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Octavia Spencer Movies and Shows Ranked

We’re ranking the movies and shows of Octavia Spencer! We start with her Certified Fresh works, including 2011’s career breakthrough The Help, sci-fi allegory Snowpiercer, and Best Picture nominee Hidden Figures and winner The Shape of Water. Her TV-starring work includes AppleTV+’s Truth Be Told and miniseries Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker. Some Rotten films with positive Audience Scores include Robert Downey Jr’s Dolittle (where Spencer voices a duck with a metal leg), Christian drama The Shack, and genre thriller Ma.

#1

Zootopia (2016)
Tomatometer icon 98%

#1
Adjusted Score: 112291%
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... [More]
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Shakira, Idris Elba
Directed By: Byron Howard, Rich Moore

#2

Snowpiercer (2013)
Tomatometer icon 94%

#2
Adjusted Score: 106461%
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 (Chris Evans) will risk everything to... [More]
Starring: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell
Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

#3

Fruitvale Station (2013)
Tomatometer icon 94%

#3
Adjusted Score: 103839%
Critics Consensus: Passionate and powerfully acted, Fruitvale Station serves as a celebration of life, a condemnation of death, and a triumph for star Michael B. Jordan.
Synopsis: Though he once spent time in San Quentin, 22-year-old black man Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) is now trying hard... [More]
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O'Reilly
Directed By: Ryan Coogler

#4

Hidden Figures (2016)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#4
Adjusted Score: 108672%
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... [More]
Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner
Directed By: Theodore Melfi

#5

The Shape of Water (2017)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#5
Adjusted Score: 118372%
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... [More]
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#6

Luce (2019)
Tomatometer icon 91%

#6
Adjusted Score: 99576%
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... [More]
Starring: Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tim Roth
Directed By: Julius Onah

#7

Onward (2020)
Tomatometer icon 88%

#7
Adjusted Score: 108382%
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.... [More]
Starring: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer
Directed By: Dan Scanlon

#8

Smashed (2012)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#8
Adjusted Score: 87526%
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... [More]
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally
Directed By: James Ponsoldt

#9

Instant Family (2018)
Tomatometer icon 82%

#9
Adjusted Score: 90190%
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... [More]
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Octavia Spencer, Isabela Merced
Directed By: Sean Anders

#10

Get On Up (2014)
Tomatometer icon 81%

#10
Adjusted Score: 88745%
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... [More]
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis
Directed By: Tate Taylor

#11

The Help (2011)
Tomatometer icon 76%

#11
Adjusted Score: 85435%
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 1960s Mississippi, Southern society girl Skeeter (Emma Stone) returns from college with dreams of being a writer. She turns... [More]
Starring: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer
Directed By: Tate Taylor

#12

Small Town Crime (2017)
Tomatometer icon 79%

#12
Adjusted Score: 80286%
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... [More]
Starring: John Hawkes, Anthony Anderson, Octavia Spencer, Robert Forster
Directed By: Ian Nelms, Eshom Nelms

#13

Gifted (2017)
Tomatometer icon 74%

#13
Adjusted Score: 83671%
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)... [More]
Starring: Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Octavia Spencer
Directed By: Marc Webb

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (2020)
Tomatometer icon 68%

#14
Synopsis: A chronicle of the incredible story of Madam C.J. Walker, who was the first African American self-made millionaire.... [More]
Starring: Octavia Spencer, Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo, Blair Underwood
Directed By: Janine Sherman Barrois, Lois Johnson, Maverick Carter, LeBron James

#15
#15
Adjusted Score: 56501%
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... [More]
Starring: Sophie Nélisse, Kathy Bates, Glenn Close, Octavia Spencer
Directed By: Stephen Herek

Red Band Society (2014)
Tomatometer icon 59%

#16
Synopsis: A group of teens in the pediatric ward of Los Angeles' Ocean Park Hospital find comfort in one another. Mexican-born... [More]
Starring: Octavia Spencer, Griffin Gluck, Zoe Levin, Dave Annable
Directed By: Steven Spielberg, Margaret Nagle, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank

#17

Ma (2019)
Tomatometer icon 55%

#17
Adjusted Score: 66025%
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... [More]
Starring: Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis, McKaley Miller
Directed By: Tate Taylor

#18

Encounter (2021)
Tomatometer icon 56%

#18
Adjusted Score: 61791%
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... [More]
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, Janina Gavankar, Lucian-River Chauhan
Directed By: Michael Pearce

#19

The Free World (2016)
Tomatometer icon 50%

#19
Adjusted Score: 50023%
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... [More]
Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Elisabeth Moss, Sung Kang, Waleed Zuaiter
Directed By: Jason Lew

#20
#20
Adjusted Score: 60367%
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... [More]
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Kristin Chenoweth
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis

#21

A Kid Like Jake (2018)
Tomatometer icon 52%

#21
Adjusted Score: 53927%
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... [More]
Starring: Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer, Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Directed By: Silas Howard

#22

Dinner for Schmucks (2010)
Tomatometer icon 42%

#22
Adjusted Score: 49590%
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... [More]
Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Bruce Greenwood, Ron Livingston
Directed By: Jay Roach

#23
#23
Adjusted Score: 46848%
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: Though Percy (Logan Lerman), the half-human son of Greek god Poseidon, once saved the world, lately he's been feeling less... [More]
Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel
Directed By: Thor Freudenthal

#24

Black or White (2014)
Tomatometer icon 39%

#24
Adjusted Score: 43403%
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... [More]
Starring: Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer, Jillian Estell, Bill Burr
Directed By: Mike Binder

Truth Be Told (2019)
Tomatometer icon - -

#25
Synopsis: Podcaster Poppy Parnell risks everything -- including her life -- to pursue truth and justice.... [More]
Starring: Octavia Spencer, Gabrielle Union, Mekhi Phifer, David Lyons
Directed By: Nichelle Tramble Spellman, Mikkel Nørgaard, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping

#26
#26
Adjusted Score: 37874%
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... [More]
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Octavia Spencer, Jai Courtney
Directed By: Robert Schwentke

#27
#27
Adjusted Score: 29614%
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... [More]
Starring: Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Kylie Rogers, Aaron Paul
Directed By: Gabriele Muccino

#28

Bad Santa 2 (2016)
Tomatometer icon 23%

#28
Adjusted Score: 28903%
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,... [More]
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Tony Cox, Christina Hendricks
Directed By: Mark Waters

#29

Thunder Force (2021)
Tomatometer icon 22%

#29
Adjusted Score: 28708%
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... [More]
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman, Melissa Leo
Directed By: Ben Falcone

#30

The Shack (2017)
Tomatometer icon 21%

#30
Adjusted Score: 24279%
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.... [More]
Starring: Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer, Aviv Alush, Radha Mitchell
Directed By: Stuart Hazeldine

#31

Paradise (2013)
Tomatometer icon 20%

#31
Adjusted Score: 21063%
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.... [More]
Starring: Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman
Directed By: Diablo Cody

#32

Flypaper (2011)
Tomatometer icon 15%

#32
Adjusted Score: 13264%
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... [More]
Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Ashley Judd, Jeffrey Tambor, Pruitt Taylor Vince
Directed By: Rob Minkoff

#33

Dolittle (2020)
Tomatometer icon 15%

#33
Adjusted Score: 28869%
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... [More]
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent
Directed By: Stephen Gaghan

#34
#34
Adjusted Score: 20177%
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 (Shailene Woodley) escapes with Four (Theo James) to journey beyond the wall that encloses Chicago. For the first time,... [More]
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer
Directed By: Robert Schwentke

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