Viola Davis – 10 Best Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 3, 2026

Fences earned the Oscar for raw, controlled devastation, the best showcase of what Viola Davis can do, and The Woman King shows she’s as convincing leading full-scale action later in her career. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a transformative, Oscar-nominated turn as the blues legend, Air plays Deloris Jordan negotiating her son’s first shoe deal, Suicide Squad casts her as a ruthless government official, and Beautiful Boy grieves a family tragedy. Doubt, The Help, Widows and How to Get Away with Murder round out the list.

Beautiful Boy (2010)

TMDB ★ 6.0

Viola Davis plays a grieving mother in the aftermath of an unimaginable family tragedy.

Directed by Shawn Ku · 1h 41m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Air (2023)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A Nike executive bets the company's future on an unproven rookie named Michael Jordan.

Directed by Ben Affleck · 1h 52m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

TMDB ★ 6.6

A tense recording-session drama, and Chadwick Boseman's final, devastating performance.

Directed by George C. Wolfe · 1h 33m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Suicide Squad (2016)

TMDB ★ 5.9

A team of imprisoned villains is sent on a black-ops mission nobody expects to survive.

Directed by David Ayer · 2h 02m · 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

The Woman King (2022)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Viola Davis gives a physically demanding lead performance as the general of an all-female African warrior unit.

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood · 2h 15m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV, FXNow · 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

Widows (2018)

IMDb ★ 6.8 RT 91% Metacritic 84

Four widows finish the heist their husbands died attempting.

Directed by Steve McQueen · 2h 09m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award18 wins & 107 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

How to Get Away with Murder (2014)

TMDB ★ 7.8

A charismatic law professor and her hand-picked students get pulled into an actual murder.

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Doubt (2008)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A strict Catholic school principal grows suspicious that a beloved priest has crossed a serious line with a student.

Directed by John Patrick Shanley · 1h 44m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Help (2011)

TMDB ★ 8.2

A young writer works with Black domestic workers to expose the injustices they face in the segregated South.

Directed by Tate Taylor · 2h 26m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Fences (2016)

TMDB ★ 6.9

Denzel Washington gives a stage-to-screen performance with enormous weight behind every line.

Directed by Denzel Washington · 2h 19m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Essential · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · 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.

Viola Davis – 10 Best Movies

Beautiful Boy (2010)

Air (2023)

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

Suicide Squad (2016)

The Woman King (2022)

Widows (2018)

How to Get Away with Murder (2014)

Doubt (2008)

The Help (2011)

Fences (2016)

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