One of the best and most prolific actors in Hollywood is Samuel L. Jackson. He is able to add a level of charisma to the movies he plays in different genres of movies. Despite having peaked later in his life, he has been one of the greatest presences on screen in the last three decades. TechTrends made a list of the best Samuel L. Jackson movies of all time.
Samuel L. Jackson can perform in many genres of movies and he can be fierce, steely, comforting, conflicted, righteous, intimidating and many other things. He is also among some of the most beloved and well-known actors in the world. This prominent actor has made lots of impact that he has a star on the Walk of Fame. Moreover, he is famous for being bale to sell dialogue and even the smallest roles he plays in can become iconic. Despite the fact that he is in his 70s, he can still shine as director, producer and actor. Earlier this year, Samuel L. Jackson received an honorary Oscar for all his contribution to the movie industry. Now, without further ado, let’s get to the list of the best must-see Samuel L. Jackson performance.
Best Samuel L. Jackson Movies of All Time
Although he might be known for his tough-guy persona, he has appeared in many different genres during the course of his career. Apparently, the best way to describe him is with the word prolific. Despite all his performances being worth watching, many love his action-packed movies. Narrowing down a list of the best Samuel L. Jackson films of all time was not an easy task, so keep reading to find out whether your favorite is on the list.
10. The Long Kiss Goodnight 1996
- Genre: Action/Mystery
- Director: Renny Harlin
- Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Geena Davis, Craig Bierko, Yvonne Zima, Brian Cox
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 68%, IMDb 6.8
The tenth one on the list of the best Samuel L. Jackson movies of all time is The Long Kiss Goodnight. Many of his greatest performances are with characters that are powerful, smart, and scary. However, among his finest characters is a tough guy who does not have a handle on everything. He was practicing for a similar role in Captain Marvel. He finds himself with a suburban mom played by Geena Davis, with her trying to uncover her past. After seeing him in so many movies as the badass, it is a change to have him in the back seat.
Read more: Best Action Movies of All Time
9. Coach Carter 2005
- Genre: Sport/Drama
- Director: Thomas Carter
- Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Rob Brown, Rick Gonzalez, Channing Tatum, Robert Richard, Antwon Tanner
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 64%, IMDb 7.3
In the middle of the action movies he was acting in, Samuel L. Jackson took a break to act in this sport drama, which has become one of the best Samuel L. Jackson movies of all time. Coach Carter is also great for another reason; it is one of the few films in which he is unambiguously the leading character. Jackson performs as the titular character, a coach of basketball. His performance as the coach is quite inspiring. Therefore, you do not want to miss it.
Read more: Best Channing Tatum Movies of All Time
8. Unbreakable 2000
- Genre: Thriller/Sci-fi
- Director: Night Shyamalan
- Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, M. Night Shyamalan, Bruce Willis, Spencer Treat Clark, Robin Wright, James McAvoy
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 70%, IMDb 7.3
Unbreakable is also one of the best Samuel L. Jackson movies of all time that came out in 2000. The story revolves around the sole survivor of a train crash, who is called David, played by Bruce Willis. He then begins to think that his survival might be more than just a good luck and he might be a superhuman. Elijah Price and David meet one another and he helps him find his powers. Jackson performs the role of Elijah Price, who is disabled yet cunning. We are forced to trust him as he hides his true hidden reality. This movie shows how much of an actor Jackson is when it comes to every role, even if it is not something strong to work with. We highly recommend this wonderful film.
7. Jackie Brown 1997
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Pam Grier, Bridget Fonda, Robert Forster, Robert De Niro, Chris Tucker
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 87%, IMDb 7.5
The titular character is a flight attendant that gets caught while smuggling money for his boss Ordell Robbie, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson. The detectives ask her to cooperate with them in taking Robbie down. However, with too many things at risk, Jackie decides to double-cross them and get the stolen money and go. Samuel L. Jackson performs the role of a wanted arms dealer that Jackie is working for. Since Robbie is a strong criminal, he easily moves a lot of money and weapons while at the same time evading the law. This role is quite easy for Jackson to perform. Although the movie is often neglected, it was great enough to win Jackson a Silver Bear for Best Actor. Don’t miss it as it is one of the best Samuel L. Jackson movies ever.
