Posted on Mar 5, 2023

I Ranked Every Will Smith Movie From Worst To Best And I'm Sticking By It

Will Smith has proven he has the range in over 30 movies in the last 30 years.

by Angela Andaloro

BuzzFeed Contributor

1996 actor Will Smith poses for a portrait in Los Angeles, California

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones aiming their weapons towards the sky in a scene from the film 'Men In Black', 1997

This film was Will Smith's baby and put his son Jaden into the main character slot, but it wasn't all Smith wanted it to be. Smith is really sullen in the movie, and based on its response, took an 18-month hiatus from acting. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

This film was Will Smith's baby and put his son Jaden into the main character slot, but it wasn't all Smith wanted it to be. Smith is really sullen in the movie, and based on its response, took an 18-month hiatus from acting.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

This film was Will Smith's baby and put his son Jaden into the main character slot, but it wasn't all Smith wanted it to be. Smith is really sullen in the movie, and based on its response, took an 18-month hiatus from acting.

A sci-fi western seems absolutely crazy, but in the last grasp of the '90s, it made perfect sense. There's a lot this film has going for it, but it falls a little flat on humor, which it could have used a healthy dose of. — Peters Entertainment / Via youtube.com

A sci-fi western seems absolutely crazy, but in the last grasp of the '90s, it made perfect sense. There's a lot this film has going for it, but it falls a little flat on humor, which it could have used a healthy dose of.

Peters Entertainment / Via youtube.com

A sci-fi western seems absolutely crazy, but in the last grasp of the '90s, it made perfect sense. There's a lot this film has going for it, but it falls a little flat on humor, which it could have used a healthy dose of.

The Legend of Bagger Vance is a movie that simply wouldn't happen today, relying on the "magical negro" trope, with Spike Lee using Smith's role as an example of the term after the Robert Redford film debuted. — Dreamworks Pictures / Via youtube.com

The Legend of Bagger Vance is a movie that simply wouldn't happen today, relying on the "magical negro" trope, with Spike Lee using Smith's role as an example of the term after the Robert Redford film debuted.

Dreamworks Pictures / Via youtube.com

The Legend of Bagger Vance is a movie that simply wouldn't happen today, relying on the "magical negro" trope, with Spike Lee using Smith's role as an example of the term after the Robert Redford film debuted.

Collateral Beauty had a downer plot where Smith's character was trying to be ousted from his position at his company after becoming depressed about his daughter's death. Smith carried the performance well enough, but it was just flat in a movie with few redeeming qualities. — New Line Cinema / Via youtube.com

Collateral Beauty had a downer plot where Smith's character was trying to be ousted from his position at his company after becoming depressed about his daughter's death. Smith carried the performance well enough, but it was just flat in a movie with few redeeming qualities.

New Line Cinema / Via youtube.com

Collateral Beauty had a downer plot where Smith's character was trying to be ousted from his position at his company after becoming depressed about his daughter's death. Smith carried the performance well enough, but it was just flat in a movie with few redeeming qualities.

WIll Smith makes a short but unforgettable cameo as an ESPN reporter that is unexpected but delightful. — Apatow Productions / Via youtube.com

WIll Smith makes a short but unforgettable cameo as an ESPN reporter that is unexpected but delightful.

Apatow Productions / Via youtube.com

WIll Smith makes a short but unforgettable cameo as an ESPN reporter that is unexpected but delightful.

Seven Pounds is another movie with a Will Smith production credit that just...isn't his best. The plot isn't tight, and it's also another deeply depressing title that doesn't feel like the best use of his talents. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Seven Pounds is another movie with a Will Smith production credit that just...isn't his best. The plot isn't tight, and it's also another deeply depressing title that doesn't feel like the best use of his talents.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Seven Pounds is another movie with a Will Smith production credit that just...isn't his best. The plot isn't tight, and it's also another deeply depressing title that doesn't feel like the best use of his talents.

Another really fun cameo by Smith, he appeared in this film to fulfill a bucket-list wish to partake in a Bollywood movie. — Dharma Productions / Via youtube.com

Another really fun cameo by Smith, he appeared in this film to fulfill a bucket-list wish to partake in a Bollywood movie.

Dharma Productions / Via youtube.com

Another really fun cameo by Smith, he appeared in this film to fulfill a bucket-list wish to partake in a Bollywood movie.

Will Smith makes his first-ever movie appearance and quickly gets beat up. — CineTel Films / Via youtube.com

Will Smith makes his first-ever movie appearance and quickly gets beat up.

CineTel Films / Via youtube.com

Will Smith makes his first-ever movie appearance and quickly gets beat up.

Made in America was Smith's second movie role and showed what kind of charisma he could have, acting as Nia Long's love interest. — Le Studio Canal+ / Via youtube.com

Made in America was Smith's second movie role and showed what kind of charisma he could have, acting as Nia Long's love interest.

