The 100 Best Keith David Movies

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Updated May 15, 2024 101 items
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Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 100 Best Keith David Movies

List of the best Keith David movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Keith David's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Keith David movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Keith David movies will be at the top of the list. Keith David has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Keith David movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Keith David films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Keith David role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Keith David performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

This list includes Death at a Funeral, The Grave and more films.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Keith David movies?" and "What are the greatest Keith David roles of all time?"

Keith David is no stranger to working with popular directors, including Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay and Paul Haggis.

  • They Live
    1

    They Live

    Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster
    22 votes
    In the cult classic, They Live, John Nada (Roddy Piper), a drifter in economic despair, stumbles upon sunglasses that reveal a hidden reality. The world is controlled by extraterrestrials who use subliminal messaging to manipulate humans and maintain power. As he navigates this dystopian Los Angeles, Nada allies with Frank Armitage (Keith David) to expose the truth. Directed by John Carpenter, this sci-fi thriller combines elements of horror and satire, underlining social commentary on consumerism and media influence. Despite its release in 1988, They Live remains relevant today, a testament to its enduring impact.
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  • Platoon
    2

    Platoon

    Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen
    27 votes
    In the gritty war drama Platoon, we follow Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen), an American soldier thrust into the horrors of the Vietnam War. As he navigates this brutal landscape, Chris finds himself torn between two sergeants: the morally corrupt Barnes (Tom Berenger) and the righteous Elias (Willem Dafoe). Directed by Oliver Stone, this film offers an unflinching portrayal of warfare's dehumanizing effects. The movie was lauded for its realism and earned four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. It stands as a chilling testament to the savagery of conflict and the toll it takes on those who endure it.
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  • The Thing
    3

    The Thing

    Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter
    27 votes
    In the frost-bitten isolation of Antarctica, a team of American researchers find themselves under siege. Their adversary? An alien life-form with an unnerving ability to assume the appearance of its victims. The team's helicopter pilot, R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell), steps up in defense of his comrades, igniting a nerve-wracking battle of paranoia and survival against their shape-shifting foe. This is The Thing, a chilling blend of science fiction and horror directed by John Carpenter. The movie, released in 1982, stands as a testament to practical effects, expertly designed suspense and a hauntingly desolate setting that amplifies the terror within.
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  • There's Something About Mary
    4

    There's Something About Mary

    Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller
    17 votes
    In There's Something About Mary, Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) cherishes a high school crush on the radiant Mary Jensen (Cameron Diaz). After a prom night debacle, years pass. Now, finding himself still smitten, Ted hires private investigator Pat Healy (Matt Dillon) to track her down. The comedy unravels when Healy falls for Mary too, weaving a web of deceit to win her heart. A string of comedic misadventures ensues in this Farrelly Brothers' film, blending romance and hilarity in an unforgettable mix that earned Diaz a Golden Globe nomination.
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  • Pitch Black
    5

    Pitch Black

    Radha Mitchell, Vin Diesel, Cole Hauser
    16 votes
    When their ship crashes on an unexplored planet, the survivors of the crash soon discover that this planet that is normally always day is going to soon be in a state of eclipse that will bring out deadly nocturnal creatures. Will a prison convict (Vin Diesel) being transported on the ship end up being the one man who can lead the survivors off the planet?
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  • Road House
    6

    Road House

    Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott
    15 votes
    In the action-packed film Road House, James Dalton (Patrick Swayze), a professional cooler with a cryptic past, is hired to clean up the rowdy roadside bar - The Double Deuce. His martial arts skills and unique philosophy of life are put to test in this rough-and-tumble world. Guided by his mentor Wade Garrett (Sam Elliott), Dalton battles local corruption and romance with Dr. Elizabeth Clay (Kelly Lynch). As he stands against Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara), the town's ruthless businessman, explosive conflicts ensue. Peppered with bar brawls and blues music, Road House is an engaging tale of one man standing against tyranny in small-town America.
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  • Coraline
    7

