Ever since he burst onto the scene with his breakthrough role as Moriarty in BBC’s Sherlock, Andrew Scott has thrived as a universally beloved actor who has won admiration for his eccentric villains and his more understated, dramatic roles. While he has become an icon of the small screen, particularly in the realm of British television, Scott has also appeared in some of the biggest and most celebrated movies in recent years.

It is a testament to his versatility that his best projects contain everything from queer comedies to war dramas, thought-provoking thrillers, and even major blockbuster cinematic events. While admirable turns in films like Catherine Called Birdy went mostly unnoticed, these ten titles mark the highlights of Andrew Scott’s sensational career and represent the actor at his very best.

10 'Handsome Devil' (2016)

Directed by John Butler

A coming-of-age film from Ireland that deftly weaves drama, comedy, and complicated notions of romance together, Handsome Devil marks an underrated highlight in the career of up-and-coming star Nicholas Galitzine. He stars as Conor Masters, the star student of a rugby-obsessed all-boys school who forms a bond with a lonesome new student. Their growing friendship finds support in Adam Scott’s Mr. Sherry, even as he faces hostilities linked to his sexuality.

With overtones of self-discovery and forbidden love, Handsome Devil engages in its core theme of same-sex love in a manner that is universally accessible and powerfully heartfelt. The story is perhaps a tad formulaic at stages, but it overcomes its pitfalls with exceptional and effective performances, brilliant use of music, and a sharp sense of humor that brings a pleasant layer of humanity to what is a dramatic story.

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9 'Spectre' (2015)

Directed by Sam Mendes

Aside from Sean Connery’s era, Daniel Craig’s James Bond films are regarded as the best of any of the 007 actors’ runs in the franchise. Spectre was far from the best Bond movie of Craig’s tenure, but it still excelled as an exciting, action-packed spy blockbuster. It follows 007 as he looks into a sophisticated criminal organization known as Spectre, headed by the elusive mastermind Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz).

Scott is a secondary antagonist, “C," the Director-General of the Joint Security Service, who thwarts MI6’s efforts to stop Spectre while actively striving to end the 00 operatives. Spectre has its flaws, namely a severely underutilized Waltz as Blofeld, but Scott provides some smarmy villainous heft, with his penchant for playing a great bad guy on full display and marking an underrated highlight of a somewhat disjointed film.

8 'Locke' (2013)

Director: Steven Knight

Operating with a simple and unconventional yet entirely captivating premise, Locke has become something of an underrated cult classic, gambling everything on Tom Hardy’s lead performance and coming up trumps. It follows a construction manager throughout a 90-minute drive, covering the phone calls he makes in that time. The conversations relate to a major upcoming project, issues he’s facing with his family, and the premature labor of a woman he had a one-night stand with seven months prior.

The supporting cast is incredible, featuring Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, Tom Holland, and Andrew Scott. They only feature as voices on the phone, with the film intensely focused on Locke’s reactions to the conversations. Scott voices Donal, Locke’s work trainee, who he coaches through the preparation of a pour despite everything else going wrong around him. Locke is a fascinating and absorbing film executed incredibly to be something of a hidden gem of the 2010s.

7 'Pride' (2014)

Directed by Matthew Warchus

A triumphant mixture of comedy, drama, and true story intrigue that flaunts an urgent weight while remaining uplifting and fun, Pride is one of the most underrated and brilliant comedies of the 2010s. Set in the summer of 1984, it follows a group of gay activists who recognize they face a common political enemy and rally behind the lengthy strike conducted by the National Union of Mineworkers in Wales.

Juxtaposing the mineworkers against the gay rights activists, Pride strikes a clever thematic balance that deftly uses the issues faced by one group to highlight the suffering and angst of the other. Nestled within the film’s impressive ensemble cast, Scott handles a lot of the dramatic impact of the film as Gethin, a homosexual man with a tragic past tied to his coming out. Scott adds a layer of raw realism to an otherwise uplifting story, showing more sides to the situation.

