Ben Whishaw’s 10 Best Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

British actor Ben Whishaw’s impressive career as a stage, film, and television performer reaches back to the beginnig of the 21st century. Whishaw seems to pursues challenging roles, applying a keen emotionality and vulnerability to his projects. Whether he’s playing Q in the James Bond franchise, voicing Paddington bear, or playing Bob Dylan in conceptual biopics, Whishaw’s penchant for inhabiting his characters is clear.

Winning numerous awards at festivals and ceremonies since he started acting, Ben Whishaw continues to wow critics and win praise from filmgoers around the world. This list pays tribute to Whishaw’s expansive filmography by highlighting his 10 best films so far. These films are ranked according to their score on Rotten Tomatoes.

10 Teenage (2014) – 77%

Ben Whishaw puts his distinctive voice to use in Matt Wolf’s documentary Teenage. Whishaw narratives this unique film that seeks to capture the essence and origin of youth culture. Using archival footage and old diary entries, Teenage creates a chronology of adolescence.

Wolf posits the concept of being a teenager developed in the mid-20th century as youths became engaged in protest movements, new subcultures, and higher education. Whishaw’s narration adds the perfect pizzazz to the story.

9 I’m Not There (2007) – 77%

I’m Not There is Todd Haynes’s ambitious homage to musician Bob Dylan. This experimental biopic sees six well-known actors portraying different aspects of Dylan’s persona. Ben Whishaw is one of Dylan’s favorite poets, a French 19th-century writer named Arthur Rimbaud.

Rimbaud’s vibrant, free verse poetry paved the way for the modernization of his art form. In I’m Not There, Whishaw’s Rimbaud provides elusive, philosophical quips throughout the film.

8 Mary Poppins Returns (2018) – 79%

This long-awaited sequel to 1964’s Disney live-action musical Mary Poppins sees Emily Blunt reprising the eponymous role. Set in 1930s London, Mary Poppins Returns sees the iconic character reconnecting with the Banks children – now adults – 30 years after the original film.

Ben Whishaw plays Michael Banks, a recently widowed man raising three children while working at a bank and striving to become an artist. Emily Mortimer plays Michael’s older sister Jane.

7 Layer Cake (2005) – 80%

Before he co-starred with Daniel Craig in the Sam Mendes James Bond movies, Ben Whishaw and Craig shared the screen in the British crime drama Layer Cake. Craig plays a London criminal who goes by XXXX. XXXX works in the cocaine industry, but he aspires to leave the business for good.

Just as he’s ready to wash his hands of his illicit career, XXXX’s mob boss asks him to complete two tasks. One is to purchase one million ecstasy tablets from a man who goes by The Duke. Ben Whishaw plays The Duke’s inept nephew Sidney.

6 Bright Star (2009) – 83%

Bright Star is a sweet, understated biopic that recounts the love story between Romantic poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. The film begins in 1818, and it traces the three-year romance between the pair that comes to an abrupt stop when Keats dies from tuberculosis in 1821.

Abby Cornish plays Fanny in Bright Star, directed by the acclaimed Jane Campion. Keats only reached the level of notoriety he now maintains after his death, and the movie pays homage to his brilliant talent as a writer.

5 Lilting (2014) – 84%

Lilting is a touching romance about a Cambodian-Chinese mother – Junn – grieving after the unexpected death of her son. Ben Whishaw plays the lover the woman didn’t know her son had, a British man named Richard.

Despite the language barrier, Junn and Richard find a way to grieve together with the help of a translator. Through Richard, Junn comes to understand her late son Kai. This delicate tale of loss and reconciliation is the debut feature from Hong Khaou.

4 The Lobster (2016) – 88%

Yorgos Lanthimos’s quirky science fiction comedy takes place in a dystopian world where single people have 45 days to find a partner – or else they will be transformed into an animal of their choosing. Colin Farrell’s character is escorted to a seaside hotel occupied by other single people, and his search for a mate begins.

Ben Whishaw plays a character only known as the Limping Man, another single lad at the hotel. John C. Reilly co-stars, as well as Rachel Weisz.

3 Skyfall (2012) – 92%

Skyfall is the highest rated so far among Sam Mendes’s go at reviving the story of British spy James Bond. The third to star Daniel Craig as 007, Skyfall sees Bond attempting to stop an attack on MI6 – the British intelligence agency Bond is employed by – from Javier Bardem’s character Raoul Silva.

Ben Whishaw plays Q, the head of research and development for MI6. With his technical and scientific knowledge, Q helps Bond stop Silva in his tracks.

2 Paddington (2015) – 97%

This widely popular live-action animated feature brings the story of beloved children’s book character Paddington Bear to the big screen. Ben Whishaw voices Paddington, an anthropomorphic bear who ventures to London from Peru. In London, Paddington is adopted by a family – the Browns.

Nicole Kidman plays an evil taxidermist who attempts to add the rare Paddington to her collection. A coterie of talented British actors co-star alongside Kidman and Whishaw, including Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, and Peter Capaldi. The film is directed by Paul King.

1 Paddington 2 (2018) – 100%

The follow-up to Paddington is even better than the original – a rare feat for family-friendly franchises. Also directed by Paul King, Paddington 2 sees the original cast reprising their roles, with actors like Brendan Gleeson and Hugh Grant joining the mix.

Paddington 2 combines visually compelling animation, feel-good developments, and adventure in an entertaining and sustainable way. The film’s earnest characters – including the title bear – are guaranteed to warm anyone’s heart.

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