    Coraline

    Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders
    10 votes
    Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) is a dark, stop-motion animated fantasy movie adapted from Neil Gaiman's celebrated novel. Coraline, an adventurous girl, discovers a secret door in her new home that leads to an alternate world mirroring her own life but seemingly perfect. However, this parallel reality harbors sinister secrets. The 'Other Mother' (Teri Hatcher), who rules this realm, tries to keep Coraline forever. Directed by Henry Selick, the film received critical acclaim for its unique animation style and compelling narrative. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2009.
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  • Armageddon
    8

    Armageddon

    Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Liv Tyler
    16 votes
    In Armageddon, a NASA executive (Billy Bob Thornton) recruits a ragtag team of drillers, led by Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), to save the world from an approaching asteroid. Meanwhile, Grace Stamper (Liv Tyler), Harry's daughter, is romantically involved with A.J. Frost (Ben Affleck), one of the team members. This action-packed sci-fi thriller, directed by Michael Bay, intertwines elements of suspense and drama as humanity's last hope embarks on a high-stakes space mission. The film won multiple awards for its visual effects and original song I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith.
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  • Dead Presidents
    9

    Dead Presidents

    Larenz Tate, Keith David, Chris Tucker
    22 votes
    In the film Dead Presidents, Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate) is a promising young student who makes the hard choice to enlist in the Vietnam War. After his return, he finds himself entangled in a life of crime, struggling to reintegrate into society. Franklin (Keith David), a fellow veteran, and Kirby (Chris Tucker), Anthony's old friend, join him on this tumultuous journey. This crime drama, directed by the Hughes Brothers, offers a gritty portrayal of post-war America, with its characters grappling with societal disillusionment and economic desperation. The film won acclaim for its powerful depiction of war and its aftermath, without romanticizing or trivializing the struggles faced by veterans.
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  • Death at a Funeral
    10

    Death at a Funeral

    Keith David, Loretta Devine, Peter Dinklage
    12 votes
    Preparing for a funeral is never pleasant, but for Aaron, it is shaping up to be the worst day of his life. Sibling rivalry, meddling family members, and a little stranger with a big secret threaten to blow the lid off the coffin when Aaron struggles to give his late father a proper memorial.
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  • The Chronicles of Riddick
    11

    The Chronicles of Riddick

    Vin Diesel, Colm Feore, Thandiwe Newton
    12 votes
    Journey into the farthest reaches of space with The Chronicles of Riddick. This action-packed, sci-fi thriller follows the story of Riddick (Vin Diesel), an escaped convict with a bounty on his head. Pursued by mercenaries and bounty hunters, he finds himself in the middle of two opposing forces in a battle for universal domination. The Necromongers, led by Lord Marshal (Colm Feore), are hell-bent on converting all human life to their cause. With stunning visual effects and intense combat scenes, this film won the 2005 World Stunt Awards for Best Fight. Intrigue, conflict, and suspense - The Chronicles of Riddick has it all.
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  • The Quick and the Dead
    12

    The Quick and the Dead

    Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe
    13 votes
    In the action-packed Western, The Quick and the Dead, Ellen (Sharon Stone) lands in Redemption, a grim town ruled by Herod (Gene Hackman). She's a mysterious drifter with an enigmatic past and a score to settle with Herod. This ruthless dictator hosts an annual fast-draw competition, attracting a motley array of gunslingers including the brash Kid (Leonardo DiCaprio) and taciturn Cort (Russell Crowe). As bullets fly and tensions mount, Ellen's true motives gradually unfold. Amidst the dust and danger, life hangs on the speed of a trigger pull. No awards won, but it's a riveting tale of vengeance under the burning Western sun.
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  • Men at Work
    13

    Men at Work

    Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Leslie Hope
    13 votes
    Carl Taylor (Charlie Sheen) and James St. James (Emilio Estevez) are garbage men who spend their workdays goofing around and disrupting the quiet on the streets of their town. But their good-natured fun comes to an abrupt halt when they discover a local politician's corpse in one of their cans. Determined that this is their chance to be more than trash collectors, this snarky pair of amateur detectives decide to solve the case on their own and so become entangled in a toxic waste cover-up.
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  • Crash
    14

