15 Best Angelina Jolie Movies of All Time, Ranked
Angelina Jolie is one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood history. With a career spanning over three decades, she has delivered some of the most iconic performances that have captivated audiences worldwide. From her breakthrough role in "Girl, Interrupted" to her action-packed performances in movies like "Wanted" and "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", Jolie has become an undeniable force in the film industry.
From dramatic thrillers to heart-wrenching dramas, our list features some of the most unforgettable films from Jolie's illustrious career. We delve into the intricate plots, powerful performances, and breathtaking visuals that make these movies true cinematic gems. Whether you're a die-hard Jolie fan, or simply looking for some movie recommendations, this list will give you a glimpse into the incredible talent of one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses. So, we take a look at the 15 best Angelina Jolie movies of all time, ranked in order of their brilliance. Let's scroll down and check them out!
#15. By The Sea (2015)
Angelina Jolie wrote, directed, and starred alongside her then-husband Brad Pitt in this movie about a troubled marriage that somehow related to their own marriage. It may have really been pretty close to reality since the couple would split less than a year after the movie premiered. The duo portrays a couple visiting a French seaside resort where their vacation is interrupted by troubled feelings the two have towards each other.
Director and writer: Angelina Jolie. Starring Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud.
#14. Alexander (2004)
Source: Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock
Oliver Stone's historical epic about Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, had mixed reviews upon its initial release in 2004, but it remains an intriguing look at that period of ancient history. Jolie plays Alexander's mother despite the fact that she is only a year older than the actor who plays Alexander, Colin Farrell. Jolie's exotic beauty and regal manner are captivating to witness, and Stone makes excellent use of them in this portrayal of Queen Olympias.
Director: Oliver Stone. Writers: Oliver Stone, Christopher Kyle, Laeta Kalogridis. Starring Colin Farrell, Jared Leto, and Anthony Hopkins.
#13. The tourist (2010)
Source: Studio Canal/REX/Shutterstock
"The Tourist" is, unfortunately, most remembered for being the subject of some of Ricky Gervais' most hilarious quips when he presented the Golden Globe Awards, and the picture received three nominations in the comedy categories for most Picture, Actor, and Actress. Jolie herself expressed pleasure at the placement of laughing on the red carpet, stating that she never considered herself as particularly humorous, but the Hollywood Foreign Press obviously did. The film is a caper thriller in which Depp plays a tourist going across Italy and Jolie plays a woman he meets on a train who is embroiled in a complex conspiracy plot.
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Writers: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie, Julian Fellowes. Starring Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, and Timothy Dalton.
#12. The Good Shepherd (2006)
Robert De Niro directed and plays a supporting part in this film about the origins and evolution of the C.I.A. (Central Intelligence Agency). Matt Damon plays an early C.I.A. officer, and the film follows him from college to his government employment. The character is based on several major historical figures, but not on anyone in particular. Jolie will play Damon's wife. The role doesn't give her much to do, but she probably accepted it to work with De Niro.
Director: Robert De Niro. Writer: Eric Roth. Starring Matt Damon, Robert De Niro, and Alec Baldwin.
#11. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
Source: Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock
Jolie only worked on the project for three days, but she made a big impression. The imaginative science fiction fantasy was a box office bomb when it first came out, but it managed to gain a cult following because of its inventive visual effects. Jolie plays a Royal Navy commander and is incredibly effective and fierce in her small role.
Director and writer: Kerry Conran. Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, and Giovanni Ribisi.
#10. Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
Source: Moviestore/Shutterstock
In this action thriller starring Nicolas Cage, Jolie has a minor role, virtually a cameo. The picture was created around the same time that Jolie was garnering a lot of Oscar buzz for "Girl, Interrupted." Cage reportedly told a story about how Jolie would accompany him to supermarkets while they were filming and buy their own lunches. She thought that doing activities like that kept her grounded in reality and with ordinary people, as opposed to the Hollywood circus that surrounded her. Cage plays a retired car thief who returns from retirement to steal 50 cars in one night to save his brother's life. Jolie plays another vehicle thief who was previously involved with Cage's character.
Director: Dominic Sena. Writers: H.B. Halicki, Scott Rosenberg. Starring Nicolas Cage, Giovanni Ribisi, and Scott Caan.
#9. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
Source: Moviestore/Shutterstock
In this hugely successful action-adventure thriller, Jolie brought the well-known video game character Lara Croft to the big screen. Croft is followed throughout the movie as he embarks on various global escapades. A few years later, Jolie produced a follow-up to the movie, and more recently, Alicia Vikander assumed the part for a different interpretation of the character. The intriguing aspect of this movie is that it allowed Angelina Jolie and her real-life father Jon Voight to mend their troubled relationship, which the two had experienced for a long time. The movie features Voight as Croft's father.
Director: Simon West. Writers: Patrick Massett, John Zinman. Starring Jon Voight, Iain Glen, and Daniel Craig.
