Every Daniel Kaluuya Movie Ranked Worst To Best

It's a bit too fitting that our list begins with Kaluuya's first principal film role. Look, not every actor hits it out of the park right away, and Kaluuya made a slew of half-baked movies before finally hitting his stride. Enter "Chatroom," the 2010 horror film directed by legendary Japanese filmmaker Hideo Nakata ("Ringu").

Also starring a young Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Imogen Poots, "Chatroom" imagines the early days of instant messaging as a hall of hotel rooms. Taylor-Johnson's William opens one for teens in London's Chelsea district and attracts a few fresh faces. However, William proves to be more manipulative than he lets on, and begins to wreak havoc on the kids' mental health. It's not great; what begins as a socially apt ensemble piece eventually descends into a confusing, boring mess. Even the film's clever visual metaphor gets lost in its own indulgence.

Kaluuya plays Mo, a quiet 17-year-old who begins to form romantic feelings for his friend's 11-year-old sister. He confides in William that he's afraid of being labeled a pedophile, but William insists that he come clean, which naturally backfires. The film makes light of this entire subplot, and feels tone-deaf as a result; at times, it's unclear whether or not Nakata was attempting to direct a farce. Kaluuya gives the character an earnest quality, but the writing and direction overwhelm his efforts.

Eight years after his silver-screen debut, Johnny English was tapped for another mission. "Johnny English Reborn" saw Rowan Atkinson's Bond parody return alongside a brand-new supporting cast, which includes Gillian Anderson, Rosamund Pike, and a squeaky-clean Daniel Kaluuya. Kaluuya plays Colin Tucker, a young MI7 agent assigned to assist English in uncovering an assassination plot against the Chinese premier. Tucker is inexperienced, but he's eager to prove himself, and winds up solving more of the mystery than English (admittedly, that isn't too surprising).

Kaluuya's wholesome enthusiasm elevates the character beyond a straight-man archetype. You really believe that Tucker admires English and is excited to learn from him. As it turns out, that's a bit of art imitating life. During his appearance on "Hot Ones," Kaluuya reminisced about his formative time on set. "Just being 21 and being next to [Atkinson] for that many months, I learned so much from him."

Though the beloved British comedian does plenty of funny flailing, it's far from Atkinson's best work. Some of the visual gags are chuckle-worthy, but it's ultimately a tame parody. The all-too-safe slapstick makes you wonder who this movie is really for. But hey, what do we know? The box-office success of "Reborn" inspired a third entry in the series, "Johnny English Strikes Again." Hopefully, it's less mediocre than its predecessor.

This forgotten action film provided another minor role for Daniel Kaluuya, but let's face it: You're here for James McAvoy and Mark Strong. The two acclaimed Brits go head-to-head in this crime thriller, which centers on police detective Max Lewisnky (McAvoy), who is shot by infamous criminal Jacob Sternwood (Strong). Sternwood goes into hiding shortly thereafter, but when he reemerges following the death of his son, Lewinsky seeks his long-awaited vengeance. Kaluuya plays Juka Ogadowa, a desk jockey who assists Lewinsky pin down Sternwood's whereabouts.

The color scheme and basic story make "Welcome to the Punch" seem like your run-of-the-mill action thriller and, well, it is, but it's not without some merits. The material is clearly elevated by its two leads, with a strong yet underutilized supporting turn from Andrea Riseborough, but this cat-and-mouse revenge story does take some interesting turns. When it's revealed that the police are working with illegal gun runners and Sternwood proves to be more empathetic than expected, Lewinsky realizes they are both products of the same corrupt institutions. Juka is even tasked with taking Lewinsky down after he begins siding with Sternwood. The film may not lean heavily enough into this fascinating duality, but big ideas are at least present in the film. That's more than many other movies of this ilk can claim.

Kaluuya's first feature film role lasts, collectively, all of five minutes. In "Cass," he plays a 14-year-old Cass Pennant, who would eventually grow up to be the first football hooligan to receive a long-term prison sentence. Sporting a beast of a 'fro, Kaluuya immediately conveys the swagger we expect from Cass, portrayed in adulthood and beyond by Nonso Anozie ("Ender's Game"). He also showcases the kind of confidence that has characterized his onscreen presence throughout his career.

