Will Smith’s 14 Best Movies Ranked

14. “I, Robot” (2004)

Despite bing loosely based on Isaac Asimov’s original stories, “I, Robot” is rather uninspired. But thanks to its production design, it looks clean (even sterile), befitting the cold, distant, futuristic world director Alex Proyas creates. And it comes with several gravity-defying action sequences featuring the most acrobatic of robots, to keep blithe fans occupied.

In an uncharacteristically joyless role, Smith is fine as a detective investigating the death of the founder of the robotics company responsible for mainstreaming robots with a human-like consciousness. But it’s Alan Tudyk as a computer-generated robot, and the main suspect, who steals the show. Ultimately, it’s a breezy, entertaining video game of a film, and Smith in its driver’s seat does just enough to hold it together.

13. “Focus” (2015)

“Focus,” which came after “After Earth” was the breath of fresh air Will Smith really needed at the time, and he delivered with his trademark charisma. Always most fun when he’s playing a version of himself, here Smith is confident, charming, and witty, with a dash of vulnerability as a seasoned conman who becomes romantically involved with an overachieving con novice played by Margot Robbie. He’s the mentor; she’s the protégé, and he teaches her the tricks of the trade as they prepare to go after a big score. It’s a fast-paced, slickly executed piece of entertainment that’s satisfying enough, thanks to breezy performances by Smith and Robbie, who seem to be having a lot of fun.

12. “Hitch” (2005)

New York “date doctor” and self-assured smoothie Alex Hitchens (Will Smith) coaches shy Albert (Kevin James) on how to win the love of beautiful heiress Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta), while also trying to woo gossip columnist Sara Melas (Eva Mendes), who is immune to his game. Can the silver-tongued romance expert survive the delicate complications of love?

After a string of mega-budgeted action/adventure blockbusters, Smith tried his hand at the rare rom-com that’s equal parts bromance and romance, featuring lovelorn male characters in a refreshing twist on the genre. Additionally, its New York City authenticity and numerous location set pieces added to its overall charm. 

Much was made of the film’s interracial casting. In an interview with British paper the Birmingham Post while promoting the flick overseas, Smith said the studio (Sony) feared that an all-Black romance would limit the film’s global reach, while a black and white coupling might offend U.S. viewers. The compromise was to headline the movie with a Black man (Smith) and a Latina woman (Mendes). And it worked, despite how odious the reasons behind the sentiment were. The movie grossed over $360 million worldwide, and is still ranked as the third highest domestic grossing romantic comedy of all time.

11. “Ali” (2001)

Will Smith plays Muhammad Ali from 1964 (when he won the world heavyweight championship as Cassius Clay) to 1974 (when, as Ali, he came back to fight and defeat a heavily favored George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire). It’s a boxing movie about the most famous boxer ever, but it’s less about boxing than it is the politics of the time, capturing how Ali navigated some very treacherous socio-political waters.It’s perhaps impossible to fully do cinematic justice to the fascinating life and personality of Muhammad Ali, but Michael Mann’s assured direction and the performances by the main cast (notably Smith’s, which was a career best, and Jamie Foxx’s impressive turn as trainer Drew “Bundini” Brown) combined were enough to make the film more than worthwhile. “Ali” was recognized with a Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar nomination for Will Smith (his second), and a Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Jon Voight as Howard Cosell. 

10. “Where the Day Takes You” (1992)

Conversations about the dramatic turns Will Smith has made throughout his career often omit this one. A year before one of his most celebrated dramatic performances, “Six Degrees of Separation” (1993), Smith made his feature film debut in a little-known indie titled “Where the Day Takes You” (1992), directed by the late Marc Rocco.

Smith was part of an ensemble cast that included other young up-and-comers including Sean Astin, Lara Flynn Boyle, Dermot Mulroney, and Alyssa Milano, in a story that follows a ragtag group of teenage runaways who form a family of their own on the streets of Los Angeles, with drugs, sex, and violence occupying most of their days. Surrounded by a good cast, Smith gets his moments to shine, playing a homeless man confined to a wheelchair named Manny.

