This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

List of Chiwetel Ejiofor Movies: Ranked Best To Worst

1. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
34
8
12 Years a Slave
R
34
8

The movie is adapted from the memoirs of Solomon Northup, an Afro-American violinist who lived freely in New York in 1841 when two conmen kidnapped and sold him into slavery. For twelve years, he is forced to work in plantations and bear the abusive behaviour of his masters. His hope for release comes when he meets Canadian abolitionist Bass.

Role:
Solomon Northup
Directed By:
Steve McQueen
Awards:
BAFTA Award for Best Leading Actor
2. The Martian (2015)
37
9
The Martian
PG-13
37
9

Adapted from Andy Weir’s 2011 novel of the same name, the film portrays the struggle of an astronaut, Mark Watney, after he gets left behind by his crew who think he died in a powerful storm. He strives to survive on Mars and uses scientific wisdom to send signals to earth. Meanwhile a team of international scientists collaborate to bring him back to earth

Directed By:
5. Serenity (2005)
20
5
Serenity
PG-13
20
5

Over 500 years in the future, humanity has colonized a new solar system in which the alliance of inner planets is up against the independent outer planets. The crew of spaceship Serenity cross paths with a psychic passenger who reveals a dangerous secret to them.

Starring:
Directed By:
6. Love Actually (2003)
24
7
Love Actually
R
24
7

Enjoy exploring the various aspects of love through the eyes of different individuals as this Christmas-themed rom-com takes you through ten separate but inter-linked love stories. A modern-day Christmas staple, this film is a must-watch during the festive season!

Directed By:
Richard Curtis
7. Inside Man (2006)
22
6
Inside Man
R
22
6

The plot of the movie revolves around an elaborate bank robbery planned by a perfectionist robber Dalton Russell. He takes hostages and detective Keith Frazier is called upon to take charge of the negotiations. The bank president, concerned about something important, hires his own negotiator. However, Russell and his team are always ahead.

Directed By:
8. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2018)
9
3
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
TV-PG
9
3

William Kamkwamba is a young schoolboy who comes from a family of farmers living in a nearby village. William has a talent for fixing radios for his friends and he spends his free time looking through the local junkyard hoping to find salvageable electronic parts. His life takes a turn when he is thrown out of school as his family can’t afford the fees anymore. He decides to sneak into a library to learn how to build a windmill so that he can save his village from a famine.

Role:
Trywell Kamkwamba
Starring:
Joseph Marcell, Aïssa Maïga, Noma Dumezweni, Lemogang Tsipa
Directed By:
Chiwetel Ejiofor
10. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
15
5
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
UA
15
5

Doctor Strange meets a mysterious teen girl in his dreams, who has the ability to travel across multiverses. When a big threat emerges, he is forced to team up with her, as well as Wanda the Scarlet Witch, Wong and few others. However, the threat seems too big for his team to handle.

Role:
Baron Mordo
11. Amistad (1997)
10
4
Amistad
TV-MA
10
4

Based on true events of 1839, the film depicts the slave revolt led by Mende tribal chief, Cinque aboard, the Spanish slave-ship, La Amistad, traveling from Cuba to US. The chained African slaves take over the ship but reach US shore. A formerly-freed slave fights in the court for their freedom, while ex-president, John Quincy Adams, represents them in the Supreme Court.  

Starring:
Morgan Freeman, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins, Anna Paquin, Nigel Hawthorne, Djimon Hounsou
Directed By:
12. Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
9
3
Dirty Pretty Things
R
9
3

Okwe is a kind hearted Nigerian doctor, who is living illegally in London. His life takes a turn when he finds a human heart one day, all of a sudden, in the hotel where he resides with other immigrants.

Role:
Okwe
Starring:
Audrey Tautou, Benedict Wong, Sergi López, Sophie Okonedo
Directed By:
13. Talk to Me (2007)
8
3
Talk to Me
R
8
3

Talk to Me is a biographical drama film which tells the story of a radio personality named Ralph Greene, an ex-convict who becomes a talk show host and community activist in the 1960s. He expresses himself quite freely on his radio show and over time, he manages to gain a lot of popularity, even surpassing the popularity of his colleagues Nighthawk and Sunny Jim.     

