9 Best Movies to Watch by Benedict Cumberbatch

Read also:

1. Four Lions, 2010

Four Lions is as black and as dark as a movie can ever get, mixing cultural relevancy with humor and ridiculousness. It is insensitive to Islam, insensitive to terrorism and insensitive to the viewer. But it is hilarious. The director spent three years talking to Imams, terrorism experts and basically everyone. The result? A legit 97 minutes that will dazzle even extremists with its knowledge of Islam and the accuracy of its lines. Needless to say that it will upset quite a few people, but that is always a good sign for black comedy movies, right?

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama

Actor: Adeel Akhtar, Adil Mohammed Javed, Alex MacQueen, Arsher Ali, Benedict Cumberbatch, Craig Parkinson, Darren Boyd, Jonathan Maitland, Julia Davis, Kayvan Novak, Kevin Eldon, Marcus Garvey, Nigel Lindsay, Preeya Kalidas, Riz Ahmed, Shameem Ahmad, Waleed Elgadi, Wasim Zakir, Will Adamsdale

Director: Chris Morris, Christopher Morris

Rating: R

Read also:

2. The Whistleblower, 2010

	
Based on a true story, The Whistleblower is the biography of a once Nebraskan police officer who volunteers for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in post-war Bosnia. Once there, she uncovers a human trafficking scandal involving peacekeeping officials, and finds herself alone against a hostile system in a devastated country. Rachel Weisz plays the whistleblower in a powerful lead role, but the true star of the movie is its director, Larysa Kondracki, who thanks to near documentary-style film-making delivers a perfectly executed political thriller with utmost authenticity.Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Actor: Adriana Butoi, Alexandru Potocean, Alin Panc, Anca Androne, Anna Schafer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bryan Jardine, Catherine McNally, Coca Bloos, Danny John-Jules, David Hewlett, David Strathairn, Dorotheea Petre, Florin Busuioc, Geoffrey Pounsett, Ion Sapdaru, Ionut Grama, Jeanette Hain, Liam Cunningham, Luke Treadaway, Monica Bellucci, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Paul Jerricho, Paula Schramm, Pilou Asbæk, Rachel Weisz, Radu Bânzaru, Rayisa Kondracki, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, Roxana Condurache, Roxana Guttman, Sergej Trifunović, Stuart Graham, Vanessa Redgrave, Victoria Raileanu, Vlad Ivanov, William Hope
Director:  Larysa Kondracki
Rating: R

Read also:

3. Patrick Melrose, 2018

A five-part mini-series where the camera rarely leaves Benedict Cumberbatch, enabling him to deliver possibly the best performance of his career. He plays Patrick Melrose, an autobiographical character from renown British writer Edward St Aubyn. A wealthy man who in the first scene of the show hears about his father's death, Patrick tries to get his act together to go retrieve his father's ashes. However, a nasty drug habit and a dark past stand in the way of sobriety. This is a fast-paced and impeccably-acted show with a solid supporting cast that includes Jennifer Jason Leigh and Hugo Weaving.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Allison Williams, Anna Madeley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Blythe Danner, Celia Imrie, Dainton Anderson, Holliday Grainger, Hugo Weaving, Indira Varma, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jessica Raine, Pip Torrens, Prasanna Puwanarajah

Rating: TV-MA

Read also:

4. The Courier, 2020

	
All of the fat has been trimmed in The Courier, a fast-paced Cold War thriller based on the real-life British businessman and Soviet intelligence officer who struck a surprising friendship as they delivered vital nuclear information to the CIA. It’s tense and high-wire, but in between moments of suspense, there’s dry comic relief and moving displays of tenderness. The pacing is masterful, and every element—from score to editing to performance—works hand in hand to deliver what feels like an old-fashioned espionage film. There are little to no frills and flourishes here, just good ‘ol spying, chasing, and whipsmart comebacks.Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Actor: Aleš Bílík, Alice Orr-Ewing, Andrey Kurganov, Andruscha Hilscher, Angus Wright, Anton Lesser, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Bark-Jones, Elina Alminas, Iva Šindelková, Jessie Buckley, Jonathan Harden, Kirill Pirogov, Laurel Lefkow, Marián Chalány, Marian Lorencik, Mariya Mironova, Merab Ninidze, Miles Richardson, Olga Koch, Oliver Johnstone, Ondřej Malý, Petr Klimeš, Rachel Brosnahan, Vladimir Chuprikov, Zeljko Ivanek
Director: Dominic Cooke
Rating: PG-13

Read also:

5. Parade’s End, 2012

	
There’s a lot to like in Parade’s End, especially if you’re a fan of watching meticulous British society conventions set in the backdrop of war. There are great performances across the board, but none more compelling than the love triangle trio who headline it (the women are particularly phenomenal, so much so that Rebecca Hall has managed to make her detestable character quite the charmer). The scenes are lush, too, at once sprawling and ornate, expansive and detailed. And as a BBC2 show, Parade’s End is racier and unafraid of nudity, lending it more edge than similar dramas like Downton Abbey. My only gripes are the occasional slow-mo and repetitive use of shots, which make the show feel soapier and cheesier than it should be. Otherwise, Parade’s End is a beautiful and smart watch, one that not only surpasses but arguably, possibly, surpasses the other show mentioned above.Genre: Drama, War & Politics
Actor: Adelaide Clemens, Benedict Cumberbatch, Janet McTeer, Miranda Richardson, Rebecca Hall, Roger Allam, Rupert Everett, Sasha Waddell, Stephen Graham, Tom Mison
Director:  Susanna White
Rating: TV-MA

