10 Best Viola Davis Movies, Ranked

When Ariana DeBose sang the words, "Viola Davis, my woman king," she was truly speaking for every film lover. The revered EGOT-winner made a splash with her Oscar-nominated turn in 2008's Doubt, kickstarting her career as one of Hollywood's most remarkable and versatile performers. Indeed, Davis is among her generation's best-regarded actresses, known for her gripping emotional turns in a variety of roles.

Davis has the unique ability to leave an impression, no matter the size of her role. Equally excelling in lead and supporting roles, Davis is truly a once-in-a-generation talent who has conquered the stage and the screens, big and small. In a career spanning almost forty years, these movies stand as Viola Davis' best, showcasing her range and raw, unadulterated talent.

10 'The Help' (2011)

Director: Tate Taylor

Tate Taylor's 2011 drama The Help stars Oscar-winner Emma Stone as Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a young aspiring writer who moves back to her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, in 1963. She joins forces with a Black maid, Aibileen Clark, to write a book from the point of view of the town's maids.

In the years since its release, The Help has been rightly criticized for its clumsy treatment of race dynamics. However, the film largely works thanks to Viola Davis' brilliant performance as Aibileen. The actress is profoundly sympathetic and convincing in the role, acting as the film's emotional center and delivering a performance that earned her a second Oscar nomination, her first for Best Actress. Although far from perfect, The Help allows Davis to step into the spotlight and prove her considerable dramatic talents. The actress delivers, elevating an average screenplay and turning it into a beautiful, if not necessarily insightful, portrayal of resilience and duty.

The Help

Based on Kathryn Stockett's 2009 novel, The Help chronicles the lives of two black maids in 1963 Mississippi through the lens of an aspiring white journalist attempting to write a book about them. Emma Stone stars as Eugenia Phelan, with Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer as Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson. The further ensemble cast includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, and Sissy Spacek. 

Watch on Hulu

9 'Doubt' (2008)

Director: John Patrick Shanley

Davis' first Oscar nomination came for her brief but utterly unforgettable performance in the 2008 drama Doubt. Adapted by John Patrick Shanley from his Tony-award-winning play, the film follows the imperious principal at a Catholic school who questions the relationship between a priest and a young Black boy.

Deftly handling its delicate issues, Doubt is mainly a showcase for the acting of its four main actors, all of whom earned Oscar nominations. Meryl Streep is reliably brilliant, supported by the equally great Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman. However, Davis might very well be Doubt's strongest performer. As the mother of the young Black boy, Davis is astounding, capturing a mother's desperation and resignation at a situation she can't quite understand. Her extended scene with Streep is a true acting masterclass, with Davis not only matching but quite possibly surpassing la Streep's energy. Doubt confirmed Davis as an acting giant, effectively launching her mainstream career and, thankfully, leading to bigger and better opportunities.

Doubt

Rent on Amazon

8 'The Suicide Squad' (2021)

Director: James Gunn

The now-defunct DCU received a much-needed jolt of energy with 2021's The Suicide Squad. A quasi-sequel/reboot of 2016's Suicide Squad, the film follows the titular team of villains as they travel to the island of Corto Maltese to uncover a dangerous operation with a hostile alien being. Davis reprises her role as the ruthless Amanda Waller, the squad's handler.

It's impossible to put into words just how much dignity and legitimacy Davis brings to The Suicide Squad. The actress was already perfect casting as the brutal Waller, but The Suicide Squad allows her to fully display the character's tar-black soul. Davis takes the opportunity by the horns, fully embracing Waller's cruelty and playing her villainy with unrestrained gusto. An actress of her caliber could very easily take a paycheck gig and do the bare minimum; however, Davis commits to the role, never half-doing her performance. Her choices as Waller are chilling and effective, becoming the standout in a movie full of them.

The Suicide Squad

Watch on Amazon

7 'Get On Up' (2014)

Director: Tate Taylor

The best musical biopics can be revelatory and truly surprising, depicting sides of well-known figures that audiences might've not previously seen. Get On Up does that for legendary singer and musician James Brown, played by the late Chadwick Boseman. Davis co-stars as Brown's mother, Susie Brown.

Although mainly a showcase for Chadwick Boseman's talents, Get On Up is also a worthy celebration of Davis' gifts. Susie Brown is a challenging figure, tough and complicated, a subversion of the traditional motherly role that so many biopics employ. Ever the risk-taker, Davis does a lot with her screen time, preventing surface characterization by embracing the good and bad in the role. And while the film moves away from her too soon, Davis' performance remains a high point of Get On Up, voicing Susie's concerns, fears, and insecurities with her trademark emotional touch.

Get on Up

Watch on Netflix

6 'Prisoners' (2013)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners is among the past decade's best thrillers. Oscar nominees Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal star as a desperate father trying to find his missing daughter and the detective in charge of the investigation. Davis plays a supporting role as Nancy Birch, the mother of another missing child.