Role:
Dewey Hughes
Starring:
Taraji P. Henson, Mike Epps, Don Cheadle, Martin Sheen, Cedric the Entertainer, Peter MacNeill
Directed By:
Kasi Lemmons
14. Red Nose Day Actually (2017)
7
3
Red Nose Day Actually
TV-PG
7
3
Starring:
Andrew Lincoln, Laura Linney, Rowan Atkinson, Jack Black, Patrick Dempsey, Colin Firth, Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Directed By:
Richard Curtis, Mat Whitecross
15. Kinky Boots (2005)
7
3
Kinky Boots
PG-13
7
3

A man inherits his father’s shoe factory, but is unsure of how to keep the business afloat. Soon, a woman comes to his rescue.

Role:
Lola
Starring:
Joel Edgerton, Joanna Scanlan, Linda Bassett, Nick Frost
Directed By:
Julian Jarrold
16. Four Brothers (2005)
12
5
Four Brothers
R
12
5

Four adopted brothers Bobby, Angel, Jeremiah and Jack Mercer move back home to Detroit, after their adoptive mother Evelyn Mercer is killed in an apparent robbery. When they discover that the murder was premeditated, they go to war against the gang lord Victor Sweet and corrupt cops controlled by him. 

Starring:
Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Terrence Howard, Adam Beach, Garrett Hedlund, Taraji P. Henson, André Benjamin
Directed By:
John Singleton
17. Red Dust (2004)
6
3
Red Dust
R
6
3
Role:
Alex Mpondo
Starring:
Hilary Swank, Ian Roberts, Jamie Bartlett, Hlomla Dandala
Directed By:
Tom Hooper
18. Redbelt (2008)
7
3
Redbelt
R
7
3

Mike Terry is a skilled martial arts instructor who refuses to participate in tournaments. However, due to his financial condition getting worse, he eventually decides to take part in such a competition.   

Role:
Mike Terry
Starring:
Jake Johnson, Jennifer Grey, Tim Allen, Alice Braga, Emily Mortimer, Jose Pablo Cantillo
Directed By:
19. The Old Guard (2020)
10
5
The Old Guard
R
10
5

A group of immortal mercenaries, who also have the ability to heal themselves, discovers that someone may have learnt about their identities. They fight to protect their freedom, while a new member is also discovered unexpectedly.   

Role:
Copley
Starring:
Charlize Theron, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari
20. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)
9
5
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
PG
9
5

Maleficent alienates herself from her goddaughter Aurora as she is opposed to her engagement with Prince Philip. But they are unaware of the fact that an enemy is lurking  nearby who wants to take advantage of their quarrel and destroy everything dear to them.

Role:
Conall
Starring:
Angelina Jolie, Michelle Pfeiffer, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley
Directed By:
Joachim Rønning
21. Salt (2010)
14
8
Salt
PG-13
14
8

A Russian defector, Orlov, turns himself in to CIA and accuses Evelyn Salt of being a Russian sleeper agent who will kill Russian president Boris Matveyev at the funeral of American Vice president. Consequently Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent, is forced to escape and now has to prove her innocence, protect her husband and uncover the conspiracy.

Role:
Peabody
Starring:
Andre Braugher, Liev Schreiber, Corey Stoll, Yara Shahidi, August Diehl, Angelina Jolie, Daniel Olbrychski
Directed By:
Phillip Noyce
22. Melinda and Melinda (2004)
6
4
Melinda and Melinda
TV-MA
6
4

This comedy drama film revolves around four writers who discuss the nature of comedy and tragedy over dinner, by narrating two different versions of the same story about a woman named Melinda.

Starring:
Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Josh Brolin, Wallace Shawn, Larry Pine, Radha Mitchell
Directed By:
23. Triple 9 (2016)
7
4
Triple 9
R
7
4

The story focuses on a bunch of criminals and two corrupt corps working for a convicted Jewish-Russian mafia boss.  They have just completed a successful bank robbery and as told by their boss’s wife have retrieved a safe deposit box containing information that can overturn the conviction of their boss. However, the wife is not happy. 

Role:
Michael Atwood
Starring:
Gal Gadot, Casey Affleck, Aaron Paul, Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Teresa Palmer, Kate Winslet
Directed By:
John Hillcoat
24. Secret in Their Eyes (2015)
8
4
Secret in Their Eyes
PG-13
8
4

A former detective reinvestigates her daughter's death after her friend, a former FBI agent, finds some new clues thirteen years later. The American thriller-mystery is a remake of a 2009 Argentine film of the same name, both of which are based on a novel.