Read also:

6. Atonement, 2007

	
Atonement is a tribute to cinematography, an epic film that might just remind you why you fell in love with movies to begin with. A young girl and aspiring writer has a crush on the man her older sister loves, so the young sister indulges her imagination to accuse the man of a crime he didn't commit. The two are separated and the latter is then sent away to prison and after joins the army.  As the young girl grows up and realizes the true consequences of her actions, what can she do, what can anyone do, to remedy such a wrong? Winner of two Golden Globes and nominated to 6 Academy Awards.Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Ailidh Mackay, Alex Noodle, Alfie Allen, Alice Orr-Ewing, Anthony Minghella, Benedict Cumberbatch, Billy Seymour, Brenda Blethyn, Bronson Webb, Charlie von Simson, Craig Douglas, Daniel Mays, Elliott Francis, Felix von Simson, Gina McKee, Harriet Walter, Ian Bonar, James McAvoy, Jamie Beamish, Jérémie Renier, John Normington, Johnny Harris, Julia West, Juno Temple, Keira Knightley, Leander Deeny, Lionel Abelanski, Mark Holgate, Michel Vuillermoz, Michelle Duncan, Neil Maskell, Nick Bagnall, Nonso Anozie, Olivia Grant, Patrick Kennedy, Paul Stocker, Peter McNeil O'Connor, Peter O'Connor, Peter Wight, Roger Evans, Romola Garai, Ryan Kiggell, Saoirse Ronan, Tilly Vosburgh, Tobias Menzies, Vanessa Redgrave, Vivienne Gibbs, Wendy Nottingham
Director: Joe Wright
Rating: R

Read also:

7. Third Star, 2010

A comedy (!) that follows James (Benedict Cumberbatch) a man terminal cancer who knows that he doesn't have long to live, so he goes on a journey with his closest friends, Bill (Adam Robertson), Davy (Tom Burke) and Miles (JJ Field), to Barafundle Bay in Wales. The journey itself is funny and the characters have many issues to sort out, some lighter than others, but the film is by no means completely lighthearted, so if you aren't prepared for some tears with your laughter, maybe look elsewhere!

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Adam Robertson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Eros Vlahos, Helen Griffin, Hugh Bonneville, J.J. Feild, JJ Feild, Karl Johnson, Nia Roberts, Rupert Frazer, Tom Burke

Director: Hattie Dalton

Rating: Not Rated, Unrated

Read also:

8. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, 2011

	
A slow-burning spy thriller set within the British intelligence service during the height of the Cold War, this complex drama is highlighted by Gary Oldman’s acutely understated performance. As a high level agent brought out of retirement to ferret out a mole within the MI5, he exudes intensity and intellect with unerring precision. The story itself is exceptionally complicated and yet highly engaging. I felt that casting and corresponding screen time made it clear whom the mole would turn out to be…but you may disagree.Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Actor: Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, Arthur Nightingale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christian McKay, Ciarán Hinds, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Firth, David Dencik, Denis Khoroshko, Gary Oldman, Harvey Walsh, Ilona Kassai, Imre Csuja, Jamie Thomas King, Jean-Claude Jay, John Hurt, John le Carré, Kathy Burke, Katrina Vasilieva, Konstantin Khabenskiy, Laura Carmichael, Linda Marlowe, Mark Strong, Matyelok Gibbs, Michael Sarne, Peter Kalloy Molnar, Peter McNeil O'Connor, Peter O'Connor, Philip Hill-Pearson, Philip Martin Brown, Roger Lloyd Pack, Rupert Procter, Sarah-Jane Robinson, Simon McBurney, Stephen Graham, Stuart Graham, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Toby Jones, Tom Hardy, Tom Stuart, Zoltán Mucsi
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Rating: R

Read also:

9. Eric, 2024

	
Backed by Netflix’s deep pockets, Eric looks as good as any prestige miniseries out there. As a portrait of pre-gentrified New York, it feels so detailed and lived in you can almost smell the garbage cans collecting in the corner. And this seedy atmosphere ties well with the show’s dark themes and complicated mysteries, making Eric far from the worst thing you could watch on the platform. But there’s something about Cumberbatch’s Vincent that makes him difficult to follow. Perhaps his performance is more excessive than the script calls for, or perhaps his anti-hero character is too underwritten to sympathize with. Or maybe it’s both. Whatever it is, he’s not a strong enough lead to pull the series through, though thankfully, he’s surrounded by far more interesting and involving characters, particularly Hoffman’s Cassie and Belcher III’s Ledroit. If you’re looking for a serious thriller filled with compelling (if at times overdramatic) performances, Eric is your weekend show.Genre: Drama, Mystery
Actor: Alexis Molnar, Bamar Kane, Benedict Cumberbatch, Clarke Peters, Dan Fogler, David Denman, Gaby Hoffmann, Ivan Morris Howe, McKinley Belcher III, Phoebe Nicholls, Roberta Colindrez
Director:  Lucy Forbes
Rating: TV-MA

Read also: