10 Best Movies Starring Lupita Nyong'o

Born in 1983 as Lupita Amondi Nyong'o, she is the daughter of Kenyan politician Peter Anyang Nyong'o. Her journey in Hollywood began as a production assistant, and in 2008, she made her debut as an actor in a short film.

She polished her skills by studying acting at the Yale School of Drama, which led to her breakthrough role in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (2013). Since her debut, Lupita has won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Want to explore her filmography? Read on!

1. 12 Years a Slave

12 Years a Slave is a biographical film adapted from a screenplay by John Ridley, based on Solomon Northup's 1853 slave memoir, Twelve Years a Slave. Solomon Northup, an African-American man, was kidnapped in Washington by two con men in 1841 and forced into slavery.

In this movie, Lupita Nyong'o acts as Patsey, a fellow slave who shares the same fate as Solomon. Their paths crossed when Solomon was sold to Edwin Epps. Patsey has a special place as Epps' favorite slave, but tragically, she must also endure his cruel desires.

2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Set three decades after the Battle of Endor, the First Order emerges from the remains of the Galactic Empire, aiming to conquer the New Republic. The Resistance, supported by the Republic and led by General Leia Organa, opposes the First Order.

Leia begins a search to find her missing brother, Luke Skywalker. Clues to Luke's location were found by San Tekka, who then entrusted this vital information to Resistance pilot Poe Dameron.

Unfortunately, Kylo Ren's Stormtroopers captured Poe and killed San Tekka. In the midst of the chaos, BB-8 brings an important map that reveals Luke's whereabouts. In this movie, Lupita Nyong'o plays the character Maz Kanata, a figure who offers to help deliver BB-8 to the Resistance.

3. Queen of Katwe

Queen of Katwe is a biographical sports drama movie inspired by the life of Phiona Mutesi, a girl who grew up in Katwe, a slum in Uganda's capital Kampala. Her journey unfolds as she learns chess, and eventually becomes a female Master candidate after her victory at the World Chess Olympiad.

Surviving in the Ugandan slums presents challenges for Phiona and her family, include her mother, Nakku Harriet, played by Lupita Nyong'o. Their daily lives involve selling corn. Their daily life is selling corn at the market, far from an easy life.

Fate changes when Phiona meets Robert Katende in a missionary program. Katende introduces local children to various sports, including chess, and sets Phiona on a transformative path.

4. The Jungle Book

Directed and produced by Jon Favreau. This version is a live action/CGI adaptation of Walt Disney's 1967 animated classic. The story revolves around an orphaned boy named Mowgli, who is raised by the Raksha wolves led by Akela. He is trained in the ways of the wolves.

In this movie, Lupita acts as Raksha, a she-wolf who nurtures and becomes Mowgli's foster mother. Jon Favreau chose Lupita because she has a depth of voice that can be emotional, which is needed for the character.

5. Black Panther

Black Panther is an American superhero movie rooted in Marvel Comic characters. The story delves into the past when, five thousand years ago, five African tribes vied for control of a meteorite enriched with vibranium, a powerful metal.

Ingesting a potion containing this metal would grant superpowers to a person, who later became the Black Panther. This first Black Panther united the tribes, forming the nation of Wakanda, except for the Jabari.

For centuries, Wakanda utilized vibranium to fuel its technological advancements.In this context, Lupita portrays Nakia, the lover of T'Challa, the king of Wakanda. Nakia is also a secret agent from the River Tribe who operates as a spy for Wakanda.

6. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

In "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," Lupita Nyong'o acts as Maz Kanata, who has allied herself with the Resistance. The movie's story takes place shortly after the conflict at Starkiller Base. Leia Organa leads the evacuation of their base as the First Order fleet approaches. Following Leia's orders, Poe Dameron initiates a counterattack, eliminating the First Order ships.

At the same time, Poe tasked Finn, Rose, and BB-8 with a secret mission to disable the First Order's tracking device. Maz Kanata guides them to Canto Bight, where they face pursuit by local security.

In the storyline, Finn, Rose, and their comrades sneak onto Snoke's mother ship. Here, Snoke demonstrates his ability to link their minds, with the aim of finding Luke Skywalker.

7. Non-Stop

Non-Stop (2014) is an action-thriller film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, featuring Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore in the lead roles.

The plot revolves around Bill Marks, a former NYPD officer and US Air Marshal, who boards a flight from New York to London. During the flight, he receives a chilling text message, threatening to kill him every 20 minutes unless a sum of money is transferred to an account.

While Jack Hammond, another air marshal, ignored the messages, Marks took swift action, asking the flight attendants to monitor the security cameras. In this movie, Lupita Nyong'o plays Gwen who is a flight attendant.

8. Us

Lupita Nyong'o stars in "Us," a psychological horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele. The film centers on Adelaide Wilson, played by Lupita Nyong'o, and her family, who are targeted by a group of evil doppelgängers.

Set in 1986, a young girl named Adelaide Thomas enters a playhouse. Years later, she is married to Gabriel Wilson and has two children.

While on vacation, their son, Jason, witnesses a family of four enter their home and quickly ambush his family. Jason realizes that they are doppelgängers of his family, including his own doppelgänger named Pluto.

9. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

In "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," T'Challa, the King of Wakanda, is in a life-and-death state due to a terminal illness. His sister, Shuri, believes that the disease can be cured with a heart-shaped potion.

Shuri begins an attempt to synthetically reproduce the potion, as it has previously been destroyed by Erik Killmonger. Unfortunately, T'Challa passed away before the breakthrough was made.

T'Challa's death forced Wakanda into a precarious position, pressured by other nations to share their vibranium. Queen Ramonda pleaded with Shuri to continue her research on the heart-shaped herb in hopes of finding a new successor to the throne.

However, Shuri refuses, considering the Black Panther legacy as a thing of the past. In this movie, Lupita continues her role as Nakia.

10. Little Monsters

Little Monsters is a zombie comedy film directed by Abe Forsythe, the story centers on the lives of a musician, a children's TV host, and a kindergarten teacher who work together to protect school children from zombie attacks.

Dave, a recently heartbroken musician, lives with his sister, Tess, and his son, Felix. While taking Felix to school, Dave meets Miss Caroline, played by Lupita Nyong'o, who serves as a teacher there.

On the day of the kindergarten field trip, an unexpected zombie outbreak occurs. Dave and Miss Caroline strive to protect the children with various strategies.

Lupita Nyong'o's filmography is a thrilling journey. The movies she has starred in, including the ten we recommend in this article, present a variety of stories with interesting conflicts. Have you watched some of them? So, which Lupita Nyong'o movie is your favorite?