Kingsley Ben-Adir’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

The best Kingsley Ben-Adir movies and TV shows reveal a career that’s on the cusp of gaining full momentum, with whatever the Bob Marley: One Love and Secret Invasion star has in his future building upon an already solid foundation. Born in London in 1986, the UK actor Kingsley Ben-Adir has been an active presence on screens since 2013 when he landed small parts in World War Z and Agatha Christie’s Marple.

While he’d go on to land roles in some UK crime dramas such as Midsomer Murders and Vera in the following years, it was when he joined the cast of Peaky Blinders in 2017 that Kingsley Ben-Adir’s career truly took off. He’s steadily been gaining acclaim ever since, and the best Kingsley Ben-Adir movies and TV shows reveal just how much potential the star truly has.

10

Noelle (2019)

Kingsley Ben-Adir Plays Jake Hapman

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Noelle

G

Family

Comedy

ScreenRant logo

5/10

Release Date

November 12, 2019

Runtime

100 Minutes

Director

Marc Lawrence

Writers

Marc Lawrence

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Shirley MacLaine

    Shirley MacLaine

  • Headshot Of Anna Kendrick

    Anna Kendrick

Noelle is a Disney-made holiday comedy film that follows Anna Kendrick as Noelle, the daughter of Santa Claus. Preparing to take over the family business, Noelle’s brother, Nick, begins to crumble thanks to the pressure of filling in the holly-jolly boots of his father. After taking his sister’s advice to take a breather, he runs away, tasking Noelle with finding him to save Christmas. 

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

2019’s Noelle, the Christmas family comedy from writer-director Mark Lawrence, may not have Kingsley Ben-Adir in the most plot-centric role (focusing instead on Anna Kendrick’s Noelle Kringle and Bill Hader’s Nick Kringle), but the actor still shines through as Jake Hapman. A recently divorced private detective, Jake is hired by Noelle to track down her father, the now-missing Santa Claus.

While Noelle does little to reinvent the family Christmas movie wheel, it ticks all the expected boxes with ease. It also stands as one of the best Kingsley Ben-Adir movies thanks to his performance, which is surprisingly emotional at points (especially when it comes to Jake’s perspective on Christmas as a divorced parent). If nothing else, Noelle proves that Kingsley Ben-Adir is more than reliable enough to take on a role in a holiday outing from a powerhouse studio like Disney.

9

King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017)

Kingsley Ben-Adir Plays Wet Stick

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

King Arthur Legend of the Sword Movie Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

PG-13

Adventure

Drama

Action

ScreenRant logo

6/10

10/10

Release Date

May 12, 2017

Runtime

2h 6m

Director

Guy Ritchie

Writers

Lionel Wigram, Guy Ritchie, Joby Harold

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Annabelle Wallis

    Annabelle Wallis

  • Headshot Of Katie McGrath In The The European Premiere of KING ARTHUR The Legend

    Katie McGrath

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

There have been dozens of feature-length adaptations of the legend of King Arthur over the years, though few are as gritty and modernized as 2017’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Coming from British director Guy Ritchie, who is most known for gangster movies like Snatch and Rocknrolla, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword sees Charlie Hunnam take up the role of the semi-mythical monarch. Among those who joined him in the ensemble cast was Kingsley Ben-Adir as Wet Stick, AKA Sir Tristan.

While critics responded less-than-favorably to King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, it still stands as one of the strongest Kingsley Ben-Adir performances of his career so far. The 2017 movie may not have been the critical success directors like Guy Ritchie are expected to deliver, but Ben-Adir worked well with the script he was given, and managed to stand out in a cast that also includes Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou, and Eric Bana as well as Charlie Hunnam.

Robert Downey Jr. from Sherlock Holmes and Henry Cavill from The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Related

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked From Worst To Best

Between his unique brand of gangster movies like Snatch and Hollywood reboots like Aladdin, director Guy Ritchie has a constant high-quality output.

Posts

8

Soulmates (2020)

Kingsley Ben-Adir Plays Franklin

TV Show

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

Success!

