Scarlett Johansson is one of the most accomplished and popular actors of her generation thanks to her fantastic work in these great movies.
The best Scarlett Johansson movies highlight the incredible career this actor has had over the years. Working with some of the biggest directors in the business, from Christopher Nolan to Wes Anderson to Taika Waititi, Scarlett Johansson’s talents have made her one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood, with almost zero doubt that she’ll be regarded as one of the most accomplished and popular actors of her generation. Starting out as a child actor from a young age, she was impressive as a rising star during the 2000s before becoming a huge star in the 2010s, which saw her join a major franchise and score some Academy Award nominations.
Picking out the best Scarlett Johansson movies can be difficult due to her outstanding resume. Though her role as Black Widow in the MCU might be her most well-known role, audiences have loved her in a variety of terrific parts in acclaimed movies. There are superhero blockbusters, hilarious comedies, heavy emotional dramas, superb voice acting, and more to choose from. There is something for everyone to find among the best Scarlett Johansson movies that showcase what an incredible actor she is and the amazing career she has built over the years.
10Isle Of Dogs (2018)
- Stream On Disney+
Johansson has lent her famous voice to a number of notable projects including the charming and wild animated adventure, Isle of Dogs. From the creative mind of Wes Anderson, this stop-motion animated film tells the story of a boy searching for his dog after the species was transferred to live on a trash island due to a disease. The film was a critical darling, earning a Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination. Johansson lends her voice to Nutmeg, a show dog, and the love interest of Chief (Bryan Cranston), the main dog in the story. It’s an underrated aspect of her career, but Johansson’s great voice acting lands it firmly among her best performances.
9Ghost World (2001)
- Stream on Tubi
Though audiences might not have really caught on to Johansson until Lost in Translation, she was doing excellent work for years before, including in the indie comedy Ghost World. Based on a comic book of the same name, Ghost World stars Johansson and Thora Birch as two cynical best friends following their final year of high school. After a prank on an awkward outcast (Steve Buscemi), the friendship between the girls begins to change. Johansson gives a reserved performance that is both funny and intense despite the closed-off character. The movie itself was a small indie hit nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars.
8The Prestige (2006)
- Stream on Hulu
Christopher Nolan’s movies are best known for high-concept and exciting ideas, and The Prestige is no different. This one is about magic and the intense rivalry between two magicians in the 1800s that goes way further than it ever should. Johansson joins a fantastic cast including Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Hall, Piper Perabo, and Michael Caine. She portrays Olivia, the assistant for Jackman’s character who gets sent to Bale’s character to spy on him, only to fall in love with him. It’s just one of several twists throughout this gripping story which has gradually been accepted as one of Nolan’s best movies.
7Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Stream On Disney+
Despite her many iconic roles, it’s clear that Scarlett Johansson’s most famous character is Natasha Romanoff in the MCU. She debuted in the role in Iron Man 2 in 2010 and reprised it in 2012’s The Avengers but a lot of her highlights came in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Although it’s a Cap film, Natasha is the second lead, working by Steve’s side at every turn. This really cemented the friendship between the two characters that would be present through the rest of their time in the franchise. The film was well-received as an action-filled spy thriller, and it showed that Johansson’s Black Widow was more than a supporting character.
6Her (2013)
- Rent on Apple TV
As noted, Scarlett Johansson’s voice acting talents are severely underrated, but her best work in that world likely came in Her. Johnasson teams with director Spike Jonze in the story of an introverted man (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with his operating system, Samantha (voiced by Johansson). This Best Original Screenplay winner was a hit with critics, while audiences have continued to find it for the first time as it comes and goes on streaming services. A lot of the praise went to Johansson for bringing Samantha to life and showcasing various emotions despite not being a human character.
5Under The Skin (2013)
- Stream on HBO Max
Though perhaps not the most widely seen of the Scarlett Johansson movies, Under the Skin seems destined to become a classic. Johansson stars in the movie as an alien who takes on the guise of a beautiful woman to lure human men into her trap. While the premise might sound like a wild sci-fi horror movie, Under the Skin is much more experimental with both its narrative and visuals. Based on the book Under the Skin by Michael Faber, is haunting and hypnotic with director Jonathan Glazer capturing some unforgettable moments. Since its release, Under the Skin has been hailed as one of the best movies of the last decade.
4Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Stream on Disney+
After nearly a decade, the culmination of the story for Natasha Romanoff came in Avengers: Endgame. The blockbuster surpassed $2 billion at the box office and became the highest-grossing movie of all time for a while as it brought together more heroes than ever to take down Thanos. Johansson arguably delivers her best performance as Black Widow here, showing what the loss of the previous film meant for her character. She also makes a major sacrifice, giving her own life so that her friend can reunite with his family and so billions could return from the Blip, meaning Black Widow had a fitting end in the MCU.
3Lost In Translation (2003)
- Stream on Prime Video
In a lot of ways, Lost in Translation was the movie that opened many eyes to Scarlett Johansson’s talents. In the Sofia Coppola film, she plays Charlotte, a recent college graduate who forms a bond with an aging movie star (Bill Murray) having a midlife crisis in Tokyo. Almost every aspect of the film was met with praise, especially the performances of Murray and Johansson. Lost in Translation was up for four Oscars (winning Best Original Screenplay) and many accolades at other award shows, with Johansson winning a BAFTA.
2Jojo Rabbit (2019)
- Stream on Fubo TV
The incredible 2019 for Scarlett Johansson included her performance in Jojo Rabbit. From the brilliantly weird mind of Taika Waititi, this film focuses on a Hitler Youth member (Roman Griffin Davis) who finds that his mother (Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their home. Johansson earned two Academy Award nominations in the same year with her funny and heartbreaking performance in JoJo Rabbit being one of them. The movie itself also earned plenty of praise with Waititi winning Best Adapted Screenplay and the movie earning a Bes Picture nomination for the funny yet emotional story.
1Marriage Story (2019)
- Stream on Netflix
Even while in the midst of her superhero adventures in the MCU, Scarlett Johansson has always managed to find interesting and critically acclaimed movies to show the other side of her talents. Such was the case with Marriage Story, a Netflix original film. The story centers on Nicole (Johansson) and Charlie (Adam Driver), a couple going through a coast-to-coast divorce. The highly emotional film from Noah Baumbach was lauded upon release and scored six Oscar nominations, including one for Johansson as Best Actress. She was also up for the Golden Globe and BAFTA for her performance, and it’s clear that — even though she’s known mostly as the MCU’s Black Widow — this small intimate drama is the best Scarlett Johansson movie so far.
Source: screenrant.com
