Octavia Spencer Movies and Shows Ranked

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: From the largest elephant to the smallest shrew, the city of Zootopia is a mammal metropolis where various animals live and thrive. When Judy Hopps... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Shakira, Idris Elba

Directed By: Byron Howard, Rich Moore

Critics Consensus: Snowpiercer offers an audaciously ambitious action spectacular for filmgoers numb to effects-driven blockbusters.

Synopsis: A post-apocalyptic ice age forces humanity's last survivors aboard a globe-spanning supertrain. One man will risk everything to lead a revolt for control of the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell

Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

Critics Consensus: In heartwarming, crowd-pleasing fashion, Hidden Figures celebrates overlooked -- and crucial -- contributions from a pivotal moment in American history.

Synopsis: Three brilliant African American women at NASA, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, serve as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner

Directed By: Theodore Melfi

Critics Consensus: The Shape of Water finds Guillermo del Toro at his visually distinctive best -- and matched by an emotionally absorbing story brought to life by a stellar Sally Hawkins performance.

Synopsis: Elisa is a mute, isolated woman who works as a cleaning lady in a hidden, high-security government laboratory in 1962 Baltimore. Her life changes forever... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

Critics Consensus: Luce brings a stellar ensemble to bear on a satisfyingly complex story that addresses its timely themes in thought-provoking fashion.

Synopsis: A liberal-minded couple are forced to reconsider their image of their adopted son after he writes a disturbing essay for a class assignment.

Starring: Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tim Roth

Directed By: Julius Onah

Critics Consensus: It may suffer in comparison to Pixar's classics, but Onward makes effective use of the studio's formula -- and stands on its own merits as a funny, heartwarming, dazzlingly animated adventure.

Synopsis: Teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley embark on a magical quest to spend one more day with their late father. Like any good adventure, their... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer

Directed By: Dan Scanlon

Critics Consensus: Smashed resists the temptation to play up its serious subject matter for high theatrics, opting instead to let its gentle tone and Mary Elizabeth Winstead's marvelous performance carry the day.

Synopsis: Los Angeles schoolteacher Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and her husband, Charlie (Aaron Paul), each have a drinking problem. Up to now, her life seems like... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally

Directed By: James Ponsoldt

Critics Consensus: Instant Family may not quite capture the complexity of real-life adoption, but fittingly for the unconditional bond it honors, this flawed yet well-intentioned dramedy is ultimately worth the investment.

Synopsis: When Pete and Ellie decide to start a family, they stumble into the world of foster care adoption. They hope to take in one small... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Octavia Spencer, Isabela Merced

Directed By: Sean Anders

Critics Consensus: With an unforgettable Chadwick Boseman in the starring role, Get On Up offers the Godfather of Soul a fittingly dynamic homage.

Synopsis: James Brown (Chadwick Boseman) was born in extreme poverty in 1933 South Carolina and survived abandonment, abuse and jail to become one of the most... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis

Directed By: Tate Taylor

Critics Consensus: Though it fails to fully engage with its racial themes, The Help rises on the strength of its cast -- particularly Viola Davis, whose performance is powerful enough to carry the film on its own.

Synopsis: In the 1960s Mississippi, Southern society girl Skeeter returns from college with dreams of being a writer. She turns her small town on its ear... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer

Directed By: Tate Taylor

Critics Consensus: Small Town Crime makes for a satisfying modern noir outing, largely thanks to the all-around impressive efforts of a solidly stocked cast led by John Hawkes.

Synopsis: When alcoholic ex-cop Mike Kendall finds the body of a young woman, he becomes obsessed with redeeming himself by finding the killer. In the process,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Hawkes, Anthony Anderson, Octavia Spencer, Robert Forster

Directed By: Ian Nelms, Eshom Nelms

Critics Consensus: Gifted isn't quite as bright as its pint-sized protagonist, but a charming cast wrings respectably engaging drama out of a fairly predictable premise.

Synopsis: Frank Adler (Chris Evans) is a single man raising a child prodigy - his spirited young niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) - in a coastal town... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Octavia Spencer

Directed By: Marc Webb

Synopsis: A chronicle of the incredible story of Madam C.J. Walker, who was the first African American self-made millionaire.

Starring: Octavia Spencer, Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo, Blair Underwood

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Young and feisty Gilly Hopkins (Sophie Nélisse) devises a scheme to escape from her new foster home and reunite with her birth mother.

Starring: Sophie Nélisse, Kathy Bates, Glenn Close, Octavia Spencer

Directed By: Stephen Herek

Synopsis: A group of teens in the pediatric ward of Los Angeles' Ocean Park Hospital find comfort in one another. Mexican-born Jordi, 16, crossed the border... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Octavia Spencer, Griffin Gluck, Zoe Levin, Dave Annable

Critics Consensus: Octavia Spencer's performance overpowers many of Ma's flaws, but uneven pacing and a labored story keep this thriller from fully realizing its unhinged potential.