With the success of shows like "Ted Lasso" and the growing popularity of English football in the U.S., many Americans may be interested in watching "Cass," a gateway into the history and culture behind football hooliganism. Football fans of all stripes engaged in riotous gang warfare, and Cass Pennant was at the center of it all as the leader of the Inter City Firm, who repped West Ham United.

Initially, Pennant rises through the ranks and gains a respect not usually afforded to Black citizens in the UK. However, his time in prison brings with it a much-needed reality check. Pennant attempts to find love and settle down, but his past keeps coming back to haunt him. Featuring an excellent lead performance from Anozie, "Cass" is the best film to come out of Kaluuya's humble beginnings, and remains a powerful story about a man in conflict with his upbringing. It deserves more love!

It's difficult to confidently rank "Nope," given that it's still so fresh in our minds. Jordan Peele's latest feature is his most thematically obtuse, necessitating multiple viewings to fully understand. Still, film lovers across the internet are already connecting more and more of the dots, including our very own Josh Spiegel, who describes "Nope" in his spoiler-filled review as "a commentary on the exploitation wrought by people upon themselves and each other, especially within Hollywood." Peele's alien design, which resembles a camera lens and then a camera shutter, implicates the spectacle of film as something that both artists as well as viewers must reckon with.

Daniel Kaluuya leads the film as OJ Haywood, a professional horse trainer who is forced to take over the family business when his father mysteriously dies. While many modern Kaluuya performances are calm and collected, OJ brings things to a whole new level. Kaluuya is often quiet in the role, more often than not grumbling his lines under his breath. But he actually gets more mileage in this role while observing and reacting; seeing OJ simply watch Jean Jacket from below instills more fear than any of his dialogue. This only makes it more enthralling when OJ takes the reins, both metaphorically and literally, during the film's intense climax.

From "Black Panther" to the Black Panther Party.

It's hard to overstate how much of a lock Daniel Kaluuya was for the best supporting actor Oscar in 2021. Kaluuya's electric portrayal of civil rights leader Fred Hampton in "Judas and the Black Messiah" simply commands your attention. He so perfectly embodies Hampton's intensity that Kaluuya actually lost his voice while recreating Hampton's speeches. As such, it was no surprise to see Kaluuya take home the gold, capping off his meteoric rise in the industry.

In his acceptance speech, Kaluuya recognized "the gift that is Lakeith Stanfield," who was nominated in the same category. But Stanfield's portrayal of Bill O'Neal, an FBI informant who is complicit in Hampton's assassination, could never match Kaluuya's bombastic presence. Instead, in his shadow, Stanfield grounds the story in its central tragedy: the realization that the police will always find a way to dismantle revolutions, even if they have to do so from the inside. It's a cold, harsh lesson, one that's reflected in the film's steely aesthetic. Illinois is washed in grays, greens, and beiges. Nighttime scenes are shrouded in darkness, with heavy contrasts. It pushes the film's noir elements to the forefront without sacrificing a modern look, making it feel as though this story could still happen today.

Was there ever really any doubt? Jordan Peele's directorial debut remains an indelible work of social commentary and is widely considered one of the best films of the 2010s. Designed as a wake-up call for the "post-racial lie" in American politics, Peele's sharply written horror-thriller captured the Black experience in a way not before seen in mainstream cinema. Filled with exciting twists and turns that made it one of 2017's most memorable theatergoing experiences, "Get Out" implanted itself into the zeitgeist and rightfully kick-started Peele's career as one of most exciting directors working today.

Kaluuya's performance as Chris Washington similarly shot his reputation into the stratosphere, earning him international acclaim and a surprise Oscar nomination. You wouldn't think the role of "an everyman," as Kaluuya described Chris in an interview with GQ, would inspire such praise. However, that status gives Kaluuya an important duality to play with while portraying the character.

Kaluuya's signature charisma and impeccable restraint make him instantly relatable, especially when the tension begins to creep in. It's only during the "Sunken Place" scene that Kaluuya finally lets go of that artifice, succumbing to absolute terror and, at times, rage. There's a reason why his wide-eyed, teary face has become such an iconic image; it's a scene that showcases Kaluuya's range and his complete commitment to realizing the film's striking second half. Kaluuya fully devotes himself to every role he plays in whatever capacity is needed, and nowhere is that more clear than in the film that put him on the map.