10 Underrated Michael B. Jordan Movies You Must See

Michael B. Jordan has built a filmography that stretches from early supporting turns to lead roles across studio releases and intimate dramas. This list brings together projects that show the range of his work in different genres and formats, including theatrical runs, streaming premieres, and a premium cable original film. You will find character details, directors, and release information that make it easy to place each title in context.

The selections include adaptations of real events and novels, a superhero reboot, a war story, and contemporary legal and romantic dramas. Each entry notes who made the film, who starred alongside him, and where the project first reached audiences. Use it to track how his roles evolved over time and to spot collaborations that shaped later milestones.

‘Hardball’ (2001)

This sports drama stars Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane and introduces Michael B. Jordan in an early screen role as Jamal. Directed by Brian Robbins for Paramount Pictures, the story follows a youth baseball team from Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood and the gambler who agrees to coach them. The film pairs a coming of age team narrative with a city backdrop that anchors the setting and the stakes.

Production took place in Chicago and the film opened in North American theaters through a wide release. The ensemble features several young actors playing members of the team, with Jordan’s character included among the core roster that drives the game action and the classroom scenes.

‘Red Tails’ (2012)

This World War II action drama from Lucasfilm is directed by Anthony Hemingway and centers on the Tuskegee Airmen. Michael B. Jordan appears as Flight Officer Maurice Bumps Wilson alongside Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Nate Parker, and David Oyelowo. The film stages aerial combat sequences that track the 332nd Fighter Group during European missions.

The project moved forward under George Lucas as executive producer and reached theaters through 20th Century Fox distribution. The cast list highlights historical call signs and squadron structures while the production design recreates bases, aircraft, and briefing rooms that match the period setting.

‘Chronicle’ (2012)

This found footage style science fiction film is directed by Josh Trank and released by 20th Century Fox. Michael B. Jordan plays class leader Steve Montgomery opposite Dane DeHaan and Alex Russell in a story about three teens who gain telekinetic abilities after discovering a mysterious object. The narrative uses in world cameras to present school life, parties, and escalating power experiments.

The film is set in the Pacific Northwest and presents events through handheld footage, security feeds, and consumer cameras that tie directly to the characters. Jordan’s role places him within the school hierarchy and student election scenes, which the production uses to set up the dynamics before the powers change the trio’s routines.

‘Fruitvale Station’ (2013)

This drama is written and directed by Ryan Coogler and follows the final day in the life of Oscar Grant, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan. The film features Melonie Diaz as Sophina and Octavia Spencer as Oscar’s mother and traces movements across family gatherings, work, and New Year’s Eve travel on Bay Area transit. Location work includes real spaces in and around the station that frames the timeline.

The project premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received both the U S Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award before theatrical release. Distribution in the United States came through The Weinstein Company, and the film’s rollout included festival screenings that brought attention to the cast and first time feature director.

‘That Awkward Moment’ (2014)

Tom Gormican directs this New York set romantic comedy starring Zac Efron, Miles Teller, and Michael B. Jordan as friends navigating careers and relationships. Jordan plays Mikey, a young doctor whose personal life intersects with the pact his friends make about staying single. The script tracks shared apartments, hospital shifts, and family obligations that intersect with the group’s promises.

The film shot on location in New York City and opened via Focus Features to reach a wide audience interested in contemporary relationship stories. The production leans on multiple neighborhoods, including work interiors and city streets, to place the characters in everyday routines that shift as commitments change.

‘Fantastic Four’ (2015)

This superhero reboot is directed by Josh Trank and produced by 20th Century Fox from Marvel Comics material. Michael B. Jordan portrays Johnny Storm alongside Miles Teller as Reed Richards, Kate Mara as Sue Storm, and Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm. The narrative follows a science project that leads to a dimension travel accident and new abilities for the four central characters.

The film introduces a younger version of the team with a research facility setting, lab builds, and testing sequences. Production presents suits, containment rigs, and power demonstrations that outline how each ability functions within the group. Release covered global markets through the studio’s distribution network.

‘Fahrenheit 451’ (2018)

This adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s novel is an HBO original film directed by Ramin Bahrani. Michael B. Jordan stars as fireman Guy Montag with Michael Shannon as Captain Beatty and Sofia Boutella as Clarisse. The story takes place in a future United States where firemen burn books and where surveillance and media streams track citizens.

The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival before its HBO debut that reached subscribers through a premium cable broadcast and on demand viewing. Production created a library of altered texts and digital interfaces to show how information is controlled in this version of the world, and it uses firehouse protocols to detail daily operations for Montag’s unit.

‘Just Mercy’ (2019)

Destin Daniel Cretton directs this legal drama based on the memoir by attorney Bryan Stevenson. Michael B. Jordan plays Stevenson and works opposite Jamie Foxx as Walter McMillian and Brie Larson as advocate Eva Ansley. The case centers on a wrongful conviction in Alabama and follows investigation steps, motions, and court hearings that build the appeal.

The film premiered on the festival circuit before opening in theaters through Warner Bros. Pictures. Production took place in Georgia with courthouse sets and recreation of legal offices that match the era and procedures shown on screen, including visits to state facilities and client interviews that align with actual case records.

‘Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse’ (2021)

This action thriller adapts Tom Clancy material and is directed by Stefano Sollima. Michael B. Jordan stars as Navy SEAL John Kelly with Jodie Turner Smith, Jamie Bell, and Guy Pearce in key roles. The plot tracks covert operations, international travel, and agency oversight as Kelly follows leads tied to an attack on his team.

The release shifted from a planned theatrical run to a streaming premiere on Prime Video. The production mounted sequences that include underwater work, a plane emergency set piece, and urban raids that use practical effects and tactical choreography. The character appears under the John Kelly name and the story includes elements that connect to the John Clark identity from the source material.

‘A Journal for Jordan’ (2021)

This romantic drama is directed by Denzel Washington and based on the memoir by Dana Canedy. Michael B. Jordan portrays First Sergeant Charles Monroe King while Chanté Adams plays Canedy. The film focuses on the journal King writes for their son during deployment and the relationship that unfolds through entries and memories.

Sony Pictures Releasing opened the film to audiences during the holiday corridor with a wide domestic rollout. The production blends stateside scenes and deployment material with the journal as a story device that links timelines, and it uses family spaces and editorial offices to ground Canedy’s perspective as she shares the entries.

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