Don Cheadle is one of the great character actors in all of film history. He has that unique ability to improve any movie he is a part of just by appearing onscreen. His long career spans a few decades at this point and features of the best and biggest modern films.
Cheadle is the kind of actor who can jump between comedy and drama effortlessly and without missing a beat. It’s no surprise that he has joined a number of great films. But which are his best films? Looking at what critics have to say, Cheadle’s most acclaimed movies are a nice mix of big-budget fun and smaller gems. Here are Don Cheadle’s best movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Hotel Rwanda (91%)
As great as Cheadle is as part of an ensemble, he has proven he can carry a film as a leading man as well. Perhaps his most famous starring role is Hotel Rwanda. This powerful real-life drama stars Cheadle as a hotel manager in Rwanda as the genocide of the early 90s was breaking out. As the violence escalates, he uses his position to save as many innocent lives as he can.
Based on the subject matter, this is a movie that will be hard to watch for some viewers. However, it is worth seeing based on Cheadle’s powerful performance alone which earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Captain America: Civil War (91%)
Cheadle had been a well-established member of the MCU by the time Captain America: Civil War came around. As James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes aka War Machine, Cheadle was the right-hand man to Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man. It’s no mystery which side he picks as the superheroes finding themselves fighting each other over the issue of government control.
The movie balances the typical MCU humor with some heavier than expected subject matter. The action sequences are great, the new characters like Spider-Man and Black Panther are fun, and the film is surprisingly powerful in its climax.
Traffic (92%)
Traffic is one of those movies where Cheadle stands out as a part of a huge ensemble. The movie deals with the war on drugs as seen through a variety of points of view. Cheadle plays a DEA agent attempting to bring down a local drug kingpin, but it turns out to be a mission filled with obstacles and danger.
The film has an ambitious scope, touching on several different and powerful stories that all converge with each other throughout the film. Director Steven Soderberg pulls off the impressive feat, creating an engrossing and powerful look at a real-world issue.
Out Of Sight (93%)
Cheadle has been a frequent collaborator of Soderberg for years now, and their first time working together was in the hugely entertaining crime caper Out of Sight. The film stars George Clooney as a bank robber who unexpectedly falls for a US Marshal (Jennifer Lopez) who is chasing him as he plans his next score. Cheadle plays the villain of the film, a failed boxer turned obnoxious criminal.
The movie has an unrelenting sense of cool about it, with Soderberg’s relaxed style and the stellar cast. In a rare villain role, Cheadle manages to be both intimidating and laugh-out-loud hilarious.
Boogie Nights (93%)
Cheadle was still working his way up the Hollywood ladder when he scored a role as part of one of the finest ensembles in film history. Boogie Nights is Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece about the porn industry in the 70s and a group of colorful characters working in the business. Cheadle plays one of the members of this unconventional family who is searching for his own identity.
The movie is funny and touching at times while being disturbing and heartbreaking in others. It is an epic and beautiful period piece of misfits finding each other in a strange world.
The Guard (94%)
Cheadle has a great gift for comedy but he’s a talented “straight man” as well. The Guard is an Irish crime-comedy that stars Brendan Gleeson as a sharp but lazy cop who is reluctantly dragged into a drug smuggling case by an eager FBI agent, played by Cheadle.
The movie is a fantastic vehicle for Gleeson who gives a hilarious and charming performance as this unconventional hero. He and Cheadle also have great chemistry as an unusual buddy cop duo and the film is filled with great dark humor.
Avengers: Endgame (95%)
After over a decade of films, the first chapter in the MCU came to a close in epic fashion with Avengers: Endgame. The film is set in the aftermath of Thanos’ devastating victory as the remaining heroes deal with the defeat. When the opportunity comes to save the day, they risk everything to make things right again.
Cheadle earns his spot on the small roster of remaining Avengers and is a fun addition for this adventure. The film is filled with humor, intense action, shocking moments and heartbreak. It is a wonderful finale to a ground-breaking story.
Things Behind The Sun (100%)
This is probably the smallest film on the list, but one that has unanimous praise from critics. The small film follows a music journalist who returns to his hometown to interview a childhood friend whose band is beginning to find success. Throughout the interview, dark secrets in both of their pasts come forward.
Cheadle stands out as the put-upon manager of the band, giving a nuanced performance. The story itself is a powerful and dark tale about suffering and guilt.
Hamburger Hill (100%)
It was common for young actors in the 80s and early 90s to get their start as part of a war film ensemble. Such was the case for Cheadle who scored one of his first big-screen roles in this Vietnam film. Based on the real battle, Hamburger Hill follows a group of soldiers who took part in the deadliest battle of the war. Cheadle plays one of the soldiers.
The movie is a realistic depiction of the horrific battle and the men stuck in the middle of it. There is no glamorizing war in this story with the whole thing looking like Hell on Earth in this powerful film.
Fail Safe (100%)
Fail Safe is one of the most unique film productions ever made. Based on the 1964 film of the same name, this black-and-white political thriller was made for television and broadcast live around the world when it originally aired. It is the story of a technical malfunction that causes the United States and Russia to find themselves in a state of war with millions of lives hanging in the balance.
The remarkable production features an all-star cast including George Clooney, Richard Dreyfus, and Sam Elliott. Even removing the fun of the live broadcast, this makes for a thrilling and fascinating throwback film.
