As film festival season takes full flight, there are plenty of new releases worth keeping an eye on. Lynne Ramsay’s Die My Love is of particular interest, and whilst Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson are the leading duo, we should also (hopefully) see a return to glory for LaKeith Stanfield.
With Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman and the Shane Black-directed Play Dirty also on the horizon, now is as good a time as any to discuss Stanfield’s best 10 performances to date.
Haunted Mansion (2023) will absolutely not be featuring.
Uncut Gems (2019)
Kicking things off is the Adam Sandler-led Uncut Gems. The Safdie brothers have been lauded for their work by audiences and critics alike, so I had very high hopes for this film. Whilst it was solid enough, I was left wanting more. Both the film and Lakeith Stanfield’s performance suffer at the hands of my expectations as he is unable to live up to the anxiety-inducing Sandler showing.
Selma (2014)
Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us has to be one of the most impactful, devastating and important limited series we have ever seen. Five years prior, she directed Stanfield and a number of other terrific black actors to tell the story of Selma, an unforgettable chapter of Martin Luther King’s story.
Colman Domingo, Andre Holland, Carmen Ejogo, Wendell Pierce, Lorraine Toussaint and of course David Oyelowo are just some of the standout performers in a cast full of titans of the industry. Stanfield portrays Jimmie Lee Jackson, a young man from Alabama whose murder was a catalyst for the Selma march—Oyelowo’s King describes it as a “moving of the needle” moment. With very little screentime, Stanfield is still able to deliver something really special in the midst of dozens of powerful performances.
The Book of Clarence (2023)
In the most recent release on this list, The Book of Clarence, Stanfield finds himself at the heart of another supremely talented cast. Playing twin brothers, Clarence and Thomas, affords him the opportunity to put forward two contrasting performances. He executes it perfectly, the pair even playing off of each other at times.
Whilst he hits all the right notes with the satirical comedy, Stanfield’s titular character Clarence also delivers the meaningful and heartfelt dialogue just as well. The film looks great, the costumes and the landscape is great, the music is great, and so is Lakeith Stanfield.
Knives Out (2019)
Benoit Blanc has quickly become a beloved character of cinema in the last few years, and will soon be returning to the screen with the third Knives Out film on the way. Rewinding to where it all began, though, Blanc’s first partner in crime (solving) is none other than Stanfield himself.
Knives Out flows so perfectly from one character to another, and Stanfield’s Lieutenant Elliott bounces off of Daniel Craig’s Blanc in the interview scenes so well. As each little thread is pulled at and Blanc falls further down the rabbit hole, Elliott is right there with him.
The Harder They Fall (2021)
For some, Westerns are a thing of the past. To them I say, you surely haven’t watched The Harder They Fall then.
Headlined by Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler and Zazie Beetz, this all-star trio are just some of the shining lights in this gun-slinging drama comedy. With nerve-wracking standoffs and chuckle-worthy lines aplenty, this is a great platform for Stanfield to display his various acting abilities.
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Straight Outta Compton is a prime example of the San Bernardino native’s fascinating project choices. Stepping into the shoes of Snoop Dogg, this is one of a few films he’s done based on true stories.
Stanfield cuts a quiet figure as Snoop for the most part, operating on the periphery behind Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E. This perhaps highlights when Stanfield is at his best, bouncing off others in an ensemble cast and elevating the final result.
Sorry to Bother You (2018)
Leading performances are few and far between in Stanfield’s filmography, which makes Sorry to Bother You stand out even more. This a unique, black-led sci-fi film that really leans into its whacky nature, the unfiltered creativity of director Boots Riley running riot.
A regular theme on this list has been Stanfield’s ability to play off those around him, and Sorry to Bother You is no different in that regard when the actor is paired with the immensely talented Tessa Thompson.
Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele’s debut feature Get Out is a modern classic, and there is so much to love about it. It’s also a great reminder that actors can make a significant impact on a project even with limited screentime.
Daniel Kaluuya is at the heart of the story, visiting his white girlfriend’s family for the first time. “It’s good to see another brother around here”, says Kaluuya to Stanfield, but nothing is as it seems with the latter who is firmly caught in this web of white deceit. Stanfield excels in another dual role, adding comic relief whilst also heightening the tension.
Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
From one Daniel Kaluuya collaboration to another, Stanfield certainly comes to the fore in Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah.
Kaluuya, as Fred Hampton, a hugely influential figure in the Black Panther Party, starts out as the focus of the film. Stanfield, meanwhile, plays Bill O’Neal, an FBI informant inside the Panther circle who appears to be swept along by Hampton’s powerful words, whilst battling to stick with his assignment.
The writing and the work behind the camera from King and his crew is truly masterful, the way in which the lens slowly rotates back and forth between the two men offering both of their perspectives alongside each other. Kaluuya won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, a category in which Stanfield was also nominated, owing to the way in which their performances bounce off and complement one another.
Short Term 12 (2013)
Although some of Lakeith Stanfield’s more recent performances are more polished, his raw and unfiltered acting over a decade ago in Short Term 12 will remain firmly lodged in your brain for weeks and weeks after watching.
Brie Larson leads from the front in Destin Daniel Cretton’s breakthrough film, but as one of the troubled teens in her care, Stanfield delivers a heartbreaking performance. In spite of his tough exterior, Marcus (Stanfield) is clearly a deeply troubled young man and watching him battle against his environment and those around him is really harrowing to the point that you feel every setback right there with Stanfield’s character.