The ambitious new vampire movieSinnersrepresents the fifth collaboration between Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, and it’s already cemented itself as one of the five movies starring the celebrated actor that I could watch on repeat.Sinnerssees Jordan shine in dual rolesas the twin brothers Elijah and Elias Moore, known as Smoke and Stack, respectively. The fact that Jordan gives not one but two electric performances in the same movie places him in truly rarified air when it comes to individual accomplishment for an actor.
Michael B. Jordan has garnered his fair share of awards, and his powerful performances are the driving force behind the quality of many of his movies. He’s a true movie star in the sense that he can elevate a script with his performance, and it doesn’t hurt that, as of late, he has only committed himself to some truly exceptional projects in the first place. The list below isn’t a ranking of the quality ofthe movies Michael B. Jordan has starred in; rather, it’s my own personal selections from his filmography that I find myself coming back to.
Josh Trank’s 2012 superhero movieChroniclewas a somewhat surprising hit upon its release. The gripping found footage sci-fi/psychological thriller follows three high school students who gain telekinetic powers from a mysterious crystal that they found, and explores how one of the boys loses control of his newfound power.Michael B. Jordan plays one of the three students, Steve, who is killed when struck by lightning. It’s an underrated superhero movie, but I rewatch it for all the subtle psychological elements that play into the already-entertaining telekinetic action.
Creed III
Cast
Creed III marks the directorial debut of Michael B. Jordan, who returns as his Rocky character Adonis Creed. In the sequel to 2018’s Creed II, Adonis’ life is going well both inside and outside the ring. But when Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors) is released from prison, he makes an enemy of his childhood friend. Tessa Thompson returns as Adonis’ wife, Bianca, along with Phylicia Rashad as his mother, Mary-Anne Creed.
TheCreedfranchise is driven entirely by Michael B. Jordan, and while all three movies are excellent, I find myself coming back toCreed IIImore thanCreed II.Creed IIIfeatures Jordan’s Adonis Creed at the end of his career, which is an entirely new element from the first two movies. Seeing Jordan play a fighter who’s been at the top and is on his way out allows Jordan to bring another layer to his character, and the plot around his former best friend Dame is particularly engaging thanks to Jonathan Majors' performance.
Although Michael B. Jordan directed it, the story forCreed IIIwas written by Ryan Coogler, his brother Keegan Coogler, and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Zach Baylin (King Richard). The screenplay itself was written by Keegan Coogler and Baylin.
Creed IIIis also the directorial debut for Jordan, and he flexes his directing muscles a bit with some of the best scenes in the movie. The best example that comes to mind is the final fight scene in Dodger Stadium, in which the crowd melts away and Adonis and Dame fight in relative silence, their entire focus on each other. It’s a better movie than its predecessor, which at times feels almost too much like aRockyretread despite another strong performance from Jordan.
You don’t need to be a die-hard Marvel Cinematic Universe fan to appreciateBlack Panther. Ryan Coogler delivers an incredible new world in the form of Wakanda, the fictional African nation from which Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa hails. The action is outstanding and the sets and costumes are next-level, but the most impressive part of the entire movie might be Michael B. Jordan. He manages to make his villain character, Killmonger, both menacing and sympathetic, which makes him one of the best villains that the MCU has ever seen.Black Pantheris eminently rewatchable, and Jordan is a big reason why.
For as good asCreed IIIis, it comes up just short of the original entry in theCreedtrilogy. Michael B. Jordan delivers a complex and nuanced performance as Adonis Creed, making him a particularly strong protagonist. It’s obviously a spinoff of theRockyfranchise, but director Ryan Coogler and Jordan manage to make it feel completely fresh and exciting, even with Sylvester Stallone himself stealing some scenes with his Oscar-nominated performance as the aging Rocky Balboa.Creedis among the best sports movies of all time, and it never gets old.
1Sinners (2025)
An Intoxicating Fusion Of Horror, Music, And History
Every one of Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s collaborations has been a critical hit (and most have been box office hits as well), but they may have hit a new high benchmark withSinners. The period supernatural horror movie somehow manages to juggle several genres, knocking each of them out of the park in the course of a single narrative. There are some truly unforgettable scenes, including a two-minute one-shot that shows how music, particularly African-American music, evolved in the past and future.Sinnersis eerie, enlightening, and entertaining all at once.
Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan Collaborations By Tomatometer Score
2025
97%
2018
96%
2015
95%
2013
94%
2022
84%
The entire ensemble cast is excellent inSinners, but it’s ultimately a showcase for Michael B. Jordan in his dual roles. His performances as the more light-hearted, somewhat sleazier Stack and the hard-nosed, business-first Smoke are captivating, and they certainly make the movie more rewatchable for all their subtleties. Betweenthe intoxicating soundtrack, the action, and the layers of history woven intoSinners, it’s a movie I’ll be able to watch and enjoy over and over again for quite some time.
