Every Susan Sarandon Movie Ranked Worst To Best

Since the late 1970s, Susan Sarandon has been among Hollywood's most respected and legendary leading ladies. Sarandon rose to stardom as the singing and dancing damsel Janet in the cult classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," which kicked off a storied career filled with accolades and awards recognition. Sarandon has had a prolific output of work with appearances in classics in just about every genre from indie greats to blockbusters, which has kept fans on their toes, as we never quite know what to expect from her next.

Sarandon has even found success on television, with memorable guest starring roles on "Friends" and "Malcolm in the Middle," along with her Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated turn as Bette Davis in Ryan Murphy's limited series "Feud."

Since her film debut in the 1970 drama "Joe," Sarandon has hardly ever stopped working. Whether you know her as Janet, Louise, or Queen Narissa, every generation has their signature Sarandon film. With more than 70 films on her resume, it's not easy to rank them all. Although for those familiar with her body of work, her best are pretty easy to whittle down. But which one will come out on top of them all? Read on to find out.

In 1980, Susan Sarandon starred in "Atlantic City" — one of her finest films — and she earned an Academy Award nomination for her efforts. But that same year, she also starred in perhaps her worst film: the dreary romantic comedy "Loving Couples." It's a misguided movie that tries to make a story of amoral cheating lovers funny, and fails doing it.

Stephanie Beck (Sarandon) is a flighty on-air TV weather reporter, who discovers that her boyfriend Greg (Stephen Collins) has been running around behind her back with Dr. Evelyn Kirby (Shirley MacLaine) after he gets into a car accident. To get her own twisted form of revenge, Stephanie decides the right thing to do isn't just to inform Evelyn's husband Walter (James Coburn) about the infidelity, but to start sleeping with him as well. The dueling affairs are one thing, but it gets worse when both couples wind up taking a vacation together in Acapulco, and madcap hijinks result.

An unfunny screwball rom-com that is hardly remembered, "Loving Couples" can gets confused with "A Change of Seasons," another comedy about cheating spouses that also starred MacLaine and was released the same year. Roger Ebert noted that "There's nothing in this particular branch of sardonic comedy that ... Sarandon probably couldn't deliver" but she wasn't given the chance to because "this movie went into production without a full deck" of a decent screenplay and direction.

Susan Sarandon has starred in a number of films that have tackled serious subject matter, with some of her best work coming in the stories of characters facing a personal and life-altering journey. Unfortunately, not all of them have been as successful as the likes of "Dead Man Walking" or "Lorenzo's Oil." One such disappointment was the 2015 indie drama "3 Generations," which explores LGBTQ+ issues with grace and sensitivity — if not total authenticity — and features some powerful performances from its star cast, but unfortunately, just isn't a very good movie.

Dolly (Sarandon), Maggie (Naomi Watts), and Ray (Elle Fanning) play three generations of a family, who struggle with 16-year old Ray's transgender identity. Ray was born female and decides to transition, which proves to be difficult for his mother Maggie to accept. It doesn't help that his lesbian grandmother Dolly pressures him to simply be a lesbian and not express his trans identity. But matters are complicated even further when consent is required by both parents for his transition, and tracking down his absent father Craig (Tate Donovan) opens up a pandora's box of family secrets.

Sadly, this worthy story and powerful premise are let down by bad execution, with critics knocking its trite plot beats. It also garnered a fair bit of criticism for its casting of cishet actor Fanning in a trans role, with queer publication Autostraddle noting that the film's director Gaby Dellal — based on interviews that she gave — didn't seem to have a basic understanding or respect for a trans masculine identity. 

Given how legendarily awful most Adam Sandler movies are, it should come as no surprise that one of Susan Sarandon's worst is the 2012 comedy "That's My Boy." Starring Sandler and Andy Samberg as Donny and Todd Berger, an estranged father and son, Sarandon takes the role of Todd's long out-of-the-picture mother Mary McGarricle. 

Reminiscent of her role as Lynn Onkman in "30 Rock" the year before, Mary is Donny's former middle school teacher, who gave birth to his son after a taboo teacher/student affair when Donny was a teenager. Years later, Donny is struggling: He's a hard drinker and heavy gambler, who hasn't seen his son in decades. But when a producer offers him a large sum of money to unite his long lost son with his incarcerated former lover, Donny sets out on a mission to get the family back together, all to line his own pockets.

Par for the course for a Sandler joint, "That's My Boy" thinks its far funnier than it is. A cynical, cringe-worthy comedy full of bad attempts at gross-out laughs, "That's My Boy" is well beneath Sarandon's considerable talents.

"Something Short of Paradise" is a 1979 film about the complicated relationship between Harris Sloane (David Steinberg) and Madeline Ross (Sarandon), a quirky New York couple. Harris is a nebbish theater owner, while Madeline is his gorgeous reporter girlfriend. Their love life is anything but smooth though, as there's plenty of discord between them and they have a penchant for fighting and bickering. They break up, make up, and in between Madeline meets a major movie star, has a whirlwind romance with him, but comes to realize Harris is really all she wants.

Though intended to be an earnest look at love and relationships, "Something Short of Paradise" is well short of a good movie. The chemistry between its two stars isn't there, and not once do we believe that they're meant for each other no matter how much the movie says they are. Critic Gene Siskel gave the film a big thumbs down in his review on its release, calling it one of the "worst clones of 'Annie Hall'" he'd ever seen. Ultimately, Siskel is right on the money when he says that the Steinberg and Sarandon's characters are "boring as individuals and they're boring as a couple."

As Susan Sarandon's career continued into the 1990s and 2000s, she often found herself taking on motherly roles. Many films in this later stage of her career saw her starring in films about generations of women, and focused on the relationships between mothers and daughters. Some, like "Little Women," have become all-time classics, but "Mothers and Daughters" from 2015 is not one of those greats. This one is more like "3 Generations," a flat dramedy that fails to deliver the heartfelt feelings or big laughs that you'd want from such a film.

The film, directed by talent agent Paul Duddridge — who once claimed he could make anyone famous – begins with Rigby (Selma Blair), a photojournalist, who sets out to chronicle the relationships between a group of various mothers and their adult daughters. A fine cast includes Sharon Stone, Courtney Cox, Christina Ricci, Mira Sorvino, and Paul Wesley, but their talents aren't enough to make this film as interesting as it should be.

However, Susan Sarandon fans may be interested in checking this movie out if only to watch her pair up with Eva Amurri, her real-life daughter, which at least gives their story a compelling hook.

Susan Sarandon has starred in a trio of films directed by actor John Turturro, and sadly, the worst of the three was also the most hotly anticipated. In the 1998 watershed Coen Brothers comedy "The Big Lebowski," Turturro played an eccentric bowler named Jesus Quintana, whose licking of a bowling ball became downright iconic. A filmmaker himself, Turturro had been trying for years to get a spin-off film for his character, and it finally arrived more than 20 years later in 2019 with the crime comedy "The Jesus Rolls," co-starring Bobby Cannavale, Jon Hamm, Christopher Walken, and Susan Sarandon.

"The Jesus Rolls" is an unusual movie because it's not just a spin-off, but also remake of the 1974 French film "Going Places." It follows Jesus just after a stint behind bars. Jesus links up with his friend Petey and a woman named Mari (Audrey Tautou), and together they go on a crime spree across town the moment he's off the prison grounds. The dynamic trio steal cars, bikes, money, and meet fellow parolee Jean (Sarandon), whose first night out is anything but uneventful.

In his review for RogerEbert.com, Brian Tallerico noted that Sarandon's "melancholy performance" is a highlight in this meandering story. Unfortunately, whatever potential "Jesus Rolls" has is largely wasted in this film that lacks all the charm and cleverness of the Coen Bros. classic.

A pair of one-time '90s stars — Sean William Scott and Ethan Suplee — united with two acclaimed Hollywood veterans — Billy Bob Thornton and Susan Sarandon — for the 2007 goofball comedy "Mr. Woodcock." John Farley (Scott), is a self-help guru, who specializes in teaching others to move beyond their past regrets to embrace a new and better life. But when Farley discovers that his mother (Sarandon) has recently gotten engaged to his abusive former high school gym teacher Mr. Woodcock (Thornton), he realizes that he has his own problems with letting go of the past.

Determined to end his mother's new relationship, Farley enlists the help of his old high school friend Nedderman (Suplee) to sabotage it. But his scheming — which involves attempts to prove that he's better than he used to be (and better than Woodcock) — backfires when it alienates his latest lover Tracy (Melissa Sagemiller). His plans all culminate with a disastrous a public appearance on "The Tyra Banks Show" and a knock down, drag 'em out fist fight.

"Mr. Woodcock" bombed with the critics, although Paul Arendt noted for the BBC that Sarandon brings "a performance classier than the film deserves." In the end though, it's a movie that's so bad that even its stars hated it, with Scott telling Opie Radio that "there's nothing worse than going to a movie set and knowing this could end my career."

Writer-director Cameron Crowe's 2005 romantic drama "Elizabethtown" brings Susan Sarandon into a world of franchise heavyweights. Orlando Bloom (from the cast of "The Lord of the Rings") and Kirsten Dunst ("Spider-Man") play Drew and Claire, young budding lovers. They meet when Drew is at his lowest, having lost his job and more recently, his father. He heads to his old hometown to attend the funeral and his relationship with Claire provides him with a new passion for life. 