Le Studio Canal+ / Via youtube.com

Made in America was Smith's second movie role and showed what kind of charisma he could have, acting as Nia Long's love interest.

It seemed the consensus on Men in Black 3 was that it was better than MIBII and gave the franchise new life. That said, it wasn't a knock out of the park either. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

It seemed the consensus on Men in Black 3 was that it was better than MIBII and gave the franchise new life. That said, it wasn't a knock out of the park either.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

It seemed the consensus on Men in Black 3 was that it was better than MIBII and gave the franchise new life. That said, it wasn't a knock out of the park either.

Will Smith plays a small but important role as the Devil himself in Winter's Tale, a solid playful cameo. — Village Roadshow Pictures / Via youtube.com

Will Smith plays a small but important role as the Devil himself in Winter's Tale, a solid playful cameo.

Village Roadshow Pictures / Via youtube.com

Will Smith plays a small but important role as the Devil himself in Winter's Tale, a solid playful cameo.

Opinions on Suicide Squad were very polarized, but many will agree that Smith's dynamic with Margot Robbie carried much of this film's upside. — Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com

Opinions on Suicide Squad were very polarized, but many will agree that Smith's dynamic with Margot Robbie carried much of this film's upside.

Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com

Opinions on Suicide Squad were very polarized, but many will agree that Smith's dynamic with Margot Robbie carried much of this film's upside.

Shark Tale dates itself with a lot of pop-culture-reliant humor and was probably a cornier moment for Smith than he originally intended. Some humor played at kids, and other moments were definitely better suited for adults, leaving some holes in the dialogue where things go over their heads. — Dreamworks Animation / Via youtube.com

Shark Tale dates itself with a lot of pop-culture-reliant humor and was probably a cornier moment for Smith than he originally intended. Some humor played at kids, and other moments were definitely better suited for adults, leaving some holes in the dialogue where things go over their heads.

Dreamworks Animation / Via youtube.com

Shark Tale dates itself with a lot of pop-culture-reliant humor and was probably a cornier moment for Smith than he originally intended. Some humor played at kids, and other moments were definitely better suited for adults, leaving some holes in the dialogue where things go over their heads.

Smith had big shoes to fill, providing a different take on the genie made famous by the late Robin Williams. He delivers a performance that suits the movie, but still feels a little less-than compared to its predecessor. — Disney / Via youtube.com

Smith had big shoes to fill, providing a different take on the genie made famous by the late Robin Williams. He delivers a performance that suits the movie, but still feels a little less-than compared to its predecessor.

Disney / Via youtube.com

Smith had big shoes to fill, providing a different take on the genie made famous by the late Robin Williams. He delivers a performance that suits the movie, but still feels a little less-than compared to its predecessor.

Many viewers have agreed that while Smith is fine in this sci-fi buddy cop action-comedy, his usual on-screen charisma doesn't quite shine through. — Netflix / Via youtube.com

Many viewers have agreed that while Smith is fine in this sci-fi buddy cop action-comedy, his usual on-screen charisma doesn't quite shine through.

Netflix / Via youtube.com

Many viewers have agreed that while Smith is fine in this sci-fi buddy cop action-comedy, his usual on-screen charisma doesn't quite shine through.

Will Smith brings the laughs in this animated family adventure flick. — 20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com

Will Smith brings the laughs in this animated family adventure flick.

20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com

Will Smith brings the laughs in this animated family adventure flick.

Enemy of the State solidified Will Smith as an action star in a political thriller that wasn't always realistic but did put him in a strong position in the film and his career at that point. — Touchstone Pictures / Via youtube.com

Enemy of the State solidified Will Smith as an action star in a political thriller that wasn't always realistic but did put him in a strong position in the film and his career at that point.

Touchstone Pictures / Via youtube.com

Enemy of the State solidified Will Smith as an action star in a political thriller that wasn't always realistic but did put him in a strong position in the film and his career at that point.

Emancipation brings action movie energy to a historically grounded film in a way that doesn't work for everyone. Smith is pushed to physical limits in a movie that relies more on that component than the dialogue magic Smith often relies on. — Apple TV+ / Via youtube.com

Emancipation brings action movie energy to a historically grounded film in a way that doesn't work for everyone. Smith is pushed to physical limits in a movie that relies more on that component than the dialogue magic Smith often relies on.

Apple TV+ / Via youtube.com

Emancipation brings action movie energy to a historically grounded film in a way that doesn't work for everyone. Smith is pushed to physical limits in a movie that relies more on that component than the dialogue magic Smith often relies on.

Will Smith did a great job in this smart, futuristic thriller, but it hasn't aged well in the years since. — Davis Entertainment / Via youtube.com

Will Smith did a great job in this smart, futuristic thriller, but it hasn't aged well in the years since.