It was a good showcase of the talents of its young stars, touring the international film festival circuit, gathering acclaim along the way before its release. It’s a wonder that the film hasn’t been explored more, especially as Smith’s star rose over the years, given that it was his feature film debut.

9. “The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006)

Talented but struggling salesman Chris Gardner (Smith) finds himself and his five-year-old son (Jaden Smith) evicted from their San Francisco apartment. When Gardner lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son endure many hardships in pursuit of his dream of a better life for the two of them.

Directed by Gabriele Muccino, the autobiographical drama was inspired by real-life entrepreneur Chris Gardner’s nearly yearlong struggle with homelessness. The film was well-received by critics, earned Smith the second of his three career Oscar nominations, and remains one of his best reviewed films.

8. “Bad Boys” (1995)

Miami cops Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are two loose cannons who tear up the Sunshine State in search of stolen drugs, which puts them on the trail (and in the sights) of violent French drug lord Fouchet (Tchéky Karyo). He leaves a trail of bodies in his wake and only one survivign witness, Julie Mott (Téa Leoni), who quickly teams up with our heroes in this action comedy.

The chemistry between Smith and Lawrence is the strength of the movie, which comes with its fair share of comedic hijinks, snappy one-liners, bloody shoot-outs, and over-the-top car chases, all at a frenetic pace. 

“Bad Boys” was director Michael Bay’s first major blockbuster, and actress Téa Leoni’s breakthrough role. It also boasted the return of super producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson to the R-rated, big-budget movies that they successfully churned out in the ’80s.

7. “Independence Day” (1996)

One early July day, communications systems worldwide are sent into chaos by a strange atmospheric interference. First thought to be meteors, they are later revealed to be gigantic spacecraft, piloted by a mysterious alien species who are planning to launch an attack throughout the globe that will destroy most of the world’s major cities.

Leading Earth’s defense in a last-ditch effort to save the human race are the Americans, led by Bill Pullman playing an idealistic president, Jeff Goldblum as a techie with unmatched talent, and Will Smith as a cocky pilot who can be serious when he needs to be.

Directed by Roland Emmerich, the movie borrows liberally from almost every significant alien film that came before it, from the original “War of the Worlds” (1953) to the “Alien” franchise. Plot and character development are paperthin, and lapses in logic and reason are sometimes gigantic, but as a slick, fast-paced, spectacle-filled joyride of a summer movie, “Independence Day” worked as a crowd-pleaser, resulting in an international blockbuster that’s still a summer favorite to this day. 

6. “Enemy of the State” (1998)

Attorney Robert Clayton Dean finds his life threatened when he becomes the target of the NSA’s surveillance apparatus after he unwittingly comes into possession of a recording that accidentally captured the murder of a Congressman. Robbed of his identity, he is forced to fight back against rogue NSA agents conspiring to cover up the killing.

It’s a thrill-a-minute, interracial buddy-action movie ride that pairs Smith’s lo-tech Dean with ex-intelligence operative Brill (Gene Hackman), a gadget wiz who keeps Dean out of harm’s way. The car chases, explosions, and high-tech iconography are plentiful as Dean starts to grasp the changing realities of the modern world.

The 1998 movie was perhaps ahead of its time when it comes to issues of National Security and privacy. In 2013, whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked highly classified information from the NSA that revealed numerous surveillance programs, many run by the NSA, with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and foreign governments, which prompted a discussion about national security and individual privacy.

5. “I Am Legend” (2007)

Set in New York City after a virus has wiped out most of mankind, brilliant scientist Robert Neville is one of the last living human beings in New York. Immune to the virus, Neville works to develop a cure while defending himself against virulent nocturnal carnivorous bloodsuckers. 

Directed by Francis Lawrence, the movie succeeds largely on the strength of the performance by Smith (one of his best), who occupies just about every scene, often entirely by himself.

