Kumail Nanjiani & Kit Harrington’s 10 Favorite Movies, Ranked By IMDb

Kit Harrington and Kumail Nanjiani star in one of the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, Eternals, playing Dane Whitman and Kingo, respectively. And while they don’t share any screen time, they played two of the best characters in the movie. And when Dane evolves into Black Knight in the MCU’s future, they could have some great scenes together.

However, the two come from very different backgrounds, have very different acting methods, and unsurprisingly, have very different lists of favorite movies. Rotten Tomatoes asked the actors about their favorites, and Harrington’s list and Nanjiani’s list are a fascinating mix of serious actor-driven dramas and over-the-top comedies.

10 Romeo + Juliet (1996) – 6.7

Romeo + Juliet isn’t just any adaptation of the classic Shakespeare tragedy, but a uniquely postmodern take on the material. It’s no wonder why the 1996 movie is one of Harrington’s favorites, as it is such an actor’s film. Actors get to see lines of dialogue that they all spent years learning in acting school, but they also get to enjoy it in such an entertaining and dream-like way.

Instead of swords, the characters wield guns, and instead of riding on horses, the Montagues and Capulets speed around in muscle cars. Even though it’s aimed at a niche audience and postmodernism isn’t for everybody, the result is one of the best Romeo and Juliet adaptations to date.

9 Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994) – 7.1

Four Weddings and a Funeral was a phenomenal hit when it was released almost 30 years ago. The film was made with just $3 million, but it went on to make over $245 million worldwide, which is more than 80 times its budget. And while it isn’t as anywhere near as popular as it was upon release, the British comedy is still held in high regard by Nanjiani.

It’s hardly surprising that Nanjiani is more oriented towards comedy, as he comes from a comedic background himself. And he’s no stranger to writing dramedies either, as he co-wrote The Big Sick, which was a similar surprise hit at the box office.

8 Broadcast News (1987) – 7.2

Again, another pick of Nanjiani’s, there are so many parallels between Broadcast News and the actor’s own work. The 1987 movie is a comedy-drama about a TV news producer who locks horns with a reporter. While the two of them predictably end up together, the realistic day-to-day goings-on at a broadcast network is fascinating.

But what the movie does so well isn’t just the relationship between the two, it’s the way they deal with their high-pressure careers and how they use each other. For what is essentially a rom-com, the movie is so layered and full of three-dimensional characters.

7 25th Hour (2003) – 7.6

25th Hour is one of Harrington’s picks, and it’s unsurprising considering that it’s a masterclass in acting, as it sees Edward Norton at the top of his game. It’s almost like a spiritual sequel to American History X, as it sees a drug dealer (Norton) preparing to go to prison and is a commentary on race in America.

Many fans feel that it’s unbelievable that Norton hasn’t won an Academy Award yet. Between 25th Hour, Fight Club, American History X, and so many others, if anybody deserves the accolade, it’s him. It’s one of the few truly great movies that chronicle the September 11th attacks, and one of Spike Lee’s best “joints” too.

6 The Iron Giant (1999) – 8.0

As another of Nanjiani’s picks, it’s almost as if the actor actively chose a movie to represent each genre, as he has a romantic comedy, a horror movie, and an animated film. The Iron Giant follows the beloved eponymous alien robot as he attempts to hide from the U.S. military and avoid getting destroyed. It’s the most heartfelt animated film that wasn’t produced by Pixar and is one of the very best animated ’90s movies.

There are, again, a lot of parallels between the 1999 movie and Eternals, which could be why Nanjiani was convinced to take the role of Kingo. But, ironically, Kingo is the one Eternal who does want to show the world his powers and let himself be known.

5 The Thing (1982) – 8.1

The 1980s was such a thriving decade for horror movies, mostly thanks to how creative the industry got with prosthetics and practical effects, and The Thing is the crown jewel of them all. Funnily enough, the movie, which is one of Nanjiani’s picks, is about a parasitic alien that takes imitates human beings, a lot like the Eternals.

But the 1982 movie is a lot different from the family-friendly Marvel flick. As any one of the characters could be the Thing, everyone quickly starts to turn on each other and become paranoid. It’s the perfect horror movie, as it’s claustrophobic, full of mystery, and haunting, even when the creature isn’t in sight.

4 Before Sunset (2004) – 8.1

The highest-rated movie of Nanjiani’s picks is Before Sunset, which is a very unique romantic drama. There are really only two characters in the film, as it follows two ex-lovers reuniting in Paris after having not seen each other for nine years.

Before Sunset is the second film of a trilogy, as it sits in the middle of Before Sunrise and Before Midnight, all of which were released nine years apart from each other. Because of the massive gaps in time, each film focuses on a major moment in their relationship, and it’s the realist depiction of love in cinema.

3 Jurassic Park (1993) – 8.1

While there are tons of great performances in Jurassic Park, it isn’t exactly an actor’s movie and it isn’t watched for the groundbreaking portrayals of the characters. But not all of Harrington’s favorite movies have to be so acting-oriented.

Even people with no knowledge of filmmaking can appreciate the movie for its technical aspects, as it perfectly combines practical and digital effects to the point where it’s almost impossible to tell the difference. Between the effects, the epic music, and the action, Jurassic Park is a movie that fans feel managed to live up to its sky-high hype.

2 Some Like It Hot (1959) – 8.2

While Nanjiani is the comedy actor, it’s actually Harrington who lists the highest-rated comedy as their favorite. Some Like It Hot is a timeless comedy masterpiece, and despite being over 60 years old, it still holds up today.

The movie is about two band musicians who are on the run from the mob after witnessing their criminal activity. To hide, they disguise themselves as women and join an all-women band. Few comedies are as well-crafted as the 1959 classic, and it has one of the greatest and most iconic final lines of dialogue ever, with “Nobody’s perfect!”

1 Heat (1995) – 8.2

It must be hard for any actor to resist the appeal of Heat, which marks the first time Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, two acting heavyweights, shared screentime together. Pacino and De Niro went on to star in The Irishman together 24 years later, but while the Martin Scorsese-directed gangster epic is fantastic, nothing beats the heart-racing moment they first meet in the Harrington-loved heist movie.

The casting works on so many levels. Not only are audiences feeling tense because Lieutenant Hanna is meeting bank robber McCauley for the first time, but it’s so shocking because Pacino and De Niro are actually in the same shot. It had been long-awaited, as cinephiles had wanted to see these two together for over 20 years.