Idrissa Akuna Elba aka Idris Elba OBE is an English actor who made a name for himself in America after starring in HBO's The wire as Stringer Bell. He then went on to star in a number of successful shows and films, including the BBC mini-series Luther, which earned him several nominations for a Golden Globe Primetime Emmy Award. In his 20 years in the industry, Elba has fulfilled several roles that have proven him well worthy of our attention.
After his time up The wire, Elba became a hot commodity. He performed in shows such as The office And The big C. This only led to more opportunities opening up for him, greatly expanding his filmography and filling his calendar. That said, not every movie he's ever starred in will be a hit. Here are the best Idris Elba movies, ranked.
11 The suicide squad
Not to be confused with the 2016 version of suicide squad, The suicide squad follows the titular team as they are tasked with a search and destroy mission on Corto Maltese. The team of super villains struggle with their mission as they all long for freedom. Elba plays the role of Bloodsport AKA Robert DuBois, a mercenary with a high-tech suit. After being convicted of shooting Superman with a kryptonite bullet, he joins Task Force X to have his sentence shortened.
10 Star Trek on
Acting as part of the rebooted Star Trek franchising, Star Trek onfollows the crew of the Enterprise after they crash-land on an unknown world after being attacked in space by Krall, a reptilian creature who wants to retrieve a valuable artifact from the ship. The crew must find a way to survive the deadly alien attacks without succumbing to the hostile planet they have landed on. Elba plays the role of Krall, the lizard-like villain who literally sucks the life of his victims to maintain his own life force. Due to the SFX makeup, many may not realize that Elba is even the one behind the mask, but he certainly proves himself to be a horrific villain in this sci-fi flick.
9 Thor franchise
The first in a long line ofmovies within the MCU, Thor it all started. The film follows the son of the king of the Norse gods, Thor, who is about to inherit the throne of Asgard from his father. causes some mischief during Thor's absence. Elba plays the role of Heimdall, the Asgardian sentry of the bifrost bridge. While some protested Elba's casting in the role, citing racist views, the actor called these protests "ridiculous" (via THR). Elba went on to reprise his role in several other films within the MCU.
8 American gangster
Based on a true story, American gangster tells the story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), a Harlem drug dealer who begins smuggling drugs from abroad in coffins of American soldiers who were KIA in Vietnam. As Frank climbs the power ladder, police officer Richie Roberts is determined to take him down. Elba plays the role of Tango, a rival drug dealer who works the streets with Frank. Although Tango dies abruptly in the film, Elba did everything for the performance.
7 Zootopia
In the popular Disney movie Zootopia, Rabbit Judy Hopps graduates from the police academy and is assigned to work in the big city. Although she struggles with people who don't take her seriously as a rabbit of the law, Judy is determined to prove herself and does so with the help of a troublesome fox. Elba uses his voice and accent to portray the iconic Chief Bogo, an ox who is the police chief in Zootopia and Judy's boss. Chief Bogo is initially hostile to Judy, but warms to her as she proves to be an excellent police officer.
6 The Jungle Book
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Elba's iconic voice once again serves him well in this live-action remake of the classic Disney animated film The Jungle Book. The film tells the story of Mowgli, a young boy raised by wolves and forced to return to his human village, encountering a barrage of animals alongside Bagheera the panther along the way. Elba voices the killer tiger, Shere Khan, who hunts Mowgli for a nice meal. Elba's deep voice is reminiscent of the original character, voiced by George Sanders, perfectly portraying the evil character using just his voice.
5 Three thousand years of desire
The latest release on this list is Three thousand years of desire. While in Istanbul on business, Dr. Alithea Binnie discovers a jinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for granting him his freedom. Alithea is skeptical, but as the jinn pleads his case, she warms to him and ends up making a very surprising wish. Elba depicts the seductive jinn taking Alithea out of a bottle. Despite the film's poor performance at the box office, Three thousand years of desire received a six-minute standing ovation at the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
4 Molly's game
Based on the true story of Molly Bloom, Molly's game follows the former Olympic skier as she prepares for the most lucrative high stakes poker game ever. Molly is then arrested by the FBI and turns to her attorney Charlie Jaffey for help getting her out of trouble. Elba plays the role of Charlie, a performance that earned him acclaim and should have earned him an Oscar nomination. Thanks to Aaron Sorkin's tactful direction, Elba's talents were put to good use, especially when Charlie defends Molly in court, exposing the lack of fairness in the way Molly's case is handled.
3 The harder they fall
A modern take on the traditional Western with an all-black cast, The harder they fall follows Nat Love after discovering that his enemy Rufus Buck has escaped from prison by his gang. He seeks revenge on Buck with the help of his crew Stagecoach Mary, Bill Pickett and surprise ally Jim Beckwourth. Elba plays Rufus Buck, the infamous cowboy who isn't afraid to take a life. Along with Regina King and Jonathan Majors, Elba played the "bad guy" in "Bad Guy". The harder they fall.
2 Mandela: Long walk to freedom
Mandela: Long walk to freedom is a biopic that tells the story of Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa. The film follows Mandela's entire life; from his early childhood to his 27 years in prison, everything is covered in the film. Elba plays the role of an adult Nelson Mandela, a role that earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. Because of Elba's more popular blockbuster, movies like this often fly under the radar, but Mandela: Long walk to freedom proves that Elba is a serious actor who works well outside of the MCU.
1 Beasts of no nation
Elba's long filmography wouldn't be complete without it Beasts of no nation. around the civil war in Africa, Beasts of no nationfollows the experiences of Agu, who is recruited as a child soldier by a group of guerrilla fighters. The movie is hard to watch because of the subject matter, but it's well worth seeing Elba play the role of the deceitful commander in charge of the guerrillas. Beasts of no nation deserves much more attention than it gets. Elba earned several nominations for his performance, including a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor.
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