Alongside mostly positive reviews, the movie’s opening at the time was the largest ever for a December release in the United States. Intense and satisfying, it’s the fourth-highest-grossing movie of Will Smith’s career. 

4. “Six Degrees of Separation” (1993)

When liberal, affluent Manhattan art dealers Flan and Ouisa Kittredge (Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing) take in an intelligent and charming young man named Paul (Will Smith), their world turns amusingly upside down. The result is a complex and thoughtful dramedy-mystery about preconceptions and resulting ramifications.

The plot of the film was inspired by the real-life story of David Hampton, a con man who convinced a several people in the 1980s that he was the son of actor Sidney Poitier. 

Directed by Fred Schepisi, it was adapted from the Pulitzer Prize–nominated John Guare play. Its astute direction and fine performances — especially from a young Smith, very early in his career — are largely to thank for the film’s success.

Smith received criticism for refusing to kiss Anthony Michael Hall (his lover in the film) on camera, so the shot of the moment showed only the backs of their heads. Smith later said that he regretted not going through with the kiss, stating, “It was very immature on my part. I was thinking, ‘How are my friends in Philly going to think about this?’ I wasn’t emotionally stable enough to artistically commit to that aspect of the film.”

That blemish aside, the film is a wholly admirable adaptation of Guare’s play, feturing a shapeshifting performance by Smith.

3. “King Richard” (2021)

Over the course of their careers, tennis phenoms Venus and Serena Williams have gone from teen superstars to icons of the sport, collecting an impressive 30 Grand Slam titles between them. The sisters have also repeatedly credited their father as the driving force behind their success. A film that foregrounded his story as a father, armed with determination, a brazen vision, and a 78-page plan for the future of his daughters, was maybe inevitable.

Will Smith assuming the title role drew some initial controversy from critics and fans alike who called out colorism in his casting because Smith is much fairer in complexion than Richard Williams. But the film’s critical and commercial success seems to have drowned out that debate for the time being.

Richard Williams is a larger-than-life character who is still very much alive, which might make even the greatest actors a wee bit anxious. But Smith carries this entertaining and inspirational story of Black fatherhood and perseverance with verve.

2. “Men in Black” (1997)

Barry Sonnenfeld’s visually slick and darkly humorous adaptation of a tongue-in-cheek sci-fi comic book starred Smith as James Edwards, an athletic, mouthy New York City cop who is recruited by “K” (Tommy Lee Jones), a veteran of a secretive government agency that tracks aliens on Earth. Nicknamed the “Men in Black” for their assigned uniforms that include a black suit, shoes, tie, and sunglasses, the agents are assigned to recover an ornament stolen by an intergalactic terrorist (an awesome Vincent D’Onofrio).

The search threatens to plunge humanity into an interstellar war, unless “K” and his new wisecracking partner, renamed “J,” can stop the baddie. Joining them is the unflappable city medical examiner (Linda Fiorentino), who has been zapped several times by K’s memory-erasing device.

The movie deserves much praise for its urbane humor, fantastical though insightful plot, dynamic action sequences, special effects, charismatic performances by its leads, and Danny Elfman’s fun musical score. 

1. “The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air” (1990-1996)

A wrinkle on this list, since it’s a TV series and not a film, but it’s a necessarywrinkle. This is where it all started for Will Smith.

Following an initial successful stint as a rapper, “Fresh Prince” was where he honed his acting talents. And what a gift it was to develop those skills as the star of a mega-hit TV series that ran for six seasons, a gig that surrounded Smith with veteran professionals of stage and screen, including the late James Avery and Janet Hubert-Whitten. Despite any rumors of on-set conflicts, it must have been quite an education for a young Smith.

In 1990, NBC signed the Fresh Prince, then a popular crossover rapper (thanks to hits like “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” made with partner DJ Jazzy Jeff) to a contract, and built the sitcom around him. It was an immense success for much of its run, and it’s not hyperbole to say that, if it weren’t for the series and its triumphs, Will Smith as we know him today probably wouldn’t exist.