Credit: Netflix

Idris Elba, whenever this name comes up, you realise that when he is on screen, he makes you forget that he is acting. All he does is hold your hand and pulls you inside the film he’s in and makes you live the story with him. You can’t refute us because you know it’s true.

What makes it even more impressive is that he never really repeats himself. Every single time, you get a completely different human being whenever you watch him. It’s like he has moulds for all his roles, and he transforms himself completely. You can’t learn this range in an acting class. Either you have it, or you don’t, and Elba very clearly has it in abundance.

But have you ever thought what really sets him apart from a lot of his contemporaries? It’s the fact that he doesn’t chase the big, high-paying roles and then disappear into a franchise. Elba’s films have grossed over approximately $9.8 billion at the global box office, and yet he keeps doing small, difficult, uncomfortable stories that most A-listers wouldn’t even read past the first page. And if you thought he only does serious roles, we’d like to remind you of his Charles Miner in The Office.

So, if you have also been sleeping on his Netflix catalogue, now is genuinely the best time to wake up. Here are five Netflix films that cover the full width of what Idris Elba actually does.

Five Idris Elba movies to stream on Netflix right now

Beasts of No Nation (Cary Joji Fukunaga, 2015)

Before we start singing praises for this film, did you know it was Netflix’s first original film? And it only gets better after that. But we’re here for Elba, and he got the privilege of getting cast in this one, and he did not disappoint. If anything, this film completely silenced any doubts about whether Idris Elba could carry a truly demanding role. He plays the Commandant: a warlord who runs a rebel militia in an unnamed West African country and takes in a young orphaned boy named Agu (played by first-time actor Abraham Attah) after civil war tears his family apart.

What Elba does with this character is genuinely spine-chilling because one moment he is a father figure; the next, he is something you don’t want anywhere near a child. He described the challenge himself as not wanting to play cartoon evil, but a human being, and that decision is exactly what makes the character go home with you.

Concrete Cowboy (Ricky Staub, 2020)

Most people have absolutely no idea that there is a century-old community of Black urban cowboys living right in North Philly (yeah, real cowboys, horses and all), and that’s exactly what makes Concrete Cowboy so fascinating to watch. The story follows a troubled 15-year-old named Cole who gets sent by his mom to spend the summer with his estranged dad, Harp. And here’s the twist: Harp isn’t just some guy living in the city. He is actually a major figure in the Fletcher Street riding community.

Now, Harp is the kind of man who looks completely at home on horseback like that’s where he truly understands himself. But being a father? Oh, that’s a whole different story. He is still trying to figure that part out. And that tension between him and Cole anchors the entire film. The fun part is that Idris Elba had never ridden a horse before making this movie. Not only that… he’s actually a little allergic to them. Yep. He ended up wearing gloves the whole time during filming just to deal with it. Come on, you have to watch it just for that.

The Harder They Fall (The Bullitts, 2021)

Alright, now we enter a new Elba territory. Here, we get him as the villain. The Harder They Fall is a film that comes with swagger and a whole lot of attitude. This is a modern Western with an amazing cast, and Elba plays Rufus Buck, the main antagonist. From the moment he shows up, you know he is not someone to take lightly.

The story follows Nat Love, an outlaw seeking revenge, but Elba’s presence is what makes this film a brilliant watch. Every time he is on screen, the tension goes up a notch (as it should). The film itself mixes real historical figures with a fictional storyline, which gives it a unique edge. If you are a fan of westerns, this one with Elba is a must-watch.

Luther: The Fallen Sun (Jamie Payne, 2023)

This three-year-old release broke many Netflix records when it landed. John Luther is the role that made the world realise once again that Idris Elba should be the next James Bond. Luther picks up after the BBC series left off, with Luther sitting in prison after years of bending rules and crossing lines, finally caught up with him. While he is locked up, a wealthy tech manipulator named David Robey (Andy Serkis) is terrorising London and running a live torture stream on the dark web.

Luther, haunted by his failure to stop him, breaks out of prison to finish the job. Elba has played the role with such intensity that you can tell that he never came out of the role in the first place. A sequel is already in development with Ruth Wilson returning as Alice Morgan, so if you haven’t started yet, now is genuinely the right time to catch up.

The Gunman (Pierre Morel, 2015)

With all honesty, this is not one of the strongest films of Elba and isn’t as talked about as some of the others, but it still has its moments. The Gunman follows Sean Penn as Jim Terrier, a former special forces soldier trying to escape his past, only to get pulled back into danger. Elba plays an Interpol agent who is tracking the situation from the outside. It’s not a massive role compared to some of his other films, but hey, it’s Elba. We’ll watch it anyway.

Although Idris Elba is not the only reason to watch this film, we also have Javier Bardem and Mark Rylance. The movie floats between action and political thriller territory, with a mix of chase sequences. So if you have fewer expectations and are in the mood for a straightforward action flick, it gets the job done.