Riz Ahmed is a contemporary Renaissance man. He acts, he raps, and he uses his platform for advocacy and activism. American audiences may know the British Pakistani performer best for his role in the Star Wars Anthology film Rogue One, but Ahmed's filmography spans far and wide. Ahmed is also leading the charge to push for better Muslim representation across all media platforms.
After making his feature film debut in Michael Winterbottom's 2006 docudrama The Road to Guantanamo, Ahmed dove headfirst into a career including both TV series like Girls and films like Venom. These days, he's receiving a lot of Oscar buzz for his stunning portrayal of a rock drummer who loses his hearing in Sound of Metal.
Una (2016) - 76%
Una is a controversial drama that attempts to shed light on the ways childhood sexual abuse continues to haunt victims into their adulthood. Rooney Mara plays the titular character as an adult, who decides to confront the man who abused her when she was 13.
Ben Mendelsohn plays the abuser, and Ahmed co-stars as Scott, who works with Mendelsohn's character in the film's present. Scott becomes wrapped up in the still-traumatized Una's plot to find some resolution about her past.
Ill Manors (2012) - 77%
A British crime drama centered around life in the London suburb Forest Gate, Ill Manors includes a large cast of characters. The movie's plot evolves over one week, as the cameras focus on six people trying to survive on the streets.
Ahmed plays one of these central characters, a man named Aaron. Ill Manors is directed by British filmmaker and rapper Plan B, aka Ben Drew.
Four Lions (2009) - 82%
Chris Morris, an underground British comedy legend, directed and co-wrote Four Lions. The film deals with a very delicate subject ultimately handled brilliantly by Morris' script: what pushes Muslim men to commit acts of jihadi terrorism.
Ahmed plays Omar, one member of a jihadi terrorist cell composed of radicalized British Muslims plotting an attack during the upcoming London Marathon. Without sacrificing laughs or the humanity of its characters, Four Lions paints a complex, authentic picture of the geopolitical circumstances that breed jihadism.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) - 84%
Rogue One is noticeably much darker and grittier than other entries in the Star Wars cinematic universe. This prequel to A New Hope accompanies a group of rebels as they attempt to steal the Death Star's plans in hopes of squashing the Galactic Empire's macabre plans.
Ahmed plays Bodhi Rook, who defects from the Empire and joins the rebels in their efforts. Bodhi eventually sacrifices himself for the cause when he crosses paths with a shoretrooper.
The Road To Guantanamo (2006) - 86%
The Road to Guantanamo examines the detainment of three British citizens at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba as part of the United States' government response to September 11. The Tipton Three, as they have come to be known, were tortured and deprived of legal representation for two years before being released without any charges by the US government.
Ahmed plays Shafiq Rasul, one of the prisoners at the center of the film's action. Using both testimonies from the three men and dramatic reenactments, the film weaves together a terrifying portrait of what prisoners continue to endure at Guantanamo Bay.
The Sisters Brothers (2018) - 87%
The old American West gets the revisionist treatment in the crime drama The Sisters Brothers. John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix play gunfighters and assassins Eli and Charlie Sisters who are hired to take out a gold prospector named Hermann Warm.
Ahmed plays Warm, who teams up with Jake Gyllenhaal's character John Morris in an effort to stay one step ahead of the Sisters. Despite receiving rave reviews for its unique take on the genre, The Sisters Brothers fell under the radar.
Nightcrawler (2014) - 95%
Ahmed teams up with Jake Gyllenhaal again in Nightcrawler. Gyllenhaal plays one of the creepiest characters in modern history, a compulsive drifter and petty thief named Lou Bloom who finds the perfect job for himself: shooting footage of car crashes and crime scenes that he then sells to local news networks.
When Bloom's gruesome works become a hot commodity at a local affiliate, Bloom hires Ahmed's character Rick as his assistant. Unfortunately, Rick sees firsthand what Bloom will do to get the perfect shot.
Mogul Mowgli (2020) - 95%
As both a rapper and an actor, Ahmed's ability to dramatize the trials and tribulations of musicians is unparalleled. Mogul Mowgli is a breathtaking film about a New York-based British Muslim rapper who is afflicted with an autoimmune disease.
Ahmed's character Zed is forced to cancel his European tour and return home to London, where he reconnects with his Pakistani family. Ahmed's heartbreaking performance feels as authentic as it gets for an actor, and Bassam Tariq's directing style indicates great things to come.
Shifty (2008) - 96%
In Shifty, Ahmed plays a drug dealer outside of London who dreams of a better future for himself. As the titular Shifty, Ahmed showcases his ability to lose himself in a character.
The film traces 24 hours in Shifty's life, offering up intimate details about him in an effort to do away with stereotypes about people involved in the drug trade. Director Eran Creevy relies much more on dialogue than action to give Shifty's story depth and substance.
Sound Of Metal (2019) - 97%
Darius Marder invites audiences into the world of touring heavy metal bands in Sound of Metal. Marder also provides some of the most honest portrayals of deafness in cinematic history through the film's insane sound effects.
Sound of Metal follows Ahmed's character, a drummer named Ruben, as his hearing rapidly deteriorates while traveling the country in the band he shares with his girlfriend. Ruben struggles to maintain his sobriety and accept his fate, eventually traveling to a safe home for deaf recovering addicts in search of the guidance he needs.