The 10 Most Underrated Mahershala Ali Movies, Ranked (from Least to Most Underrated)

Mahershala Ali’s filmography stretches from intimate dramas to large-scale franchise entries, with roles that showcase range across genres, budgets, and formats. He has played real people, fictional icons, and even a pivotal animated character—often bringing crucial narrative weight to ensemble casts and headlining projects that hinge on his presence.

This list spotlights ten features featuring Ali and presents them in a simple countdown, moving through franchise chapters, prestige dramas, and ambitious science-fiction stories. You’ll find directors, co-stars, roles, awards recognition, and other concrete details that map where each project sits in his career and in the wider movie landscape.

‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1’ (2014)

Mahershala Ali appears as Boggs, a high-ranking soldier who becomes a key protector and strategist for Katniss Everdeen in the wartime resistance centered in District 13. Directed by Francis Lawrence and adapted from Suzanne Collins’s novel, the film reunites a large ensemble led by Jennifer Lawrence, with supporting turns by Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth. The production continues the series’ shift from arena spectacle to political insurgency, with Boggs operating within the command structure that guides key missions.

The film was produced by Color Force and distributed by Lionsgate, with principal photography spanning large set builds for underground command centers and propaganda studios. James Newton Howard returned to score, and the release strategy included a global rollout across premium large formats. Ali’s character arc introduces tactical planning elements that carry into the concluding chapter, establishing relationships and protocols that drive several set-pieces and narrative turning points.

‘Swan Song’ (2021)

In ‘Swan Song’, Mahershala Ali plays dual roles—Cameron and his genetically engineered replacement—in a near-future drama written and directed by Benjamin Cleary. The story examines a confidential medical program designed to spare families the grief of terminal illness by substituting an identical copy, with Ali’s two performances interacting across mirrored scenes and ethical dilemmas. The cast includes Naomie Harris, Glenn Close, and Awkwafina, and the film was released by Apple’s streaming platform with a limited theatrical component.

Production emphasized grounded futurism: minimalistic sets, subdued color palettes, and practical design for wearable tech and labs. The score and sound design support intimate dialogue-driven sequences rather than large-scale effects, and the cinematography uses close framing to differentiate both iterations of Ali’s character. The role earned Ali nominations from major awards bodies for lead performance, highlighting the technical and narrative demands of playing two versions of the same person in a drama centered on identity and consent.

‘Free State of Jones’ (2016)

Gary Ross directed ‘Free State of Jones’, a historical drama following the anti-Confederate resistance led by Newton Knight in Mississippi. Mahershala Ali portrays Moses Washington, an enslaved man who becomes a crucial organizer and political figure within the community that forms around the rebellion. The ensemble includes Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Keri Russell, with the narrative interlacing battlefield fallout, Reconstruction-era politics, and postwar legal struggles.

Filmed on location in Louisiana and other Southern sites, the production built encampments, farmsteads, and courthouse interiors to track the movement from guerilla conflict to civic rebuilding. Costume and makeup departments documented variations in military and civilian attire across shifting fronts, while the editing structure cross-cuts between personal stakes and broader political developments. Ali’s character ties the military campaign to voting rights and land ownership efforts that extend beyond the immediate end of hostilities.

‘Alita: Battle Angel’ (2019)

‘Alita: Battle Angel’ casts Mahershala Ali as Vector, a power broker in Iron City who controls high-stakes motorball and enforces orders that serve interests far above street level. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau, the film adapts Yukito Kishiro’s manga ‘Gunnm’ with performance-capture work led by Rosa Salazar as Alita. Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, and Ed Skrein round out the principal cast.

The film combines extensive live-action photography with digital character work by Weta Digital and other vendors, using facial-capture pipelines to translate nuanced performances into the CG protagonist. Production design builds out layered industrial neighborhoods, clinics, and arenas, and the action integrates practical stunts with full-CG sequences. Ali’s character functions as a conduit to the unseen power structure, connecting street-level competition, black-market cybernetics, and the film’s overarching antagonist.

‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ (2012)

In Derek Cianfrance’s triptych crime drama ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’, Mahershala Ali plays Kofi Kancam, whose household becomes a focal point for generational repercussions set off by a drifter-turned-robber and a rookie police officer. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes, with a narrative divided into three movements that follow consequences across families and time. Ali’s role intersects directly with custodial decisions, domestic stability, and tensions around responsibility.

