Honestly, if you only know John Ridley because of a certain Oscar-winning screenplay about a man sold into slavery, you’re basically missing the most interesting parts of the guy's career. Yeah, 12 Years a Slave is a masterpiece. It’s brutal, necessary, and won him that gold statue back in 2014. But Ridley isn't just "the historical drama guy." He’s a guy who started in 90s sitcoms, wrote some of the weirdest crime novels you’ve never read, and recently spent a significant chunk of time reimagining the Batman mythos for DC Comics.
The range is actually kinda wild.
Most people don’t realize he was a writer for Martin and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Think about that. The same mind that gave us the harrowing dialogue of Solomon Northup was once punch-lining for Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. That’s the secret sauce, though. Whether it's john ridley movies and tv shows or his graphic novels, there’s always this sharp, rhythmic sense of character that probably came from those early comedy rooms.
The American Crime Pivot
If you want to see Ridley at the peak of his powers, skip the movies for a second and go find American Crime. Not the Ryan Murphy "Versace/OJ" thing. Ridley’s show was an anthology on ABC that ran for three seasons starting in 2015. It was... heavy. Not exactly "comfort TV."
The show basically functioned like a 10-hour indie movie. He took the "prestige drama" tropes and stripped them of all the glossy network TV nonsense. You’ve got Regina King—who has become his unofficial muse—delivering performances that make your skin crawl one minute and break your heart the next.
- Season 1: A murder in Modesto that isn't really about the murder, but about how race and faith tear families apart.
- Season 2: A private school sexual assault case that gets messy and stays messy. No easy answers here.
- Season 3: Forced labor and the opioid crisis in North Carolina.
What’s fascinating is how he uses the same actors in different roles each year. It’s like a theater troupe. Felicity Huffman and Timothy Hutton were regulars, but it was really the platform that solidified Regina King as one of the best actors alive. Ridley doesn't do "good guys" and "bad guys." He does people who are exhausted by life.
💡 You might also like: Ashley My 600 Pound Life Now: What Really Happened to the Show’s Most Memorable Ashleys
That Oscar Win and the Steve McQueen Drama
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. When Ridley won the Oscar for 12 Years a Slave, things got awkward. Like, "don't look at each other in the hallway" awkward. If you watch the footage of his win, he walks right past director Steve McQueen.
The rumor mill—and various reports from outlets like The Hollywood Reporter—suggested a massive rift over screenplay credit. McQueen reportedly wanted a shared credit; Ridley said no. It was a whole thing. But regardless of the backstage drama, that script changed the industry. It proved that "difficult" Black history could be a massive commercial and critical juggernaut.
The Jimi Hendrix Experiment
In 2013, Ridley wrote and directed Jimi: All Is by My Side. This is a polarizing one. You’ve got André 3000 playing Hendrix, which is perfect casting on paper. But there’s a catch: the Hendrix estate wouldn’t give them the rights to the music.
So, you have a Hendrix biopic without a single Hendrix song.
Surprisingly, it works. It forces the movie to be about the man rather than the icon. It’s a quiet, moody look at 1960s London. It feels more like a jazz session than a blockbuster. If you're looking for a "Greatest Hits" vibe, you’ll hate it. If you want a character study of a shy genius before he exploded, it’s actually pretty great.
📖 Related: Album Hopes and Fears: Why We Obsess Over Music That Doesn't Exist Yet
Shirley and the 2024 Resurgence
Fast forward to 2024, and Ridley teamed up with Regina King again for Shirley on Netflix. This is the story of Shirley Chisholm’s 1972 presidential run. Honestly, it’s a bit more "traditional" than his usual stuff. Some critics felt it was a little too "history lesson," but King’s performance is electric.
The movie focuses on the grit of the campaign. It’s about the backroom deals and the betrayal. It’s not just a "yay, she did it" story. It’s a "look how much this cost her" story. That’s very Ridley. He’s obsessed with the cost of conviction.
Why He’s the Most "Secretly Productive" Guy in Hollywood
Beyond the john ridley movies and tv shows you see on Netflix or Max, the man is everywhere. He’s been a massive force at DC Comics lately. He wrote The Other History of the DC Universe, which re-examines classic superhero events from the perspectives of characters of color. It’s dense, literary, and frankly, some of the best writing the comic industry has seen in a decade.
Then there’s Godfather of Harlem. He directed the pilot and has been an executive producer on that Forest Whitaker series for years. It’s a pulpier, more violent side of his writing, but that social commentary is still tucked under the surface.
What to Watch (And What to Skip)
If you’re diving into his filmography, start with American Crime (Season 1). It’s the purest distillation of his voice. After that, check out Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992. It’s a documentary he made about the L.A. Riots. It’s nearly three hours long and utterly devastating.
👉 See also: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads: Why This Live Album Still Beats the Studio Records
Maybe skip Ben-Hur (2016). He has a writing credit on it, but that movie was a mess of studio interference and weird CGI. Even the best writers can't save a project that’s basically a corporate mandate.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you want to track what he’s doing next, keep an eye on his production company, International Famous Players Radio Pictures Corporation. He often develops projects there that are a bit more experimental.
- Seek out his novels: If you like his dark crime vibe, find a copy of Stray Dogs or Love is a Racket. They’re out of print sometimes, but worth the hunt.
- Watch the "uncredited" stuff: He’s been a "script doctor" on more movies than he’ll ever admit to.
- Check out Five Days at Memorial: His 2022 Apple TV+ miniseries about Hurricane Katrina is perhaps his most haunting work. It’s a masterclass in tension and moral ambiguity.
John Ridley doesn't write to make you feel good. He writes to make you feel something, even if that something is deep discomfort. In a world of "content" that’s designed to be scrolled past, his work actually demands you sit still and pay attention.
Next time you're scrolling through a streaming service, look past the big-name blockbusters. Find the stuff where the characters speak in long, jagged sentences and the endings don't always tie up in a bow. That’s where you’ll find the real Ridley. Use the search bar for Five Days at Memorial first—it’s the best way to see how he handles a massive tragedy without losing the human element.