There’s no getting around it, Chiwetel Ejiofor is one of the best actors alive, and one who can easily bounce back from playing a shoe-obsessed drag queen with an entrepreneurial spirit to someone illegally enslaved on a 12-year crusade to secure his freedom, and a vengeful, overzealous wizard in the Marvel Cinematic Universe without batting an eyelid. Yeah, he’s so good.
So good, in fact, that it’s hard to settle for just one, two or even 10 of Chiwetel Ejiofor’s best films and we had to go and make a longer than usual list of his great performances which should all be watched for anyone who appreciates movies that are more than just great. Let’s dive in…
12 Years a Slave (2013)
After being kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1840s Washington, D.C., talented violinist Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) spends the next 12 years of his life enduring hardships and atrocities no one should endure, never giving up. his fight for survival, freedom, and reunion with his family back home.
Steve McQueen’s masterpiece, 12 years of slavery, features one of the most remarkable and heartbreaking performances of Ejiofor’s career, one that will stay with you nearly a decade after its release. The actor’s take on the historical figure is so raw and real that you almost forget you’re looking at an actor and not the real person.
Stream 12 Years a Slave on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy 12 Years a Slave on Amazon.
Get it on DVD on Amazon.
American Gangster (2007)
The lives of Harlem drug dealer Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and NYPD detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) intertwine as the former comes under the latter’s watchful eye during an extensive drug investigation. .
the american mobster The cast is full of talented actors from top to bottom, and that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor and his portrayal of Frank’s brother and right-hand man, Huey Lucas. And while he’s not the focus of Ridley Scott’s detective epic, Ejiofor cemented his place in Hollywood with this captivating and unforgettable performance.
Stream American Gangster on Peacock.
Rent/Buy American Gangster on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Love Actually (2003)
Nine stories of varying levels of interconnectedness unfold over the festive season, where people explore new beginnings, new beginnings, and one last shot of love before it’s too late.
One of the best parts of Richard Curtis’ 2003 Christmas classic love in fact is the story of a love triangle shared by Juliette (Keira Knightley), her husband Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and her best friend Mark (Andrew Lincoln), who is madly in love with the new bride. It’s hard not to feel bad for Peter throughout this story, but it’s somewhat comforting to know that he has no knowledge of his friend’s obsession with his wife.
Stream Love Actually on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Love Actually on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Children of Men (2006)
After a mysterious pandemic leaves the human population infertile and on the brink of disaster, Theo Faron (Clive Owen) finds himself in the middle of the fight for survival when he’s tasked with escorting a young refugee with a changing secret. the story to safety.
Chiwetel Ejiofor absolutely shines in Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 dystopian thriller, children of men, with his portrayal of Luke, a colleague of Theo’s ex-wife Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore), whose role in the plan to get Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) to safety isn’t what he seems. And what’s more, he’s at the center of the movie’s most thrilling sequence, the one-shot escape scene.
Rent/Buy Children of Men on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Naughty Boots (2006)
With his family’s shoe factory about to close, Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) teams up with bold and confident drag queen Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor) to release a line of cheeky shoes in the hope of reversing their trend. fortune.
Ejiofor is to die for in Julian Jarrold’s 2006 comedy, naughty boots, and it’s without a doubt one of the actor’s most confident and lovable characters to date. The way he behaves as Lola never comes across as anything other than authentic. But, he should have won the Golden Globe if we’re being honest.
Stream Kinky Boots on Showtime.
Rent/Buy Kinky Boots on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Martian (2015)
After it is discovered that astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is not actually dead but is struggling to survive alone on the surface of Mars, a global rescue operation is launched to pull off the impossible and bring him home.
by Ridley Scott The Martian is a team effort through and through, and everyone gets time to shine in this gripping astronaut drama, including Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Vincent Kapoor, the man in charge of NASA’s Mars program. It’s also funny to see the actor share the screen and work with Benedict Wong just a year before they start again in strange doctor.
Rent/Buy The Martian on Amazon.
Get it in 4K/Blu-ray on Amazon.
Doctor Strange (2016)
Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) goes from everything he could want in life to nothing after losing the ability to use his hands in a near-fatal accident. But his fortunes are changed when he meets a powerful wizard who can give him what he lost and more.
Although not the best Marvel movie, strange doctor lays a lot of groundwork for what was to follow in the MCU, as well as several memorable characters, including Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). All the details of his arc will be avoided for those who haven’t seen the film, but it’s a great twist with an interesting future prospect, especially in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessone of the most anticipated films of 2022.
Stream Doctor Strange on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Doctor Strange on Amazon.
Get it on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is an illegal immigrant living in London who earns his living by driving a taxi during the day and working in a hotel at night. If life couldn’t be complicated enough for the young man, things change when he discovers a clogged human heart in the toilets of one of the hotel rooms.
Although he has appeared in a number of movies and shows at this point, Ejiofor has become a force to be reckoned with thanks to his stellar performance in Stephen Frears’ 2002 thriller, pretty dirty thingsa film that also starred French superstar Audrey Tautou.
Stream Dirty Pretty Things on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Dirty Pretty Things on Amazon.
Get it on DVD on Amazon.
The Old Guard (2020)
When a group of age-old mercenaries with incredible regenerative powers learn they’re being hunted by a mysterious organization, they do everything in their power to preserve their secret, their lives, and the only family they’ll ever have. known.
There’s so much to love about Gina Prince-Bythewood’s 2020 Netflix superhero movie, from its thrilling story, its exceptional cast, and all those incredibly choreographed and painful action sequences. But, one aspect that grounds the film and gives it plenty of heart is Chiwetel Ejiofor’s portrayal of James Copley, a former CIA agent who goes to very extreme (and questionable) lengths to come to terms with his own grief. Hopefully it will be the same next time. The old guard 2 lands on the banner.
Stream The Old Guard on Netflix.
Amistad (1997)
Following a slave uprising aboard a ship heading from Cuba to America, those involved are held prisoner and forced to stand trial in Connecticut in the 19th century. When the case reaches new levels and becomes one of the biggest talking points, everyone from freed slaves (Morgan Freeman) to the former President of the United States (Anthony Hopkins) gets involved.
Although Steven Spielberg’s historical drama is best known for the performances of Freeman, Hopkins, Matthew McConaughey and Djimon Hounsou, there is a terrific early display of talent from Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays James Covey, the man who served as interpreter for the accused. during the heated trial.
Stream Amistad on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Amistad on Amazon.
Get it on DVD on Amazon.
Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006)
In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that claimed the lives of more than 227,000 people, the stories of several survivors, government officials and journalists are told in detail as they fight for their survival and understanding against a ticking clock.
Bharat Nalluri’s 2006 two-part disaster film Tsunami: the consequences (which came out more than half a decade before the emotionally taxing ordeal The impossible) features a terrific cast that tells all sides of the tragic story, including Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sophie Okonedo, who play a married couple searching for their young daughter who was swept away by the wave. The way Ejiofor captures the pain, confusion and anger of a father searching for his missing child is heartbreaking to say the least.
Stream Tsunami: The Aftermath Part 1 on HBO Max.
Stream Tsunami: The Aftermath Part 2 on HBO Max.
Buy Tsunami: The Aftermath on Amazon.
Get it on DVD on Amazon.
As you can see by the sheer number of impressive roles that span just about every genre, there’s a strong case to be made for Chiwetel Ejiofor to be one of the greatest of all time. Let’s hope he finally gets an Oscar and a Golden Globe one of these days. If not, maybe he’ll get praise for his performance on Showtime’s The man who fell to earthone of the great series to come to the television program 2022.
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