10 Best Mahershala Ali Movies

By Vlad Zakh · December 29, 2025

Mahershala Ali has built one of the most consistent runs in modern American drama, winning two Oscars in three years for roles that share almost nothing except total control. Moonlight is the first, a father-figure drug dealer who shows a young boy kindness, and Green Book the second, a brilliant pianist touring the segregated South. Swan Song has a dying man arranging to be replaced by his own clone, and Benjamin Button gives him a memorable early tugboat captain. Hidden Figures, Alita: Battle Angel and The Place Beyond the Pines round out the list.

Moonlight (2016)

IMDb ★ 7.4 RT 98% Metacritic 99

A quiet, three-part coming-of-age story told with real restraint.

Directed by Barry Jenkins · 1h 52m · Rated R

Won 3 Oscars237 wins & 315 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Hulu, Netflix Standard with Ads · 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

Green Book (2018)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 77% Metacritic 69

A Black pianist and his working-class white driver tour the segregated Deep South together.

Directed by Peter Farrelly · 2h 10m · Rated PG-13

Won 3 Oscars58 wins & 125 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · 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

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

TMDB ★ 7.8

A man born looking like an old person ages in reverse, growing younger as everyone around him gets older.

Directed by David Fincher · 2h 46m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

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

Swan Song (2021)

TMDB ★ 6.8

Mahershala Ali plays a dying man who secretly arranges to be replaced by his own clone so his family never has to grieve.

Directed by Benjamin Cleary · 1h 52m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Apple TV Amazon Channel

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Hidden Figures (2016)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 93% Metacritic 74

Three Black women mathematicians become essential to NASA's early space race successes.

Directed by Theodore Melfi · 2h 07m · Rated PG

Nominated for 3 Oscars37 wins & 94 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

TMDB ★ 7.3

Christoph Waltz plays against type in a rare warm, paternal role.

Directed by Robert Rodriguez · 2h 02m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV, FXNow · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Place Beyond the Pines (2013)

TMDB ★ 7.3

Mahershala Ali has a supporting role in a story about a small-town police force entangled in a decade-spanning saga.

Directed by Derek Cianfrance · 2h 20m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Crown Heights (2017)

TMDB ★ 6.8

A wrongly convicted man's best friend spends two decades fighting to prove his innocence and win his release.

Directed by Matt Ruskin · 1h 36m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Hunger Games (2012)

IMDb ★ 7.2 RT 84% Metacritic 68

A teenager volunteers to fight to the death in a televised contest that keeps her district in line.

Directed by Gary Ross · 2h 22m · Rated PG-13

Won 1 BAFTA Award34 wins & 49 nominations total

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · 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

Predators (2010)

TMDB ★ 6.3

A group of hardened killers dropped onto an alien game reserve must band together to survive, with Adrien Brody leading.

Directed by Nimród Antal · 1h 47m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: 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.

10 Best Mahershala Ali Movies

Moonlight (2016)

Green Book (2018)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Swan Song (2021)

Hidden Figures (2016)

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

The Place Beyond the Pines (2013)

Crown Heights (2017)

The Hunger Games (2012)

Predators (2010)

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