#8. Pushing Tin (1999)
Source: Moviestore/Shutterstock
A slang term for air traffic controllers who guide aircraft across the crowded airspace of the country is "pushing tin." In this movie, Billy Bob Thornton and John Cusack play two controllers who have a very competitive, conflict-filled relationship when Cusack has an affair with Thornton's unhappy wife. Jolie plays the dissatisfied wife. Following the premiere of this movie, Jolie and Thornton would be married in real life and immediately gain a reputation as one of Hollywood's most eccentric couples. They became a fixture of fasciation on numerous red carpets due to their gothic vampire-like costumes and jewelry, which included vials of each other's blood.
Director: Mike Newell. Writers: Glen Charles, Les Charles. Starring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett.
#7. The Bone Collector (1999)
Source: Moviestore/Shutterstock
While it owes a bit of its plot to “The Silence of the Lambs” this movie is still an engaging thriller about the tracking of a serial killer. Jolie plays a rookie homicide detective who is sent out into the field to investigate the information she gets from a former homicide detective (Denzel Washington) who is now a quadriplegic confined to a hospital bed. In contrast to the FBI trainee in "The Silence of the Lambs" who gets her information from the imprisoned Dr. Lecter. This was Jolie's first leading role in a big-budget Hollywood picture.
Director: Phillip Noyce. Writer: Jeremy Iacone. Starring Denzel Washington, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker.
#6. Mr & Mrs Smith (2005)
If "By the Sea" was the movie that vicariously showed how the Jolie-Pitt marriage ended, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" was the movie that showed how the Jolie-Pitt marriage began. They are portrayed as a troubled married couple who are employed as assassins for hire by different parties to murder one another. The movie is a tight action thriller, and what was going on off-screen between the two stars only makes it more interesting.
Director: Doug Liman. Writer: Simon Kinberg. Starring Brad Pitt, Adam Brody, and Vince Vaughn.
#5. Playing by Heart (1998)
Before Angelina Jolie fully gained her status as a movie star and a recognizable figure, this little independent film with an impressive ensemble was produced. But it's worth seeing because Jolie gives one of her most moving and honest performances. She portrays a caring young person who enjoys aiding harmed animals. She encounters Ryan Phillippe, a young man who appears to be romantically interested in her but constantly retreats just as they are about to get close, in a club that she frequently visits. As she gradually discovers the reasons behind Phillippe's reluctance to totally commit to the relationship, Jolie is vivacious and loving.
Director and writer: Willard Carroll. Starring Gillian Anderson, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Connery.
#4. Maleficent (2014)
Maleficent was the evil fairy who places a curse on the heroine in Disney’s classic animated film “Sleeping Beauty.” The plot is expanded upon and the origins of Maleficent's villainous nature are revealed in this live-action movie. The animated figure is brought to life with an authenticity that is typically missing from these Disney live-action adaptations of their animated films because of Jolie's remarkable beauty and passionate gaze.
Director: Robert Stromberg. Writers: Linda Woolverton. Starring Elle Fanning, Lesley Manville, and Imelda Staunton.
#3. Changeling (2008)
Jolie received Best Actress nominations for the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG awards for this unique film from director Clint Eastwood. In 1928 Los Angeles, Jolie portrays a young, unmarried single mom whose son goes missing. When the police “find” the child Jolie insists the boy they have given her is not her son but a different boy. What comes next is an investigation into whether Jolie is crazy or if a more nefarious police scheme is at play. Jolie normally portrayed characters who were more emotional and overtly charismatic, so this part is an unexpected change of pace for her. She portrays a woman who is a little shy, awkward, and less outgoing than the women she typically portrayed.
Director: Clint Eastwood. Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Starring John Malkovich, Colm Feore, and Amy Ryan.
#2. A Mighty Heart (2007)
Jolie plays Mariane Pearl, the wife of journalist Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and executed while covering a story in Pakistan. She was nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards for her performance but was inexplicably left out of the Oscar sweepstakes. When she learns of her husband's fate, Jolie's character moves from worried skepticism to deep sadness and painful grief, and she delivers a genuinely felt performance.
Director: Michael Winterbottom. Writer: John Orloff. Starring Dan Futterman.
#1. Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Jolie created quite a sensation with her portrayal of a psychopathic young woman who has spent the majority of her life in a mental facility. She received the Golden Globe, SAG award, and Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the disturbed Lisa, who befriends Winona Ryder's character Susanna while they are both being treated for borderline personality disorder. Jolie is incredibly electric in this film, going from frantic to outraged, smart to humorous, and even more emotions in a matter of minutes at times. Her sequence in which she evilly convinces a character played by Brittany Murphy into committing suicide is a hair-raising piece of acting that Jolie pulls off flawlessly.
Director: James Mangold. Writers: James Mangold, Lisa Loomer, Anna Hamilton Phelan. Starring Winona Ryder, Whoopi Goldberg, and Brittany Murphy.
Which movie on the list is your favorite? Tell us now in the comment section!