Sarandon plays Hollie, Drew's mother, who has a feud with one side of the family. It's hard not to expect a lot from Cameron Crowe and "Elizabethtown" falls short of the mark, as it's weak and clichéd. It doesn't do nearly enough with its characters to make it a compelling drama nor does it have enough charm to make it a good romance. 

Ultimately, the most memorable thing about "Elizabethtown" is that for better or worse, it gave us the term "manic pixie dream girl," which critic Nathan Rubin first coined in his review of the film. 

Road trips and racing films were all the rage in the 1970s, with classics like "Smokey and the Bandit," "American Graffiti," and "Easy Rider" all coming out in that decade. In 1977, a young Susan Sarandon got in on the craze too, starring alongside Larry Hagman and Joe Don Baker in "Checkered Flag or Crash," a story about a reckless off-road racer out to win it all in a daring contest of champions.

"Walkaway" Madden (Baker) is a gung-ho driver who never met a crash he couldn't walk away from — hence the name — nor a race he couldn't win. Dead set on taking home the top prize in the Manilla 1000 — a race that takes drivers through the jungles of the Philippines — he's annoyed by the presence of photographer and reporter C.C. Wainwright (Sarandon), who wants to follow him along and chronicle his exploits. 

Billed as a high-octane racing adventure, "Checkered Crash" isn't a patch on other better films of the era, and instead feels much more like a television movie-of-the-week. Likely it would have been totally forgotten if not for Sarandon, who was an emerging star, and is now one of Hollywood's most legendary actors. 

Romantic comedies are often where Susan Sarandon shines, with her unique ability to be both likable and irascible or endearing and frustrating, all at the same time. But rom-coms can be tricky things and require a good mix of natural chemistry and effortless charm, something that just doesn't exist in her 1983 flop, "The Buddy System." 

Single mom Emily (Sarandon) is raising her young son Tim (Wil Wheaton) on her own. While dealing with this and also living under the thumb of her overbearing mother (Jean Stapleton), Emily soon falls into a relationship with Joe (Richard Dreyfuss), a social worker who comes to do a check on her and her son. But sparks fly, and before long Joe is like a father figure to little Tim. Just when things look promising for them though, old regrets come back to haunt them in the form of former lovers returning from their pasts.

Gene Siskel dinged the lazy and ineffective "The Buddy System" for being too close to Dreyfuss' own "Goodbye Girl," criticizing it for being clichéd, predictable, unoriginal, and worst of all, "it isn't the least bit funny."

Considering she's among the most distinguished actors of her era, it's no surprise that Susan Sarandon has worked with some of the industry's finest leading men like Burt Lancaster and Paul Newman. In 2013, she played opposite Robert De Niro for the first time in "The Big Wedding," where she appears as BeBe McBride, the girlfriend of the newly divorced Don Griffin (De Niro).

Diane Keaton stars as Don's ex-wife Ellie, who gathers the entire family back together for the wedding of their adopted son Alejandro (Ben Barnes) to fiancée Missy (Amanda Seyfried). The family includes newly separated daughter Lyla (Katherine Heigl), awkward virgin — but successful gynecologist — Jared (Topher Grace), Alejandro's Colombian birth mother Madonna (Patricia Soto), and his biological sister Nuria (Ana Ayora). But in the lead up to the big day, Nuria and Jared are experimenting with intercourse, Don and Ellie are having a brief fling, and they all have to try to convince Madonna that their family is totally normal.

An all-star cast elevates what it is otherwise a woefully bad sexy comedy that was a major disappointment to critics. Robin Williams — just a year before his passing — delights as Father Moinighan, so come for the stars, but don't expect much else.

It's not just Hollywood icons that Susan Sarandon has starred with, but some of the industry's hottest up-and-coming talent too. In 2006, Emily Blunt had her breakout role in "The Devil Wears Prada," and just months later, she was seen again in the less-watched Australian mystery, "Irresistible," as a supporting star to Sam Neill and Susan Sarandon.

Sarandon stars as Sophie in this tale of dangerous obsession and surprise twists. Sophie begins to believe that her husband (Neill) is having an affair with his young and beautiful coworker Mara (Blunt). When things go missing from her home, she fears Mara has been breaking in and attempting to steal her life, but when nobody believes her, Sophie takes action and winds up on the wrong end of a restraining order. However, dark secrets from Sophie's past shed new light on a possible motive, but not everything seen is to be believed.

On paper, "Irresistible" is a thriller that could have worked. Unfortunately, the one thing a good mystery needs is a strong story, and this one has a few too many contrivances and gaping plot holes to make it satisfying. As Sandra Hall wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald, there are some excellent thrillers that draw you in so much that it doesn't matter if they make sense or not, but "despite Sarandon's valiant efforts, this isn't one of them."

"The Gutter" wants to be "Best in Show" for the bowling world. It doesn't quite achieve those goals, and instead ends up caught in a crude whirlpool of stereotypes and awkward bowling jokes. Sarandon's clearly having fun lampooning her character's awful racism, but the movie ends up being a retread of several much more successful films of the same ilk.

The comedy is centered around Walt (Shameik Moore), a layabout who keeps losing any and all jobs he attains. He finds he has great aptitude as a flashy bowler at AlleyKatz, which has seen better days.  But his beloved alley might soon end up in receivership due to a debt, so Walt decides to enter the big leagues to get the cash the place needs to stay open. 

Enter Linda Curson (Sarandon), who's been the league's champion for decades, and Crantley (Paul Scheer), members of the bowling establishment who want Walt out of the way. It's a film that does score some laughs but never really climbs to auspicious heights, although one can't help admire its scrappiness, even if it hits more gutterballs than strikes.

Gay auteur Xavier Dolan's 2018 English-language debut, "The Death and Life of John F. Donovan," is a story about the troubling effect of celebrity on young actors.

John F. Donovan (Kit Harrington) is a former teen star, who led the hit series "Hellsome High" a decade or more before, but died amid a scandal at the height of his fame. In the present day, Donovan is the subject of a new memoir written by actor Rupert Turner (Ben Schnetzer). When Rupert was a child, he idolized Donovan and the two become pen pals. But just before his death, when Donovan's personal life spilled into public view, it cast doubt on the relationship between the actor and his young fan.

The ensemble cast includes Natalie Portman, Jacob Tremblay, Kathy Bates, Thandiwe Newton, and Susan Sarandon, who plays Donovan's overbearing mother Grace. Reviews weren't kind and the sentiment shared by many was that the talents of this strong cast were wasted here. IndieWire noted that Sarandon "[does] what she can with an undercooked role" in "Xavier Dolan's worst movie." 

Sometimes a bad movie can look good on paper, and you can understand why a major star would want to take a leading role in it. But there are other movies so inexplicable that they just make you scratch your head as to why an actor of such high caliber would choose it as their next project. "Ace the Case" is one of the latter for Susan Sarandon, as even on paper it doesn't seem like it would be a winner. 

Directed by Kevin Kaufman — who created reality shows like "The Real Housewives of Orange County" — it centers on a spoiled rotten 10-year-old (Ripley Sobo) who witnesses a murder and teams up with a hard boiled detective (Sarandon) to solve the case. Sometimes a child-friendly detective story can be a fun diversion, but "Ace the Case" isn't a kid-friendly adventure for the little ones. With a PG-13 rating and some surprising violence, it's too mature for children, but too goofy for older kids and teens, who might be looking for a more serious detective story.

It's certainly not the worst movie Sarandon has ever done, but it's hard to figure out who this film is aimed at. As such, it received negative reviews for its confusing and bland story, and for being both too saccharine and too dark at the same time. As Nathan Rubin noted for The AV Club, the movie is a "perplexingly light mystery" that's suitable neither for kids nor adults, but Sarandon alone "finds the perfect tone for this material ... tough but winking, hard-boiled yet friendly."

Two years before starring as grandmother to Elle Fanning in "3 Generations," Susan Sarandon played mother to Elle's sister Dakota in the Hollywood biopic "The Last of Robin Hood." The film tells the story of the latter years in the life of actor Errol Flynn, who was best known for playing Robin Hood on the big screen. It chronicles his turbulent love affair with aspiring teenaged actress Beverly Aadland, with actor Kevin Kline — well into his 60s — starring as the veteran swashbuckler and 19-year-old Dakota playing the young Aadland. 

The movie showcases Flynn at the height of his fame, on top of the world as one of the biggest stars in the business when he becomes beguiled by Aadland. But as he pursues her, enticing her with parts in his movies, Beverly's mother Florence (Sarandon) becomes increasingly upset about the nature of their relationship. Studio executives also become concerned about Flynn's romance with a girl less than half his age, worried about what the emerging scandal could do to his career and reputation.

A stylishly produced film that revels in its period setting, "The Last of Robin Hood" doesn't have much to keep your interest besides some fine performances. Anthony Lane wrote for The New Yorker that while "Sarandon's timing, as she charts this rising recklessness, has never been more precise," the movie that surrounds her is "lowly and limp."

