O’Shea Jackson Jr. is a musician and actor who has risen rapidly over the last decade. He first gained attention with his uncanny portrayal of his father, Ice Cube, in Straight Outta Compton, which earned him rave reviews. Not content to be typecast or remain in his dad’s shadow, Jackson quickly followed this up with a diverse slate of projects– from a Godzilla movie to a Seth Rogen rom-com; an Aubrey Plaza dark comedy to a Star Wars TV show; and even a legal drama. All of these roles demonstrate Jackson’s energy, charisma, and surprising versatility.
Jackson’s career still has a lot of momentum, with his crime flick Den of Thieves: Pantera set for release in January. This means it’ll be interesting to see where he goes from here. He seems most at home in comedies, but his dramatic chops are also considerable, so anything’s possible. With this in mind, now’s as good a time as any to reflect on Jackson’s best performances to date. Here are all of Jackson’s movies so far, ranked.
7
‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ (2019)
Directed by Michael Dougherty
This middling Godzilla flick tells a mostly generic tale of humanity struggling to coexist with kaiju like Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, and, of course, everyone’s favorite radioactive lizard. Kyle Chandler and Vera Farmiga lead the cast, with Jackson in a small role as Chief Warrant Officer Barnes, a member of the military organization, Monarch. Barnes provides a soldier’s-eye view of the chaos and, despite how little the script gives him to work with, Jackson manages to bring a grounded, everyman sensibility to the character.
Few people would rank Godzilla: King of the Monsters among their favorite monster movies. Its cardinal sin is that any attempt at story, theme, or character depth is buried beneath layers of CGI-heavy mayhem. Still, if this is Jackson’s worst movie, then he’s doing pretty well. It was at least a very big-budget and high-profile project for the actor, proving Jackson could hold his own inside a mammoth franchise. It may have contributed to him being cast in a few episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.
- Runtime
-
132
- Release Date
-
May 29, 2019
- Director
-
Michael Dougherty
- Writers
-
Michael Dougherty
, Zach Shields
, Max Borenstein
6
‘Cocaine Bear’ (2023)
Directed by Elizabeth Banks
Cocaine Bear is exactly what it says on the tin: a frenetic, darkly comic retelling of a real-life event in which a bear ingested a large amount of cocaine that was accidentally dropped in the woods. It’s been memorably described as Grizzly Man meets Scarface, with a touch of Snakes on a Plane.
Jackson appears as Daveed, a fixer sent into the forest to recover the missing drugs. Along the way, he gets into fights with juvenile delinquents, goes toe-to-toe with the ursine overdoser, and undergoes a change of heart. He plays the character with just the right amount of silliness, humor, and earnestness. Jackson has spoken at length about how much fun he had making this movie, and that shows through in his performance. He also said that his experiences with Godzilla and Star Wars helped him to act with a CGI co-star.
- Runtime
-
95 Minutes
- Release Date
-
February 24, 2023
- Writers
-
Jimmy Warden
- Budget
-
$30–35 Million
- Studio(s)
-
Lord Miller Productions
, Brownstone Productions
, Jurassic Party Productions - Distributor(s)
-
Universal Pictures
5
‘Ingrid Goes West’ (2017)
Directed by Matt Spicer
Aubrey Plaza leads this dark comedy as the title character, who becomes obsessed with Instagram influencer Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen) and tries to force her way into the star’s life. The movie uses this premise to explore the dark side of social media, parasocial relationships, and the broader pandemic of loneliness. This may sound heavy, but director/co-writer Matt Spicer balances the darkness with welcome humor.
Jackson appears in the supporting cast as Dan Pinto, a kind-hearted, Batman-obsessed aspiring screenwriter (and landlord) who becomes entangled in Ingrid’s life. Jackson’s Dan provides a much-needed counterbalance to Ingrid’s erratic behavior, offering genuine affection and understanding despite her manipulative tendencies. He’s also incredibly funny in the part, delivering his lines with spot-on timing. He’s probably the most entertaining cast member here, aside from Plaza herself. Reportedly, she was the one who pushed for Jackson to be cast in the role.
Ingrid Goes West
Ingrid Goes West is a dark comedy film starring Aubrey Plaza as Ingrid Thorburn, a troubled young woman who becomes obsessed with a social media influencer, Taylor Sloane, played by Elizabeth Olsen. Directed by Matt Spicer, the film explores the impact of social media on mental health and relationships as Ingrid relocates to Los Angeles in an attempt to insinuate herself into Taylor’s seemingly perfect life.