Soulmates

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Soulmates

TV-14

Sci-Fi

Fantasy

Crime

Drama

Release Date

2020 – 2017

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Sarah Snook

    Sarah Snook

    Nikki

  • Headshot Of Kingsley Ben-Adir In The 96th Annual Oscars

    Kingsley Ben-Adir

    Franklin

  • Headshot Of Dolly Wells

    Dolly Wells

    Jennifer

  • Headshot Of Darren Boyd

    Darren Boyd

    Peter

Soulmates is a sci-fi television series that explores a future where a test can determine one’s perfect romantic partner with precise accuracy. Starring Sarah Snook, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Betsy Brandt, the show delves into the profound societal and personal effects of such a technology, questioning love, relationships, and human connection. Each episode features a different story, examining the consequences of discovering one’s soulmate.

Creator(s)

Brett Goldstein, William Bridges

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

2020’s Soulmates is an intriguing sci-fi romance anthology series that originally aired on AMC. While it was canceled in 2023 (despite season 2 previously having been confirmed), the show managed to garner a following thanks to its unique premise and solid roster of cast members – including, in episode 1, Kingsley Ben-Adir as Franklin (co-starring alongside Sarah Snook as Franklin’s wife, Nikki).

Each episode of Soulmates is set in the near future and in the same universe, exploring the ramifications of a technology that can find someone’s perfect match with 100% scientific accuracy. Franklin’s story see’s Ben-Adir’s character trying to remain interested in his marriage despite knowing who his true soulmate really is – a nuanced and complex situation, and one that his performance does an incredible amount of justice. While Kingsley Ben-Adir only appeared in one episode of Soulmates, his time as Franklin ensures it’s still considered one of his best TV shows.

7

The Comey Rule (2020)

Kingsley Ben-Adir Plays Barack Obama

TV Show

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

Success!

0540240_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

the comey rule

TV-MA

War & Politics

Drama

Release Date

2020 – 2019

Network

Showtime

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Brendan Gleeson iN The 66th BFI London Film Festival

    Brendan Gleeson

    Donald Trump

  • Headshot of Jeff Daniels

    Jeff Daniels

    James Comey

  • Headshot Of Jonathan Banks In The 39th Annual PaleyFest LA: 'Better Call Saul' premiere

    Jonathan Banks

    James Clapper

  • Headshot Of Oona Chaplin In The Los Angeles premiere of 'Avatar: The Way Of Water'

    Oona Chaplin

    Lisa Page

The Comey Rule is a two-part biopic released in 2020, which depicts the events surrounding the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath. It explores the contrasting personalities and ethics of James Comey and Donald Trump as they navigate a politically charged landscape that divided the nation.

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The political drama miniseries The Comey Rule is based the book A Higher Loyalty: True, Lies, and Leadership written by former FBI director James Comey. The story is based on Comey’s own experiences during the first presidency of Donald Trump, with Jeff Daniels taking on the role of Comey alongside Brendan Gleeson as Trump.

The Comey Rule is, of course, a complex political drama that required a great deal of skill and aptitude from its cast, all of whom played real-life figures. Kingsley Ben-Adir proved himself to be one of the stand-out names in the roster thanks to his uncanny performance as Barack Obama. While some aspects of The Comey Rule were criticized, Ben-Adir’s performance wasn’t among the negatives many critics picked up on, and fans of his work should consider it a must-watch.

6

Secret Invasion (2023)

Kingsley Ben-Adir Plays Gravik

TV Show

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

Success!

Secret Invasion TV Series Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Secret Invasion

PG-13

Adventure

Drama

Action

Superhero

ScreenRant logo

4/10

4.6/10

Release Date

2023 – 2022

Showrunner

Kyle Bradstreet

Directors

Ali Selim

Writers

Kyle Bradstreet

Franchise(s)

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Cast

See All

  • Samuel L. Jackson headshot

    Samuel L. Jackson

  • Headshot Of Ben Mendelsohn In The Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025

    Ben Mendelsohn

Based on the Marvel Comics event, Secret Invasion is a chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that sees Nick Fury attempting to reckon with an alien invasion that has been occurring for years – without humanity even knowing. Fury discovers that the Skrulls have been infiltrating society for far longer than he realized, and danger arises as plans start into motion.