6 'Black Mirror' (2011 - Present)

Created by Charlie Brooker

Netflix’s hit anthological series Black Mirror has become a global phenomenon. Each episode features a different cast as it explores social and technological anxieties through the lens of a dystopian near-future. The second episode of Season 5, “Smithereens,” sees Andrew Scott star as a rideshare driver who kidnaps an intern at a major social media company to learn more about the system’s internal workings and expose the online entity's true nature.

The episode is loaded with thematic heft, coasted on Andrew Scott’s sensational central performance. Still, “Smithereens” is considered a middling installment of the series, largely because of its singular tone and somewhat formulaic approach. However, Black Mirror is widely regarded as one of the greatest television shows of the modern era for its insightful and thought-provoking narratives, as well as its ability to lure A-grade talent like Scott on the regular.

5 '1917' (2019)

Directed by Sam Mendes

Sam Mendes’ ambitious and thrilling war drama famously fuses its shots to appear as one continuous take. It follows two soldiers through the hell on earth that was the front lines of WWI. As such, 1917 is a breathtaking technical achievement that features an impressive supporting cast around its two young stars, George McKay and Dean-Charles Chapman, who portray soldiers sent on an urgent mission to warn another battalion that they are walking into a deadly ambush.

Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch were just some of the stars to appear briefly in the film, with Andrew Scott likewise getting a cameo early on as Lieutenant Leslie, the weary soldier who advises the two messengers how to cross no man’s land. 1917 was warmly received by fans and critics alike, and while it perhaps isn’t the most focused showpiece of Scott’s talents, it still gives him enough to impact the story and set the bleak tone of the film.

4 'All of Us Strangers' (2023)

Directed by Andrew Haigh

One of the best romantic hits of 2023, the magical and powerful All of Us Strangers sees Andrew Scott put in arguably the greatest dramatic performance of his career alongside Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, and Jamie Bell. He stars as Adam, a lonely screenwriter who forms a relationship with a mysterious neighbor, Harry. Drawn back to his childhood home, Adam stumbles upon his parents, who look the same age they were when they died 30 years prior.

A powerful acting showcase by all involved, All of Us Strangers is a beautiful and overwhelming portrayal of grief that is bold and ambitious in its approach yet remains centered on its driving human emotions. Scott delivers a career-defining performance, embodying a myriad of emotions while remaining detached and elusive. With flourishes of fantasy and the supernatural, All of Us Strangers is a unique and captivating movie that is among the best and most underrated features of 2023.

3 'Band of Brothers' (2001)

Created by Steven Spielberg & Tom Hanks

While he had the briefest of appearances in Saving Private Ryan, Andrew Scott returned with a slightly greater role in Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ next war series, Band of Brothers. One of the greatest miniseries ever made, it tracks the soldiers of Easy Company, an American Airborne division who were on the front lines from the Normandy invasion on D-Day to the very end of the war.

An all-encompassing dive into the horror and humanity of war, Band of Brothers earned high praise for its effective battle sequences, excellent character work, and authenticity to the real experiences of the soldiers. It also features an incredible supporting cast, with Andrew Scott appearing in the second episode, "Day of Days." Other actors who briefly appeared include Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Simon Pegg, and Tom Hardy.

2 'Fleabag' (2016-2019)

Created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Perfectly balanced between authentic, real-life drama and hysterical comedy that is painfully accurate yet completely absurd, Fleabag has become a modern television classic despite its mere 12-episode, two-season run. It follows the titular Fleabag (played by series creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge), an emotionally lost and volatile woman in modern-day London struggling with the recent death of her best friend while combatting family woes and romantic headaches.

The defining relationship of the series comes when Andrew Scott enters Season 2, with his performance as the Priest working flawlessly in conjuncture with Waller-Bridge’s wry wit and skewering, unfiltered comedy. Fleabag remains one of the greatest comedy series of all time, a poignant and powerful drama and a wonderful meditation on the enigmatic nature of love. Many would argue it is the greatest project Scott has ever worked on and stands tall among the best shows ever made.