    Crash

    Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon
    16 votes
    Crash, a potent drama directed by Paul Haggis, weaves together the lives of a diverse set of characters in Los Angeles. Racial tension is at the heart of this narrative, with each character - from the district attorney Rick (Brendan Fraser) and his prejudiced wife Jean (Sandra Bullock), to the hardworking locksmith Daniel (Michael Peña) - grappling with their own prejudices and stereotypes. A pivotal car accident links these disparate lives together, setting off a chain reaction of events that challenge their perspectives on race and humanity. This film won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Picture.
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  • First Sunday
    15

    First Sunday

    Ice Cube, Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan
    12 votes
    Petty thieves Durell (Ice Cube) and LeeJohn (Tracy Morgan) face a big problem: The two must come up with $17,000 in one week, or Durell will no longer be able to see his son. The goofy scoundrels embark on a haphazard plan to rob the neighborhood church, but they find the mission trickier than expected. When they arrive, they discover that somebody equally disreputable has already had his hand in the coffers. Now, they must trace the money to a group of parishioners.
  • Barbershop
    16

    Barbershop

    Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Cedric the Entertainer
    12 votes
    A smart comedy about a day in the life of a barbershop on the south side of Chicago. Calvin (Ice Cube), who inherited the struggling business from his deceased father, views the shop as nothing but a burden and a waste of his time. After selling the shop to a local loan shark, Calvin slowly begins to see his father's vision and legacy and struggles with the notion that he just sold it out.
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  • The Proud Family Movie
    17

    The Proud Family Movie

    Maria Canals Barrera, Arsenio Hall, Carlos Mencia
    11 votes
    The Proud Family Movie is a Disney Channel Original Movie which premiered on August 19, 2005. The film served as the series finale for the Disney Channel animated series, The Proud Family.
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  • The Princess and the Frog
    18

    The Princess and the Frog

    Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David
    19 votes
    In the animated musical The Princess and the Frog, hardworking Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) dreams of opening her own restaurant in New Orleans. Her plans take an unexpected turn when she meets Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), transformed into a frog by the wicked Dr. Facilier (Keith David). A fumbled attempt to break the spell lands them both in a wild adventure through Louisiana's mystical bayous. The film, a delightful blend of traditional animation and jazz-age tunes, won an Academy Award for its original song Almost There.
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  • Requiem for a Dream
    19

    Requiem for a Dream

    Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly
    16 votes
    Requiem for a Dream, a harrowing dive into the depths of addiction, paints an unflinching picture of four lives ravaged by drug dependency. The movie stars Ellen Burstyn as Sara Goldfarb, a lonely widow obsessed with television fame, while Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly portray young lovers Harry Goldfarb and Marion Silver, whose dreams are derailed by heroin. Lastly, Tyrone C. Love (Marlon Wayans), Harry's best friend, struggles to escape his past in their shared downward spiral. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, this intense drama weaves a tale of dreams shattered under the relentless weight of substance abuse.
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  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith
    20

    Mr. & Mrs. Smith

    Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Vince Vaughn
    18 votes
    In Mr. & Mrs. Smith, a unique blend of action and comedy unfolds, featuring John Smith (Brad Pitt) and Jane Smith (Angelina Jolie). This seemingly ordinary suburban couple hides a secret - they're both highly skilled assassins working for competing organizations. Their lives take an unexpected turn when they are assigned to eliminate each other. As the mission progresses, the Smiths discover new aspects about their spouse, leading to explosive action sequences and humorous situations. Directed by Doug Liman, this film offers a thrilling ride with its high-octane action and sharp wit.
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  • Lottery Ticket
    21

    Lottery Ticket

    Shad "Bow Wow" Moss, Brandon T. Jackson, Naturi Naughton
    13 votes
    Kevin Carson (Bow Wow), an ordinary guy living in the projects, wins a $370 million lottery. Unfortunately, the claim office is closed for a long holiday weekend, and he must keep his good fortune a secret. But the news spreads like wildfire, and Kevin must figure out how to survive three days among the friends, family and neighbors who want a piece of the pie.
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  • Chasing 3000
    22

