [More]

Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Directed By: Ridley Scott

#10

Second Coming (2014)
76%

#10

Adjusted Score: 68.446%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: This release constains the film Second Coming about a married couple who find out that they are expecting a child,... [More]

Starring: Idris Elba, Nadine Marshall, Kai Francis Lewis, Sharlene Whyte

Directed By: Debbie Tucker Green, Debbie Tucker-Green

#9

Molly's Game (2018)
82%

#9

Adjusted Score: 94.614%

Critics Consensus: Powered by an intriguing story and a pair of outstanding performances from Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba, Molly's Game marks a solid debut for writer-director Aaron Sorkin.

Synopsis: MOLLY'S GAME is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive... [More]

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera

Directed By: Aaron Sorkin

#8

Legacy: Black Ops (2010)
83%

#8

Adjusted Score: 16.758%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A haunted black-ops soldier struggles with paranoia and anxiety while hiding out in a seedy Brooklyn tenement building, and plotting... [More]

Starring: Idris Elba, Eamonn Walker, Richard Blake, Monique Gabriela Curnen

Directed By: Thomas Ikimi

#7

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
85%

#7

Adjusted Score: 105.198%

Critics Consensus: Avengers: Infinity War ably juggles a dizzying array of MCU heroes in the fight against their gravest threat yet, and the result is a thrilling, emotionally resonant blockbuster that (mostly) realizes its gargantuan ambitions.

Synopsis: An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Infinity... [More]

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans

Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

#6

Star Trek Beyond (2016)
86%

#6

Adjusted Score: 97.726%

Critics Consensus: Star Trek Beyond continues the franchise's post-reboot hot streak with an epic sci-fi adventure that honors the series' sci-fi roots without skimping on the blockbuster action.

Synopsis: Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise encounter an alien warrior race when marooned on a distant planet after... [More]

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Anton Yelchin, John Cho

Directed By: Justin Lin

#5

Beasts of No Nation (2015)
92%

#5

Adjusted Score: 96.723%

Critics Consensus: Beasts of No Nation finds writer-director Cary Fukunaga working with a talented cast to offer a sobering, uncompromising, yet still somehow hopeful picture of war's human cost.

Synopsis: In West Africa, the life of young Agu (Abraham Attah) is disrupted when his father is slaughtered in a civil... [More]

Starring: Idris Elba, Abraham Attah, Emmanuel Nii Adom Quaye, Kobina Amissah-Sam

Directed By: Cary Joji Fukunaga

#4

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
93%

#4

Adjusted Score: 110.514%

Critics Consensus: Exciting, funny, and above all fun, Thor: Ragnarok is a colorful cosmic adventure that sets a new standard for its franchise -- and the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Synopsis: In Marvel Studios' "Thor: Ragnarok," Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and... [More]

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett

Directed By: Taika Waititi

#3

Finding Dory (2016)
94%

#3

Adjusted Score: 106.702%

Critics Consensus: Funny, poignant, and thought-provoking, Finding Dory delivers a beautifully animated adventure that adds another entertaining chapter to its predecessor's classic story.

Synopsis: "Finding Dory" reunites the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about the... [More]

Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Hayden Rolence, Ed O'Neill

Directed By: Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane

#2

The Jungle Book (2016)
95%

#2

Adjusted Score: 107.405%

Critics Consensus: As lovely to behold as it is engrossing to watch, The Jungle Book is the rare remake that actually improves upon its predecessors -- all while setting a new standard for CGI.

Synopsis: Mowgli, a man-cub raised in the jungle by a family of wolves, embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery when... [More]

Starring: Neel Sethi, Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley

Directed By: Jon Favreau

#1

Zootopia (2016)
97%

#1

Adjusted Score: 107.835%

Critics Consensus: The brilliantly well-rounded Zootopia offers a thoughtful, inclusive message that's as rich and timely as its sumptuously state-of-the-art animation -- all while remaining fast and funny enough to keep younger viewers entertained.

Synopsis: The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square... [More]

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate

Directed By: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush