The 12 Best Wesley Snipes Movies, Ranked

Wesley Snipes made his big screen debut in the mid 1980s with the Goldie Hawn comedy "Wildcats," and it wasn't long before supporting roles became leads. He reached his peak in the '90s with a string of well-received films ranging from action movies and comedies to dramas and sci-fi hits. The new millennium brought a few more box-office successes, but for one reason or another, Snipes began filling his filmography with somewhat forgettable direct-to-video fare with titles like "The Marksman," "The Contractor," and "The Detonator." And then the U.S. government came calling...

Snipes was charged, convicted, and sentenced in 2008 for tax evasion, and after serving over two years in prison, he returned to filmmaking roughly where he left off — forgettable genre movies with titles like "The Recall" and "Armed Response." He also got assists, though, from old friends like Sylvester Stallone, Spike Lee, Eddie Murphy, and Ryan Reynolds with successful supporting roles in "The Expendables 3," "Chi-Raq," "Coming 2 America," and "Deadpool & Wolverine." These smaller turns continue to show Snipes as a performer with talent, charisma, and a hunger for good work, and with any luck, we'll soon see him leading a film on the big screen again. (Seriously, Marvel, just give him back "Blade.")

We're ranking his 12 best films across that varied filmography, and we're focusing only on his lead (or co-lead) roles. His performance plays a part here, but they're almost uniformly good meaning the bigger weight comes down to the overall quality of the films themselves. As should be expected, the movies run the gamut when it comes to both genre and box-office success. Now keep reading for the best Wesley Snipes movies.

1992's "The Waterdance" is an indie drama about three men forced to share a space in a rehabilitation center who find themselves challenged by both their new reality and a growing friendship. So, of course, the big topic of conversation around the film at the time was a nude scene from Helen Hunt. It's a shame — unsurprising, but still a shame — for a couple of reasons. First, Hunt is very good here as a woman doing her best with a newly handicapped partner, and her performance deserved more attention. And second, a focus on the more salacious aspects takes away from the drama, humor, and humanity on display by all four leads.

Eric Stoltz plays Hunt's newly paralyzed lover, and he's joined in the recovery/rehabilitation ward by a rough and tumble racist (William Forsythe) and a smooth-talking Lothario (Snipes). All three go the distance with their emotional responses to the new limitations they face, and they reveal themselves with anger, depression, laughter, and understanding. Snipes, in particular, does fantastic work with a character trying to cover insecurity and fear with an imagined confidence. He has to believe that he can do it all for fear he won't be able to do anything.

When action fans discuss the "Undisputed" franchise, the odds are very good they're talking about how much they love Scott Adkins and his character, Boyka. Adkins, of course, is only in the three sequels meaning that this first entry is often the least discussed or beloved. That's fair from a purely action-oriented standpoint as Adkins comes out on top against just about everyone, but Walter Hill's "Undisputed" still has its charms as a drama filled with character and punctuated by violence.

Snipes and Ving Rhames are the co-leads here, and it's their eventual bout that the film builds up between the two heavyweight champions — the former reigning in a maximum-security prison, and the latter having earned the title out in the real world. Rhames' character is sentenced to hard time for a violent crime, and soon the two are butting heads and ready to pop off in the prison ring. The film is more specific in its style than Hill usually delivers, but the core toughness of his characters remains in both men making for a tense battle of wills before the fight itself even starts. Of course, an old, foul-mouthed Peter Falk still steals the show from both of them.

Kathryn Bigelow made a big splash in 1991 with the action/thriller "Point Break," and other studios took notice of two things — one, it made a lot of money, and two? It featured skydiving. Cut to three years later, and two action/thrillers featuring skydiving hit screens just three months apart. The first was "Terminal Velocity" with Charlie Sheen, and the second is the superior Snipes vehicle, "Drop Zone." It's easy to get turned off by some pretty sketchy effects/composite shots and the very real belief that Snipes has never even stepped foot in an airplane, let alone jumped out of one, but the film is still a fun 90s action ride.

Plot details aren't important, but just know that Snipes plays a federal agent who infiltrates an elite skydiving group in order to catch some airborne baddies led by an amped up Gary Busey. The aforementioned effects issues aside, director John Badham crafts some legitimately thrilling action beats and set pieces along the way that ultimately make up for the rough stuff. Snipes is having a good time, Busey is having a wild time, and fans of fun action, memorable character actors, and 90s excess are guaranteed a great time.

