Benedict Cumberbatch – 10 Best Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 18, 2026

Sherlock is still the best distillation of what he does: fast, cold, precise. The Imitation Game and 12 Years a Slave show his restrained dramatic side, and The Power of the Dog is arguably his best film work yet. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, August: Osage County, Star Trek Into Darkness, Avengers: Infinity War and Doctor Strange round out the list.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

TMDB ★ 6.6

A retired intelligence officer is brought back to root out a Soviet mole at the top of British intelligence.

Directed by Tomas Alfredson · 2h 07m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Benedict Cumberbatch supplies the voice and motion capture behind the dragon.

Directed by Peter Jackson · 2h 41m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

August: Osage County (2013)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A family gathers at their childhood home after their father disappears and decades of resentment spill out.

Directed by John Wells · 2h 01m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

TMDB ★ 7.3

Benedict Cumberbatch plays a chilling, calculating villain opposite Chris Pine's Kirk.

Directed by J.J. Abrams · 2h 12m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

IMDb ★ 8.4 RT 85% Metacritic 68

Earth's mightiest heroes unite to stop a cosmic tyrant from gaining the power to wipe out half of all life.

Directed by Joe Russo & Anthony Russo · 2h 29m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 1 Oscar48 wins & 80 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Power of the Dog (2021)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A domineering rancher's cruelty toward his brother's new wife and her son hides a deeper vulnerability.

Directed by Jane Campion · 2h 07m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

12 Years a Slave (2013)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 95% Metacritic 96

A free Black man is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War South.

Directed by Steve McQueen · 2h 14m · Rated R

Won 3 Oscars244 wins & 338 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Sherlock (2010)

TMDB ★ 5.2

Benedict Cumberbatch's television role redefined the detective for a new generation of fans.

Directed by Guy Ritchie · 2h 09m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Imitation Game (2014)

TMDB ★ 8.0

Alan Turing's codebreaking team races to crack Enigma while hiding secrets of their own.

Directed by Morten Tyldum · 1h 53m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Doctor Strange (2016)

IMDb ★ 7.5 RT 89% Metacritic 72

A brilliant but arrogant surgeon is trained in the mystic arts after a career-ending accident.

Directed by Scott Derrickson · 1h 55m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 1 Oscar21 wins & 68 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, YouTube TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

Benedict Cumberbatch – 10 Best Movies

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

August: Osage County (2013)

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The Power of the Dog (2021)

12 Years a Slave (2013)

Sherlock (2010)

The Imitation Game (2014)

Doctor Strange (2016)

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