LaKeith Stanfieldis one of the most talented actors working in Hollywood right now, with some incredible movies and TV shows to his name. Making his feature film debut withShort Term 12in 2013, Stanfield has quickly climbed the ranks of fantastic actors, finding himself in films with incredible talent both in front and behind the camera. These includeUncut Gems,Selma,Get Out,Judas and the Black Messiah, andDonald Glover’s mesmerizing TV series,Atlanta.
LaKeith Stanfield hasn’t really slowed down since he broke into the film industry, and he has several exciting projects coming up that are sure to show off the actor’s immense talent. Some of these includePlay Dirty, a new film by director Shane Black, andDie, My Love, adark comedy horror movieadaption that will feature Hollywood stars Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence.
LaKeith Stanfield leading the cast of a Disney summer blockbuster was certainly a big step in his career, even if the movie ended up being one of 2023’s biggest bombs.Haunted Mansionis the second attempt to make a movie based on the popular Disney theme park ride, with Stanfield starring as Ben Matthias, a cynical astrophysicist who is recruited by a single mother to help her deal with her new home, which is overrun by spirits.
Despite the box office performance of the movie,Haunted Mansionis a fun family-friendly horror-comedy with a great cast that also includes Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, and Danny DeVito. However,Stanfield is the one who carries the moviewith a funny and charming performance that suits the tone of the film but also gives it some unexpected emotional depth. While the story doesn’t quite live up to his performance, he helps to make this an enjoyable time.
The Photographis a movie that further highlights how LaKeith Stanfield can do great work in any type of project as he gets the chance to play the romantic lead in a love story. Issa Rae stars inThe Photographas Mae, a young woman who discovers letters from her deceased mother that give insights into her life that her daughter never had when she was alive. As she learns about her mother’s struggles with romance, Mae embarks on a romance with a journalist, played by Stanfield, writing a story about her mother.
Stanfield and Rae share wonderful chemistry together, with their romance mirroring but also differing from the love story of Mae’s mother that we see in flashbacks. It is an emotional and moving examination of relationships both new and old as well as the fear that comes with opening yourself up to someone new.
Even in smaller projects that might get overlooked, LeKeith Stanfield has been delivering powerful performances.Crown Heightsis a movie based on a story from the podcastThis American Life. Stanfield stars as Colin Warner, a young man living in New York City who is arrested and found guilty of a murder he did not commit. As Colin maintains his innocence even in the demoralizing and brutal prison world, his best friend seeks to find justice for him on the outside and fights for the day that Colin will be free.
Stanfield gives a powerful and complex performanceas a man frustrated by the system that has failed him but unwilling to give up his fight despite the dire circumstances. There are many movies that detail the flawed justice system and prison industrial complex, butCrown Heightsmakes for a harrowing depiction of these aspects while also telling a moving story of friendship at its center.
LaKeith Stanfield stood out in this star-studded Western with a unique twist.The Harder They Falltakes real-life Black figures of the Old West and imagines an adventure in which they all cross paths. Jonathan Majors stars as Nat Love, a gunslinger who is on a mission of revenge against a newly released outlaw named Rufus Buck (Idris Elba). Stanfield plays Cherokee Bill, a gunslinger who is part of Buck’s crew.
The movie is an energetic and fun throwback to Western action adventures of the past, while also finding new things to bring to the genre to make it a truly memorable entry.
In a cast that also includes Regina King, Zazie Beetz, and Delroy Lindo,Stanfield makes a great impression as the soft-spoken outlaw who doesn’t necessarily take pleasure in killing people, but will certainly not hesitate to do so. The movie is an energetic and fun throwback to Western action adventures of the past, while also finding new things to bring to the genre to make it a truly memorable entry.
Early on in his career, LaKeith Stanfield proved he was undaunted by iconic roles as he played one of rap music’s biggest stars.Straight Outta Comptonis the true story behind NWA, one of the most influential rap groups of all time that helped to change the genre of music forever. The movie follows the group’s famous members, including Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E, as they came together, made legendary tracks that shocked the world, and had an eventual falling out.
Stanfield has a smaller supporting role in the movie as Snoop Dogg, one of Dr. Dre’s most famous collaborators and a rapper who went on to have a legendary career of his own.Stanfield is impressive in his brief role, showing the laid-back nature of Snoop. The movie itself is one of the most energetic and riveting musical biopics ever made, with humor, violence, and drama all thrown into one entertaining final result.
Dope
Cast
In Nope, Malcolm (Moore), a geek surviving in a tough neighborhood, sees his life change when he receives an invitation to an underground party, leading to an incredible adventure across Los Angeles.