"The Last of Robin Hood" wasn't the first time Susan Sarandon starred with Kevin Kline. The two first appeared together as ex-lovers in the 1989 crime comedy "The January Man." Kline stars as former NYPD homicide investigator Nick Starkey, who is an outcast in law enforcement due to his free-wheeling attitude and reckless tactics. He was kicked out of the force for bribery allegations but his brother Frank (Harvey Keitel) — the New York police commissioner — asks Nick to help him catch the elusive Blue Ribbon serial killer. 

The high-stakes situation is made even more intense by the fact that Frank's wife Christine (Sarandon) happens to be Nick's ex-girlfriend. As Nick navigates old emotions and complicated relationships, he races against time to find the mystery killer, who uses a strange numerical sequence to plan out his murders. 

A major critical dud and box office flop, "The January Man" isn't very good. Still, Pop Matters thinks it may have been a bit too far ahead of its time with its post-modern sensibility and notes that "Sarandon is pitch-perfect as the icy diva for whom Starkey still pines."

"Thelma and Louise" might be Susan Sarandon's most famous movie and one of the best road trip movies that every traveler needs to watch.. Over 30 years later, she embarked on another road trip with Melissa McCarthy in 2014's "Tammy." 

While Pearl (Sarandon) has a complicated relationship with her granddaughter Tammy (McCarthy), they have a chance to reconnect when Tammy discovers that her husband has been involved with another woman. Deciding to take a trip to Niagara Falls to work through her feelings, they stop off a few places in between. They make friends with a father and son (Gary Cole and Mark Duplass), go to jail for buying beer for teenagers, rob a fast food joint, and wind up staying with Tammy's Aunt Lenore (Kathy Bates). Through thick and thin, grandmother and granddaughter find common ground, and Tammy meets a new man.

Comparisons to Sarandon's 1991 classic weren't lost on reviewers, many of whom knocked "Tammy" for its attempt to recapture the same kind of magic. However, critic Andi Zeisler defended "Tammy," noting that "Sarandon's essaying of another feisty small-town escapee is a canny little wink" to "Thelma and Louise" and ultimately, she "lights up every frame." While the movie isn't without its bright spots, it does suffer from feeling a little too much like Sarandon's other well-known road trip flick.

Susan Sarandon isn't much of the franchise type, nor has she starred in many sequels. But in 2017, she joined the cast of "A Bad Moms Christmas," the follow-up to the 2016 comedy "Bad Moms," which starred Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, and Mila Kunis as beleaguered moms looking for an outlet for their stress. Now, in the sequel, Sarandon, Cheryl Hines, and Christine Baranski show up as the bad grandmothers.

While things have improved for Amy (Kunis), Kiki (Bell), and Carla (Hahn) since we last saw them, things still aren't easy, and they're all looking forward to the holidays. But Christmas brings with it new stress, and matters aren't made easier when each of their parents pop up unexpectedly, bringing their own problems. Sarandon plays Isis, Carla's mother, who is a wild, reckless party gal like her daughter, and shows up looking for some money for her latest hair-brained business idea.

Blistering reviews of the film had many seeing it as a watered-down sequel, which lacks the charm of the first movie. However, some reviewers appreciated the introduction of the bad grandmothers, as James Berardinelli noted that "Christine Baranski steals the movie with Susan Sarandon coming in a close second." Despite its poor critical reception, the box office dollars were there, and although there have been rumors of a third film focusing on the grandmothers, it has yet to surface.

Tender, poignant, and touching on serious themes of loss and resentment, "Emotional Arithmetic" is a 2007 drama with a big name cast that includes Gabriel Byrne, Christopher Plummer, Max Von Sydow, and of course, Susan Sarandon. A story about survivors of the Holocaust, the film confronts the deep scars left by horrific atrocities that go beyond obvious trauma, but does it with less grim seriousness than you might expect.

Jakob (Von Sydow) is an elderly man, who has recently been released from a Russian hospital. He reconnects with Melanie (Sarandon) and Christopher (Byrne), whom he had met when they were all prisoners at the Drancy Internment Camp during the Holocaust. Melanie is now married to a philandering older man (Plummer), while Christopher is an entomologist. But getting back together after their harrowing ordeal decades earlier brings up new and complicated feelings. 

A strong cast and some dramatic heft help string this one along further than it ought to. Though it doesn't quite meet its lofty goals, "Emotional Arithmetic" should get some credit for its admirable effort.

"The Other Side of Midnight" is a World War II period piece that tells a twisted story of love, lust, and revenge. It begins just before the war, when American pilot Larry (John Beck) falls into a passionate affair with Noelle (Marie-France Pisier) while he's stationed in France. 

Larry is called back home as the war breaks out, leaving Noelle feeling jilted and vowing to get back at the man who left her all alone. Years later, Noelle tracks Larry to the States, where she discovers he is now married to Catherine (Susan Sarandon), and decides to do whatever it takes to end their relationship, even if it means murder.

"The Other Side of Midnight" didn't land with the critics, although The Los Angeles Free Press noted that Sarandon is the only one with "star potential ... who is the only believable lead in the film." A modest box office hit, "The Other Side of Midnight" was followed a decade later by a TV miniseries sequel, "Memories of Midnight," with Sarandon's role played by Jane Seymour.

Susan Sarandon has starred in a fair share of thrillers, a few of which of are all-time greats — and a few of which have been forgotten or remain underrated. One lost, unheralded film is the 2010 thriller "Peacock" in which she stars alongside Cillian Murphy, Elliot Page, Bill Pullman, and Josh Lucas. 

As the result of an abusive childhood, John Skillpa (Murphy) has long suffered from dissociative identity disorder. On the outside he's a meek, mild-mannered ordinary man. But in his private life he has multiple identities, one of which is a woman named Emma. But when John's home becomes the site of a major disaster it brings him unwanted attention, and he and Emma are forced to pretend to be husband and wife to hide their private affliction from the community. Matters only intensify as the town's leadership of Mayor Crill (Keith Carradine) and his wife Fanny (Sarandon) attempt to use the disaster as a political rallying cry, further bringing John into the spotlight.

While its aims of being a Hitchcock-like thriller don't quite meet muster, "Peacock" is a modest nail-biter with at least a few surprises. The few reviewers that caught it, such as Matt Currie of Collider, noted that the "excellent cast ... are all a welcome presence" in a film that ultimately hinges upon Murphy's complex performance.

A French-Canadian film about the difficult relationships between French and English speakers there, 1971's "Fleur Bleue" — later known as "The Apprentice" — was made in an era when Montreal was still mostly segregated by language, with bilingualism only just being on the rise in later years (via Statistics Canada). In the film, we meet a French-speaking man named Jean-Pierre (Steve Fiset). By day, he works as a technician on commercial shoots, while in his off hours he moonlights as an apprentice to Dock (Jean-Pierre Cartier), a long time con man whose sister Jean-Pierre is dating.

But after being fired from his day job, Jean-Pierre becomes involved with one of the American models on set, the English-speaking Elizabeth (Sarandon). A wide-eyed bohemian and adventurous free spirit, she may be fine with their non-committal romance, but he wants more. With Jean-Pierre torn between the aggressively sexual American and his girlfriend Michelle (Celine Bernier), the language barrier between him and Elizabeth only makes things more problematic for them.

A mostly forgotten film today, it's a quirky — if clumsy — romance, and a relic of a bygone era in Canadian film. Today, it's perhaps most notable for the sexually liberated flower child Elizabeth being one of Sarandon's earliest roles.

To date, Susan Sarandon hasn't starred in any screen adaptations of the works of William Shakespeare. But in 1982, she did star in an adventure film that was essentially a modern-day adaptation — albeit a loose one — of Shakespeare's "The Tempest." Here, there is no magician named Prospero. Instead, there's Philip and his daughter Miranda, with the rest of the characters in the film clear analogues for those in Shakespeare's play, most with similar names. 

John Cassavetes plays Phillip Dimitrius, a New York-based architect. Upon discovering that his wife Antonia (Gena Rowlands) engaged in an affair with a colleague named Alonzo, Phillip flees to Greece with his daughter Miranda (Molly Ringwald in her feature film debut). After he takes a new lover — the singer Aretha Tomalin (Sarandon) — the three take refuge on a remote island where they encounter a strange recluse named Kalibanos (Raúl Juliá). But just as things turn peaceful, a terrible storm shipwrecks a group of strangers with them, and among them are Antonia and Alonzo.

Critics were split on the film but audiences have had a more positive response. Although The New York Times called it "an overblown, fancified freak of a film," reviewer Vincent Canby noted that Aretha "is a charming creature as played by Miss Sarandon ... Her Aretha is a very worldly sprite and perhaps the only character in the film with an ounce of sense."

In addition to the Christmas comedy "A Bad Mom's Christmas," Susan Sarandon also starred in a Christmas drama, the 2004 Chazz Palminteri film "Noel," alongside the likes of Penelope Cruz, Paul Walker, Robin Williams, and Alan Arkin. Similar to the Garry Marshall films "Valentine's Day" and "New Year's Eve," the film follows several characters and their personal dilemmas on a major holiday.

