Anthony Mackie’s star status has risen significantly in the past few years due to the changes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although his Marvel character, Sam Wilson, was once just a standout but very much supporting and perhaps even underdeveloped hero, Mackie has now risen to superhero status as he claims the Captain America mantle for himself.
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Although he has certainly earned more fans from his MCU appearances than anywhere else, Anthony Mackie’s entire filmography is filled with great films in many different genres. Between comedy, action, and drama, he can seemingly do it all and isn’t afraid to take risks. The best Anthony Mackie movies prove that he is a compelling and reliable performer, shining in leading roles and supporting bits alike.
10 ‘The Banker’ (2020)
Director: George Nolfi
Image via Apple TV+
Although Mackie is perhaps better known as an action star than anything else, he showed a more dramatic side to his abilities in the underrated 2020 drama The Banker. The film is based on the true story of Barnard Garrett (Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), two African-American bankers who used their resources to help their community.
Jackson adds a quirky sense of humor to the story, while Mackie brings some dramatic sensitivity to the material. The controversy surrounding the film should not dissuade viewers from checking out these great performances. The Banker is a film about quiet dignity and how those who make the most significant social changes are often forced out of history books. Mackie captures the self-respect and diligence that defined Garrett; while he’s a soft-spoken character, his work clearly has significant ramifications on many peoples’ lives.
The Banker
Release Date March 6, 2020
Rating PG-13
Runtime 120
Watch on Apple TV+
9 ‘The Hate U Give’ (2018)
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Image via 20th Century Studios
The Hate U Give proves that the young adult film genre is more than just fantasy series like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. The 2018 film follows the teenager Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg), a high school student who witnesses a police shooting. Starr is forced to question where she truly belongs as she earns support from both her family and friends. Mackie co-stars as King, a dangerous member of Starr’s community who threatens to manipulate her actions.
Although The Hate U Give explores its themes in a way that fits the adolescent audience, Mackie treats the material with the gravity that it deserves. The Hate U Give is a remarkable achievement in young adult storytelling, hinting at the larger systematic issues that exist in the real world. Mackie’s character speaks to the complexity of the situation, and he ensures that the film presents a well-rounded view of conflict within a community.
The Hate U Give
Release Date October 19, 2018
Rating PG-13
Runtime 132
Rent on Amazon
8 ‘Pain & Gain’ (2013)
Director: Michael Bay
Image via Paramount Pictures
Pain & Gain is based on a true story so wild that it would have seemed completely ridiculous if it was presented as fiction. Mackie, Mark Wahlberg, and Dwayne Johnson star as a group of eccentric bodybuilders who attempt to “live the American dream” by pulling off a kidnapping. Michael Bay isn’t a director known for his subtlety, but Pain & Gain is actually quite clever in how it satirizes toxic masculinity. It makes many jokes at the expense of the characters but doesn’t lionize their actions or absolve them in any way.
Making a film about such despicable characters could have been in bad form, but Pain & Gain has Bay laughing at the characters and not with them. This is perhaps why Mackie is so brilliant; he epitomizes a character who, despite his ineptitude, caused significant damage with his spree of crimes. It’s a hilariously dark performance that perfectly complements a surprisingly against-type turn from Bay, making Pain & Gain a refreshing and even thought-provoking misanthropic triumph.
Pain & Gain
Release Date April 18, 2013
Rating R
Runtime 130
Watch on Paramount+
7 ‘Triple 9’ (2016)
Director: John Hillcoat
Image via Open Road Films
Triple 9 is one of the most underrated crime thrillers in recent memory. The 2016 thriller follows Detective Chris Allen (Casey Affleck), the one “good cop” on a unit composed almost entirely of traitors and double agents. Mackie co-stars as Allen’s partner, Marcus Belmont, who is secretly working alongside the criminal Michael Atwood (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Refreshingly, Belmont seems to admit that greed is his only motivation and does not attempt to absolve himself.
The type of film that Hollywood simply doesn’t make anymore, Triple 9 is an ambitious, star-studded action thriller that deals with relevant issues like community loyalty and international espionage. It allows each actor to play into the moral grayness of the material, thus providing a great showcase for its impressive cast. There are heroes and villains in Triple 9, but Mackie plays one of the many characters that are simply somewhere in between.
Triple 9
Release Date February 19, 2016
Rating R
Runtime 115
Watch on Showtime
6 ‘Detroit’ (2017)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Image via Annapurna Pictures
Detroit is a terrifying exploration of one of the most disturbing events in American history and speaks to the current discussion about race relations in the United States. Kathryn Bigelow’s emotional thriller examines the Detroit 12th Street Riots in 1967 and recounts a terrifying example of police brutality. Mackie co-stars as the Vietnam War veteran Greene, who is among the black men tortured and questioned by a group of corrupt police officers. Mackie excels at garnering empathy for Greene, as he is completely terrified of how any of his actions could be perceived by his abusers.
A challenging watch, Detroit bridges historical events with the issues of police brutality that still exist today. It was important to put a face on the victims in order to show how dangerous this situation was. Tense and gut-wrenching, Detroit is a film that unfortunately rings truer than ever and further confirmation of Bigelow’s ability to handle difficult subjects with nuance.
