The release of Across the Spider-Verse is once again bringing Shameik Moore to the forefront of conversations, as audiences celebrate the burgeoning actor’s stellar track record.
All on its own, Into the Spider-Verse won a slew of awards back in 2018 and is still considered one of the best films of the decade. Audiences are hoping for more of the same with Across the Spider-Verse, which arrived in theaters on June 2, and reviews already promise another record-breaking box-office performance. These animated favorites are far from Moore’s only contributions to the world of cinema, of course, despite the actor’s still-developing career. He’s been in exactly 10 films over the course of his career so far, including two made-for-television movies, and many of them are nearly as well-loved as the Spidey flicks that made Moore a household name. His television appearances are nearly as sought-after, despite several lesser-known releases over the years.
Shameik Moore’s best film and television appearances
Not all of them quite hold up to the heights of the Spider-Verse flicks, but nearly every Moore appearance is cause for celebration. The talented 28-year-old has appeared in a tidy handful of roles over the years, starting with bit roles in a range of smaller television projects. When he was cast in Dope, everything changed, and people started to truly recognize his star power. In the years since, he’s largely appeared in breakout hits — thanks in large part to his enduring talent — and almost every one of his releases is worth a watch.
10. Joyful Noise (2011)
Long before he was blowing audiences away as Miles Morales or Malcolm Adekanbi, Moore appeared in 2011’s Joyful Noise, a celebration of gospel music. It’s hard to stand out when situated next to behemoths like Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton, but Moore still somehow manages to make his mark in one of the first roles of his career. The flick was blasted by critics upon release, with praise for its musical numbers failing to compensate for what critics call an “insipid” script, but audiences are far more fond of the film. They provide Joyful Noise with a 65 percent on Rotten Tomatoes — as opposed to the poor 32 percent critical score — and laud the film for providing straightforward, enjoyable fun.
9. The Watsons Go to Birmingham (2013)
There aren’t quite enough reviews for 2013’s The Watsons Go to Birmingham to have a Tomatometer score over on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences have made their opinions known. And those opinions are overall quite positive, as evidenced by the film’s 76 percent audience score and reviews applauding the period piece for taking a unique approach and using “warm family drama” to “bring the civil rights movement to life.”
8. Samaritan (2022)
Critics certainly didn’t enjoy 2022’s Samaritan, but audiences are far more forgiving of the Sylvester Stallone-led film. They added a few dozen extra percentage points to the film’s 38 percent Tomatometer score, earning it an audience rating of 71 percent, and praise it for putting “a refreshingly grizzled spin on the superhero movie formula.” Considering how overstuffed the superhero genre is, at the moment, it takes real work for a film like Samaritan to stand out, but viewers seem to agree that Stallone, alongside Moore, Euphoria‘s Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton, Game of Thrones‘ Pilou Asbæk, and Orange is the New Black‘s Dascha Polanco, deliver an “inessential” but easily enjoyable superhero fantasy.
7. Cut Throat City (2020)
After several years of largely subsisting off of background roles and smaller parts, Moore really settled into his own between 2015’s Dope and 2020’s Cut Throat City. Situated as one of the flick’s leading stars, Moore heads a stacked cast that includes the hugely talented Terrence Howard, Ethan Hawke, and Wesley Snipes. Unlike the majority of the films on this list, which audiences enjoyed far more than their critical peers, critics actually enjoyed Cut Throat City a fair amount more than viewers did. They provided the film with a solid 70 percent Tomatometer score, while audiences gave it a far more reproving 39 percent.
6. Let It Snow (2019)
Holiday films are rarely award winners, but critics certainly enjoyed Moore and his co-stars in 2019’s Let It Snow. Audiences were less impressed with the Moore-led film, but few offered up plaudits over the 28-year-old’s performance. In fact, he — and the rest of the ensemble cast — earned praise for keeping a relatively tried-and-true holiday formula engaging and new, and the film’s more modern angling allows it to shine a bit above its peers. Audiences weren’t overly impressed by the film’s lack of courage, providing it with a reasonable, but unimpressive, 47 percent, but critics had far more praise for the flick, which they gave a solid 81 percent Tomatometer score.
5. Wu-Tang: An American Saga (2019-2023)
It doesn’t have nearly the critical attention of some of Moore’s other projects, but Wu-Tang: An American Saga is an audience darling. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series lacks an overall Tomatometer score — likely because it only recently concluded — but viewers absolutely love it, providing it an 84 percent overall score and high praise for each individual season. Season two is a clear standout, with an audience score of 93 percent, but season three’s much lower 67 percent drags that overall score down. Despite its dip in popularity, the series as a whole continues to garner commendations for its depth, and for its wonderful ability to bring a real-life story to spectacular life.
4. The Get Down (2016-2017)
Musical television series are rare, these days, and ones set in the Bronx in the 1970s are even more scarce. That’s only part of what makes The Get Down well worth a viewing, particularly considering its easy accessibility on Netflix. Moore is once again a standout in the series, which aired on the platform between late 2016 and mid-2017, and his performance — paired alongside Justice Smith, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Daveed Diggs — elevate the series to unexpected heights. Viewers on Rotten Tomatoes — who gave the series a shining 88 percent to critics’ 81 percent — praise the show as “a warm celebration of hip-hop’s origins.”
3. Dope (2015)
One of Moore’s breakout roles, 2015’s Dope helped put the actor on the map. He’d already appeared in several stellar projects, of course, but it was Dope that really made people stop and take notice of his talent. Clever and ceaselessly entertaining, the film gets praise for nearly all of its elements, but Moore is a standout. Anyone with an eye on his blossoming career and talented history should make Dope an early viewing. It maintains a solid 88 percent Tomatometer score and 83 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, where viewers praise the flick for its “fantastic characters,” “colorful story,” and stellar soundtrack.
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
2018’s Into the Spider-Verse was a truly groundbreaking movie, so it’s no surprise it still tops “best of” lists to this day. Moore’s stellar portrayal of the young Miles Morales, alongside Hailee Steinfeld’s Gwen Stacy, Jack Johnson’s Peter Parker, and a slew of other talented voice talents, dazzled audiences nearly as much as the gorgeous, innovative animation and daring, complex story. It’s among the greatest Spider-Man movies ever made — and among the greatest animated films of all time — so it’s no wonder this flick lands so near to the top of our list. It honestly might deserve a touch more than its 97 percent Tomatometer score, and it certainly deserves better than that 93 percent audience score.
1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Reviews are still trickling in, due to Across the Spider-Verse‘s recent debut, but complaints about the flick are few and far between. Audiences and critics alike are already raving about the follow-up to Into the Spider-Verse, with Moore himself earning plenty of praise. His talent, paired with a thrilling storyline and visually stunning animation, currently allows Across the Spider-Verse to top this list with a shining Tomatometer score of 96 percent, and a marginally higher audience score of 97 percent. If that isn’t enough to get audiences to theaters over the film’s opening weekend, we don’t know what is.
Published: Jun 2, 2023 12:41 pm