Dopetends to fly under the radar, but it is a fantastic coming-of-age movie that features some knockout performances. Released in 2015 and directed by Rick Famuyiwa,Dopeis about a group of three “nerdy” friends who find themselves accidentally caught up in the world of drug dealing, causing them to go on a wild adventure of self-discovery. It’s a unique film inthe coming-of-age genrethat deserves more recognition for how great it is.
LaKeith Stanfield doesn’t have that big of a role inDope, playing a character named Bug, who is a local drug dealer that terrorizes main character Malcolm Adekanbi, with his first scene in the movie being him attempting to steal his shoes at school. It’s not LaKeith Stanfield’s most substantial work, butit’s a good performance considering the limited screen time he is given, showing that even early into his career, he had a diverse range.
Sorry to Bother You
Written and directed by Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You is a Comedy and Surrealist film released in 2018. Starring Danny Glover, Terry Crews, Patton Oswalt, and LaKeith Stanfield. The film follows a young man that gets a new job which he initially struggles with, only to begin excelling with practice. Once he finds out what the company is involved in, things get more complicated.
Sorry to Bother Youis a mind-trip of a movie, tapping into surrealism to tell the story of a young black telemarketer who puts on his “white voice” to be more successful at his job. What makesSorry to Bother Youso great is how it plays with the concept of reality, heightening it to perfect levels while being a biting commentary on capitalism and racism in corporate America.
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LaKeith Stanfield is simply mesmerizing inSorry to Bother You, playing main character Cassius Green. Stanfield is tasked with carrying most of the movie on his back, and he succeeds on every level, bringing a certain energy to his performance that fits right into the surrealist aspects of the film. Green is both vulnerable and manipulative and Stanfield is able to highlight the complexities of the character.
Selma
Selma is a historical drama film that retells the tumultuous three-month period when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. marched with others from Selma to Montgomery to rally for voting rights in a historically significant march for civil rights. The film chronicles the prejudice and challenges faced by Dr. King and the violent opposition he faced in the name of peace and equal rights.
Powerfully told,Selmachooses to focus on Martin Luther King Jr.’s campaign to secure equal voting rights by marching from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.Selmawas directed by Ava DuVernay and was nominated for Best Picture at the 87th Academy Awards. It’s an astonishing movie that looks at a monumental historical event with empathy, tenderness, and resolve, and is possibly the greatest film directed by DuVernay.
Playing an important historical figure is never easy, but LaKeith Stanfield gives him so much depth with the limited time he has as Jimmie Lee Jackson.
One of the earliest roles in his career, LaKeith Stanfield plays Jimmie Lee Jackson, a young activist who is eventually shot and killed by an Alabama state trooper following a civil rights protest in Marion, Alabama.His death helped inspire the Selma marches, and Stanfield handles his role as Jimmie Lee Jackson with grace and fortitude.Playing an important historical figure is never easy, but LaKeith Stanfield gives him so much depth with the limited time he has as Jimmie Lee Jackson.
Knives Out
When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, there are suspects aplenty. Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death.
Rian Johnson’s directorial follow-up toStar Wars: The Last Jediis one of the most pleasant surprises of the past decade, asKnives Outis an incredible movie firmly within the whodunit genre. What makesKnives Outso great is how it simultaneously deconstructs and reveres the genre, crafting a mystery with a fantastic, cozy atmosphere. Johnson’s strengths as a writer are on full display in it, and it features a knockout cast of characters.
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Rian Johnson’s smash-hit murder mystery film Knives Out is a fun, comforting, hilarious watch, and there are plenty of enjoyable movies like it.
LaKeith Stanfield fits right into the stacked cast, playing Detective Lieutenant Elliot, who is in charge of investigating the murder of renowned mystery author Harlan Thrombey.Stanfield is great as the character, who is a no-nonsense guy set on solving the mysterious death. He is well-intentioned throughout, which stands out among a group of characters, all who have something to hide.
Judas and the Black Messiah
Judas and the Black Messiah tells the story of William O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield), who is captured by the FBI and forced into a plea deal to gather information within the Black Panther Party. Judas and the Black Messiah was critically praised upon release and won two Oscars at the 2021 Academy Awards.
In 2021, LaKeith Stanfield returned to a historical drama with his starring role inJudas and the Black Messiah. Telling the story of the FBI informant, Bill O’Neal, who would go on to betray Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers in the late-1960s. The movie was incredibly well-received, earning multiple Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Original Screenplay. The film won for Best Original Song.
Stanfield’s brilliant performance makes the eventual betrayal all the more hard-hitting.
Judas and the Black Messiahis some of the finest work that LaKeith Stanfield has done so far in his career, playing Bill O’Neal, whichended up earning him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The complexities of Bill O’Neal are on full display in the film and Stanfield’s brilliant performance makes the eventual betrayal all the more hard-hitting.