1998's "U.S. Marshals" is something of an outlier when it comes to sequels to box-office blockbusters in that the follow-up doesn't feature the first film's star. Harrison Ford headlined the preceding film, "The Fugitive," and the sequel follows Ford's counterpart protagonist, U.S. Marshal Gerard (played by a returning Tommy Lee Jones). This time around, he's on the case from the start as a prisoner transfer that he's overseeing crashes resulting in the escape of a prisoner named Sheridan (Snipes).

Director Stuart Baird takes the reins here and delivers a less classy film than Andrew Davis' original, but as with the movie above, this is a fun '90s thriller the goes big with both character and energy. Snipes plays a murderer — or does he?! Robert Downey Jr. is onboard as an agent who only wants to help — or does he?! And Jones is having a good time as a guy who cares too much — or does he?! It might lack the emotional core of "The Fugitive," but it keeps pace with its thrills, character beats, and action. There's arguably too dense of a storyline, but Snipes and Jones make for an engaging pair all the same.

Snipes made three films with Spike Lee, but "Jungle Fever" is the one that gave the actor the sole leading role. The film is a drama skewered through with infidelity and the racial politics around interracial relationships, and while Lee throttles his commentary at times — we almost see more of the resulting conflicts than we do the inciting conversations around it — the issues are still bashed around a bit leading to both drama and confrontation. Some of the elements here play fairly broad including an ending that feels more over the top than anything that preceded it, but Snipes' performance finds the grounded reality at the film's center.

The questionably named Flipper Purify (Snipes) loves his wife, but friction at work due to what he sees as racial inequity leaves him unsettled. Questions of romantic intent are raised when he begins an affair with his secretary (Annabella Sciorra) — is it love or an animalistic curiosity about other races? — and things end badly for all involved, including Flipper. Snipes walks a fine line here as a good man making bad choices, and it's the sincerity and humanity in his performance that helps carry viewers across the (admittedly odd) finish line.

What's worse than vampires? (Not counting humans, obviously.) The answer is reapers, of course, the pale-skinned, dead-eyed beasties who live on a diet of vampire flesh, but now their days are numbered too as Blade is pointing his razor-sharp sword in their direction. As a follow-up to Snipes' action/horror classic, "Blade II" checks the expected boxes by ramping up the action, set pieces, and character count, and while it can't touch the original it still delivers plenty of good beats for Snipes fans.

Director Guillermo Del Toro is at his best when dealing with inhuman characters, and he delivers a virtual buffet of bloodthirsty baddies here. Just as James Cameron did when crafting a sequel to Ridley Scott's "Alien," Del Toro ramps up the world of "Blade" with a heavily armed hunting party going toe-to-toe with a merciless, monstrous horde — an inspiration writer David S. Goyer lifted from "The Dirty Dozen." Snipes sits front and center as the human/vamp hybrid who hates both the reapers he's hunting and the vampires he's working with, and he's not shy about that distaste. The film feels every bit the product of the early 2000s, but Del Toro's touch and Snipes' deadly grin keep things fun, bloody, and cool. Add it Ron Perlman and Donnie Yen, and you really can't go wrong.

You knew Snipes was going to be a star from his early supporting turns in films like "Wildcats" and "Major League," but it was "New Jack City" that actually sealed the deal. Far removed from the hero roles he'd eventually become known for, Snipes plays a murderous drug kingpin here and absolutely rules the screen in the process. He's endlessly charismatic and throws out endlessly quotable lines with every exhalation, but he's a bad man through and through. He's joined by Ice-T, Judd Nelson, Chris Rock, and more, but it's Snipes who captivates from minute one.

Director Mario Van Peebles co-stars as a detective on the case, but it's his work behind the camera that lifts the film from the generic studio fare it could have easily become. It's one-part serious commentary on the street-level failure of Reaganomics, one-part nod to blaxploitation films of two decades prior, and one-part pure, over-the-top genre fare. He keeps the soundtrack hopping and the camera moving, and he delivers a film that takes fantastic advantage of its striking production design and New York City locations. It's a fun, colorful time — until it's not — that entertains on its way to a Hollywood ending for the good guys. (Not that it stopped filmmakers from wooing Snipes for a possible sequel...)

Writer/director Ron Shelton made his feature debut with 1988's sports comedy, "Bull Durham," and almost a decade later he delivered one of the subgenre's best (albeit underrated) examples with "Tin Cup." In between those two Kevin Costner classics, though, he gifted movie lovers and sports lovers alike with yet another gem in "White Men Can't Jump." Snipes and Woody Harrelson co-star as two hoops playing hustlers who form an unlikely partnership and an even less likely friendship, and the result is a very funny time both on and off the court.