Sarandon stars as Rose Collins, who is struggling with being the caretaker for her ailing mother and ready to throw it all away. But at her lowest point, she is rescued by a priest named Charlie (Williams), and the two find love among common ground and a renewal of faith. We also meet Nina (Cruz), who is on the verge of walking out on her fiancé Mike (Walker). At the same time, a troubled man named Artie (Arkin) believes Mike possesses the soul of his dead wife.

While Roger Ebert was not a fan of the movie, he did call Sarandon's character Rose "convincing and poignant." Ultimately, "Noel" is more sobering than Marshall's more light-hearted holiday romps, and can be appreciated by those seeking a story about different people dealing with serious problems around the holidays.

2018 saw the release of "Viper Club," a war-time drama starring Susan Sarandon, Matt Bomer, Julian Morris, Lola Kirke, and Edie Falco. Centered on a mother desperate to save her son after an international crisis, its story of devotion and determination begins when Andy Sterling (Morris), a war correspondent stationed in Syria, is taken hostage by extremists amid a civil war. 

Back home in the United States, Andy's mother Helen (Sarandon) is an E.R. nurse working in a New York hospital, where she's highly respected for her ability to gracefully inform families of devastating prognoses. She's stretched thin between her work and her own terrifying situation, as the government is unable to extricate her son from captivity. Three months into the ordeal, Helen has had enough of the bureaucracy from the state department. With the help of a shadow organization of journalists, Helen takes it upon herself to see to her son's safe return.

A stirring drama, "Viper Room" showcases Sarandon's abilities as a dedicated protector and strong-willed force in the middle of a mostly average drama.

It's not often to see a crime thriller led by an older woman. When you find one, it often stars a high-caliber name like Frances McDormand in the 2017 film "Three Billboards over Ebbing, Missouri." Four years earlier, however, it was Susan Sarandon, who starred as a police investigator on the trail of a cold-blooded serial killer in "The Calling." 

Set in the remote town of Ford Dundas in rural Ontario, Sarandon plays Inspector Hazel Micallef, who is called to the site of a grisly murder, which shares hallmarks of several other recently discovered killings. Realizing there is a serial killer at work, cryptic clues found at the scene lead her to the doorstep of Father Price (Donald Sutherland), a Catholic priest, who may be able to help unravel the mystery of the murderer's motives. With the help of a deputy (Topher Grace), Hazel zeroes in on an elusive man (Christopher Hyerdahl) and must prove his guilt before he can strike again.

A moody and atmospheric thriller, it doesn't do anything truly innovative with its story, but should satisfy those looking for a decent criminal mystery. The critics' response was middling, although The Guardian argued that "there are pleasures to be found in the crotchety maternal interplay between Sarandon and Ellen Burstyn."

In the midst of starring in one of television's hottest shows, "Miami Vice" actor Don Johnson headed to the big screen for the film "Sweet Hearts Dance" in 1988. A mix of comedy and drama, Johnson plays one half of an unhappily married couple opposite Susan Sarandon, while Jeff Bridges and Elizabeth Perkins play their friends in the early days of their own new relationship. 

Wiley Boon (Johnson) is feeling the pressure of a decade and a half of marriage to Sandra (Sarandon) and he feels crushed by a relationship that has turned from exciting to mundane. His friend Sam (Bridges) by contrast is experiencing the magic of his new romance with the newly arrived schoolteacher Adie (Perkins). Beginning on Halloween and carrying through Christmas and beyond, Wiley and Sandra try to rekindle the romance to find a new way forward, spurred by their jealousy of Sam and Adie's happiness.

The New York Times praised the film for its realistic relationships and noted that Sarandon "makes the lot of the long-suffering Mrs. Wiley Boon seem funny and real." While it's a routine romantic drama, "Sweet Hearts Dance" does work as a showcase for Johnson and Sarandon as tender couple, who have lost their spark.

In the 2010s, pop culture became obsessed with '80s nostalgia, as seen shows like "Stranger Things," "The Goldbergs," and "Glow." In 2014, a big screen effort did the same, with Susan Sarandon starring in a movie that captured what it was like being a kid growing up in the era of acid-washed jeans and Sony Walkmans. "Ping Pong Summer" is all about a 13-year old named Radical Miracle (Marcello Conte) — yes that's really his name — who goes on a vacation with his family in the summer of 1985.

During this age where you want nothing to do with your family and everything is awkward, Rad finds solace in the game of ping pong. But in Ocean City, Maryland, he also manages to find new friends like Teddy (Myles Massey), a new crush named Stacy (Emmi Shockley), and an instant rival in pompous ping pong pro Lyle (Joseph McCaughtry). He also meets a curious but reclusive oddball named Randi (Sarandon), who helps him up his game to beat the bully in a big match.

"Ping Pong Summer" is a simple, easygoing film loaded with '80s nostalgia. It may be a bit thin and lacking in the emotional heft it strives for, but it's good summer fun that will bring you back to that wild and memorable era.

Susan Sarandon had starred in quite a few coming-of-age stories through her career. But in 2002, she co-starred with fellow '70s star Goldie Hawn in "The Banger Sisters," a coming-of-middle-age story about two former friends who lived it up in their youth, but who've since gone in two different directions. Suzette (Hawn) is a middle-aged bartender in Los Angeles, who sets out for Arizona to meet up with her old friend Vinnie Kingsley (Sarandon). The two were once thick as thieves, spending their youth as groupies following rockers around and engaging in wild, drug-fueled exploits together.

When Suzette reconnects with Vinnie now, she's going by her proper name Lavinia. It seems the former wild child has put her freewheeling risk-taking days behind her and settled down into suburban life as a wife and mother. But back together with Suzette, Vinnie sets out for one last hurrah to recapture the good old days. Along the way, they help Harry (Geoffrey Rush), a down-on-his luck writer facing his own crisis.

Another film that casts Sarandon and Eva Amurri as mother and daughter, "The Banger Sisters" is at its best when Hawn and Sarandon share the screen. As The San Francisco Chronicle noted, the film's strength is "the charm of two actresses at the top of their game in flashy roles."

Based on the debut novel from New York Times best-selling author Susan Isaacs, the 1985 film "Compromising Positions" stars Susan Sarandon, Raúl Juliá, Joe Mantegna, and Mary Beth Hurt. A black comedy that sees Sarandon in the role of an investigative reporter out to solve a murder mystery, it's a quick-witted whodunit with a sharp comic edge.

For the once-brilliant newspaper reporter Judith Singer (Sarandon), the new role of housewife isn't agreeing with her. Bored in her new life, she longs for her old job, and unexpectedly finds a potential new story in the sudden murder of her dentist. He may have been killed by one of Singer's neighbors and in fact, she may be the last person who saw him before his death. 

Beginning her own investigation not only to satiate her journalistic instinct, but get a new assignment and her old job back, Singer discovers the good doctor was something of a womanizer. But as she follows the clues, she gets a little too close to the charming detective involved with the case. Sarandon is perfectly cast the hard-nosed reporter Singer, and while "Compromising Positions" won't offer much in terms of twists and turns, as a dark comedy and romantic murder mystery, it works.

Susan Sarandon gets to have fun playing a stereotypical villainess in "Blue Beetle," which is something she's done to perfection before — just look at "Enchanted." But while she doesn't get to reach any operatic acting heights entrenched in the so-so plot of "Blue Beetle," she's still definitely a highlight in the colorful, emotional film.

Sarandon is the wicked Victoria Kord, who runs Kord Industries with an iron fist. She wants the scarab that gives Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) his unearthly powers. She is greedy but in a way that's understandable — her determination to establish herself as a viable CEO in the wake of her brother Ted's sudden disappearance makes some of what she does understandable. But she quickly reaches a moral event horizon from which she can't recover. Sometimes compelling and sometimes cheesy, the movie is decent superhero entertainment — with Sarandon's icy performance adding to that value. 

Not to be confused with the sexy teen vampire saga, the 1998 neo-noir crime thriller "Twilight" features a robust cast led by Susan Sarandon, Paul Newman, and Gene Hackman. In the film, Sarandon gets to play a role she may have been born for: a world-famous movie star. Notable for giving a starring role to young actress Reese Witherspoon just before her breakout role in "Pleasantville," the film focuses on Harry Ross (Newman), a retired private investigator.

Two years earlier, Ross had been hired to track down Mel (Witherspoon), the teenage daughter of retired movie stars Jack (Hackman) and Catherine (Sarandon). During the investigation, Ross received a gunshot wound during a struggle with the wayward teen, and ever since, her parents have felt a great debt to him. Now, a downtrodden Ross lives with the couple. But when Jack asks Harry to deliver a mysterious package to a man in L.A., he gets involved in a scheme related to the decades-old disappearance of Catherine's former lover.

With a deadly plot, a 20-year-old mystery, and a violent final showdown with a killer, "Twilight" has all the ingredients for an intriguing thriller, even if it's not a first rate one. However, noir fans may be intrigued by Sarandon in this role, as The Los Angeles Times explained, "like the femme fatales of the '70s ... Sarandon displays a compelling sadness when confronted with her worst fears."

No, Susan Sarandon didn't star as a young lady lover in the 1966 comedy classic "Alfie," which remains one of Michael Caine's most memorable roles. Instead, Sarandon appeared in the 2004 remake starring Jude Law where she played an older lady love of the dashing, charismatic womanizer Alfie. 

