10 Best Will Smith Movies, According to Ranker

Will Smith famously won his first Oscar recently for his work in Reinaldo Marcus Green’s King Richard, where he played the diligent father/coach of tennis prodigies Venus and Serena Williams. And despite the controversy that occurred at the ceremony, the award remains a commemoration of the actor’s impressive and diverse body of work.

The actor has starred in everything from fun romantic comedies to sci-fi blockbusters to highly emotional dramas. As a fan favorite, it makes sense that the users on Ranker have picked out what they consider to be the best Will Smith movies of his career.

10 Hitch (2005)

Stream On Hulu, Amazon Prime, & Peacock

In Hitch, Smith plays Alex ‘Hitch’ Hitchens, a professional dating expert who helps men find and seduce the women of their dreams. But his beliefs are challenged when a rogue columnist sets her sights on Hitch as her next victim of tabloid gossip.

Hitch is one of Smith’s defining rom-coms, which solidified his position as one of Hollywood’s funniest and most charismatic leading men. The film itself may be on the cheesy side, but it fully embraces this and makes it an integral part of its style.

9 Men in Black II (2002)

Rent On Vudu

Although not quite as widely beloved as its predecessor, Men in Black II takes everything that made the original film work and dials it up to 11. With shape-shifting aliens, mysterious extraterrestrial artifacts, and more spy action than ever before, the film was a major hit with those already invested in the franchise.

Smith reprises his role as Agent J, alongside his partner Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K. The pair have plenty of energy and chemistry on screen, which has allowed their characters to go down in the pop culture hall of fame as some of the most entertaining sci-fi protagonists of all time. They may ultimately just be goofy sci-fi films, but they take that in their stride and embrace it.

8 Enemy of the State (1998)

Stream On AMC+ & Tubi TV

1998’s Enemy of the State represents a different kind of movie for Will Smith, allowing him to adopt a more complex and intricate role in this dangerous action thriller. The story focuses on Smith’s character Robert Dean, who is hunted by government officials when a mysterious videotape is planted on him.

The film takes full advantage of its thrilling and exciting story, including unpredictable twists and turns at every possible moment to keep its narrative gripping. Smith offers a great lead performance, fully conveying the emotions and anxieties of his character as the story progresses.

7 Bad Boys II (2003)

Stream On TNT

Another sequel that’s not quite as beloved as its original, Bad Boys II is one of Will Smith’s more explosive adventures to date. Directed by the ever-exciting Michael Bay, the film follows two Miami Police Department detectives as they trace the flow of drugs into the city.

Bad Boys II is one of those crime movies you can watch over and over again, thanks to Bay’s exciting direction and the unpredictable direction that the storyline takes throughout the film. Not a single second of the film is boring, which is a huge win for such an iconic franchise.

6 I, Robot (2004)

Stream On HBO Max

In I, Robot, Will Smith’s Del Spooner investigates a dangerous murder case with the help of a ‘robopsychologist’ named Sonny. The film asks plenty of interesting questions about what a robot should and shouldn’t be allowed to do, through a thrilling story that keeps its audience on its toes throughout.

Like many of Smith’s films from the early 2000s, I, Robot is an extremely exciting and gripping watch from start to finish. But on top of being entertaining, it’s also extremely insightful. Its analysis of ‘robot’s rights’ is genuinely interesting, and adds a whole new layer to the already-impressive story.

5 The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Stream On Starz

Often described as one of Will Smith’s most underrated roles, his character Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness represents some of the actor’s most complex and heartbreaking work to date. Left by his wife with nothing but his son and an unpaid internship, Gardner is forced to grapple with what it really means to succeed in a world that seems to be against you at every turn.

The Pursuit of Happyness is one of those Hollywood dramas that really knows how to tug at its audience’s heartstrings, telling an important story that’s sure to move even the most stoic of viewers. Smith’s performance is one of the all-time greats, and it would be impossible not to feel for his character in this tragic situation.

4 I Am Legend (2007)

Rent On Apple TV

Recognized by an entire generation as one of the films with the most frustrating endings, the apocalyptic thriller I Am Legend follows scientist Robert Neville as he attempts to find a cure for the virus which has seemingly eradicated the rest of humanity.

The film is loosely based on a 1954 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson, which explores just how far science would need to advance before it becomes too complicated and dangerous for humans to manage. It’s an interesting concept, and the cinematic adaptation takes this to the extreme with a gripping and haunting thriller style.

3 Bad Boys (1995)

Stream On USA

Directed by Michael Bay and starring both Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, the first Bad Boys movie follows two Miami cops as they assume each other’s identities for a particularly dangerous drug deal. Like many of Bay’s films at the time, this is full of intense action and gripping set pieces that are thrilling to watch.

Smith and Lawrence have great chemistry on screen, and it’s their particular charisma that makes the film so easy and entertaining to watch. Their style of comedy works perfectly with this intensely over-the-top story, making for an extremely engaging two hours.

2 Independence Day (1996)

Rent On Vudu

Roland Emmerich has become known for his particular brand of movie, often being cited as the leading director in the disaster genre. His iconic film Independence Day was arguably his most successful, and it’s one that’s become somewhat of a modern classic in recent years.

Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman are all fantastically entertaining in the film, and manage to ground the story in reality despite its incredibly outlandish premise. Like many of Smith’s action films from the ’90s, it’s full of tense set pieces and thrilling narratives that all come together to make a great piece of entertainment.

1 Men in Black (1997)

Rent On Apple TV

Perhaps the role with which Will Smith has become the most synonymous over the years is his character Agent J in Men in Black, who is forced to save the world from an unstoppable intergalactic disaster alongside Tommy Lee Jones’s Agent K.

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, the film has become an iconic feature in the sci-fi genre, which has been replicated and parodied countless times over the years. It’s a testament to the film’s strength, with its entertaining and engaging plot keeping it relevant even today.

About The Author