Davis Entertainment / Via youtube.com

Will Smith did a great job in this smart, futuristic thriller, but it hasn't aged well in the years since.

With how beloved the first movie was, the second movie is fine but doesn't build on the audience's expectations. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

With how beloved the first movie was, the second movie is fine but doesn't build on the audience's expectations.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

With how beloved the first movie was, the second movie is fine but doesn't build on the audience's expectations.

A satirical superhero movie, Hancock is Smith as a superhero who struggles with his image being very different than his reality. And though you root for him, you also get annoyed at his ability to get in his own way time and time again, making for a complex character that has more of a hook than you'd think. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

A satirical superhero movie, Hancock is Smith as a superhero who struggles with his image being very different than his reality. And though you root for him, you also get annoyed at his ability to get in his own way time and time again, making for a complex character that has more of a hook than you'd think.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

A satirical superhero movie, Hancock is Smith as a superhero who struggles with his image being very different than his reality. And though you root for him, you also get annoyed at his ability to get in his own way time and time again, making for a complex character that has more of a hook than you'd think.

Gemini Man sees Will Smith face off against himself...or a clone of himself that's 30 years younger than him, which is intriguing but not enough to build a strong story around this otherwise satisfying sci-fi thriller. — Skydance / Via youtube.com

Gemini Man sees Will Smith face off against himself...or a clone of himself that's 30 years younger than him, which is intriguing but not enough to build a strong story around this otherwise satisfying sci-fi thriller.

Skydance / Via youtube.com

Gemini Man sees Will Smith face off against himself...or a clone of himself that's 30 years younger than him, which is intriguing but not enough to build a strong story around this otherwise satisfying sci-fi thriller.

You can argue the necessity of this sequel after so much time had passed from the first two movies, but it endeared past fans with a good dose of heart while still keeping up the action and keeping honest about how the action hits differently after your 40s. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

You can argue the necessity of this sequel after so much time had passed from the first two movies, but it endeared past fans with a good dose of heart while still keeping up the action and keeping honest about how the action hits differently after your 40s.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

You can argue the necessity of this sequel after so much time had passed from the first two movies, but it endeared past fans with a good dose of heart while still keeping up the action and keeping honest about how the action hits differently after your 40s.

A twisty crime comedy is one of the genres in which Will Smith shines best. This outing sees him as a con man who always is a step ahead of the game. — RatPac-Dune Entertainment / Via youtube.com

A twisty crime comedy is one of the genres in which Will Smith shines best. This outing sees him as a con man who always is a step ahead of the game.

RatPac-Dune Entertainment / Via youtube.com

A twisty crime comedy is one of the genres in which Will Smith shines best. This outing sees him as a con man who always is a step ahead of the game.

Smith shines in a serious role that takes on a topic that's dominating professional sports conversations even in the years after its release. It's not Smith's best sports drama, but he does a solid job nonetheless. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Smith shines in a serious role that takes on a topic that's dominating professional sports conversations even in the years after its release. It's not Smith's best sports drama, but he does a solid job nonetheless.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Smith shines in a serious role that takes on a topic that's dominating professional sports conversations even in the years after its release. It's not Smith's best sports drama, but he does a solid job nonetheless.

Bad Boys is Will Smith at his prime, opposite Martin Lawrence in a hilarious buddy cop comedy where the two complement each other's styles while delivering big action moments. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Bad Boys is Will Smith at his prime, opposite Martin Lawrence in a hilarious buddy cop comedy where the two complement each other's styles while delivering big action moments.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Bad Boys is Will Smith at his prime, opposite Martin Lawrence in a hilarious buddy cop comedy where the two complement each other's styles while delivering big action moments.

Will Smith's solid performance in the sci-fi drama was interrupted by some questionable special effects and a plot that loses itself from time to time. — Village Roadshow Pictures / Via youtube.com

Will Smith's solid performance in the sci-fi drama was interrupted by some questionable special effects and a plot that loses itself from time to time.

Village Roadshow Pictures / Via youtube.com

Will Smith's solid performance in the sci-fi drama was interrupted by some questionable special effects and a plot that loses itself from time to time.

The best Will and Jaden Smith collaboration, The Pursuit of Happyness tells a dramatized true story while also tugging at the heartstrings. Smith does a great job of balancing the nuances of the role and earned himself Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for it. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

The best Will and Jaden Smith collaboration, The Pursuit of Happyness tells a dramatized true story while also tugging at the heartstrings. Smith does a great job of balancing the nuances of the role and earned himself Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for it.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

The best Will and Jaden Smith collaboration, The Pursuit of Happyness tells a dramatized true story while also tugging at the heartstrings. Smith does a great job of balancing the nuances of the role and earned himself Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for it.