Moving the action from London to New York City, Law takes over Caine's role as Alfie, a city limo driver whose profession provides him the means to romance any number of beautiful women. Endlessly charming, Alfie has no trouble getting any woman he wants into his bed. His repeated dalliances cause him plenty of trouble, first with his on-again, off-again girlfriend Julie (Marisa Tomei), and later with his best friend Marlon (Omar Epps), whose fiancée may be pregnant with Alfie's child after a drunken night together. But after a cancer scare, Alfie decides to change his ways, and has his eyes set on the older and more experienced Liz (Sarandon), who wants nothing to do with commitment.

A charming rom-com on its own merits, "Alfie" received mixed reviews at best, but suffered mostly from living in the shadow of the iconic original.

Arrestingly unusual, "Forty Winks" is a smart and well-written little dramatic thriller defies expectations in a lot of ways. It's quick-witted, stylish and dramatic, and has a way about it that draws the eye and amuses the mind. There's substance there, too, and it's archly unique in its own way.

Fabio Berker (Justin Marcel McManus) works in hypnotherapy in New York City. He's pressured into becoming a hitman by a woman named Connie Montoya (Sarandon), who learns that his degree is fake. He will kill who she tells him to kill — or else. Fabio has never had to kill for anything, but now he'll have to use his skills to survive — for better or worse.

Sarandon puts in some rock-solid supporting work here, and she manages to add a lot to the movie without distracting the attention from where it ought to be — on Berker and his hypnotic ways.

No ordinary murder mystery, the 2009 film "The Lovely Bones" incorporates some supernatural elements into its complex story. But this should come as no surprise once you learn that it was written and directed by Peter Jackson, whose "The Lord of the Rings" saga won him an Academy Award for best director in 2004. Based on a novel by Alice Sebold, "The Lovely Bones" is centered around the murder of a young girl, who moves on to the afterlife where she must decide whether or not to interfere with the lives of her loved ones, as they struggle to mourn her loss. 

Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is a 14-year-old girl who is abducted and murdered by her neighbor George (Stanley Tucci). Though her death causes shockwaves in the community, and her parents are saddled with guilt and grief, the killer remains unknown and at large. But from the beyond, Susie watches as her father Jack (Mark Wahlberg) and sister Lindsay (Rose McIver) proceed with their own investigation and get closer to discovering the killer's identity.

The cast is the highlight of this stunning otherworldly mystery, which includes Susan Sarandon as Susie's chain-smoking, hard-drinking grandmother. CNN noted how Sarandon brings humor to this dark story, where she "camps it up, demonstrating terrible housekeeping skills and wreaking grande-dame havoc."

Another key supporting role for Susan Sarandon was in the 2010 legacy sequel "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," the long-awaited follow-up to the 1987 Oliver Stone classic "Wall Street." With Stone back in the director's chair and original star Michael Douglas reprising his role as '80s icon Gordon Gekko — who'd become an idol to misguided stock traders — all that remained was filling out a new ensemble cast. Along with Sarandon, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, and Carey Mulligan were added to the film, while Charlie Sheen pops up for a cameo as Buddy Fox from the original movie.

In this new entry, Gekko has completed his prison term and works as a Wall Street guru, warning traders of a coming economic crash. But what really matters to him now — so he claims — is his relationship with his estranged daughter Winnie (Mulligan). To help their relationship, he enlists Winnie's boyfriend Jake (LaBeouf) by offering to help him in his business venture if he can help smooth things over with his daughter. 

But Gekko's true motives are anything but clear, and before long, Jake finds himself in the middle of Wall Street wheeling and dealing, with Gekko masterminding a new scheme to take advantage of a looming financial crisis. Sarandon plays Jake's mother Sylvia, a former nurse turned real estate agent, who has her own brand of greed and relies on her son financially. Critics were split on this one, but USA Today noted Sarandon has a "strong cameo," while Slate called her performance a "fun walk-on."

Just two years after "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," Sarandon again starred alongside Shia LeBeouf in Robert Redford's 2012 thriller "The Company You Keep." However, here they're rivals, with the young LeBeouf playing Ben Shepard, an ambitious reporter investigating recently arrested criminal activist Sharon Solarz (Sarandon), who may be able to finger a number of her co-conspirators.

Following a group of former Weather Underground militants, we meet Jim Grant (Robert Redford) decades after he's escaped FBI capture for his extremist activities. But when his cohort Sharon is tracked down and arrested, Shepard believes he can use her arrest to ferret out the long-escaped Grant. Realizing Shepard is on to him, Grant goes on the run and reconnects with a fellow former Weather Underground member, Mimi (Julie Christie), who is still fighting the good fight.

The movie got mixed reviews but The Christian Science Monitor noted that "Sarandon's showpiece sequence, in which Sharon ... stands up for her actions is easily the film's best," and that the movie would have been better off if it were about Sharon instead of Jim.

The 2006 rom-com "Shall We Dance?" is an unlikely remake of a 1996 Japanese film of the same name. The film pairs Sarandon with Hollywood leading man Richard Gere in a tale of lost love and the rediscovery of a zest for life. 

Despite being married to the beautiful Beverly (Sarandon), John (Gere) is listless and depressed. On his daily train trips home from work, John becomes enamored with a woman named Paulina (Jennifer Lopez), who he impulsively follows one night to a dance studio. Though he at first is only there to get Paulina's attention, John soon discovers his own love of dance and throws himself into practice and eventually competitions. But when Beverly becomes concerned about his nights away from home, she begins to wonder if he's having an affair.

A charming story with a delightful cast, "Shall We Dance?" easily could have been the story of a man who made all the wrong choices. Instead, it opts for an upbeat view of love and commitment, and discovering renewed life in the most unlikely places.

The 1994 drama "Safe Passage" stars Susan Sarandon as Margaret "Mag" Singer, the matriarch of a large family. She's nearing a bitter divorce from her husband Patrick (Sam Shepard), with whom she's raised seven now-adult sons. But just as she is excited about the prospects of moving on to a new phase in her life, the family is rocked by news that middle son Percival (Matt Keeslar) may have been killed while serving in the Gulf War, prompting the family to gather one more time.

With the entire family back under one roof, Mag and the rest confront old wounds that have long haunted them. The film follows dual stories in the present — where the family anxiously awaits news on Percival's fate — and the past, where we see Mag and Patrick raising their sons. 

A modest, pleasantly diverting movie about domestic discord, "Safe Passage" may feel a bit more like a movie-of-the-week than a big screen outing, but its star cast acquit themselves with aplomb. Roger Ebert opined that most of the movie's best scenes "involve the invaluable Susan Sarandon, who just continues to grow as an actress: She inhabits her characters as naturally as favorite old sweaters."

Another romantic comedy with a stellar cast, "Maybe I Do" has plenty of moments that work beautifully. It's not Susan Sarandon's brightest work or best comedy, but it's certainly an entertaining film that leaves the viewer happy.

The story is all about three interconnected couples. Sam (William H. Macy) and Grace (Diane Keaton) meet cute and think they might want to have an affair, but settle for intellectually stimulating discussion. Howard (Richard Gere) and Monica (Sarandon) have been having a physical affair for months, but have no emotional connection. Michelle (Emma Roberts) and Alan (Luke Bracey) fall in love after meeting at a wedding, and they're talking about getting married — but their parents' lousy marriages are discouraging. 

There's only one problem — Grace and Howard are Michelle's parents, while Sam and Monica are Alan's. Sparks fly when all three couples meet for a getting-to-know you dinner, which will end in renewal for one couple, separation for a second, and a crossroads for a third. All of this is fun, even touching — but it's been done before.

Light and bubbly as a glass of champagne, 2024's "The Fabulous Four" has a breezy way about it that makes you feel like you're sitting in on a bull session between its cast of master comediennes. It's not substantial enough to make the top 20 in Susan Sarandon's oeuvre, but it's definitely a worthwhile watch.

Kitty (Sheryl Lee Ralph), Alice (Megan Mullally), Marilyn (Bette Midler) and Lou (Susan Sarandon) were once the closest of chums — until Lou and Marilyn had a fight over Marilyn stealing Lou's boyfriend, John. Marilyn and John went on to have a happy marriage, ended by John's death, and now she's getting married again. Marilyn and Lou haven't spoken in years, but Kitty and Alice think this is the perfect excuse for them to mend fences. Yet when Lou finds another charming man — and he turns out to be Marilyn's fiance, Ted (Bruce Greenwood) — will the girls ever manage a reconciliation?

Saturated in bacchanalia, dusted with wit and debauchery, "The Fabulous Four" is simply easygoing fun. It may sometimes feel like a shallow echo of "Bridesmaids" or "Book Club," but this is a group of talented actresses who are clearly having a ball with the material, definitely making it a worthwhile rental.

The third film to pair Susan Sarandon and her real-life daughter Eva Amurri as mother and daughter on screen, "Middle of Nowhere" is a 2008 indie drama from director John Stockwell. Elevated by a talented cast that also includes Anton Yelchin and Justin Chatwin, the film is a coming-of-age story for teenaged Grace (Amurri), who gets into trouble while working a new job over the summer.