Prisoners is intense and unpredictable, benefitting from a sharp screenplay and Villeneuve's assured direction. The movie belongs to the two main characters, especially Jackman, but Davis is no less worthy of recognition. Despite having limited screen time, Davis crafts a proper journey for Nancy, capturing the character's desperation. As the film progresses and Jackman's character's actions become increasingly violent, Nancy struggles between her shock at his decisions and her desire to find her daughter. Prisoners highlights the conflict between what's good and what's right, and Davis understands that beautifully.

Prisoners

Rent on Amazon

5 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' (2020)

Director: George C. Wolfe

Davis' fourth and so far final Oscar nomination came for her second on-screen pairing with Boseman. The actress stars as the influential singer and Mother of Blues, Ma Rainey, in the 2020 period drama Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which dramatizes a fictional recording session in 1920s Chicago.

Like many stage adaptations, Ma Rianey's Black Bottom can't quite successfully translate its overwhelmingly theatrical language into the film medium. However, none of that matters, considering the jaw-dropping talent displayed on the screen. Davis delivers a powerful tour-de-force as the title character, who, like many of her previous creations, is contentious, openly antagonistic, and confident to stand her ground. Ma Rainey and Viola Davis were a match made in heaven, with the actress giving one of her best performances opposite an equally masterful Boseman.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Watch on Netflix

4 'Fences' (2016)

Director: Denzel Washington

Directed by Denzel Washington and based on August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fences is an acting showcase for Washington and Davis. The pair star as married couple Troy and Rose Lee Maxson as they try to make a living in 1950s Pittsburgh while dealing with the regrets from their past.

Washington and Davis first played the roles on Broadway in the play's 2010 revival, winning Tonnys for their efforts. The film finds them in fine form, delivering suitably theatrical yet no less rich depictions of regret, longing, and the will to thrive against all odds. Davis is heartbreaking as Rose, a character that echoes the lost aspirations of millions of people. For her work in Fences, Davis won multiple accolades, including the 2017 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, and it's easy to understand why: she's subtle yet indescribably compelling in a deeply humane performance that is as relatable as it is powerful.

Fences

Watch on Paramount+

3 'Air' (2023)

Director: Ben Affleck

The fifth movie directed by Ben Affleck, 2023's Air tells a fictionalized version of the origins behind the Air Jordan basketball shoreline. The film especially concerns Sonny Vaccaro's efforts to recruit rookie player Michael Jordan, with Davis playing Jordan's mother, Deloris.

Air soars on the strength of Affleck's assured direction and a collection of brilliant performers, including Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, and Chris Tucker. However, it's Davis who steals the show with her charismatic and authoritative performance. With a single line, Davis commands the scene, bringing strength to this feel-good story about believing in the American Dream. Air is an old-fashioned crowd-pleaser that ultimately thrives because of the kinetic and enthusiastic collection of actors on screen. And while Davis is somewhat underutilized, what she does, she does better than anyone else.

Air

Watch on Amazon

2 'The Woman King' (2022)

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

The Woman King is the ultimate testament to Viola Davis' star power. The actress gives a passionate performance as Nanisca, the leader of the all-female Agojie warriors who protected the Dahomey kingdom from the 17th to 19th centuries.

Davis is spectacular in the role, supporting the entire film on her capable shoulders. Her portrayal is as physical as it is emotional, embodying Nanisca's warrior spirit while showing a glimpse of the emotional vulnerability she has to conceal from others. The Woman King is the perfect kind of blockbuster, effortlessly balancing exciting action with an emotional story, a tough act to pull off. Yet, the film makes it seem easy because it's Viola Davis guiding the action. Her lack of an Oscar nomination remains an egregious snub on the Academy's part, one of many embarrassing mistakes the organization has to live with.

The Woman King

The Woman King is a historical action/drama film about the Kingdom of Dahomey, a powerful nation with an elite warrior force known as the Agojie. The core events follow Nanisca, general of an all-female military unit, and Nawi, an ambitious recruit, who together fight enemies who violated their honor, enslaved their people, and threatened to destroy everything they’ve lived for. Nanisca will prepare her soldiers for a war against the Oyo, another nation that has aligned itself with a group of European slave traders. In addition, Nanisca will seek to free her enslaved people from the Oyo.

Watch on Netflix

1 'Widows' (2018)

Director: Steve McQueen

It's really not an overstatement to say Widows might be the best neo-noir movie in recent years and a classic in the making. The film follows four women who attempt to steal money from a prominent politician to settle a debt their late husbands left before their deaths.

Leading an impressive ensemble, including Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki, Davis is a force of nature in Widows. The film is an exhilarating and affecting thriller that perfectly utilizes its impressive cast in service of a tale of betrayal and justice. Davis is utterly magnetic as the desperate Veronica, who must find the strength to carry on with the plan while fighting her every instinct to get away. Davis' internalized performance is brilliant and fascinating to behold, as the actress' eyes convey a sea of emotions behind her seemingly stoic expression. Widows is a triumph of the heist genre and Davis' crowning achievement so far—although, considering her mighty talent, it's not impossible to believe the best is yet to come for her.

Widows

Rent on Amazon

NEXT: The 10 Best Cicely Tyson Movies, Ranked

ncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kw6q7y5pknZmmnsBuuc6voJ6rXaeur7fEnWY%3D