Read more: Best Mystery Movies of All Time
6. The Hateful Eight 2015
- Genre: Western/Drama
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Channing Tatum
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 74%, IMDb 7.8
Also on the list of the best Samuel L Jackson movies of all time is The Hateful Eight. He performs as the viciously bounty hunter, named Marquis Warren, making this one of his finest performances. Warren is angry as hell with the first frame of the movie, with that anger being hypnotizing. The reason behind his rage being memorable is perhaps the fact that Jackson does it with childlike glee. The way he laughs is like those people who have gone through so much in life that they reached a point that everything becomes legitimately funny. In other words, it is the laugh of someone who is absolutely disconnected from their humanity. The director was trying to show the microcosm of American society, with Warren being the example of its cruelties. This is yet another one of the greatest Samuel L. Jackson movies ever.
5. The Avengers 2012
- Genre: Adventure/Action
- Director: Joss Whedon
- Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Stan Lee, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tom Hiddleston, Cobie Smulders
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 91%, IMDb 8
Another one of the greatest and best Samuel L. Jackson movies of all time is The Avengers. In this movie, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D, Nick Fury, played by Jackson, recruits superheroes to try and fight Loki when he gets access to the unlimited power of the energy cube. The Avengers is also one of the best Marvel movies, bringing together the most iconic superheroes. The movie was quite a success, earning more than $1.5 billion worldwide. Moreover, it got many awards and nominations. There were other sequels released after the first one was very successful.
Jackson was also superb in his role and he would often steal the scene while performing as the head-honcho Nick Fury.
4. Do the Right Thing 1989
- Genre: Drama/Comedy
- Director: Spike Lee
- Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Rosie Perez, John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 92%, IMDb 8
Play the short role of Mr. Senor Love Daddy, Samuel L. Jackson appears in Do the Right Thing. This role showcases one of the fines talents of Jackson, which is his skill when it comes to a well-placed cameo. He is able to turn his quick appearances into something memorable that people will remember. The story revolves around pizza boy Mookie who is living his life until one day, his friend gets into a fight with the pizzeria owner regarding the lack of Black representation on his Wall of Fame notwithstanding the fact that he is in a black neighborhood. Jackson is the radio host and performs as the narrator to what is taking place in the movie. He also makes the movie funnier and shows his presence with making a statement. This is indeed one of Samuel L. Jackson’s greatest movie roles.
3. Jurassic Park 1993
- Genre: Sci-fi/Adventure
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, Ariana Richards, Richard Attenborough
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 91%, IMDb 8.2
The next one on the list of the best Samuel L. Jackson movies of all time is Jurassic Park, which is a massive Steven Spielberg blockbuster. The movie revolves around paleontologists Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler and Mathematician Ian Malcolm, portrayed by Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, respectively. They tour the island theme park that has dinosaurs made from prehistoric DNA. John Hammond, the mastermind of the park, makes sure that the whole thing is safe. However, they find out that it is anything buy safe as the predators break free and start to hunt.
Samuel L. Jackson plays a small role as Ray Arnold who is a tech worker. He helps keep the park safe and secure. Despite having a few lines and being killed off so soon, he performs memorably with his character often being quoted “hold on to your butts”. Don’t miss this wonderful film.
Read more: Best Horror Movies of All Time
2. Django Unchained 2012
- Genre: Western/Drama
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Quentin Tarantino, Christoph Waltz, Jamie Foxx,
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 87%, IMDb 8.4
The next one of Samuel Jackson’s greatest move roles is his work in Django Unchained. He plays the role of Steven, who is the enslaved person of the house. Despite playing alongside Leonardo DiCaprio whose performance as Monsieur Calvin J. Candie got his ninth Golden Globe Award nomination, Jackson still shines. The story revolves round a few years before the Civil War, Jamie Foxx, Django, who is a slave, accompanies an unorthodox German bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz, trying to capture the Brittle brothers. They accomplish their mission and Schultz sets Django free. Then, the two start hunting the South’s most-wanted criminals. They then meet the infamous shady Calvin Candie and find out Django’s long-lost wife is yet a slave. This is indeed one of the best Samuel L. Jackson movies ever.
Read more: Best Leonardo DiCaprio Movies of All Time
1. Pulp Fiction 1994
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Stars: Quentin Tarantino, John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 92%, IMDb 8.9
Pulp Fiction is yet another one of the best Samuel L. Jackson movies of all time, with John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson playing the roles of hitmen. This masterpiece and classic is a unique movie with Quentin Tarantino theme. The story has three parts, jumping from one story to another, but they are not chronologically ordered. However, they make a connection between the characters. We highly recommend this classic film. Jackson performs as the hitman who recites a passage from the bible for the people he kills before he does it as some kind of redemption. Don’t miss this amazing movie.
Read more: Best Crime Movies of All Time