Constantly clashing with her reckless mother Rhonda (Sarandon), Grace works hard in school in hope of becoming a doctor. But when the time comes for college, she discovers her mother has destroyed her financial future by using her name to amass enormous credit card debt, making her unable to land the college loans she needs. With her dreams dashed, Grace takes a summer job where she meets Dorian (Yelchin), a spoiled slacker living with his uncle, who gets her involved with selling drugs.

An austere character drama, "Middle of Nowhere" does a fine job of capturing the frustration of a generation whose parents  have squandered their future.

Having come to prominence in the horror musical comedy "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," Susan Sarandon must have seemed like the perfect casting choice for John Turturro's 2005 musical romantic drama "Romance and Cigarettes." It features a series of musical sequences, although it's not nearly as wild, zany, or fanciful as the Tim Curry classic. Instead of original songs created for the film, the movie opts for existing rock 'n' roll and pop music favorites.

The movie centers on Nick (James Gandolfini) and Kitty (Susan Sarandon), a working-class, middle-aged couple in Queens. But when Kitty discovers that Nick has been having an affair with a younger woman (Kate Winslet), she tosses him out of the house, which throws their community into an uproar. The shattering of the family forces those involved — from Kitty and Nick to teenaged daughter Baby (Mandy Moore) — to take a hard look at their lives.

In "Romance and Cigarettes," the inner conflict of the characters isn't just expressed through moving, emotional dialogue and somber scenes, but through rousing song and dance numbers as well. While it's a bit gimmicky, the film strides along confidently and still manages to explore love and relationships in an interesting new way. In her review for The Telegraph, "White Teeth" novelist Zadie Smith took issue with the film's execution, but highlighted the performances, noting that "Susan Sarandon is still an obscenely attractive and intelligent performer."

Actor-turned-director John Turturro's second film behind the camera, "Illuminata" is the first of three films he directed where he cast Susan Surandon. A 1998 period drama, it's set in New York City at the turn of the 20th century. It stars Turturro as a playwright named Tuccio, and follows a group of actors dealing with the author's plans for a new stage play titled "Illuminata."

Problems arise immediately within his ambitious new production, as the cast struggles to accept lead actress Rachel (Katherine Borowitz, Turturro's real-life wife), who is also Tuccio's lover. The in-fighting is instantaneous, the production turns to chaos, while a noted theater critic named Umberto Bevalaqua (Christopher Walken) looms over the production and haunts its cast and crew. To make matters worse, Tuccio falls under the seductions of femme fatale and diva Celimene (Sarandon), all while his actors go off the rails on stage.

The reviews were mixed, perhaps because the reach of this high-concept black comedy sometimes exceeds its grasp. But most reviewers praised the performances of the cast, with The Advocate simply noting that "Sarandon shines as a diva to end them all." As a comic tale of lust and betrayal amid old world theater, "Illuminata" has a unique flavor that serves up an undeniable charm. 

Sometimes it takes a little coaxing to get a movie star to join an indie picture, and that's exactly what was needed to make "The Greatest" come to life. Unsure about the offer to star, Sarandon agreed so long as the producers secure a great actor to play her husband, so when she got a call from former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan that he was all in, she happily took the role.

Allen (Brosnan) and Grace (Sarandon) are left devastated when their teenaged son Bennett (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is killed in a car crash. But their grief is interrupted when Bennett's girlfriend Rose (Carey Mulligan) shows up on their doorstep, pregnant with their grandchild. As Bennett's family and girlfriend each grapple with his death, they struggle to accept becoming integral parts of each other's lives. While Grace seeks answers about the end of her son's life, Rose wants to learn more about what Bennett was really like.

You won't find anything you haven't seen before in the story, which is a typical drama about loss that split critics. But it's a good thing Brosnan made that call, because both he and Sarandon give tour de force performances as grieving parents.

Even though Susan Sarandon hasn't joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she did star in "Leaves of Grass" alongside much of the main cast of the previous year's "The Incredible Hulk." That includes Edward Norton — who plays dual roles — and supporting players Ty Burrell and Tim Blake Nelson, who also directed the film. 

Norton chews the scenery as Brady, a street level pot peddler, while also portraying Billy, a university professor. The two wildly opposite characters are twin brothers, and Sarandon stars as their mother Daisy. While Billy gives lectures at Brown University, Brady is in debt up to his eyeballs to drug kingpin Pug Rothbaum (Richard Dreyfuss). To get out of it, Brady asks his twin brother to take his place while he sets out to take down Pug himself, with Billy only agreeing so he can stay in town and woo writer Janet (Keri Russell). 

Sarandon's role is supporting here, but as The Austin Chronicle put it, she's "whip-smart as always" and critics were somewhat more positive about the movie than not. A quirky black comedy, "Leaves of Grass" is part "Dazed and Confused," part "Pulp Fiction," but all about Norton playing two crazy kooks. 

Erotic dramas are a difficult genre to get right. When they're at their best, you get intense stories with a healthy dose of steamy love scenes. The '90s were awash in them — propelled by the success of 1992's "Basic Instinct" — but there's another fairly successful erotic film starring Susan Sarandon that landed in 1990, titled "White Palace." Mostly overlooked today, it stars James Spader as Max Baron, a hotshot ad executive, who falls into a passionate affair with an older woman (Sarandon).

The problem for Baron, however, is that he's still reeling from the recent death of his wife in a car crash just two years earlier. After a drunken sexual encounter with 40-something waitress Nora (Sarandon), he becomes infatuated with the older woman, and the two soon begin a love affair. But as a successful 27-year-old executive, Max is afraid to reveal this new relationship to his friends and colleagues. He's concerned with judgment over his involvement with an older woman, and the fact that she doesn't share their upper class status.

A drama that focuses on the complexities of May-December romances and the class divide, "White Palace" succeeds. For their parts, Spader and Sarandon play against stereotypes, with their strong on-screen chemistry making their unique relationship believable. The Los Angeles Times called it "Sarandon's most complex, blazingly vibrant performance, topping even the magnum women of 'Bull Durham' and 'Atlantic City.'"

Susan Sarandon has played mother to plenty of famous actresses, from Reese Witherspoon to Naomi Watts. In 1999, she starred as the mother of future Academy Award winner Natalie Portman in "Anywhere But Here." Adapted from a novel by Mona Simpson, it follows a mother and daughter as they move to California and explores their strained relationship.

Adele (Sarandon) isn't at all like her daughter. While young Ann (Portman) is studious and particular, well-mannered and responsible, Adele is a bit more free-spirited and notably, isn't great with money. So when Adele impulsively decides to pick up their lives and relocate across the country to Southern California, it riles Ann. But Adele has dreams of her daughter becoming a movie star, while all Ann wants is to study hard and get into an Ivy League university. Their clashing personalities cause plenty of drama, but their bond is undeniable.

"Anywhere But Here" is a heartfelt drama that helped cement Portman as one of Hollywood's brightest young stars. Critics praised the chemistry and performances of both Sarandon and Portman, with The New York Times writing that "it's a pleasure, if not a surprise, to find Susan Sarandon so show-stopping in the role of Adele August," whom she makes "enormously funny and appealing, too."

A sweeping sci-fi/fantasy epic, the 2012 film "Cloud Atlas" boasts an impeccable all-star ensemble cast that includes Susan Sarandon, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Keith David, and Ben Whishaw. Telling five separate stories that span thousands of years, the film features many in the cast playing multiple roles. This includes Sarandon, who stars as characters in the Pacific Islands in 1849, London in 2012, and the far future of the 24th century.

Telling a story with a scope so vast it defies conventional description, we follow five different stories through the ages, and see how the bond between souls carry down through generations. Combining a thought-provoking, epic story with breathtaking visuals, the film impressed critics and audiences in its exploration of identity and the soul.

The Wachowskis — creators of "The Matrix" — co-directed and co-wrote the film along with Tom Tykwer and while many appreciated the performances and visuals, the film garnered significant controversy for its use of yellowface. Regrettably, "Cloud Atlas" cast a number of high-profile white Western actors as Asian characters, including Sarandon, and has been roundly and rightfully criticized for it.

In the last decade, a number of big-name actors with award-winning pedigrees have joined blockbuster action movies. While the likes of Frances McDormand and Helen Mirren joined the casts of the "Transformers" and "Fast and the Furious" films, Susan Sarandon paired with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for his action thriller "Snitch" in 2013. The film is loosely inspired by the true story of John Settimbro, who went on an undercover assignment for the DEA in exchange for the authorities' lessening charges against his son, who'd been caught with illegal drugs.

John Matthews (Johnson) is a local businessman, whose son Jason (Rafi Gavron) is sentenced to 10 years in prison for becoming an unwitting part of a drug ring. The authorities attempt to use the charges against Jason to get him to inform on his friends, but John steps in to volunteer. Negotiating with U.S. Attorney Joanne Keeghan (Sarandon), John arranges to go undercover himself. But when John gets evidence against a local dealer (Michael K. Williams), the DEA backs out of the deal, pressuring him to get evidence against a bigger target.

Though a number of critics didn't find the story to be quite up to par, the requisite action is. Johnson, Sarandon, and the rest of the cast — including Jon Bernthal, Benjamin Bratt, and David Harbour — are all in top form.

