- “The Village”
- “Maleficent”
- “Ender’s Game”
- “The Tree of Life”
- “In the Land of Blood and Honey”
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
As Lisa, the sociopath who forms a bond with Winona Ryder’s troubled young woman at a mental hospital, Jolie gives an electrifying turn and she won her first (and to-date only) Academy Award for her performance. Jolie deservesly so, as while the movie is primarily about Ryder’s character, Jolie makes a tremendous impact whenever she appears on the screen.
In “The Revenant,” Jolie’s powerful performance cemented her status as a talented actress and it did much to elevate Ryder’s career too. It’s not an easy watch, as you might expect from a coming-of-age movie about girls in psychiatric care, but it’s still worth your time if you can handle the difficult themes that the movie presents throughout its run-time.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
Angelina Jolie’s “best” movie? That’s debatable. Story-wise, the movie is all over the place and there is far less puzzle solving and tomb raiding than there should be in this take on the popular game franchise. However, Jolie is simply stunning as intrepid adventurer Lara Croft and she elevates the movie to greater heights with her tough and stoic performance. It’s for this reason that this movie deserves a place on this list, even though it’s simple escapist fare. ..
The plot of Tomb Raider is about Lara trying to find an ancient artefact before it falls into the wrong hands. If you have ever picked up a joypad and played one of the Tomb Raider games, this will be a premise that will be very familiar to you. Several set-pieces stand out, including one where Lara beats up a load of bad guys while attached to bungee cords, and the movie runs at a brisk pace, so it’s easy to forget how silly it all is.
Wanted (2008)
James McAvoy stars in this entertaining action movie as a frustrated office worker who discovers that he has the ability to kill with his bare hands. This is surprising enough for the man who considers himself a loser, but when he discovers that he shares this ability with his father, his life takes on a whole new turn! ..
The movie “Salt” is a hyperkinetic thrill ride that features an unlikely assassin in the form of McAvoy. However, the real badass of the movie is its female lead, Jolie, who mentors the beleaguered accounts manager in the art of killing. ..
The actress in this movie is amazing and her performance will leave you wanting more. She is a force to be reckoned with and her ability to take on any role is impressive. The only downside to this movie is that it does not have a sequel potential but that does not mean that the actress cannot do better in the future.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)
The film is set in the world of secret government agencies and their competing clients, and it’s a thrilling ride as the two actors try to outdo one another in shootouts, poisoned dinners, and explosive attacks. Liman’s screenplay is well-paced and exciting, and it’s a great way to spend an afternoon.
This movie was apparently the catalyst that brought Brangelina together and it’s evident that they have great chemistry, despite the many scenes of them trying to kill one another. Sadly, their real-life relationship ended several years later and that’s possibly the reason why there hasn’t been a sequel. It’s a shame but at least they didn’t end their marriage in the same way that John and Jane Smith attempted to in this gloriously fun popcorn movie.
Gia (1998)
Jolie stars as Gia Carangi, a young woman who became a top model during the late 1970s but who later succumbed to heroin addiction and an untimely death due to AIDS-related complications. Her downfall is laid bare in this powerful biopic with Jolie excelling as the model who was eaten up by the trappings of fame. ..
Gia was released in 2001 and quickly became a hit, proving that Jolie could be more than just a pretty face. A number of high-profile movies immediately followed, including The Bone Collector and Gone in 60 Seconds, but despite its lower budget and TV origins, Gia is still one of the best movies she starred in during the early part of her career.
Kung Fu Panda (1998)
Many big-name stars lend their voices to animated movies, but very few of them convincingly portray their cartoon counterparts. This is not the case for Jolie, who is the perfect fit for Tigress, the toughest warrior in the band of expert fighters that Jack Black’s overweight panda becomes involved with. ..
The casting of Jolie as Tigress is a perfect fit for the role. She has played many tough-as-nails characters throughout her career and has shown vulnerability in many of her movie roles. Her performance as Tigress will add to the audience’s love for the character and help to make Kung Fu Panda one of the studio’s best movies.
Eternals (2021)
Critics and audiences who loved the film say that it’s a unique take on the superhero genre and that Chloé Zhao is an amazing actress. They argue that the movie is more about character than spectacle, and that it’s not as action-packed as some of the comic book movies we have become used to. As such, the movie divided critics and audiences, many of whom hated on the movie because of Zhao’s cerebral approach in her telling of the Eternal’s story.
The movie does improve on multiple viewings, mainly because we get to spend more time understanding the characters at the heart of the movie, including elite warrior Thena (Jolie), who can somehow manifest weapons out of thin air. The actress gives a sensitive and grounded performance as the cosmic fighter and she is ably matched by the other actors, including Richard Madden and Gemma Chan, who lend gravitas to what could have been a comically silly movie. ..
Maleficent (2014)
Disney’s habit of making live-action versions of their animated movies is becoming tiresome. The plots often follow the same beats, and as a result, it feels like the studio is just rehashing old material. What’s the point? ..
This movie is not a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story, but instead tells the classic tale from the villain’s perspective. Jolie gives an impressive performance as the vengeful fairy that curses the infant Aurora but while she is suitably sinister, she manages to make the villain sympathetic too, so the character is never quite as evil as the wicked fairy that is often booed and hissed at in pantomime retellings.
Beowulf (2007)
In the Old English poem, Grendel’s mother is a monstrous swamp hag that played a prominent role in the story. She is known for her appetite for human flesh and her ability to transform into a monster when she wants. Angelina Jolie’s portrayal of Grendel’s mother in this movie seems to be very similar to this poem.
In “Beowulf,” Angelina Jolie portrays the fearsome beast, Grendel, in a motion-captured telling of the legendary tale. While her performance as the surprisingly attractive monster is convincing, the animation style which gives the characters the dead-eyed look that was common in many motion capture movies before the technique was perfected is less so. However, despite these missteps, “Beowulf” is still a good movie and if you can get past them, you will find a faithful adaptation of the classic poem. ..
Changeling (2008)
In the early 1920s, a mother (Jolie) is convinced her son (Clint Eastwood) went missing after he was reported as being with another family. She spends months searching for him, and eventually comes to believe that he may have been taken by the police. This emotionally powerful movie tells the story of how this mother’s search leads her to find her son and how she must deal with the consequences of his disappearance.
Changeling is one of Eastwood’s best movies as a director and it allowed for one of Jolie’s best acting performances too. The actress was nominated for an Academy Award for this one but she lost out to Kate Winslet who won the Oscar for The Reader. But despite the lack of Academy commendation, Jolie is still magnificent as the woman living every mother’s nightmare, and she perfectly captures every emotional strain experienced by her grieving character. ..
- “The Village”
- “A Beautiful Mind”
- “Malibu”
- “Ender’s Game”
- “Thelma and Louise”
- “A Mighty Heart”
- “The Perfect Storm”
- “Life of Pi” 9. “Ender’s Game 2: The Golden Age” 10. “In the Woods.”
Do you think our list of the best movies is accurate? Let us know in the comments below!
