Since the 1960s, Morgan Freeman has not only been a master of narration but also a well-directed best movies star thanks to his soothing voice but also excelled as an actor and filmmaker. A nomination for the “Academy Award” and “Golden Globe Award” were given to him for his portrayal as “Fast Black” in the 1987 American dramatic crime thriller film “Street Smart,” directed by Jerry Schatzberg. Even though the picture was well-received by reviewers, it failed to make a profit at the box office.Â
Rudy, the Maître d’ at the restaurant where the renowned title piece is played, was the first role that Freeman took on in the musical theatre in New York City. A pivotal milestone occurred when Pearl Bailey brought in an all-black cast to replace the show’s long-running white cast.
Million Dollar Baby, starring Morgan Freeman as Eddie “Scrap Iron” Dupris, won the Academy Award, the Golden Globe Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Performance by an Actor in the sports drama.
When Morgan Freeman first appeared on the big screen in 1987, he was 50 years old, and it’s easy to forget that he has been a legend ever since. He has now appeared in over 100 films and received five Oscar nominations.
20. Dark Knight Trilogy
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Writer: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Michael Caine
- Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, Anne Hathaway
- IMDB: NA
- Rotten Tomatoes: NA
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
The Dark Knight trilogy’s tech guru Lucius Fox was perfectly portrayed by actor Morgan Freeman, according to director Christopher Nolan. Freeman occasionally stole the show despite his role as a supporting character being a bit of a filler.
Lucius furnished Bruce Wayne with the necessary vehicles and devices to maintain his reputation. Incredibly, Freeman was able to capture the essence of the character.
His skillful depiction of an authoritative, caring, and organization-driven corporate manager communicates to the general public in a big way.
19. SE7EN
- Director: David Fincher
- Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
- Starring: Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey
- IMDB: 8.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Hulu
Serial killer movies had a surge in popularity after “The Silence of the Lambs” phenomenal achievement. In this part, Freeman plays the role of a police officer investigating the killings committed by a serial killer who bases his crimes on the seven deadly sins described in the Bible.
The movie contains one of the most unsettling conclusions ever captured on film.
18. Million Dollar Baby
- Director: Clint Eastwood, Murray Abraham, Richard Belzer
- Writer: Paul Haggis; F.X. Toole
- Cast: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman
- IMDB: 8.1
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
Clint Eastwood’s latest sports movie, Million Dollar Baby, stars Morgan Freeman as gym assistant Eddie Dupris. Clint Eastwood plays a tough boxing trainer who is motivated to help Mary Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) become the greatest in the world.
Rather than focusing on sports as a topic, the film focuses on the characters’ inner demons. Acting and directing are excellent in this film, but the real star is the personal journey.
The solemn tone of Freeman’s narration suits the film’s story. A Best Supporting Actor Academy Award was bestowed upon him for his outstanding work in this role.
17. Amistad
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Writer: David Franzoni
- Cast: Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins
- IMDB: 7.3
- Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
In this Spielberg picture, a group of enslaved people who hijacked the ship they were traveling on to America are put on trial. For his part, Freeman serves as a legal assistant to the African-American lawyer.
16. The Shawshank Redemption
- Director: Frank Darabont
- Writer: Stephen King; Frank Darabont
- Cast: Tim Robbins, Bob Gunton, and William Sadler
- IMDB: 9.3
- Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
One of the year’s best movies is “The Shawshank Redemption,” about two inmates who become friends while serving time. Andy Dufresne (Robbins) encounters Ellis “Red” Redding after serving two life terms for the alleged murder of his wife and her boyfriend (Freeman).
During two decades in prison, their friendship provides a ray of hope. He also narrates “The Shawshank Redemption,” which tells the story of injustice, friendship, and the restoration of one’s self-respect and soul in the context of the Shawshank Redemption.
15. Gone Baby Gone
- Director: Ben Affleck
- Writers: Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard
- Cast: Casey Affleck, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan
- IMDB: 7.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
Ben Affleck started as a filmmaker with this gritty Boston crime drama based on a novel by Dennis Lehane. Casey Affleck, the younger brother of Ben Affleck, and Michelle Monaghan star as the film’s private eye leads.