If you're looking for a Susan Sarandon film that's a true tearjerker, look no further than 1998's "Stepmom." At first, this movie about a divorced older woman, who must contend with her ex-husband's new, younger girlfriend, might seem like it has the makings of a fun family comedy. But with its dark twist, it transforms into an arresting and emotional drama.

Isabel (Julia Roberts) is a young photographer who is trying to take on the new role of stepmom to the children of her older boyfriend Luke (Ed Harris). While she struggles to connect with the children since she's never been too interested in motherhood herself, the situation is further complicated by Luke's ex-wife Jackie (Sarandon). Jackie is resentful that Isabel is effectively replacing her as her children's mother and it's a fear that goes much deeper once she gets diagnosed with terminal cancer. Terrified that her children will forget her when she dies, Jackie tries to give them the best memories she can, while finding a surprising source of support in Isabel. 

While the critics weren't so enthusiastic about the film, the much higher audience score on Rotten Tomatoes shows just how beloved this heartfelt melodrama is for many. Empire noted that Sarandon's role was "easy meat for her magnificence," so perhaps not surprisingly, she got a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.

Writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien gave us the '90s cult classic "Rounders," as well as "Ocean's 13," both of which revolved around gambling, so it's not surprising that they returned to this theme with 2009's "Solitary Man." The drama stars Michael Douglas and Susan Sarandon as a once-married couple, who fell out when Ben (Douglas) was caught having numerous affairs.

Flash forward several years later and Ben's life has seen a precipitous downward spiral: his business is in shambles because he's become reckless and untrustworthy, gambling at work rather than at the card table. Barely surviving, he's nearly out of money and forced to rely on his own daughter (Jenna Fischer) to keep him afloat. He's even caught cheating on his new girlfriend (Mary-Louise Parker) with her teenaged daughter Allyson (Imogen Poots), which may force him to leave town altogether. With his life at rock bottom, Ben may finally have to confront a terrifying medical diagnosis that has led to his destructive behavior.

Despite centering around an entirely unlikeable and almost sleazy protagonist — or perhaps because of it — "Solitary Man" received good reviews, with Roger Ebert calling it a "smart, effective film."

While Susan Sarandon played a meek and innocent damsel in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," she took on the role of a woman-turned-vampire in Tony Scott's 1983 erotic horror film "The Hunger."

John Blaylock (David Bowie) is the current lover of the ageless vampire queen Miriam (Catherine Deneuve). He has lived with her for hundreds of years, allowing himself to become one of the undead under the promise of immortality. But when he suddenly begins suffering the effects of old age, he goes to Dr. Sarah Roberts (Sarandon) for a cure. Sarah is unable to help him and as he withers away, she takes his place instead and becomes Miriam's new bloodsucking lover.

A subversive and unconventional vampire movie, "The Hunger" may be the most fascinating and underrated film in Sarandon's filmography. Critics were mixed on it, but it's been a favorite of the LGBTQ+ community for decades, with many outlets naming it one of the top LGBTQ+ films of all time. Sarandon stands out as the curious, empowered Sarah, who never feels like a victim — even as Miriam is sucking her blood — and the rest of the cast provide all the scares you could ask for.

"Notting Hill" director Roger Michell assembled an A-list line-up of stars for his 2019 drama "Blackbird." In addition to Susan Sarandon, the film features Kate Winslet, Mia Wasikowska, Sam Neill, and Rainn Wilson. An American remake of the 2014 Danish film "Silent Heart," it centers on Lily (Sarandon), a dying woman who looks back on her life, but not with the somber regret and sadness you normally see in movies like this.

Instead, Lily is at peace, and has gathered her whole family back together for a celebration of her existence. At a glorious final dinner, it's an opportunity for her and her loved ones to have one final goodbye. They exchange stories, express their feelings about the past, and come to terms with anything and everything that has troubled their relationships. With heart — and a surprising amount of good humor — Lily is ready to face the end with dignity and grace.

An admittedly thin story is propped up by the movie's genuinely moving look at the end of life. It may be a bit heavy for some, but is a touching look at grief and mourning and as Richard Roeper noted for The Chicago Sun Times, "The majestic Susan Sarandon is still at the top of her game ... and she deftly handles the moments of light humor as well as the inevitable heavy scenes."

In 1978 Susan Sarandon starred in "Pretty Baby," a film that generated even more controversy than "Cloud Atlas." Directed by French filmmaker Louis Malle, the movie was mired in scandal thanks to the use of 11-year-old actress Brooke Shields to portray an underage prostitute, which included naked sequences that some considered outright pornographic. Nevertheless, despite its uncomfortable subject matter and controversial imagery, "Pretty Baby" has been widely hailed by critics like Roger Ebert as "an evocation of a time and a place and a sad chapter of Americana."

Set in 1917, Violet (Shields) is the young daughter of New Orleans prostitute Hattie (Sarandon). A photographer named Bellocq (Keith Carradine) becomes a regular at their brothel, where he pays Madame Nell (Frances Faye) to photograph the women who work there. He becomes infatuated with Hattie, which makes Violet resentful of their relationship. But when Hattie — who has long dreamt of leaving her life as a prostitute — leaves town and marries a customer, Violet is left behind and becomes Nell's newest working girl.

"Pretty Baby" has been praised for its raw and uncompromising look at the life of a prostitute in the days when it was legal. But with its obviously unsettling story and uncomfortable authenticity, it may be a bit too uncompromising for some.

Writer-director Brad Silberling was dating actress Rebecca Schaeffer when she was murdered in 1989, and "Moonlight Mile" was heavily influenced by his own feelings of guilt and his experience of moving in with her parents after her death. In real life, Schaeffer's death became a lightning rod for anti-stalking advocates and eventually led to several key changes in legislation. But the film takes a more personal route, instead focusing on the impact that a young woman's death has on her boyfriend and his relationship with her family. 

Joe Nast's (Jake Gyllenhaal) life is turned upside down following the murder of his girlfriend, Diana Foss (Careena Melia). Joe is already close with Diana's parents Ben and Jojo (Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon), and the three mourn her loss together. Ben and Joe start a business together, and their lives begin to settle into a rhythm. But over time, Joe struggles with the pressure of remaining faithful to Diana and her memory, as a new woman named Bertie (Ellen Pompeo) enters his life.

The film got mixed reviews from critics, some of whom felt it was manipulatively sentimental. But publications like the BBC called it "an honestly intimate and genuinely funny account of bereavement" and noted how "(Sarandon) delights in the role" of a woman filled with anger and resentment.

For decades, one of the greatest on-screen comedy duos was the everyman pairing of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Lemmon's bumbling quirkiness and Matthau's uptight cantankerousness made for a hit in "The Odd Couple" in 1968. Six years later, they added Susan Sarandon to the mix for legendary writer-director Billy Wilder's comedy "The Front Page," one of several film adaptations of a play of the same name.

Lemmon plays ace reporter Hildy Johnson, and Matthau is his tyrannical editor-in-chief Walter Burns. Johnson is ready to say goodbye to his old job and head off to marry his sweetheart Peggy (Susan Sarandon), and Burns is furious that he's losing his best man. But when a felon on death row escapes his cell just as Johnson is about to depart, Burns puts him on one last assignment, much to Peggy's chagrin. With an apparently dangerous man on the loose and Peggy begging him to let someone else take the story, Hildy has to decide where he really wants to be.

Audiences have always enjoyed Lemmon and Matthau, and "The Front Page" is a solid entry in their team-up history, as seen in the disparity between audience and critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. 

In 2015 Susan Sarandon starred alongside Rose Byrne as a mother-daughter duo with a difficult relationship in "The Meddler." The movie was written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, who is known for hits like "Seeking a Friend at the End of the World," "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," and "Hustlers."

A buddy picture about two women, "The Meddler" introduces us to Marnie (Sarandon), who is a lovelorn widow and is desperate for a new start. She thinks she finds it when her daughter Lori (Byrne) relocates from suburban hell-scape of New Jersey to the glitz and glam of Los Angeles. Marnie decides to tag along with her since it's an opportunity for her to start over too. But Lori isn't happy that her mother is following her, and things don't get any easier when Marnie begins getting a bit too involved with her daughter's life. 

This realistic comedy-drama about the complexities of family got primarily praise from critics, with the Rotten Tomatoes critics' consensus noting that the movie is "honored by a marvelous performance from Susan Sarandon." In fact, Sarandon received the bulk of acclaim from critics, with Film Frenzy calling it "her best work in ages."

Fresh off her turn as Janet in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," Susan Sarandon went from musical farce to fanciful romance in "One Summer Love" (also known as "Dragonfly") opposite Beau Bridges. A tender tale of two lost souls who struggle to find belonging, it follows a troubled young man named Jesse Arlington (Bridges). He has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital for some time, under the care of Dr. Lee (James Noble), but finds that he's lost when he gets out. 

Jesse comes from an eccentric family, who had him sent away many years before, but he never knew or understood their reasons for doing so. On his release from the hospital, however, a directionless Jesse decides to go looking for his kin. Along the way, he encounters Chloe (Susan Sarandon), a delicate young woman, who works at a local movie theater, and provides his first glimpse at human connection. 

