In what seems like only a matter of years, Michael B. Jordan has gone from a promising young actor to one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Jordan does seem like he is destined for superstardom, proving that he can give stunning performances in a wide range of projects.
However, Jordan’s movie career is still quite new with only about a dozen films to his resume so far. While his upcoming legal dramaJust Mercypromises to be one of his more acclaimed films, his released projects so far are a bit varied in terms of quality. Here are Michael B. Jordan’s best films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Hotel Noir (13%)
Hotel Noir is the kind of experimental project that somehow manages to get a lot of big names attached despite being a pretty dull movie overall. The film stars the likes of Danny DeVito, Rufus Sewell, Malin Akerman and Carla Gugino in a throwback detective story set in a hotel.
Jordan has a small role as a charming restaurant worker who is one of the many odd characters to pop up in the story. The movie seems to think it is a loving homage to film noir, but it has nothing new to add to the genre and wastes its impressive cast.
That Awkward Moment (22%)
Jordan doesn’t show up in many comedies and given the reception of That Awkward Moment, he might not return to the genre for some time. The movie follows three friends who awkwardly try to navigate single life and relationship issues.
If that premise sounds rather formulaic it’s because the entire movie is. Despite a charming young cast including Miles Teller, Zac Efron, and Mackenzie Davis, the movie is just an unimaginative version of the same rom-com we’ve seen countless times. It should be mentioned that Jordan is good as the more vulnerable member of the trio.
Fahrenheit 451 (32%)
Based on the influential science-fiction novel of the same name, Fahrenheit 451 is set in a future in which books and literature have been outlawed. Jordan plays a “Firefighter:” a government operative who is tasked with destroying books. However, he soon begins questioning if his mission is right.
The HBO film also starred Michael Shannon as Jordan’s commanding officer. Sadly, the film lacks the hard edge of the source material. The brilliant concept is instead wasted on a mundane thriller and the film’s two incredible actors are given nothing interesting to do.
Red Tails (40%)
Red Tails is a war film that had been in the making for quite a long time. It tells the amazing true story of Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-America pilots who played a pivotal role in the air battles of World War II. Jordan has a supporting role as one of the young pilots.
The inspiring story is brought to life with an impressive cast, but the film fails to do justice to the real-life story of heroism and courage. The result is a cliched and predictable genre with one-dimensional characters.
Hardball (40%)
Jordan made his film debut in Hardball years before his breakout role in the HBO series, Hardball. The sports-comedy-drama stars Keanu Reeves as a sports gambler who agrees to coach an underprivileged little league team. Jordan plays one of the team’s young players.
The movie does have some funny and touching moments and Reeves is a fun leading man opposite the talented young cast. However, the movie is pretty standard in its storytelling and sticks to a well-worn formula.
Creed II (84%)
Jordan returned to one of his most famous characters to date in his first sequel, Creed II. Now a proven success in the boxing world, Adonis Creed is faced with his most personal opponent, Vitor Drago, the son of the man who killed Apollo Creed in the ring.
Bringing Drago, one of Rocky’s more cartoonish villains, back into the story was a risk, but the movie manages to make it work. The story is handled in a grounded and believable way and the performances from everyone are excellent across the board.
Chronicle (85%)
Jordan’s rise to stardom seemed to begin with this unique take on the superhero genre. The found-footage film follows three high school students who discover a strange meteor and begin developing superpowers. However, things turn dark as one of the kinds begins using his powers for evil.
Just as the superhero genre was kicking into high-gear, Chronicle gave a very different look at the genre and presented some very interesting ideas. Jordan also got the chance to show off his movie star charisma which made Hollywood take notice.
Fruitvale Station (94%)
Jordan’s most frequent and most important collaborator to date has been Ryan Coogler. The two young men formed a partnership early in their careers and have made some amazing films together. Fruitvale Station was their first collaboration and told the true story of Oscar Grant, a young man who was shot and killed by a law enforcement officer in 2009.
Jordan plays Grant and gives a staggering performance as a young man trying to turn his life around. The story is incredibly powerful and hard to watch, but Jordan and Coogler’s talents make it a worthwhile experience.
Creed (95%)
The second collaboration between Jordan and Coogler marked their arrival on the Hollywood scene in a much more high-profile project than Fruitvale Station. Creed was a continuation of the Rocky franchise with Jordan playing the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed. In order to make a name for himself, the younger Creed seeks out training from Rocky Balboa.
Coogler proves that it was worth it to return to the iconic franchise after all these years. The story is inspiring, thrilling and moving. Jordan gives a star-making performance and Sylvester Stallone gives one of his best performances as the aging Rocky.
Black Panther (97%)
After starting out with a small independent film, Jordan and Coogler climbed the Hollywood ladder together and reunited once again for the Marvel epic with Black Panther. The movie explores the hidden world of Wakanda as T’Challa takes the thrown just as a rival emerges.
Jordan plays Killmonger, a mercenary with a connection to T’Challa. He helps create one of the best MCU villains as a strong and sympathetic warrior. The movie itself is a wild, entertaining adventure that deals with surprisingly powerful questions and became the first superhero movie to be nominated for Best Picture.