Role:
Ray Kasten
Starring:
Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Alfred Molina, Dean Norris
Directed By:
Billy Ray
25. Phil Spector (2013)
5
3
Phil Spector
TV-MA
5
3
Role:
Mock Prosecutor
Starring:
Jeffrey Tambor, Helen Mirren, Al Pacino, Rebecca Pidgeon
Directed By:
26. Endgame (2009)
5
3
Endgame
PG-13
5
3
Role:
Thabo Mbeki
Starring:
Derek Jacobi, William Hurt, John Kani, Clarke Peters
Directed By:
Pete Travis
27. Z for Zachariah (2015)
6
4
Z for Zachariah
PG-13
6
4

An apocalyptic event eliminates the human race, and Ann Burden, who has been living a secluded life on her family farm, may be the only survivor left. One day, she is visited by a man, John Loomis, in an anti-radiation suit, and soon he becomes a part of her life. Eventually a bond develops between the two.

Role:
John Loomis
Starring:
Margot Robbie, Chris Pine
Directed By:
Craig Zobel
28. Half of a Yellow Sun (2013)
5
3
Half of a Yellow Sun
R
5
3
Role:
Odenigbo
Starring:
John Boyega, Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Joseph Mawle
Directed By:
Biyi Bandele
29. Mary Magdalene (2018)
5
3
Mary Magdalene
5
3

This drama film revolves around a woman named Mary from the town of Magdala, who begins to follow Jesus of Nazareth. Despite opposition from her parents, she leaves her home, and accepts baptism from Jesus. However, she soon finds herself in conflict with Saint Peter.   

Role:
Peter
Starring:
Tahar Rahim, Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Ariane Labed
Directed By:
Garth Davis
30. 2012 (2009)
14
10
2012
PG-13
14
10

2012 tells the story of the destruction of Earth, due to a global cataclysmic event resulting from the heating of Earth’s core. A struggling writer Jackson Curtis tries to save his family as he tries to reach one of the nine secret arks designed by G8 nations to save at least a certain portion of humanity. 

Role:
Adrian Helmsley
Starring:
John Cusack, Danny Glover, Patrick Bauchau, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Amanda Peet
Directed By:
Roland Emmerich
31. Slow Burn (2005)
6
3
Slow Burn
R
6
3
Starring:
Ray Liotta, Taye Diggs, Mekhi Phifer, LL Cool J, Guy Torry
Directed By:
Wayne Beach
32. Savannah (2013)
4
3
Savannah
PG-13
4
3
Role:
Christmas Moultrie
Starring:
Sam Shepard, Hal Holbrook, Jim Caviezel, Bradley Whitford
Directed By:
Annette Haywood-Carter
33. Infinite (2021)
5
4
Infinite
PG-13
5
4

A man realizes that his hallucinations are actually visions from his past lives. When a dangerous group realizes that he holds the key to the location of a device that can destroy the world, they begin to pursue him.

Role:
Bathurst 2020
Starring:
Mark Wahlberg
34. She Hate Me (2004)
4
4
She Hate Me
R
4
4

John Henry is a biotech executive who is terminated from his job for exposing corruption in the business practices. He soon agrees to impregnate his ex-fiancée along with few other wealthy lesbian women for money.

Starring:
Kerry Washington, Brian Dennehy, Jim Brown, Ossie Davis, Monica Bellucci, Jamel Debbouze, Bai Ling
Directed By:
35. Locked Down (2021)
4
4
Locked Down
R
4
4
Role:
Paxton
Starring:
Mindy Kaling, Ben Kingsley, Mark Gatiss, Stephen Merchant, Anne Hathaway
36. 3 Blind Mice (2003)
3
3
3 Blind Mice
R
3
3
Role:
Mark Hayward
Starring:
Edward Furlong, Emilia Fox, Sara Stewart, Gary Connery
Directed By:
Mathias Ledoux
37. National Theatre Live: Everyman (2015)
7
3
National Theatre Live: Everyman
7
3
Starring:
Philip Martin Brown, Michelle Butterly, Paul Bullion, Adam Burton
Directed By:
Rufus Norris
38. G:MT Greenwich Mean Time (1999)
6
3
G:MT Greenwich Mean Time
TV-14
6
3
Role:
Rix
Starring:
Alun Armstrong, Steve John Shepherd, Alec Newman, Ben Waters
Directed By:
John Strickland
39. Mind Games (2001)
6
3
Mind Games
6
3
Role:
Tyler Arnold
Starring:
Sara Kestelman, Fiona Shaw, Colin Salmon, Finbar Lynch
Directed By:
Richard Standeven
40. Twelfth Night, or What You Will (2003)
6
3
Twelfth Night, or What You Will
6
3
Role:
Orsino
Starring:
Parminder Nagra, Ronny Jhutti, Burt Caesar, Andrew Kazamia
Directed By:
Tim Supple
41. Come Sunday (2018)
5
3
Come Sunday
TV-14
5
3
Role:
Carlton Pearson
Starring:
Danny Glover, Martin Sheen, Jason Segel, Lakeith Stanfield
Directed By:
Joshua Marston
42. It Was an Accident (2000)
4
3
It Was an Accident
4
3
Role:
Nicky Burkett
Starring:
Thandie Newton, James Bolam, Nicola Stapleton, Neil Dudgeon
Directed By:
Metin Hüseyin
43. My Friend Soweto (2001)
4
3
My Friend Soweto
4
3
Role:
Soweto
Starring:
Darvina Plante, Paulette P. Williams
Directed By:
Jann Turner

