Scarlett Johansson’s 10 Best Movies, According To Letterboxd
Scarlett Johansson is one of the most accomplished and popular actors of her generation thanks to her fantastic work in these great movies.
There’s no doubt that Scarlett Johansson is one of the most accomplished and popular actors of her generation. 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 films of her illustrious career can be difficult due to her outstanding resume. There are superhero blockbusters, hilarious comedies, heavy emotional dramas, superb voice acting, and more to choose from. Thankfully, you can look to the movie-loving users at Letterboxd to find the very best of Johansson’s roles.
10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) – 3.78
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’s crucial to the greater MCU.
9. The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) – 3.81
Rent On Apple TV
Although she hadn’t quite broken out just yet in 2001, Scarlett Johansson was already working with acclaimed auteurs. The Man Who Wasn’t There comes from The Coen Brothers and had Johansson share the screen with the likes of Frances McDormand and Billy Bob Thornton.
Set in 1949, the film follows a barber who blackmails his wife’s boss/lover for money to invest in dry cleaning, only for things to go awry. It’s classic Coen Brothers and works because of their style. Johansson plays Rachel “Birdy” Abundas, a piano-playing teen who the protagonist visits often.
8. Lost In Translation (2003) – 3.88
Rent On Vudu
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.
7. Isle Of Dogs (2018) – 3.90
Stream On Disney+
Scarlett Johansson has actually worked with Bill Murray on a handful of movies, with one of them being 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 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 is great at voice acting, as evidenced here.
6. Avengers: Endgame (2019) – 3.93
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.
5. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – 3.98
Stream On Disney+
While Johansson’s performance is likely stronger in the follow-up, Avengers: Infinity War has a slightly better overall score. This one brought together members of the Avengers with the Guardians of the Galaxy and new heroes to the mix like Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.
It was the biggest crossover event to date as they all tried to stop Thanos from collecting the Infinity Stones and wiping out half of humanity. Met with widespread acclaim, the film lived up to the hype and has one of the most shocking endings in cinema history.
4. Marriage Story (2019) – 3.99
Stream On Netflix
2019 was a banner year for Scarlett Johansson and is likely the best of her career. It started with Avengers: Endgame but later in the year, she starred in the critically-acclaimed 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.
3. Her (2013) – 4.05
Stream On Netflix
As noted, Scarlett Johansson’s voice acting talents are severely underrated but her best work in that world likely came in Her. The movie tells the story of an introverted man (Joaquin Pheonix) 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 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.
2. Jojo Rabbit (2019) – 4.06
Stream On Fubo TV
The incredible 2019 for Scarlett Johansson continued with 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.
While the performances are great up and down the cast, Johansson is at her best and earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nod. That indeed gave her two Academy Award nominations in the same year, which is a rare feat. Her heartwarming performance is the emotional core of the film.
1. The Prestige (2006) – 4.13
Rent On Apple TV
Christopher Nolan is known for his high-concept, creative films and The Prestigeis 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.
