Daniel Kaluuya names his four favourite movies
Since finding his start on the set and in the writer’s room of cult teen drama Skins, Daniel Kaluuya has proven himself to be one of the most captivating on-screen presences working today. A master of his craft with near-unparalleled scene-stealing capabilities, any project with Kaluuya’s name attached is worth seeing for his performance alone.
Kaluuya broke into feature film territory with comedies such as Johnny English and Kick-Ass 2 before making his mark with Get Out. Under Jordan Peele’s directorial prowess, he delivered not only one of the best performances of the year but one of the best performances of the decade. His considered and vulnerable acting brought Peele’s story to life, even earning him a ‘Best Actor’ nomination at the Academy Awards.
Since that stellar breakthrough performance, Kaluuya has dabbled in big-budget franchises with Black Panther and Across the Spider-Verse, took on the story of Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah, and continued to hone his collaborative relationship with Peele on Nope. With a directorial credit to his name, too, Kaluuya’s career shows no signs of stopping.
With such a well-honed filmography to his name and experience both in front of and behind the camera, there are few people more well-placed to make film recommendations than Kaluuya. His favourite film picks certainly don’t disappoint, ranging from musical comedy sequels to French crime.
Sharing his choices with Letterboxd, Kaluuya kicked off the list with 2009’s A Prophet, directed by Jacques Audiard, which he deems “a classic” he saw “in real time”. After going to see the picture the weekend it was released in cinema, Kaluuya was immediately stunned and now watches it roughly every six months.
Lightening the mood a little, Kaluuya followed up with 1980s John Hughes teen classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. “It’s very hard to articulate joy in cinema,” he stated, “People don’t realise how difficult that is, how rare it is. And they were able to do it.” Between hijacked parade floats and beautiful art gallery shots, the film certainly does encapsulate joy.
Rounding out his firm favourites, the actor named Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, “Cause why the fuck not.” Kaluuya called the Whoopi Goldberg-fronted sequel a “banger” and repeatedly emphasised his love for it.
The actor admitted that his fourth and final pick might change each time he’s asked, but that it currently goes to Christopher Nolan’s Memento. A tale of memory loss and revenge, Kaluuya termed the film an “incredible feat” for the mind, but one which never compromises on emotion.
Flitting between comedy, drama and even musicals, it’s the perfect watch list and one that represents Kaluuya’s wide-spanning love for film. Find the list below.
Daniel Kaluuya’s favourite movies:
- A Prophet (Jacques Audiard, 2009)
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (John Hughes, 1986)
- Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (Bill Duke, 1993)
- Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000)
