Benedict Cumberbatch's 8 Best Movies, Ranked

Ranked by movie.guru score, not vibes. That means a starship villain and a sorcerer both outrank his best performance. The data has spoken. I have notes.

Number one barely puts him on screen. Argue in the comments.

1. 8
   Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)7.1

   Lowest score here, best spy movie on the list.

   Critics beat 84% of movies, audiences only 59%. Slow, grey, whispery. Made for a reported $21M, pulled $81.5M worldwide. The Guru's Take is 8.3, and the patience pays.
2. 7
   The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)7.6

   He's just a voice, and still the best part.

   $959M worldwide on a reported $217M to $250M budget. Metacritic gave it a 66 because the middle chapter feels like a middle chapter. The dragon talks, everything else waits.
3. 6
   The Power of the Dog (2021)7.8

   His best performance, in the movie nobody actually watched.

   Metacritic 89, critics beat 95% of movies. Audiences beat only 63%, IMDb sits at 6.8, and the listed worldwide gross is $271,009. Slow burn, real burn.
4. 5
   Doctor Strange (2016)8.4

   Folding cities, fun cape, the most template origin story going.

   8.4 movie.guru score, A CinemaScore, $677.8M worldwide. The Guru's Take is 6.8 because arrogant genius gets humbled is a script we've all seen. The visuals do the heavy lifting.
5. 4
   Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)8.5

   Overrated at 8.5. Great villain, stuck in a messy sequel.

   Audiences beat 91% of movies and gave it an A CinemaScore. The Guru's Take is 5.7, the biggest gap on this list. His voice is the only thing running at warp.
6. 3
   The Imitation Game (2014)8.9

   Crowd's favorite, critics' polite nod. The crowd's a bit generous.

   Audiences beat 96% of movies, Metacritic says 71. $233.6M worldwide on a reported $14M. He's terrific, but the script sands a complicated life into tidy awards-season shapes.
7. 2
   Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)9.2

   Best supporting wizard in the biggest movie he's been in.

   $1.92B worldwide, A+ CinemaScore, audiences beat 99% of movies. He sparks the whole plot, mostly by not saying no to a teenager. Guru's Take: 8.4.
8. 1
   12 Years a Slave (2013)9.4

   His smallest role, in his best film. Not close.

   Metacritic 96, critics beat 97% of movies, audiences 93%. Steve McQueen made something devastating and essential. Cumberbatch is barely in it, and that's exactly the argument.

$317.62 says someone demands The Power of the Dog at #1 before they even finish scrolling.

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Current mood: ready to fight about it