Shot largely in Schenectady, New York, the production employs naturalistic lighting and handheld camerawork, particularly in the opening tracking sequence and bank-robbery set-pieces. The structure emphasizes causality: choices in the first movement ripple into the later timelines, with casting and performance continuity bridging the arcs. Ali’s character anchors pivotal scenes that reframe earlier events, reinforcing the film’s interest in legacy, parenthood, and the social context of crime.

‘Moonlight’ (2016)

‘Moonlight’ features Mahershala Ali as Juan, a mentor whose guidance shapes the central character’s early life in a Miami neighborhood. Directed by Barry Jenkins from a story by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the film is structured in three chapters that follow the protagonist at different ages. The cast includes Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe, Ashton Sanders, and Naomie Harris, with Ali’s role concentrated in the opening chapter and echoing throughout later segments.

The production’s visual approach—blue-green hues, close-quarters compositions, and a mix of Steadicam and handheld movement—supports an intimate character study. The film received major awards recognition, including the top Academy Award, and Ali won for supporting performance. Location work in Miami’s Liberty City and a carefully curated soundtrack deepen the setting, while the editing links formative interactions to the adult character’s choices, maintaining continuity between chapters.

‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ (2008)

David Fincher’s ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ casts Mahershala Ali as Tizzy Weathers, a musician connected to the protagonist’s early years. Starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, the film adapts F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story into a decades-spanning romance framed by a diary and hospital bedside narration. The ensemble also includes Taraji P. Henson and Julia Ormond.

The production is noted for its digital makeup and aging techniques developed with multiple VFX houses, integrating body doubles, facial capture, and compositing to create the title character’s reverse-aging effect. The film earned multiple Academy Awards for technical achievements, and its period recreation covers wartime sequences, jazz-club interiors, and coastal settings. Ali’s character situates the protagonist within a community of working musicians and caregivers, linking personal identity to the film’s broader meditation on time.

‘Hidden Figures’ (2016)

In ‘Hidden Figures’, Mahershala Ali portrays Jim Johnson, whose relationship with NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson develops alongside the film’s depiction of the Space Task Group and human-computer teams. Theodore Melfi directs an ensemble led by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe, with supporting turns by Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, and Glen Powell. The narrative follows critical calculations for orbital missions and the workplace dynamics that shape access to resources and roles.

The film was produced by Fox 2000 Pictures and shot across stages and locations that reconstructed control rooms, computation offices, and wind-tunnel facilities. It received major awards attention, including a nomination for Best Picture and a Screen Actors Guild ensemble win. Ali’s character intersects with domestic and social contexts surrounding the NASA storyline, providing scenes that connect professional milestones with family life and community support systems.

‘Green Book’ (2018)

‘Green Book’ stars Mahershala Ali as concert pianist Dr. Don Shirley, with Viggo Mortensen as driver and bodyguard Tony Vallelonga on a concert tour through the American South. Directed by Peter Farrelly, the film traces venue bookings, travel logistics, and the use of the travel handbook that gives the film its title. The production includes concert hall interiors, roadside establishments, and private residences that mark the tour’s progression.

The film earned the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Ali received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal. The soundtrack integrates classical repertoire performed on screen, and production design pays close attention to performance spaces and period transportation. The release strategy combined festival premieres with a platform rollout that expanded based on audience response, culminating in a strong awards-season presence.

‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)

In ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, Mahershala Ali voices Aaron Davis, whose dual identity as the Prowler adds personal stakes to Miles Morales’s origin story. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, the film blends multiple animation techniques to emulate comic-book textures, halftone shading, and motion blur inspired by print artifacts. The voice cast features Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, and Liev Schreiber.

The production introduced a distinctive pipeline that layered 2D and 3D elements, with animators adjusting frame rates and line work to create stylized movement across dimensions. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and influenced subsequent projects with its visual language. Ali’s character is central to the emotional throughline, linking family dynamics, vigilante identities, and the film’s multiverse structure.

Share your favorite under-the-radar Mahershala Ali performances in the comments and tell us which titles you’d add to the list!