The ambitious new vampire movie Sinners represents 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. Sinners sees Jordan shine in dual roles as 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 of the movies Michael B. Jordan has starred in; rather, it’s my own personal selections from his filmography that I find myself coming back to.

5

Chronicle (2012)

A Genre-Bending Found Footage Superhero Tale

Josh Trank’s 2012 superhero movie Chronicle was 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.

4

Creed III (2023)

The Culmination Of The Adonis Creed Trilogy

The Creed franchise is driven entirely by Michael B. Jordan, and while all three movies are excellent, I find myself coming back to Creed III more than Creed II. Creed III features 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.

Creed III is 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 a Rocky retread despite another strong performance from Jordan.

3

Black Panther (2018)

Perhaps The Most Well-Crafted Superhero Movie Of All Time

You don’t need to be a die-hard Marvel Cinematic Universe fan to appreciate Black 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 Panther is eminently rewatchable, and Jordan is a big reason why.

2

Creed (2015)

The Rebirth Of An Iconic Sports Movie Franchise

For as good as Creed III is, it comes up just short of the original entry in the Creed trilogy. Michael B. Jordan delivers a complex and nuanced performance as Adonis Creed, making him a particularly strong protagonist. It’s obviously a spinoff of the Rocky franchise, 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. Creed is among the best sports movies of all time, and it never gets old.

1

Sinners (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 with Sinners. 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-sH๏τ that shows how music, particularly African-American music, evolved in the past and future. Sinners is eerie, enlightening, and entertaining all at once.

The entire ensemble cast is excellent in Sinners, 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. Between the intoxicating soundtrack, the action, and the layers of history woven into Sinners, it’s a movie I’ll be able to watch and enjoy over and over again for quite some time.