The best Spike Lee movies
The top 3 according to 35 votes from people: Clockers (1995) · Malcolm X (1992) · 25th Hour (2002). (Updated Oct 1, 2026.)
From Do the Right Thing to BlacKkKlansman: Spike Lee's films ranked (Paste, Awards Radar, Rotten Tomatoes, Films Fatale).
Top 12
-
1
Clockers (1995)
A young dealer and a homicide detective, from Richard Price.
-
2
Malcolm X (1992)
Anchored by Denzel Washington's powerful performance.
-
3
25th Hour (2002)
Edward Norton's last day of freedom in post-9/11 New York.
-
4
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
A Black cop infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan.
-
5
Inside Man (2006)
An energetic, clever bank-heist thriller.
-
6
David Byrne's American Utopia (2020)
His concert film, top of his Tomatometer ranking.
-
7
Do the Right Thing (1989)
The hottest day of the year in Bed-Stuy; his magnum opus.
-
8
Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Vietnam veterans return for their fallen leader and buried gold.
-
9
4 Little Girls (1997)
The documentary about the 1963 Birmingham church bombing.
-
10
Highest 2 Lowest (2025)
Denzel Washington in his take on Kurosawa's High and Low.
-
11
She's Gotta Have It (1986)
His black-and-white debut feature.
-
12
Crooklyn (1994)
A 70s Brooklyn childhood.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first!