Colman Domingo Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Colman Domingo-whose latest project "Drive-Away Dolls" is in theaters tonight. 

Colman Domingo's Filmography Ranked:

14.Freedomland (D+)

13.The Color Purple (C)

12.Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (B-)

11.Rustin (B-)

10.Assassination Nation (B-)

9.The Butler (B-)

8.Candyman (B-)

7.First Match (B-)

6.Without Remorse (B)

5.Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (B)

4.42 (B+)

3.If Beale Street Could Talk (B+)

2.Zola (B+)

1.Selma (A-)

Top Dog: Selma (2014)

Raw, emotional and led by David Oyelowo's powerhouse turn as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Selma is one of the finest biopics released over the past 10-15 years.  

Bottom Feeder: Freedomland (2006)

Longtime producer and former studio executive Joe Roth said goodbye to directing forever after Freedomland and man, did the guy behind Christmas with the Kranks and Revenge of the Nerds II go out with a bang. This mystery thriller completely bungles the fundamentals of the genre by having a dull, often nonsensical whodunit case at its center, a noncommittal tone that weirdly fluctuates between deadly serious and deliberately trashy and an unbelievably awful ending that cements its status as a major dud. If it weren't for Julianne Moore being in delightfully unhinged character actor mode as the co-protagonist alongside a mostly comatose Samuel L. Jackson as the lead detective on the film's murder case, this would likely be one of the worst mainstream movies released from 2000-09.     

Most Underrated: Zola (2021)

Save for a semi-viral meme built around a scene where Nicolas Braun's character threatens suicide, Zola has managed to fly almost completely under-the-radar since it released in June 2021 when Hollywood was just starting to release movies widely in theaters again after the end of the COVID lockdowns in the United States. Taylour Paige gives a star-making turn as the titular stripper who gets far more than she bargained for when she travels from Detroit to Tampa with a woman she just met (Riley Keough), the woman's boyfriend (Braun) and a charismatic yet intimidating man with an unclear agenda (Domingo) to dance for a week and co-writer/director Janicza Bravo does a great job of mixing the madness of this inherently wild (mostly) true story with the quiet tragedy that's frequently bubbling just underneath the chaotic surface.  

Most Overrated: The Color Purple (2023)

While it's gorgeously shot and full of strong performances, a story that's emotional core is far too reliant on over-the-top melodrama paired with a collection of boring songs prevent the musical reimaging of The Color Purple from finding its footing.