Still, Ben Affleck’s directorial debut comes to life thanks to the ensemble cast he assembled around his two stars, which features a who of A-list actors in colorful supporting roles. While portraying Chief of Police Jack Doyle, Freeman shows us how serious the situation is by lending his trademark seriousness to the story.
When it comes to acting, Morgan Freeman always does more with less. Every word that comes out of his mouth opens up a new world for me to explore.
14. Driving Miss Daisy
- Director: Bruce Beresford
- Writer: Alfred Uhry
- Cast: Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, and Dan Aykroyd
- IMDB: 7.3
- Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
Driving Miss Daisy’s Hoke Colburn earned Morgan Freeman a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a supporting role. Jessica Tandy, who is rich and lives in the South, is a chauffeur. Their relationship has its ups and downs, but as time passes, they get closer and closer.
Daisy’s best friend is Freeman’s character. Hoke understands precisely how much righteous rage to summon whenever he is harmed. It’s easy to misinterpret his sense of humor as a ruse, but that’s precisely what the chauffeur is up to.
13. The Shawshank Redemption
- Director: Frank Darabont
- Writer: Stephen King and Frank Darabont
- Cast: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, and Bob Gunton
- IMDB: 9.3
- Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
At its release, The Shawshank Redemption brought in only $16 million. Ellis Redding (Morgan Freeman) and Andy Dufresne (Thomas Robbins) are two inmates at Shawshank State Penitentiary, where they form a close friendship over two decades.
In a way, the film affirms life as much as it shocks. Not a single moment in this lengthy film goes to waste. For the second time in many films, Freeman’s performance is outstanding and perfectly fits the tale.
12. Street Smart
- Director: Jerry Schatzberg
- Writer: David Freeman
- Cast: Christopher Reeve, Kathy Baker, and Mimi Rogers
- IMDB: 6.3
- Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
It was incredible for Freeman to win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod for this film. The picture was produced by a firm notorious for generating cheesy movies and was released early in the year.
However, many critics organizations remembered the image at the end of the year and gave Freeman awards for his portrayal of a ruthless pimp.
Because of that, he received his first Oscar nomination and went on to have a successful career in film.
11. The Dark Knight Rises
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Writer: Jonathan Nolan; Christopher Nolan, and David S. Goyer
- Cast: Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Liam Neeson, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Matthew Modine, William Devane
- IMDB: 8.4
- Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
In the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy titled “The Dark Knight,” the DC Comics superhero Batman returns from a self-imposed exile to battle the ruthless mercenary Bane.
Bane has plans to take over Gotham City by controlling its criminal underworld with the assistance of the mysterious cat burglar Selina Kyle and his trusted butler Alfred. Nolan brings Batman back from his exile to fight Bane.
10. Lean On Me
- Director: John G. Avildsen
- Writer: Michael Schiffer
- Cast: Morgan Freeman; Beverly Tod; Robert Guillaume
- IMDB: 7.4
- Rotten Tomatoes: 68%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
While playing fictional characters based on real people, Freeman enjoys the experience. Lean On Me, a 1980s drama film is no exception. He played Joe Clark, the former principal of Eastside High School in Los Angeles, a man noted for his unorthodox and divisive methods of discipline.
In New Jersey High School, Freeman’s character is placed, is set to be taken over by the state government. For his children’s well-being and academic progress, he decides to chastise them.
Strong personalities like Freeman’s are great for characters who aren’t hesitant to stand up for their beliefs. He won an Image Award for Best Actor for his outstanding performance.
9. The Bonfire Of The Vanities
- Director: Brian De Palma
- Writer: Michael Cristofer; Tom Wolfe
- Cast: Melanie Griffith, F. Murray Abraham, Richard Belzer, Kim Cattrall, Tom Hanks, Kirsten Dunst, Bruce Willis
- IMDB: 5.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 16%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
With his mistress Maria Ruskin, Sherman McCoy is a wealthy investment banker who lives a lavish lifestyle in New York City with his mistress. However, one day Maria accidentally murders an African-American teen, and he finds himself in a tremendous dilemma.
8. Unforgiven
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Writer: David Webb Peoples
- Cast: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, and Morgan Freeman
- IMDB: 8.2
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
Morgan Freeman made his directorial debut with Clint Eastwood’s 1992 Western, “Unforgiven,” in which he played Ned Logan. Big Whiskey, Wyoming, tavern workers raise a bounty for the heads of cowboys who disfigured one of their own, dissatisfied by the petty punishment meted out by the local sheriff.
