MISSING SCARLETT JOHANSSON
Her Best Films Ranked + Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson has been box office gold for two decades now, and it’s no surprise why. With her mix of classic Hollywood beauty and acting prowess, you can’t take your eyes off her when she’s on-screen. This past year, we were supposed to get the standalone Black Widow movie that superhero fans have been eagerly awaiting. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the release date of the film was pushed back several times. We will finally get to see it this July in theaters.
While we wait for the blockbuster that will give us some well-deserved backstory into one of Marvel’s most compelling characters, let’s countdown some of Johansson’s most significant roles. Bear in mind; this list only includes movies in which she appears on screen, so films like Her, where she only provided voiceover, were not included.
Number 6: Lucy
This 2014 film follows 25-year-old Lucy (Johannson), an unwitting drug mule who was dosed with a synthetic drug that infuses her with superpowers. She uses these abilities to turn the tables on her captors. With the help of Morgan Freeman’s Professor Norman, she turns into a merciless warrior hellbent on revenge.
Number 5: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Set in the 17th-century, Griet (Johansson) works as a maid for the painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). As Griet and Vermeer begin to develop a close friendship, they realize they must keep it a secret for fear of angering Vermeer’s jealous wife, Catharina (Essie Davis). But when the wealthy patron Van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson) finds himself smitten with Griet, he commissions a portrait of her from Vermeer, forcing the pair to spend long hours alone together.
Number 4: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Vicky (Johansson) and Cristina (Rebecca Hall) are American friends on a summer vacation in Spain. While at an art gallery, they meet the seductive painter Juan Antonia (Javier Bardem). Although both women are smitten, Cristina decides to keep her distance. On the other hand, Vicky dives headfirst into a tumultuous affair with Juan Carlo and his on-again, off-again lover, María Elena (Penélope Cruz).
Number 3: Match Point
Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) is a prominent tennis instructor married to wealthy socialite Chloe Hewett (Emily Mortimer). When Chris begins an affair with Chloe’s brother Tom’s American girlfriend, Nola Rice (Johannson), his precariously crafted social life of luxury begins to crumble around him, and he resorts to drastic measures.
Number 2: Jojo Rabbit
Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit focuses on how a child can be brainwashed to hate. In Germany, near the end of World War II, the film follows a boy, Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), a Nazi fanatic. He is so enamored with Hitler that he creates an imaginary friend who is a clone of the Führer (Waititi). His beliefs are thrown into a tailspin when he discovers his mother (Johansson) has been harboring a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) inside their home.
Number 1: Lost in Translation
In a foreign country, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) and Bob (Bill Murray) feel isolated and detached from their lives, meet in a hotel bar, and strike up a conversation. She is a young, married woman whose husband is always working, and he is an aging actor going through a midlife crisis. This relationship-study film focuses on two people who rediscover themselves through an emotionally charged friendship, a friendship that maybe has the promise of more than just a platonic connection.