    Chasing 3000

    Ray Liotta, Rory Culkin, Trevor Morgan
    24 votes
    Mickey (Ray Liotta) recounts the cross-country journey of his 15-year-old self (Trevor Morgan) and his young brother, Roger (Rory Culkin), who suffers from muscular dystrophy, to see baseball player Roberto Clemente's 3,000th hit. Their mother (Lauren Holly) doesn't know where they went, so the cops track down the "stolen" car as they travel to Pittsburgh. Determined to see their idol's historic event, the boys will do anything to get to the baseball stadium, including hitch a ride on a train.
  • ATL
    23

    ATL

    T.I., Lauren London, Mykelti Williamson
    12 votes
    Four working-class teenagers live in an Atlanta neighborhood where hip-hop music rules and the coolest place to hang out is the local rollerskating rink. As the friends look forward to new horizons after high school, they face challenges on and off the rink that bring about turning points in their lives.
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  • Princess Mononoke
    24

    Princess Mononoke

    Claire Danes, Gillian Anderson, Jada Pinkett Smith
    19 votes
    A prince becomes involved in the struggle between a forest princess and the encroachment of mechanization.
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  • Volcano
    25

    Volcano

    Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche, Gaby Hoffmann
    13 votes
    When a massive earthquake rocks the city of Los Angeles, Emergency Management department head Mike Roark (Tommy Lee Jones) returns from his vacation to help with the city's response. After geologist Dr. Amy Barnes (Anne Heche) warns that a volcano may be forming in sewer tunnels, another severe earthquake unleashes the lava flowing underfoot, threatening to destroy the whole city. As the fiery molten rock runs through the streets, Roark and Barnes must figure out how to divert it.
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  • The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury
    26

    The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury

    Vin Diesel, Keith David, Dwight Schultz
    13 votes
    The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury is a 2004 made-for-DVD animated science fiction film. It was directed by the Korean-American animator Peter Chung, and features Vin Diesel reprising his role of Richard B. Riddick.
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  • Final Analysis
    27

    Final Analysis

    Richard Gere, Kim Basinger, Uma Thurman
    9 votes
    Isaac Barr (Richard Gere) is a psychologist treating Diana Baylor (Uma Thurman), but when he talks with her sister, Heather (Kim Basinger), about their troubled childhood, he finds his attentions shifting away from his patient. Heather comes on to him, leading to a secret affair that is complicated by Heather's pathologically jealous gangster husband, Jimmy (Eric Roberts). But the complications don't end there, as Heather may or may not need some serious psychological help herself.
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  • Clockers
    28

    Clockers

    Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, Delroy Lindo
    15 votes
    Nineteen-year-old "Strike" Dunham (Mekhi Phifer) is a small-time street drug dealer for Rodney Little (Delroy Lindo), who wants Strike to kill a former dealer who stole from him. When the man turns up dead, Strike is suspected. But before homicide detective Rocco Klein (Harvey Keitel) has a chance to investigate, Strike's brother, Victor (Isaiah Washington), confesses to the crime -- and Klein suspects that Victor, a virtuous family man, is trying to cover up for Strike.
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  • Transporter 2
    29

    Transporter 2

    Jason Statham, Amber Valletta, Alessandro Gassman
    15 votes
    Mercenary Frank Martin (Jason Statham) has accepted a job that seems easy enough, as chauffeur and bodyguard to young Jack (Hunter Clary), son of crusading politician Jefferson Billings (Matthew Modine). The problem is that Billings is crusading against an international drug cartel. They retaliate by kidnapping Jack and infecting him with a deadly and highly contagious virus. Responsible for the boy, Frank must reclaim him and then find an antidote before scores of innocents are stricken.
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  • Marked for Death
    30

    Marked for Death

    Steven Seagal, Basil Wallace, Keith David
    13 votes
    Mourning his partner who recently died in the line of duty, Drug Enforcement Administration agent John Hatcher (Steven Seagal) confesses to his old pal Max (Keith David), a high school football coach, that he has decided to retire. Then Chicago drug lord Screwface (Basil Wallace) puts out a hit on Hatcher's family. Now, thirsty for vengeance, this grizzled man of action fearlessly returns to the fray, and, when the skittish Screwface flees to Jamaica, Hatcher and Max are in hot pursuit.
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