10 Underrated Films by Kerry Washington You Must See

Kerry Washington’s career stretches across independent dramas, studio thrillers, and stage adaptations brought to the screen. Beyond the headline roles most people know, she has built a rich body of film work that shows range in genre, character, and collaboration with notable directors and ensembles. This list focuses on features that sometimes fly under the radar yet highlight skills that shaped her trajectory.

You will find intimate indies, socially aware stories, and sharp comedies that place her alongside award winning casts and filmmakers. Each entry includes concise context on the story and on key creative details to help you decide what to queue up next without hunting for extra background.

‘Our Song’ (2000)

This independent drama follows three friends in Brooklyn whose summer revolves around school choices, family pressures, and the routine of performing with the Jackie Robinson Steppers marching band. Kerry Washington plays one of the central teens, and the film uses real neighborhoods and nonprofessional performers to ground the story of shifting friendships and choices that shape the coming school year.

Written and directed by Jim McKay, the production blends documentary style street scenes with scripted moments and was distributed by IFC Films. The marching band sequences feature the actual community ensemble, and the film’s intimate scale made it a calling card for several young actors who would go on to larger projects.

‘Lift’ (2001)

Set in Boston’s retail world, this crime drama tracks a talented booster whose work inside high end stores intersects with family obligations and neighborhood loyalties. The story looks closely at how organized shoplifting rings operate inside malls and boutiques, and Washington anchors the narrative as a professional who understands both the hustle and its costs.

Directed by DeMane Davis and Khari Streeter, the film was shot on a modest budget with extensive location work in and around the city’s shopping districts. The production drew attention on the festival circuit for its insider detail about loss prevention tactics, counterfeit reselling, and the way crews communicate to move merchandise quickly.

‘She Hate Me’ (2004)

This Spike Lee joint follows a biotech executive who becomes a whistleblower and then begins a side business as a donor for women who want children. Washington plays Fatima Goodrich, a central figure whose choices connect the business plot with the personal relationships that drive the second half of the story.

The film reunites Washington with director Spike Lee and composer Terence Blanchard, and it features a large ensemble that includes Anthony Mackie, Monica Bellucci, and Ellen Barkin. The production mixes corporate intrigue with social themes that Lee explores through stylized visuals, on location New York photography, and a score that leans on jazz motifs.

‘The Human Stain’ (2003)

Adapted from Philip Roth’s novel, this drama centers on a classics professor whose past and a campus scandal collide in ways that upend his carefully maintained life. Washington appears in the storyline that traces the professor’s early history, adding crucial context to the choices that fuel the plot’s revelations about identity and secrecy.

Directed by Robert Benton, the film stars Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman with supporting roles for Wentworth Miller and Ed Harris. The production combines New England locations with period sequences that track the lead character across different stages of life, and it keeps the literary structure intact through voiceover and parallel timelines.

‘I Think I Love My Wife’ (2007)

This New York set comedy follows an investment banker who reconnects with a former acquaintance whose presence challenges his comfortable routine at work and at home. Washington’s character, Nikki Tru, drives much of the plot as the two navigate boundaries, office dynamics, and the pull of nostalgia inside a contemporary city backdrop.

Chris Rock directed and co wrote the film, which is loosely based on Éric Rohmer’s French classic commonly known as ‘Chloe in the Afternoon’. The project was released by Fox Searchlight and filmed across Manhattan and Brooklyn offices, apartments, and restaurants, with a soundtrack that balances contemporary R and B with light jazz cues.

‘Lakeview Terrace’ (2008)

This suburban thriller follows a newly married couple who move into a Los Angeles neighborhood and clash with the police officer next door. Washington plays one half of the couple, and the story studies property disputes, policing culture, and neighborly boundaries that spiral from minor disagreements into dangerous confrontations.

Neil LaBute directed with Samuel L Jackson as the officer and Patrick Wilson opposite Washington. The film was produced by Overbrook Entertainment and released by Screen Gems, with principal photography in Southern California cul de sacs and hillside streets that emphasize proximity and surveillance across narrow property lines.

‘Mother and Child’ (2009)

This ensemble drama weaves together three adoption related stories that intersect through work, family, and long held secrets. Washington portrays a professional who pursues adoption with her spouse, and the narrative follows the complex process from interviews to placement while paralleling other characters who grapple with biological connections.

Written and directed by Rodrigo García, the film features Annette Bening, Naomi Watts, and Samuel L Jackson alongside Washington. Sony Pictures Classics handled distribution, and the production is known for precise, dialogue driven scenes set in clinics, offices, and quiet domestic spaces that highlight the legal, medical, and emotional steps in adoption.

‘Night Catches Us’ (2010)

Set in Philadelphia, this drama follows former Black Panther members who reunite when one returns for a funeral, uncovering old conflicts involving community activism and police pressure. Washington’s character helps bridge the past with the present as the story examines how neighborhood relationships carry the aftershocks of earlier decisions.

Tanya Hamilton wrote and directed, with Anthony Mackie co starring and music by The Roots. Magnolia Pictures released the film, which uses rowhouse locations, corner stores, and recreation centers to build a portrait of a community reckoning with surveillance, informants, and the long tail of legal consequences.

‘The Details’ (2011)

This dark comedy observes a suburban couple whose life unravels after a backyard pest problem triggers a chain of bad decisions. Washington plays a close friend whose involvement ties several plot threads together, including domestic misunderstandings, neighborhood disputes, and questionable quick fixes that keep creating new problems.

Written and directed by Jacob Aaron Estes, the film stars Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney, and Ray Liotta with Washington in a key supporting role. The production was shot in the Pacific Northwest with a mix of residential exteriors and clinic interiors, and it uses a chaptered structure to track consequences across different characters.

‘American Son’ (2019)

Adapted from the Broadway play, this chamber piece unfolds inside a Miami police station as parents wait for information about their missing teenage son. Washington reprises her stage role as Kendra Ellis Connor, and the film presents the timeline in near real time as conversations with officers reveal conflicting accounts and procedural details.

Kenny Leon directs the screen version, and the cast includes Steven Pasquale, Jeremy Jordan, and Eugene Lee from the original production. The film was released on Netflix with minimal changes to the single location design, relying on lighting shifts, close framing, and time stamped updates to keep the tension focused on policy, language, and family dynamics.

Share the underrated Kerry Washington films you would add to this list in the comments.