TV Shows

Murder in Mind
9
3
Murder in Mind
9
3
Starring:
Nicholas Hoult, Archie Panjabi, Adam Faith, Rob Brydon, James McAvoy, Joanna Scanlan, Tim Healy
Directed By:
Nick Jones, Coky Giedroyc, David Innes Edwards, Frank W. Smith, Ferdinand Fairfax
Dancing on the Edge
19
7
Dancing on the Edge
19
7
Role:
Louis (6 episodes, 2013)
Starring:
John Goodman, Jenna Coleman, Jacqueline Bisset, Angel Coulby, Mel Smith, Matthew Goode, Janet Montgomery
Directed By:
Stephen Poliakoff
Canterbury Tales
8
3
Canterbury Tales
8
3
Role:
Paul (1 episode, 2003)
Starring:
Indira Varma, Archie Panjabi, Andrew Lincoln, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rob Brown, James Nesbitt
Directed By:
Andy De Emmony, John McKay
Trust
7
3
Trust
7
3
Role:
Ashley Carter (6 episodes, 2003)
Starring:
David Tennant, Ian McShane, Robson Green, Eva Birthistle
Tsunami: The Aftermath
15
7
Tsunami: The Aftermath
TV-MA
15
7
Starring:
Tim Roth, Toni Collette, Owen Teale, Hugh Bonneville, Gina McKee, Samrit Machielsen
Directed By:
Bharat Nalluri

Director

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2018)
21
7
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
TV-PG
21
7

William Kamkwamba is a young schoolboy who comes from a family of farmers living in a nearby village. William has a talent for fixing radios for his friends and he spends his free time looking through the local junkyard hoping to find salvageable electronic parts. His life takes a turn when he is thrown out of school as his family can’t afford the fees anymore. He decides to sneak into a library to learn how to build a windmill so that he can save his village from a famine.

Starring:
Joseph Marcell, Aïssa Maïga, Noma Dumezweni, Lemogang Tsipa
Directed By:
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Columbite Tantalite (2013)
6
3
Columbite Tantalite
6
3
Starring:
Nicholas Gecks, Isaac Ssebandeke, John Kamau, Landry Adelard, Stephanie Beattie
Directed By:
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Slapper (2008)
5
3
Slapper
5
3
Starring:
Bill Nighy, Iain Glen, Nathaniel Gleed, Kieran Bew, Carl Churchill
Directed By:
Chiwetel Ejiofor

Narrator/Dubbing

The Lion King (2019)
10
5
The Lion King
U
10
5

Lion King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi rule over a huge forest in Africa. Their pride is their son, the lion cub Simba, whom they prepare to be the next king. However, Scar, Mufasa’s younger brother, schemes against Mufasa, and gets him killed. He makes Simba think that he is responsible for his father’s death, and Simba flees the kingdom. However, years later, he meets Nala, his childhood friend, who encourages him to return to his kingdom to avenge his father’s death and take what’s rightfully his.

Role:
Scar (voice)
Starring:
James Earl Jones, Donald Glover, John Oliver

Animation Movies

Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
8
7
Sherlock Gnomes
TV-G
8
7

Shortly after Sherlock Gnomes and his assistant Gnome Watson defeats their nemesis Moriarty, Gnomes is approached by Gnomeo and Julet who want to hire him to investigate the sudden disappearance of other gnomes.  

Role:
Dr. Watson (voice)
Starring:
Emily Blunt, Johnny Depp, James McAvoy, Maggie Smith, Matt Lucas, Michael Caine, Stephen Merchant
Directed By:
John Stevenson

Chiwetel Ejiofor Awards

BAFTA Awards
12 Years a Slave Best Leading Actor 2014