One of the more experienced outlaws, Will (Clint Eastwood), joins the young man in his quest for the bounty.
There, Sheriff Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman) is alarmed by the appearance of a British gunslinger (Richard Harris) and other vigilantes and begs Will’s old comrade Ned (Martin Freeman) to follow them.
7. The Bucket List
- Director: Rob Reiner
- Writer: Justin Zackham
- Cast: Jack Nicholson, Sean Hayes, Rob Morrow
- IMDB: 7.4
- Rotten Tomatoes: 41%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video and Netflix
For the rest of their lives, Freeman and Nicholson will be doing things they’ve always dreamed about but never got around to doing.
The movie primarily popularized the term “bucket list” and brought it into common usage.
6. Invictus
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Writer: Anthony Peckham; John Carlin
- Cast: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, and Tony Kgoroge
- IMDB: 7.3
- Rotten Tomatoes: 76%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
Director Clint Eastwood and actor Morgan Freeman reunited for the third time on the big screen with his film “Invictus,” released in 2009. Nelson Mandela is played by Morgan Freeman in a sports biopic about South Africa’s national rugby team, the Springboks, based on a true story.
The 1995 Rugby World Cup will be held in South Africa, so the team has been invited to participate.
When he learns of this, Mandela meets Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) as Springboks captain and tells him of his wish to see the Springboks win the World Cup, believing that this victory will unite the nation and relieve racial tensions since the end of the apartheid.
5. Glory
- Director: Edward Zwick
- Writer: Kevin Jarre; Lincoln Kirstein, and Peter Burchard
- Cast: Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick, Andre Braugher, Cary Elwes, and Jimi Kennedy
- IMDB: 7.8
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
During the Civil War, the film presents a historical drama of the first all-African-American regiment. The Union and Confederate armies showed significant prejudice regarding the “54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry” of all-black men led by Col. Robert Gould Shaw.
However, the regiment, first tasked with only menial duties, quickly rises to the occasion and brings honor to the fort.
4. Deep Impact
- Director: Mimi Leder
- Writers: Bruce Joel Rubin, Michael Tolkin
- Cast: Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood
- IMDB: 6.2
- Rotten Tomatoes: 45%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
President of the United States, Freeman, is both empathetic and authoritative when he has to tell his people that an asteroid is on its way to decimating the country.
He is compassionate when he means to the public that a specific number of people will be safe in cave bunkers constructed in the event of such a catastrophe.
3. Lucy
- Director: Luc Besson
- Writer: Luc Besson
- Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman; Choi Min-Sik
- IMDB: 6.4
- Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
Lucy tells the story of a woman named Lucy (Scarlett Johansson), who is mistakenly given a psychoactive substance. She goes to a neurologist, played by Morgan Freeman, to assist her in grasping what’s happening to her.
There were conflicting reviews for the film itself. Those on one side laud the performers’ remarkable performances, while those on the other rail against the ridiculous assumption that our brains only use 10% of their full capability.
Playing a sage scientist fits Freeman’s persona perfectly, and his performance is no exception.
2. March Of The Penguins
- Director: Luc Jacquet
- Writer: Luc Jacquet; Michel Fessler; Jordan Roberts
- Cast: Morgan Freeman; Romane Bohringer; Charles Berling
- IMDB: 7.5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
As the sole narrator of this odd documentary smash, Freeman brings heart, hope, and even humor to an otherwise dry nature documentary about the Antarctic Emperor Penguin’s Odyssean mating rituals.
Freeman’s baritone has always been one of his most robust acting tools, but it’s put to the test, offering this incredible film the perfect measure of awe and humanity.
1. Batman Begins
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Writer: Bob Kane; David S. Goyer, and Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Ken Watanabe
- IMDB: 8.2
- Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
- Streaming Platform: Prime Video
Batman Begins” was Christopher Nolan’s first Batman film, and viewers immediately noticed his darker, more “realistic” take on the superhero. Christian Bale’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman reimagines Batman’s origin tale, with a young Wayne journeying to Asia to learn martial arts and join the League of Shadows before realizing their true motives.
Wayne hopes to save the city his family helped construct by combating crime as a vigilante in Gotham Metropolis.
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