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The 11 best Morgan Freeman movies, ranked

Freeman has made his career in a variety of starring and supporting roles

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Morgan Freeman posing for the camera
Everett Collection / Shutterstock

Who doesn’t love Morgan Freeman? Even casual movie fans will instantly recognize the legendary actor’s low voice and calm demeanor from a crowd of peers. Freeman has made his career in a variety of supporting roles that make him one of the premier second bananas in Hollywood history.

My first introduction to Freeman was likely his performance as God himself in Bruce Almighty. Needless to say, playing God can be a lot to live up to, but Freeman was perfectly cast in the role. That movie might not be my fondest recollection, but I soon discovered that Freeman had starred in plenty of great movies over the course of his career, including a number that received Oscar love. Freeman is always and incontrovertibly himself, and recognizing him is, at least for me, part of the joy of watching him.

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From morbid crime thrillers to contemplative prison epics, these are the best Morgan Freeman movies of all time!

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11. The Bucket List (2007)

11. The Bucket List
97m
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Stars
Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes
Directed by
Rob Reiner
Watch on Amazon
Death and old age aren’t fun for anybody to come to terms with, but Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman excel in this funny romp through the adventures of two senior citizens living out their dreams before they run out of time. Turning terminal illness into a cause for celebrating life instead of moping through it, The Bucket List is an empowering comedy for all ages.

10. Invictus (2009)

10. Invictus
134m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge
Directed by
Clint Eastwood
Watch on Amazon
Depicting Nelson Mandela is a task only Morgan Freeman could handle. Invictus shows Mandela’s arduous journey to salvaging racial harmony in South Africa through the lens of international soccer. Matt Damon is in fine form as well in this Clint Eastwood historical sports film.

9. Se7en (1995)

9. Se7en
127m
Genre
Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Stars
Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow
Directed by
David Fincher
Watch on Amazon
Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt join forces for one of David Fincher’s best films in Se7en. The two superstars play detectives who have their work cut out for them when a psychotic, biblically motivated killer starts wreaking havoc. Freeman’s character’s age and experience are juxtaposed with Pitt’s character’s youth and raw energy. The ominous tone of Se7en made it one of the defining crime movies of its era.

8. Street Smart (1987)

8. Street Smart
97m
Genre
Thriller, Crime, Drama
Stars
Christopher Reeve, Kathy Baker, Mimi Rogers
Directed by
Jerry Schatzberg
Watch on Apple TV+
Street Smart warns of the dangers of unethical journalism when a reporter hanging on to his last thread of hope weaves a fictional tale of a prostitute for his local paper. Morgan Freeman plays the pimp who thinks the stories might be about him and confronts Reeves’ news writer character in dramatic style. This movie helped define Freeman’s potential and talent throughout the late 1980s and 1990s.

7. Nurse Betty (2000)

7. Nurse Betty
108m
Genre
Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Stars
Morgan Freeman, Renée Zellweger, Chris Rock
Directed by
Neil LaBute
Watch on Amazon
Nurse Betty runs the risk of being a stereotypical thriller following two assassins who stalk a traumatized widow, but Chris Rock and Morgan Freeman’s banter and chemistry give the film a satirical flair. Renée Zellweger balances the movie with requisite femininity in the starring role. The plot runs a little dark, but the dark comedy is inventive and entertaining from start to finish!

6. Glory (1989)

6. Glory
122m
Genre
Drama, History, War
Stars
Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes
Directed by
Edward Zwick
Watch on Amazon
Despite being the most consequential war in American history, the Civil War doesn’t possess as many Hollywood depictions as World War II. Glory is one of the outstanding achievements in film when it comes to the 19th-century conflict. Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman are standout performers as Black soldiers in one of the Union Army’s African-American regiments at a time when non-Whites were obviously persecuted and abused horrifically in the United States. Brotherhood and perseverance are staples of Glory.

5. Unforgiven (1992)

5. Unforgiven
130m
Genre
Western
Stars
Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman
Directed by
Clint Eastwood
Watch on max
Freeman played second fiddle to Clint Eastwood several times over the course of his career, but his work in Unforgiven is among his best. In the film, Freeman plays Ned Logan, a retired outlaw who works with Eastwood’s main character as they take on one last job. Unforgiven is a movie about reckoning with the past, and Freeman plays the character who personifies much of the moral grappling happening in the film. He has remarkable chemistry with Eastwood. Freeman is known chiefly for his remarkable voice, but Unforgiven is a reminder of how much presence the actor has even when he’s silent.
Unforgiven (1992) Official Trailer - Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman Movie H

4. The Dark Knight (2008)

4. The Dark Knight
152m
Genre
Drama, Action, Crime, Thriller
Stars
Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine
Directed by
Christopher Nolan
Watch on max
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy redefined superhero movies in the 2000s with realistic special effects and Academy Award-worthy performances. The second movie in the saga ups the stakes when Heath Ledger’s famous Joker enters the picture and destroys the hopes and dreams of Gotham City’s civilians with unbelievable violence and intimidation. Morgan Freeman continues to play Lucius Fox with enough liberty from the comic book version to separate himself from the source material but still respect the author’s intention.

3. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

3. Driving Miss Daisy
99m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, Dan Aykroyd
Directed by
Bruce Beresford
Watch on Amazon
The main point of a great movie should be to connect us to our humanity. Driving Miss Daisy is a classic story of two people from different walks of life who manifest a transformative friendship. Morgan Freeman plays middle-aged driver Hoke Colburn and Jessica Tandy plays the elderly woman he drives through the countryside. The movie is one of the defining racial equality stories of the 20th century and remains an influential story decades later.

2. Million Dollar Baby (2004)

2. Million Dollar Baby
132m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman
Directed by
Clint Eastwood
Watch on Amazon
If you want a boxing movie that inspires but also deals with human issues far outside of the ring, look no further than Million Dollar Baby. The Clint Eastwood picture puts the gunslinger in a supporting role but lets him manage the film behind the camera. Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman shine as the best performers in the story about a downtrodden boxing studio that trains Swank’s underdog fighter all the way to the top before physical disablement ends it all. Freeman plays one of the trainers at the gym and is a confidant for both Swank and Eastwood’s characters. The movie won Best Picture at the 77th Academy Awards and allowed Freeman to reiterate how perfect he is in supporting roles when he took home Best Supporting Actor.

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

1. The Shawshank Redemption
142m
Genre
Drama, Crime
Stars
Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton
Directed by
Frank Darabont
Watch on Amazon
In a year that included Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction, Shawshank Redemption was the perhaps the shining star of 1994. Based on an underrated and forgotten Stephen King story, the movie tugs at your emotions with a unique and heartfelt saga of male friendship between two prisoners (played by Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins) over a two-decade stretch. The film forces viewers to think of those behind bars in a new light and remember that every person has a story to tell and they deserve a second chance in life.

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Shawn Laib
Shawn Laib
Contributor
Shawn Laib is a freelance writer with publications such as Den of Geek, Quote.com, Edge Media Network, diaTribe, SUPERJUMP…
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