- Main Genre
-
Comedy
- Release Date
-
August 11, 2017
- Director
-
Matt Spicer
- Writers
-
David Branson Smith
, Matt Spicer
4
‘Long Shot’ (2019)
Directed by Jonathan Levine
One of the most enjoyable romantic comedies of the last few years, Long Shot stars Seth Rogen as Fred Flarsky, an idealistic journalist who reconnects with his childhood crush, Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), now a powerful politician running for president. An unlikely relationship develops between Fred and Charlotte, though it’s naturally beset by a host of problems. Jackson is Lance, Fred’s supportive and hilarious best friend.
Lance serves as Fred’s voice of reason and comic relief, providing both sage advice and laugh-out-loud moments. They have a fun dynamic, with Lance’s infectious positivity contrasting against Fred’s cynical worldview. He teases his pal heavily, but is also fiercely loyal. In this role, Jackson successfully showcases his versatility.
- Runtime
-
125 minutes
- Release Date
-
May 3, 2019
- Main Genre
-
Comedy
- Writers
-
Dan Sterling
, Liz Hannah
3
‘Den of Thieves’ (2018)
Directed by Christian Gudegast
This gritty crime thriller follows the intersecting lives of criminals and law enforcement as they prepare for a high-stakes robbery. Jackson has a major role as Donnie, a bartender who becomes an unwitting participant in the elaborate heist orchestrated by Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber) and his team of elite bank robbers. Donnie serves as the linchpin in the story, acting as an inside man for the crew while being interrogated and watched by the relentless LAPD unit headed by “Big Nick” O’Brien (Gerard Butler).
This is one of Jackson’s more restrained performances, and he matches the tone of the film perfectly. Schreiber is undeniably the star of the show, but Jackson manages to hold his own. The compelling performances and the well-executed action make Den of Thieves a solid homage to classic heist movies. It may not have broken any new ground for the subgenre, but it still resonated with audiences, grossing a strong $80 million against its $30 million budget.
Den of Thieves
- Cast
-
Evan Jones
, Pablo Schreiber
, Brian Van Holt
, Jordan Bridges
, Eric Braeden
, Gerard Butler
, Sonya Balmores
, Oleg Taktarov
, Meadow Williams
, Maurice Compte - Runtime
-
140minutes
- Release Date
-
January 18, 2018
- Director
-
Christian Gudegast
- Writers
-
Christian Gudegast
, Paul Scheuring - Budget
-
$30 million
2
‘Just Mercy’ (2019)
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Michael B. Jordan leads this legal drama (based on real events) as civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson. The film focuses on Stevenson’s fight to overturn the conviction of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx). Jackson Jr. plays Anthony Ray Hinton, a wrongfully convicted inmate on death row who also finds hope through Stevenson’s efforts.
This is by far Jackson’s most dramatic role to date, and probably his most difficult to pull, not least because Hinton is a real person with a tragic story. He, too, wrote a memoir, which helped inform this film. Overall, Just Mercy doesn’t stray far from the conventional framework of a legal drama, but it’s elevated by the winning performances. It communicates its message effectively, so much so that a Standford study found that it increased viewers’ empathy for people in prison.
Just Mercy
- Runtime
-
136 minutes
- Release Date
-
January 10, 2020
- Budget
-
$25 million
- Studio(s)
-
Warner Bros. Pictures
- Distributor(s)
-
Warner Bros. Pictures
1
‘Straight Outta Compton’ (2015)
Directed by F. Gary Gray
When it comes to Jackson’s best movie so far, it’s hard to top his debut. Straight Outta Compton chronicles the rise of legendary hip-hop group N.W.A., with Jackson delivering a breakout performance here as his father, Ice Cube. His portrayal is both eerily accurate and deeply compelling. He really becomes Ice Cube, embodying his father’s intensity, lyrical prowess, and defiant spirit.
As a whole, the movie sticks to some of the tried and true musical biopic formulas (including a little hagiography and smoothing out of the facts), but its central characters are so vivid and interesting that it never feels dull. The direction is fittingly energetic, and the music is, of course, killer. Jackson is a key part of the film’s success, managing to be both entertaining and emotional. His work here announced him as a talent to watch. Defying some critics, he wouldn’t stay in his father’s shadow for long.
The rap group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.
- Runtime
-
147minutes
- Release Date
-
August 14, 2015
- Writers
-
Jonathan Herman
, Andrea Berloff - Budget
-
$28–$50 million