Will Smith does great as a smooth but low-key dorky matchmaker, and while his chemistry with Eva Mendes isn't exactly burning up the screen, he makes up for it with his comedic exchanges with Kevin James. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Will Smith does great as a smooth but low-key dorky matchmaker, and while his chemistry with Eva Mendes isn't exactly burning up the screen, he makes up for it with his comedic exchanges with Kevin James.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Will Smith does great as a smooth but low-key dorky matchmaker, and while his chemistry with Eva Mendes isn't exactly burning up the screen, he makes up for it with his comedic exchanges with Kevin James.

Will Smith shows a surprising amount of range in this 1993 film, with a unique twist Smith delivers impressively, hinting at his capacity for more than laughs and action. — MGM / Via youtube.com

Will Smith shows a surprising amount of range in this 1993 film, with a unique twist Smith delivers impressively, hinting at his capacity for more than laughs and action.

MGM / Via youtube.com

Will Smith shows a surprising amount of range in this 1993 film, with a unique twist Smith delivers impressively, hinting at his capacity for more than laughs and action.

Bad Boys II delivers some really great comedy moments from the duo of Smith and Martin Lawrence and proves why these two make such a great pairing. It hasn't aged great by any means but is solid for what it was at the time. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Bad Boys II delivers some really great comedy moments from the duo of Smith and Martin Lawrence and proves why these two make such a great pairing. It hasn't aged great by any means but is solid for what it was at the time.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Bad Boys II delivers some really great comedy moments from the duo of Smith and Martin Lawrence and proves why these two make such a great pairing. It hasn't aged great by any means but is solid for what it was at the time.

This movie was a home run for its time, bringing in sci-fi elements with genius casting during a time when Smith's star was rising fast. It's as funny as it is exciting, and it holds its value in rewatches. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

This movie was a home run for its time, bringing in sci-fi elements with genius casting during a time when Smith's star was rising fast. It's as funny as it is exciting, and it holds its value in rewatches.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

This movie was a home run for its time, bringing in sci-fi elements with genius casting during a time when Smith's star was rising fast. It's as funny as it is exciting, and it holds its value in rewatches.

Will Smith shines in a sci-fi thriller that was otherwise really standard and frequently tapped into in the late '90s. Smith elevates it to hitting all the best points of the genre, really giving heart-pumping action and leaving audiences on the edge of their seats despite the otherwise familiar premise. He also works surprisingly well with Jeff Goldblum in the somehow unforgettable film. — Centropolis Entertainment / Via youtube.com

Will Smith shines in a sci-fi thriller that was otherwise really standard and frequently tapped into in the late '90s. Smith elevates it to hitting all the best points of the genre, really giving heart-pumping action and leaving audiences on the edge of their seats despite the otherwise familiar premise. He also works surprisingly well with Jeff Goldblum in the somehow unforgettable film.

Centropolis Entertainment / Via youtube.com

Will Smith shines in a sci-fi thriller that was otherwise really standard and frequently tapped into in the late '90s. Smith elevates it to hitting all the best points of the genre, really giving heart-pumping action and leaving audiences on the edge of their seats despite the otherwise familiar premise. He also works surprisingly well with Jeff Goldblum in the somehow unforgettable film.

The Oscar was well deserved for Will Smith's role as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams, in the dramatized biopic that had the support of the Williams family. Smith expertly depicts the nuance of Richard's story in a way that makes viewers emotionally invested beyond tennis or either of the huge stars that resulted from Richard's hard work and training. — Westbrook Studios / Via youtube.com

The Oscar was well deserved for Will Smith's role as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams, in the dramatized biopic that had the support of the Williams family. Smith expertly depicts the nuance of Richard's story in a way that makes viewers emotionally invested beyond tennis or either of the huge stars that resulted from Richard's hard work and training.

Westbrook Studios / Via youtube.com

The Oscar was well deserved for Will Smith's role as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams, in the dramatized biopic that had the support of the Williams family. Smith expertly depicts the nuance of Richard's story in a way that makes viewers emotionally invested beyond tennis or either of the huge stars that resulted from Richard's hard work and training.

Smith gets to hit all his personal high points in Ali, delivering a full-bodied entertainer while also carrying the drama and solemnity of other times in the iconic boxer's story. It's a riveting performance that changed the way people looked at Will Smith as an actor. — Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Smith gets to hit all his personal high points in Ali, delivering a full-bodied entertainer while also carrying the drama and solemnity of other times in the iconic boxer's story. It's a riveting performance that changed the way people looked at Will Smith as an actor.

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

Smith gets to hit all his personal high points in Ali, delivering a full-bodied entertainer while also carrying the drama and solemnity of other times in the iconic boxer's story. It's a riveting performance that changed the way people looked at Will Smith as an actor.

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