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

While it’s not the best movie or TV show of his career (though still ranks highly), many viewers were first introduced to Kingsley Ben-Adir thanks to his portrayal of the renegade Skrull Gravik in the MCU Disney+ miniseries Secret Invasion. The show drew considerable attention due to its focus on Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, a fan-favorite character, and so anticipation for Secret Invasion was high by the time it arrived in 2023.

Fortunately, Kinsley Ben-Adir gave a fantastic performance as the leader of the rebel Skrull faction, creating a nemesis more than worthy of going up against Samuel L. Jackson and his beloved tough-as-nails MCU character. As well as being an intense antagonist, Gravik was also nuanced and relatable when it came to his motivations, and Ben-Adir managed to bring these sides of him to the screen with incredible ease.

5

The OA (2016-2019)

Kingsley Ben-Adir Plays Karim Washington

TV Show

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

Success!

03126868_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The OA

TV-MA

Mystery

Drama

Science Fiction

10/10

Release Date

2016 – 2018

Network

Netflix

Directors

Andrew Haigh

Writers

Dominic Orlando, Henry Bean, Damien Ober, Ruby Rae Spiegel

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Brit Marling

    Brit Marling

    OA / Nina Azarova

  • Headshot Of Riz Ahmed In The 24th British Independent Film Awards

    Riz Ahmed

    Elias Rahim

The OA is a mystery drama series that follows Prairie Johnson, who returns to her hometown after being missing for seven years with her sight mysteriously restored. As her baffling reappearance raises questions, she refrains from discussing her ordeal with authorities or family, sparking intrigue and speculation.

Creator(s)

Brit Marling, Zal Batmanglij

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The Netflix mystery-drama The OA arrived on the streaming service in 2016, lasting for two seasons. It was in season 2 that Kingsley Ben-Adir joined the cast to take on the role of Karim Washington, a private investigator. While he wasn’t in the series for that long, appearing only in 6 episodes of season 2 before The OA was canceled, it remains one of the best Kingsley Ben-Adir shows.

Not only was Kingsley Ben-Adir’s performance riveting in The OA, but the mystery series itself is incredibly gripping overall, and it’s one of several examples of Netflix shows that were canceled too early. What’s more, The OA also has clear significance when it comes to Kingsley Ben-Adir’s career trajectory, as it was following his appearance on the show that he landed many much more prominent shows like Secret Invasion and movies like Noelle (in which he also played a detective).

4

High Fidelity (2020)

Kingsley Ben-Adir Plays Russell “Mac” McCormack

TV Show

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

Success!

High Fidelity

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

High Fidelity

Release Date

February 14, 2020

Cast

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Zoë Kravitz

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Da’Vine Joy Randolph

  • Headshot Of Jake Lacy In The Premiere of Hulu`s New Series High Fidelity

    Jake Lacy

  • Headshot Of Kingsley Ben-Adir In The 96th Annual Oscars

    Kingsley Ben-Adir

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

2020’s High Fidelity is a gender-swapped reimagining of the classic 1995 novel by Nick Hornby (who also wrote the likes of About A Boy) and is also partly inspired by the 2000 movie of the same name starring John Cusack. The plot focuses on record store owner Rob Brooks (Zoe Kravitz) as she narrates viewers through the highs and lows of her turbulent love life.

Kingsley Ben-Adir has a highly memorable recurring role in High Fidelity, as his character, Mac, is the most recent lover of Rob’s, and the source of her most painful heartbreak. Ben-Adir gives an outstanding performance as Mac, making the relationship (and break-up) between Mac and Rob feel highly authentic. While High Fidelity was canceled after only a single season, it was incredibly well-received by critics and still sits with an 82% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes.

