Jeffrey Wright in ‘Highest 2 Lowest’. Photo Credit: David Lee.
For over 30 years Jeffrey Wright has been delivering complex and compelling performances on screen.
The actor first gained attention for his title role in ‘Basquiat,’ and since has appeared in such popular movies as ‘Shaft,’ ‘Ali,’ ‘Syriana,’ ‘The French Dispatch,’ ‘The Batman,’ Daniel Craig’s James Bond series, and ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise.
Recently he has appeared in Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ Netflix’s ‘Rustin,’ and ‘American Fiction,’ for which he has received an Oscar-nomination for Best Actor.
His latest film, ‘Highest 2 Lowest’, which pairs him with Denzel Washington and director Spike Lee, opens in theaters on August 15th before being available to stream on Apple TV+ on September 5th.
“All $$ ain’t good $$.”
In honor of his new film, Moviefone is counting down the 25 best movies of Jeffrey Wright’s long and impressive career, including ‘Highest 2 Lowest’.
Let’s begin!
(L to R) David Harbour and Jeffrey Wright in ‘Quantum of Solace’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Quantum of Solace continues the adventures of James Bond (Daniel Craig) after ‘Casino Royale.’ Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M (Judy Dench) interrogate Mr. White, who reveals that the organization that blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) reluctantly becomes the symbol of a mass rebellion against the autocratic Capitol.
“Fire burns brighter in the darkness.”
Years after his squad was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco (Denzel Washington) finds himself having terrible nightmares. He begins to doubt that his fellow squad-mate Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber), now a vice-presidential candidate, is the hero he remembers him being. As Marco’s doubts deepen, Shaw’s political power grows, and, when Marco finds a mysterious implant embedded in his back, the memory of what really happened begins to return.
“Everything is under control.”
Apartment building superintendent Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) rescues what he thinks is a young woman (Bryce Dallas Howard) from the pool he maintains. When he discovers that she is actually a character from a bedtime story who is trying to make the journey back to her home, he works with his tenants to protect his new friend from the creatures that are determined to keep her in our world.
“Time is running out for a happy ending.”
21. ‘W.’ (2008)
The story of the eventful life of George W. Bush (Josh Brolin), his struggles and triumphs, how he found both his wife and his faith—and the critical days leading up to his decision to invade Iraq.
“A life misunderestimated.”
Jeffrey Wright as Dr. Rutledge in ‘Source Code.’ Photo: Summit Entertainment.
When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.
“Make every second count.”
In a broken city rife with injustice, ex-cop Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) seeks redemption and revenge after being double-crossed and then framed by its most powerful figure, the mayor (Russell Crowe). Billy’s relentless pursuit of justice, matched only by his streetwise toughness, makes him an unstoppable force – and the mayor’s worst nightmare.
“Proof Can Be a Powerful Weapon.”
With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) confronts President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – including Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin), and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.
“The fire will burn forever.”
When her idyllic vacation takes an unthinkable turn, Ellen Martin (Meryl Streep) begins investigating a fake insurance policy, only to find herself down a rabbit hole of questionable dealings that can be linked to a Panama City law firm and its vested interest in helping the world’s wealthiest citizens amass larger fortunes.
“Based on actual secrets.”
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow (Donald Sutherland) prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.
“Remember who the enemy is.”
(L to R) Fisher Stevens, Jeffrey Wright, Tony Revolori, and Bob Balaban in director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organized to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition) is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.
The Middle Eastern oil industry is the backdrop of this tense drama, which weaves together numerous story lines. Bennett Holiday (Wright) is an American lawyer in charge of facilitating a dubious merger of oil companies, while Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), a Switzerland-based energy analyst, experiences both personal tragedy and opportunity during a visit with Arabian royalty. Meanwhile, veteran CIA agent Bob Barnes (George Clooney) uncovers an assassination plot with unsettling origins.
“Everything is connected.”
13. ‘O.G.’ (2018)
Louis Menkins (Wright) is five weeks away from being released after 26 years in prison. He is faced with the decision to put his own release at risk in order to protect a young man named Beecher from growing gang controversies.
“The Journey Outside Starts Inside”
Dirty tricks stand to soil an ambitious young press spokesman’s (Ryan Gosling) idealism in a cutthroat presidential campaign where ‘victory’ is relative.
“Ambition seduces. Power corrupts.”
Bond (Daniel Craig) has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter (Wright) from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
“The mission that changes everything begins…”
10. ‘Shaft’ (2000)
(L to R) Samuel L. Jackson and Jeffrey Wright in 2000’s ‘Shaft’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
New York police detective John Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson) arrests Walter Wade Jr. (Christian Bale) for a racially motivated slaying. But the only eyewitness disappears, and Wade jumps bail for Switzerland. Two years later Wade returns to face trial, confident his money and influence will get him acquitted — especially since he’s paid a drug kingpin (Wright) to kill the witness.
“Still the man, any questions?”
9. ‘Ali’ (2001)
In 1964, a brash, new pro boxer, fresh from his Olympic gold medal victory, explodes onto the scene: Cassius Clay (Will Smith). Bold and outspoken, he cuts an entirely new image for African Americans in sport with his proud public self-confidence and his unapologetic belief that he is the greatest boxer of all time. Yet at the top of his game, both Ali’s personal and professional lives face the ultimate test.
“Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.”
A depressed musician (Tom Hiddleston) reunites with his lover (Tilda Swinton) in the desolate streets of Detroit. Though their romance has endured several centuries, it is tested by the arrival of her capricious and unpredictable younger sister (Mia Wasikowska).
The staff of an American magazine based in France puts out its last issue, with stories featuring an artist sentenced to life imprisonment, student riots, and a kidnapping resolved by a chef.
“of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun”
Activist Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo) faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.
“Own your power.”
Denzel Washington in ‘Highest 2 Lowest’. Photo Credit: David Lee.
When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business”, is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.
“All $$ ain’t good $$.”
The brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat (Wright), a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity.
“In 1981, a nineteen-year-old unknown graffiti writer took the New York art world by storm. The rest is art history.”
Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a banker to the world’s terrorists, is scheduled to participate in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro, where he intends to use his winnings to establish his financial grip on the terrorist market. M (Judi Dench) sends Bond (Daniel Craig) on his maiden mission as a 00 Agent—to attend this game and prevent Le Chiffre from winning. With the help of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) and Felix Leiter (Wright), Bond enters the most important poker game in his already dangerous career.
“Everyone has a past. Every legend has a beginning.”
From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman,’ starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne.
“Unmask the truth.”
Jeffrey Wright stars as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in writer/director Cord Jefferson’s ‘American Fiction,’ an Orion Pictures Release. Photo credit: Claire Folger. © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
‘American Fiction’ is Cord Jefferson’s hilarious directorial debut, which confronts our culture’s obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes. Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, Monk uses a pen name to write an outlandish “Black” book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.