Detroit
Release Date July 28, 2017
Rating R
Runtime 143
Watch on Tubi
5 ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ (2014)
Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo
Image via Marvel Studios
Captain America: The Winter Soldier marked Mackie’s first MCU appearance as Sam Wilson, a struggling war veteran who becomes an ally to Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). It makes sense that Sam and Steve quickly become friends; they feel loyalty to the soldiers they served with but are less enthused about serving a country that they can no longer trust.
The Winter Soldier is among the best MCU movies and the perfect introduction for Sam Wilson as a standalone hero. It teased the larger role he would plan in subsequent films like Captain America: Civil Warand Avengers: Infinity War andwas a significant film within the Marvel Cinematic Universe that proved that the series could subvert notions of what a “superhero movie” could be. Rather than telling another origin story, The Winter Soldier put Mackie and Evans in the middle of an espionage adventure that had more in common with Three Days of the Condor than it did with its predecessors in the MCU.
Watch on Disney+
4 ‘8 Mile’ (2002)
Director: Curtis Hanson
Image via Universal Pictures
8 Mile wasn’t just a breakthrough film for Eminem, as it was also Mackie’s acting debut. Both actors prove themselves with an explosive and surprisingly dark film from the late Curtis Hanson. Eminem stars in the semi-autobiographical role of Jimmy, an aspiring rapper who struggles to get his name out there by competing in freestyle rap battles. Mackie co-stars as Papa Doc, an established and over-confident rapper and gang leader who battles Jimmy in the film’s final moments.
While it could have easily been a vanity project for Eminem, 8 Mile excels as a dark and self-aware depiction of the myths surrounding fame and success. The rapper turns in a surprisingly nuanced performance as a struggling artist whose only path forward is to express himself. Mackie makes himself completely unlikeable; he makes the final rap battle between Jimmy and Papa Doc even more enthralling.
8 Mile
Release Date November 8, 2002
Rating R
Runtime 110
Watch on Netflix
3 ‘Half Nelson’ (2006)
Director: Ryan Fleck
Image via THINKFilm
Half Nelson is among the best films about the fundamental flaws within the American public education system. Ryan Gosling gave a breakthrough, Academy Award-nominated performance as the struggling history teacher Dan Dunne, whose interesting way of teaching makes him popular among his students. Although Dan is making an impact on his students’ lives, he hides his serious drug addiction from both his pupils and boss; he knows that if his secret is discovered, his career will be over. Mackie has a brief supporting role as Frank, a drug dealer that Dan is forced to rely upon.
Films about substance abuse and addiction often struggle to depict their subject in a nuanced way, but Half Nelson does a great job of showing how each character is a victim of a larger infrastructural issue. Frank isn’t malicious but simply ignorant; this makes him a compelling antagonist within Dan’s journey although his actions are never outright cruel, only self-interested.
half nelson
Release Date August 11, 2006
Cast Ryan Gosling , Jeff Lima , Shareeka Epps , Nathan Corbett , Tyra Kwao-Vovo , Rosemary Ledee
Rating R
Runtime 107
Watch on Tubi
2 ‘Million Dollar Baby’ (2004)
Director: Clint Eastwood
Image via Warner Brothers
Million Dollar Baby tells the incredible story of Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood), an aging boxer who agrees to train the rookie fighter Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank). Frankie’s gym is populated by many other boxers, including the ruffians Shawrelle (Mackie) and Omar (Michael Peña). Shawrelle is a bit of a wild card, but he learns a much-needed lesson about respecting other boxers from Frankie’s gym assistant, Eddie Dupris (Morgan Freeman).
Mackie’s role may not have been huge, but he did get to take part in the ensemble of a Best Picture winner. While Eastwood is best known for directing Westerns, Million Dollar Baby gave him the chance to analyze perceptions of masculinity through the perspective of an inspiring sports drama. Million Dollar Baby does not just call out toxicity; it allows characters like Shawrelle and Omar a path to redemption.
Million Dollar Baby
Release Date December 15, 2004
Rating PG-13
Runtime 132
Rent on Amazon
1 ‘The Hurt Locker’ (2009)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Image via Summit Entertainment
Both Mackie and his future MCU co-star, Jeremy Renner, got their breakout roles in Kathryn Bigelow’s gripping modern war drama The Hurt Locker. The film explores the lives of the soldiers William James (Renner) and J. T. Sanborn (Mackie), who both struggle to detox from the high-stress missions that they are sent on during their service in the Iraq War. Although the film is very much James’ story, Bigelow shows how surprisingly similar he and Sanborn are. Initially rivals, the two characters find common ground by the time the film ends.
The Hurt Locker is one of the most grim depictions of modern warfare, showing how a lack of proper communication leads to critical battlefield errors and severe PTSD within the ranks of the men in combat. With its Best Picture victory, The Hurt Locker succeeded in giving Mackie his most significant breakout role ahead of his MCU debut.
The Hurt Locker
Release Date October 10, 2008
Rating R
Runtime 105
Watch on Tubi
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