3

Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)

Kingsley Ben-Adir Plays Col. Ben Younger

TV Show

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Peaky Blinders

TV-MA

Crime

Drama

History

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

9/10

62

9.5/10

Release Date

2013 – 2021

Showrunner

Steven Knight

Directors

Otto Bathurst, Tom Harper, Colm McCarthy, Tim Mielants, David Caffrey, Anthony Byrne

Writers

Steven Knight

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Annabelle Wallis

    Annabelle Wallis

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Ian Peck

Peaky Blinders is a historical crime drama created and written by Steven Knight and starring Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, and Helen McCrory. The television show is based on the gang, Peaky Blinders, a group that banded together after the end of World War I.

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Few members of the Peaky Blinders cast aren’t acclaimed or well-known names. If they weren’t already when they joined the cast of the UK period crime series, such as leading man Cillian Murphy or Tom Hardy, then they were after they appeared. The series is one of the most critically acclaimed of the 2010s and early 2020s, and still has an incredibly strong following.

The show is also significant due to being one of the most important early career appearances for Kingsley Ben-Adir. Ben-Adire may have only appeared in five episodes of Peaky Blinders, but his character Col. Ben Younger ensured they were highly memorable ones. Ben-Adir does an exceptional job from the moment he appears in season 4, and is part of some of the most exhilarating storylines of Peaky Blinders season 5.

2

One Night In Miami (2020)

Kingsley Ben-Adir Plays Malcolm X

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

One Night in Miami

R

Drama

ScreenRant logo

8/10

Release Date

January 15, 2021

Runtime

110 minutes

Director

Regina King

Writers

Kemp Powers

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Eli Goree

    Eli Goree

  • Headshot Of Michael Imperioli In The Los Angeles Premiere Of HBO's Original Series 'The White Lotus' Season 2

    Michael Imperioli

One Night in Miami revolves around Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown, who all join one another in Miami to talk about the Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s. The film was an Amazon Original Movie and was nominated for a total of three Oscars at the 2021 Academy Awards.

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The competition for the top spot among the best Kingsley Ben-Adir movies and TV shows is a fiercely close one – made all the closer by the fact that, in both, he is playing incredibly well-known historical figures. One of these titles is the 2020 drama from director Regina King, which sees Kingsley Ben-Adir playing civil rights activist Malcolm X during a fictionalized meeting with Muhammad Ali, Jim Browne, and Sam Cooke.

The role brought Kinglsey-Ben-Adir the most awards of any project he’s been involved with so far. These include winning the Breakthrough Actor category at the Gotham Awards, and a Satellite Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Had One Night In Miami had the global success of the absolute best Kingsley Ben-Adir movie, it would likely have taken the top spot.

1

Bob Marley: One Love (2024)

Kingsley Ben-Adir Plays Bob Marley

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Bob Marley One Love Movie Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Bob Marley: One Love

PG-13

Biography

Drama

Music

ScreenRant logo

6/10

10/10

Release Date

February 14, 2024

Runtime

107 Minutes

Director

Reinaldo Marcus Green

Writers

Zach Baylin, Frank E. Flowers, Terence Winter

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Kingsley Ben-Adir In The 96th Annual Oscars

    Kingsley Ben-Adir

  • Headshot of Lashana Lynch

    Lashana Lynch

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, Bob Marley: One Love is a biographical music-drama that explores the life of Bob Marley, as portrayed by Kingsley Ben-Adir. The film highlights the ups and downs of Marley’s life and career until his untimely death in 1981.

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The best Kingsley Ben-Adir movie is Bob Marley: One Love, the 2024 biographical drama from director Reinaldo Marcus Green. Ben-Adir leads the cast as the titular reggae icon, bringing the highs and lows from his rise to fame until the point of his death to the screen with an incredible amount of care and authenticity.

While the narrative of Bob Marley: One Love was picked up on as sub-par by many critics, all praised the performance of Ben-Adir in the leading role. It remains a highly entertaining viewing experience and an incredible tribute to the great musician Bob Marley and the legacy he left behind. What’s more, it’s inarguably the strongest performance of Kingsley Ben-Adir’s career so far, and its place as his best movie or TV show is incredibly difficult to dispute.