Angelina Jolie has ascended to a level of celebrity where she’s more ‘famous for being famous’ than she is famous for being an actor. In part, that’s because she’s dedicated the last few decades to humanitarian work, while being sparing in her movie roles.
When she does turn up in something these days, it’s often not the best showcase of her talents. Make no mistake, though: she’s one of Hollywood’s highest-paid stars for a reason, and that’s because her mere presence can elevate just about anything: from an Oscar-baiting drama, to a schlocky action flick, to the MCU. Here are the 13 roles that prove she’s earned every cent.
See the list of Angelina Jolie Best movies
1. Girl Interrupted (1999)
Set in the changing world of the late 1960s, Susanna Kaysen's prescribed "short rest" from a psychiatrist she had met only once becomes a strange, unknown journey into Alice's Wonderland, where she struggles with the thin line between normal and crazy.
2. Salt (2010)
Evelyn Salt is a CIA agent and highly respected by all, including her boss, Ted Winter. Out of the blue, a Russian spy walks into their offices and offers a vital piece of information: the President of Russia will be assassinated during his forthcoming visit to New York City to attend the funeral of the recently deceased U.S. Vice President.
>> Salt
3. Mr And Mrs Smith (2005)
John and Jane Smith are a normal married couple, living a normal life in a normal suburb, working normal jobs…well, if you can call secretly being assassins “normal”.
4. Taking Lives (2004)
An FBI profiler is called in by French Canadian police to catch a serial killer who takes on the identity of each new victim.
>> Taking Lives
5. Lara Croft Tomb Raider (2001)
Video game adventurer Lara Croft comes to life in a movie where she races against time and villains to recover powerful ancient artifacts.
6. Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)
A teenage murder witness finds himself pursued by twin assassins in the Montana wilderness with a survival expert tasked with protecting him — and a forest fire threatening to consume them all.
7. The Tourist (2010)
Elise (Angelina Jolie) sits next to an American tourist, Frank (Johnny Depp), on a train going to Venice. She has chosen him as a decoy, making believe that he is her lover who is wanted for police.
>> The Tourist
8. Maleficent (2014)
A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child could be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.
>> Maleficent
9. Changeling (2008)
After Christine's son goes missing, she reaches out to the LAPD to find him. But when they try to pass off an impostor as her son to quieten public protests, she refuses to accept him or give up hope.
>> Changeling
10. Gia (1998)
The story of the life of Gia Carangi, a top fashion model from the late 1970s, from her meteoric rise to the forefront of the modeling industry, to her untimely death.
>> Gia
Worthy Mentions:
And since Angelina Jolie is so amazing, it’s hard to pick her very best films. Now, this list was relegated to the movies she’s acted in, not directed. But in the end, you really can’t go wrong with Ms. Jolie. Even her not so great movies are somehow elevated by her presence in them.