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Mahershala Ali · Filmography Ranked

Best Mahershala Ali Films, Ranked by IQ Score

Two Best Supporting Actor Oscars in three years. Every Ali film, ranked by IQ Score.

Mahershala Ali's filmography is among the most-decorated post-2016 supporting-actor catalogs. Two Best Supporting Actor Oscars — Moonlight (2016) and Green Book (2018) — making him only the second Black actor to win two Oscars after Denzel Washington.

Anchor picks: Moonlight (2016) — Best Picture, his first Oscar. Green Book (2018) — Best Picture, his second Oscar. True Detective Season 3 (2019). House of Cards (Remy Danton).

5 titles · ranked by IQ Score

  1. 1
    Moonlight poster — IQ Score 166/200 — Masterclass tier

    Moonlight

    Masterclass drama

    A black boy comes of age across three time periods, navigating sexuality, poverty, and masculinity in Miami. Educational about racial identity and sexuality. Cognitive demands from the lyrical, non-verbal storytelling. E…

    166/200
  2. 2
    House of Cards poster — IQ Score 165/200 — Masterclass tier

    House of Cards

    Masterclass drama, political, thriller

    Multiple Emmy nominations and the show that launched Netflix original programming. Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman who manipulates his way to the presidency. High cognitive demands from the Machiavellian scheming…

    165/200
  3. 3
    Hidden Figures poster — IQ Score 163/200 — Masterclass tier

    Hidden Figures

    Masterclass biography, drama, historical

    2016 Best Picture nominee. The true story of three Black women mathematicians at NASA during the Space Race. Moderate cognitive demands. Exceptional educational value — the film recovers a deliberately erased chapter of…

    163/200
  4. 4
    Green Book poster — IQ Score 160/200 — Masterclass tier

    Green Book

    Masterclass drama, biography

    Peter Farrelly's 2018 Best Picture-winning film anchored by Mahershala Ali (Best Supporting Actor Oscar — his second after Moonlight) and Viggo Mortensen. The structural commitment to letting 1960s-South road-trip cultur…

    160/200
  5. 5
    The Curious Case of Benjamin Button poster — IQ Score 158/200 — Stimulating tier

    The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

    Stimulating drama, romance

    David Fincher's 2008 F. Scott Fitzgerald adaptation anchored by Brad Pitt (Oscar-nominated) and Cate Blanchett. The structural commitment to letting the reverse-aging premise operate at three-hour scale — and the canonic…

    158/200

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