Racial stereotypes, frank sex talk, and generally crass conversations all find a home in a whip smart script that offers up a ton of laughs in its wordplay, banter, and insults. Snipes and Harrelson show terrific chemistry — so much so they went on to reunite three years later for "Money Train" — and both highlight strong comedic chops alongside their physical skills. Don't count out Rosie Perez, though, who nearly steals the whole thing in an unforgettable supporting turn. Hollywood used to make fun, sexy comedies for adults, and this is one of the best from the 1990s whether you care about basketball or not.

Some may bristle at seeing "Demolition Man" so high in the ranking here, but it's the near definition of pure popcorn entertainment done right. Snipes plays Simon Phoenix, a master villain being pursued by a cop named John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) in 1996 Los Angeles. The pair wind up cryogenically frozen, but when Phoenix escapes nearly four decades later, the cop is unfrozen in the hopes of bringing him back to justice. It's a slick sci-fi premise delivering a pair of fish-out-of-water characters — one a heroic slow-learner and one a wildly destructive and over the top madman — and both the action and set pieces follow through with thrills, fights, and chase scenes.

What makes the film special, though, is its sense of humor and gonzo approach to the future that give fuel to the argument that the film is much smarter than it seems on the surface. The future world is one owned by corporations with marketing at every opportunity. Extremists on both sides have "won" to one degree or another, and both victories are hollow echo chambers. The populace has ceded its dignity and self-determination to gizmos, gadgetry, and gross overreach by the aforementioned corporations. The arrival of these two lunkheads is just what it needs... well, that and more time with Sandra Bullock's pitch-perfect comedic timing when tasked with playing the "straight man" during awkward scenes.

Snipes' first film with writer/director Spike Lee came right before his big breakout in "New Jack City," and he plays something of a second fiddle to Denzel Washington's true lead, but "Mo' Better Blues" still sees the actor come out swinging with a highly memorable performance. Here he plays Shadow, bandmate and friend to a highly talented trumpet player named Bleek (Washington). Both men are fueled by musical ambition and a talent for the blues and jazz, but while Shadow wants to play music that people love, Bleek wants them to love his music. It's a subtle distinction, but it's one that threatens to tear them apart both personally and professionally.

Part love story, part commentary on the importance of a healthy work/life balance, and wholly about the interchanging rhythms of life, the film is a showcase for both actors on and off the stage. Snipes is the voice of reason here, a man who sees the value that others can bring to your work and your life — a value that can make you better — while Bleek is only in it for himself, and the contrast plays out in different ways for the two men. It's a terrific film and one of Lee's best.

You don't often see theatrically released films playing it as risky as "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" and then still find success. The lengthy title is already a hurdle, but to then cast a heartthrob (Patrick Swayze), an action star (Snipes), and a future pest (John Leguizamo) as drag queens? The film became a modest hit and has only gained in appreciation since, and all three leads are a big part of why it's so beloved. The filmmakers set the stage, but these three commit to the characters with warmth and wit to spare.

The '90s weren't that long ago, but the movies (and comedy in particular) were still home to all manner of stereotypical writing and humor. It's a triumph to revisit this film and see it find laughs and character interactions that don't depend on dated, unnecessarily hurtful jabs. Instead, the characters have depth well beyond their wigs and makeup, and they're given smart, fun dialogue that bonds them to each other (and viewers to the film). It's a comfort film, one made even cozier by the likes of Stockard Channing, Melinda Dillon, Blythe Danner, and, of course, Julie Newmar. See it, and you'll fall in love with more wonderful, beautiful ladies than you can count.

As the films above can attest, Snipes' filmography is home to a wide variety of genres and roles. Through it all, though, there's one that has delivered his biggest box-office hits and ensured him a spot in the pop culture hall of fame. There's only one Blade, and that one is Snipes. "Blade" kicked off the character's big-screen adventures way back in 1998 — making his appearance in last year's "Deadpool & Wolverine" a record-breaking triumph — and he's been an iconic, immediately recognizable character ever since. Stephen Norrington's film is a blood-splashed ride blending action, horror, and a wickedly fun performance by Snipes into something truly special.

From the unforgettable opening sequence that sees a human sap wander into a vampire rave to later scenes featuring Blade slice his way through vampires while grinning and quipping with abandon, the film is a stylish genre mashup that introduces both character and mythology with ease and clarity. It's so good that not even some wonky cg effects in the third act can hurt it. Snipes' charisma shines through the darkness like a fog light, unbeatable by vampires or the nighttime sky, and if you're not quoting his line about certain people trying to ice skate uphill, what are you even doing with your life? That goes for you too, Marvel — "Blade" is one of the very best pre-MCU Marvel films, so why not bring Snipes and Blade into the MCU proper, after his triumphant return in "Deadpool & Wolverine" in 2024?