Synopsis: A lonely middle-aged woman befriends some teenagers and decides to let them party in the basement of her home. But there are some house rules:... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis, McKaley Miller

Directed By: Tate Taylor

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A decorated Marine goes on a rescue mission to save his two young sons from an unhuman threat. As their journey takes them in increasingly... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, Janina Gavankar, Lucian-River Chauhan

Directed By: Michael Pearce

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Released from prison for a crime he didn't commit, a man (Boyd Holbrook) goes on the run with a woman (Elisabeth Moss) who's suspected of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Elisabeth Moss, Sung Kang, Waleed Zuaiter

Directed By: Jason Lew

Critics Consensus: The Witches misses a few spells, but Anne Hathaway's game performance might be enough to bewitch fans of this Roald Dahl tale.

Synopsis: In late 1967, a young orphaned boy goes to live with his loving grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Kristin Chenoweth

Directed By: Robert Zemeckis

Critics Consensus: A Kid Like Jake poses some truly interesting possibilities -- many of which are lost in its overly cautious approach to an admittedly sensitive subject.

Synopsis: Alex Wheeler and her husband, Greg, are trying to find the right primary school for their 4-year-old son, Jake. Described as gender-expansive by his adviser,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer, Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Directed By: Silas Howard

Critics Consensus: It doesn't honor its source material -- or its immensely likable leads -- as well as it should, but Dinner for Schmucks offers fitfully nourishing comedy.

Synopsis: Tim (Paul Rudd) a rising executive, works for a boss who hosts a monthly event in which the guest who brings the biggest buffoon gets... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Bruce Greenwood, Ron Livingston

Directed By: Jay Roach

Critics Consensus: It's pretty and packed with action; unfortunately, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is also waterlogged with characters and plots that can't help but feel derivative.

Synopsis: To find the magic Golden Fleece and save Camp Half-Blood, demigod Percy and his friends undertake a dangerous odyssey into the area known to humans... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel

Directed By: Thor Freudenthal

Critics Consensus: Black or White has more on its mind than your average family drama, but the film's approach to its thought-provoking themes too often lives down to its title.

Synopsis: When his wife dies in a car crash, Elliott Anderson (Kevin Costner) fields another blow: the realization that he must raise his biracial granddaughter, Eloise... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer, Jillian Estell, Bill Burr

Directed By: Mike Binder

Synopsis: Podcaster Poppy Parnell risks everything -- including her life -- to pursue truth and justice.

Starring: Octavia Spencer, Gabrielle Union, Mekhi Phifer, David Lyons

Critics Consensus: Shailene Woodley gives it her all, but Insurgent is still a resounding step back for a franchise struggling to distinguish itself from the dystopian YA crowd.

Synopsis: Now on the run from Jeanine (Kate Winslet) and the rest of the power-hungry Erudites, Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) search for allies... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Octavia Spencer, Jai Courtney

Directed By: Robert Schwentke

Critics Consensus: Fathers and Daughters' name-brand cast can't cover for a screenplay that makes a half-hearted effort at delving into family dynamics but falls back on melodrama.

Synopsis: A Pulitzer Prize-winning author (Russell Crowe) checks into a mental health facility after the death of his wife, while his daughter (Amanda Seyfried) falls for... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Kylie Rogers, Aaron Paul

Directed By: Gabriele Muccino

Critics Consensus: Loaded up with the same scatological and misanthropic humor as its predecessor but precious little of its heart or genuine wit, Bad Santa 2 presents a foulmouthed shadow of Christmas past.

Synopsis: Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie Soke (Billy Bob Thornton) teams up with his angry little sidekick, Marcus, to knock off a Chicago... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Tony Cox, Christina Hendricks

Directed By: Mark Waters

Critics Consensus: It's got a few chuckles, but Thunder Force is largely a superhero comedy that's neither exciting nor funny -- and an egregious waste of its co-stars' talents.

Synopsis: In a world where supervillains are commonplace, two estranged childhood best friends reunite after one devises a treatment that gives them powers to protect their... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman, Melissa Leo

Directed By: Ben Falcone

Critics Consensus: The Shack's undeniably worthy message is ill-served by a script that confuses spiritual uplift with melodramatic clichés and heavy-handed sermonizing.

Synopsis: After suffering a family tragedy, Mack Phillips spirals into a deep depression that causes him to question his innermost beliefs. Facing a crisis of faith,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer, Aviv Alush, Radha Mitchell

Directed By: Stuart Hazeldine

Critics Consensus: Paradise rounds up an impressive array of talent on either side of the camera -- all of whom would presumably prefer that audiences forget their involvement in this misfire.

Synopsis: After surviving a plane crash, a young woman (Julianne Hough) experiences the wild side of life in Las Vegas.

Starring: Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman

Directed By: Diablo Cody

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A man tries to protect a teller, whom he secretly loves, after two groups rob her bank at the same time.

Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Ashley Judd, Jeffrey Tambor, Pruitt Taylor Vince

Directed By: Rob Minkoff

Critics Consensus: Dolittle may be enough to entertain very young viewers, but they deserve better than this rote adaptation's jumbled story and stale humor.

Synopsis: Dr. John Dolittle lives in solitude behind the high walls of his lush manor in 19th-century England. His only companionship comes from an array of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent

Directed By: Stephen Gaghan

Critics Consensus: Allegiant improves on previous entries in The Divergent Series on a few superficial levels, but they aren't enough to counteract a sense of growing boredom with a franchise that's gone on too long.

Synopsis: Tris escapes with Four to journey beyond the wall that encloses Chicago. For the first time, they leave the only city and family they have... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer

Directed By: Robert Schwentke