The Best Sidney Poitier Movies, Ranked
71 credits from 1947 to 2025, ranked by the Movie Echo Score — a blend of critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. The biggest box office hit is Sneakers (1992) with $105M worldwide. Below: the best films by genre and by decade, the most awarded and the newest releases.
Biggest Sidney Poitier Box Office Hits
Sidney Poitier's films have made $232M worldwide in total. Sneakers (1992) is the biggest hit at $105M, ahead of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) ($56.7M). Lifetime grosses, with each film's domestic share.
- 1
Sneakers 1992 · Drama $105M $51.4M dom. - 2
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 1967 · Drama $56.7M $56.7M dom. - 3
Shoot to Kill 1988 · Action $29.3M $29.3M dom. - 4
Ghost Dad 1990 · Family $25.4M $24.7M dom. - 5
Hanky Panky 1982 · Mystery $9.82M $9.82M dom. - 6
Fast Forward 1985 · Music $2.79M $2.79M dom. - 7
Little Nikita 1988 · Drama $1.73M $1.73M dom. - 8
Children of the Dust 1995 · Drama $838K $838K dom. - 9
In the Heat of the Night 1967 · Drama $27.7K - 10
Buck and the Preacher 1972 · Action $2.76K
The Best Sidney Poitier Movie in Every Genre
The best-rated film in each genre Sidney Poitier has worked in, the genres with the most films first. Drama leads with 27 films, and Sneakers (1992) is the pick of them.
The Best Sidney Poitier Movie of Each Decade
One pick per decade of Sidney Poitier's career, newest decade first: the best-rated film of each ten years, from 1950s to 1990s.
Most Awarded Sidney Poitier Movies
Sidney Poitier's films with wins at the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database, the most decorated first. In the Heat of the Night (1967) leads with 10 wins from 19 nominations.
- Awards: 10 wins In the Heat of the Night 1967 · 19 nominations
- Awards: 5 wins Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 1967 · 22 nominations
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Awards: 4 wins The Defiant Ones 1958 · 19 nominations -
Awards: 2 wins Lilies of the Field 1963 · 11 nominations -
Awards: 2 wins Porgy and Bess 1959 · 7 nominations -
Awards: 1 win A Patch of Blue 1965 · 11 nominations
The Latest Sidney Poitier Movies
The most recent films Sidney Poitier is credited on, newest first — starting with The Last Brickmaker in America (2001). Open any of them for the cast, ratings, box office and where to watch.
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The Last Brickmaker in America 2001 · Henry Cobb -
The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn 1999 · Noah Dearborn -
Free of Eden 1999 · Will Cleamons -
David and Lisa 1998 · Dr. Jack Miller -
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist 1998 · Reverend Msimangu (archive footage) -
Mandela and de Klerk 1997 · Nelson Mandela - Children of the Dust 1995 · Gypsy Smith
- Sneakers 1992 · Drama
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Separate but Equal 1991 · Thurgood Marshall - Ghost Dad 1990 · Director
- Little Nikita 1988 · Drama
- Shoot to Kill 1988 · Action
The Best Sidney Poitier Movies: Questions & Answers
The best-rated, highest-grossing, most awarded and newest Sidney Poitier films, answered from the rankings on this page.
What is the highest-grossing Sidney Poitier movie?
Sneakers (1992) made the most at the box office, with $105M worldwide, followed by Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) with $56.7M. Together, Sidney Poitier's films with box office figures have made $232M.
Which Sidney Poitier movie won the most awards?
In the Heat of the Night (1967) is the most decorated Sidney Poitier film, with 10 wins from 19 nominations across the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database.
What is the best Sidney Poitier drama movie?
Sneakers (1992) is the best-rated of Sidney Poitier's drama films. In other genres: Shoot to Kill (action), Ghost Dad (family) and Fast Forward (music).
What is the newest Sidney Poitier movie?
The newest film on Sidney Poitier's filmography is A Star Without a Star: The Untold Juanita Moore Story (2025), with Sidney Poitier as Self.
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