Their meeting sparks an unlikely romance that may be the missing piece to Jesse's puzzle and it introduces him to new experiences that seem to quell his haunted soul. But he's a man who has never experienced tenderness or love, so, if they're going to have a relationship, it won't be easy. The film has a high audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Peter Hansen wrote for Every '70s Movie that the movie "is worth watching largely for Sarandon's performance."

2021's "Ride the Eagle" was a passion project for former "New Girl" star and one-time "Spider-Man" Jake Johnson, who co-wrote and starred in the film alongside Susan Sarandon and J.K. Simmons. The film's co-writer and director Trent O'Donnell spoke to SlashFilm about shooting this film during the COVID-19 lockdown. They were able to do Sarandon's scenes at her own home in New York and for both O'Donnell and Johnson, "casting [Sarandon] was kind of wild ... I think even in the script we had 'a Susan Sarandon type.'"

Luckily, Johnson and O'Donnell got the real Susan Sarandon — instead of an imitation of the actress — to play Honey, a bohemian hippie who lives in an old cabin in the woods of Yosemite. Honey dies suddenly, after having no contact with her son Leif (Johnson) for the past 30 years. When he learns that she's left him the cabin on the condition that he complete a list of odd tasks, Leif is intrigued. Through a series of odd assignments — like catching a fish with his bare hands — he learns more about his mother than he ever did when she was alive.

Released at such a strange moment, "Ride the Eagle" turned out to be just what audiences were looking for at the time: a story about cherishing every moment, finding love amidst darkness, and the power and importance of hope. Critics praised the movie and while The Los Angeles Times wasn't so enthusiastic about the film, it noted that Sarandon "brings a lovely quality to her video bits," which is an accomplishment in this story.

In the early '90s, author John Grisham was one of the hottest names in fiction thanks to a series of best-selling legal thrillers, and movie adaptations weren't far behind. After the success of "The Firm" with Tom Cruise and "The Pelican Brief" starring Julia Roberts, 1994 saw the release of a third adaptation, "The Client," starring Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones.

A young Brad Renfro stars as Mark Sway, a 12-year-old boy who witnesses the death of a Mafia henchman. He soon becomes the target of both ambitious political leaders and violent criminal thugs, who realize that he may have some answers regarding the mysterious murder of a high-ranking politician. Reggie Love (Sarandon) decides to represent Sway, and she clashes with a ruthless U.S. attorney (Jones) who wants answers. On top of that, she also becomes the target of a killer, who wants to silence both her and Sway.

"The Client" was critically acclaimed for its top-notch thrills and edge-of-your-seat suspense. The New York Times noted that Sarandon's "Reggie is both tough and alluring" and that in Sarandon's hands, she's more appealing on-screen than as Grisham originally wrote her.

Written and directed by Nicholas Jarecki in his feature-length directorial debut, 2012's "Arbitrage" re-teams Susan Sarandon with her "Shall We Dance?" co-star Richard Gere. They once again play husband and wife, with Sarandon's Ellen Miller becoming suspicious of her husband's extra-marital activities. But this time, there really is a duplicitous affair, and their relationship isn't nearly as touching.

Robert Miller (Gere) is a wealthy, handsome, veteran power broker, but his affair with a much younger woman (Laetitia Casta) is far from his only misdeed. Because very quietly, Robert has been skimming money from his company to the tune of more than $400 million dollars. Little does everyone know — including Ellen and his daughter Brooke (Brit Marling) — but Robert is guilty of massive stock fraud. To get out of it and escape the attention of the authorities, he's attempting to sell the company. But Ellen and a dedicated detective (Tim Roth) are both closing in on the truth.

A high-wire act of suspense and family drama, "Arbitrage" got stellar critical reviews, including a four-star one from Roger Ebert, who described Sarandon's Ellen as "the kind of 'corporate wife' who must have understood the Supreme Court decision that a corporation is a person."

Many may know Susan Sarandon for playing mothers or even grandmothers later in her career. But flash back to her first on-screen role in the 1970 drama "Joe," and you'll find a young Susan Sarandon playing someone's daughter. Melissa Compton is the hippie child of rich New York couple Bill and Joan (Dennis Patrick and Audrey Claire), who has rebelled against her uptight socialite parents. 

But when her father murders her boyfriend for getting her involved in drugs, he finds a kindred spirit in lowly factory worker Joe Curran (Peter Boyle). Joe is a hippie-hating lout, who takes Bill on a maniacal, murderous revenge spree that comes with devastating consequences for everyone involved.

"Joe" is a bit of a time capsule, not just as Sarandon's "stunning debut" in the words of critic Emmanuel Levy, but also as a film that blatantly lets you know what the establishment thought of hippie culture in the early 1970s. In fact, "Joe" became strangely intertwined in a murder case, as it was released just a few months after a disgruntled father killed his hippie daughter and her friends. Screened for both prosecution and defense teams by the presiding judge, jury selection was complicated by the film, with fears that it could influence the verdict.

"Speed Racer" never did become the box office blockbuster it was hoping to be, but that doesn't mean it didn't dazzle audiences with its striking visuals and stellar cast, which includes Susan Sarandon as the titular racer's mother. Adapted by the Wachowskis from a goofy 1960s anime series, "Speed Racer" brings all of the show's feverishly fast-paced cartoon glory into live action.

Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a young man from a racing family, who has overcome the death of his brother to become a star on the track. A whiz behind the wheel, he pilots his legendary Mach 5 racer to win after win. But he becomes embroiled in a sinister plot by a diabolical business mogul when he refuses an offer to race for Royalton Industries. Now determined to take them down, Speed Racer must team up with the mysterious Racer X in the biggest race of his life. 

Despite its lack of success at the ticket counter or with the critics, "Speed Racer" has gone on to become a cult favorite that has been praised for its visual wizardry and tongue-in-cheek tone. As CJ Sheu noted for Critics at Large, Sarandon is "effortlessly magical" in this movie that may not give her a lot to do but still is a whole lot of fun to watch.

While filmmaker Paul Schrader had his biggest successes as a screenwriter with hits like "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull," and "The Last Temptation of Christ," he also worked as a director. In 1992, he wrote and directed "Light Sleeper," which reunited him with "Last Temptation" star Willem Dafoe, who was joined by Susan Sarandon, Dana Delany, and Mary Beth Hurt. Sam Rockwell and David Spade also appeared in early roles.

Sarandon takes the unlikely role of drug dealer in the form of a well-to-do woman with high class clientele. Her courier John LeTour (Dafoe) is disillusioned and looking to get out of the business. Tired of the life of a drug dealer, LeTour is looking for redemption, and he briefly finds it after reconnecting with his ex-wife (Dana Delaney). But LeTour finds that getting out is harder than he ever imagined, and the cost may be his very soul.

A grim look at the drug trade, the critically acclaimed "Light Sleeper" is ultimately a moral tale about the hopeless feeling that life may be beyond your own control. John LeTour remains one of Dafoe's best movie roles to date in this underrated neo-noir classic, while Sarandon fans may agree with The Los Angeles Times that she "walks off with this picture. Her character is comic, lusty, magnificently at home."

Susan Sarandon was a bona fide Hollywood heavyweight by the mid-1980s, so it made perfect sense that "Mad Max" director George Miller would want her to headline his 1987 adaptation of John Updike's satirical novel "The Witches of Eastwick," alongside Cher and up-and-coming starlet Michelle Pfeiffer. 

The movie casts its three leading ladies as a trio of lonely single women, who have each recently lost their husbands for different reasons. What they don't know is they are all powerful witches whose abilities have not yet been manifested. But that's all about to change with the arrival of the devilishly charming Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson), whose presence does more than activate their sexual appetites; it brings forth their supernatural powers too. The sleazy, aggressive Van Horne is more than meets the eye himself, as he awakens the witches within and draws their wrath.

A feminist film with an empowering message, its incisive commentary on the battle of the sexes doesn't hold back. Each woman represents a different personality type, and while the over-the-top performances border on cartoonish at times, that's all part of the film's charm. Alongside the likes of "The Witches" and "Hocus Pocus," Sarandon's "The Witches of Eastwick" is one of the quintessential witch films of the '80s and remains one of the best supernatural comedies ever.

Nearly 25 years after they both appeared in "The Client," Susan Sarandon starred again with Tommy Lee Jones in 2007's "In the Valley of Elah." Former military police sergeant Hank Deerfield (Jones) and his loyal wife Joan (Sarandon) take it upon themselves to investigate the disappearance of their son Mike (Jonathan Tucker), who is also a soldier and has gone missing from his base in New Mexico.

Hank struggles to get help from the appropriate authorities, even when Mike's body is recovered, horribly disfigured and dismembered. Hank decides to track down the evidence himself and learns that his son had been involved in a drug deal got wrong. He finally gets help from local detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) and as the two of them dig into Mike's final days, they discover that he may have been the victim of his own squad.

A stirring murder mystery, "In the Valley of Elah" was an underrated, under-the-radar thriller with captivating performances from its cast and a powerful anti-war message. Critics praised the film and the BBC argued that "Sarandon makes the most of her few scenes" as Hank's wife, who believes that he's the reason their son enlisted at all.

Susan Sarandon takes on an overbearing mother role in the wry 2002 comedy "Igby Goes Down," which is about the emerging millennial generation. The cynical protagonist of the film is the eponymous Igby (Kieran Culkin), who rebels agains his oppressive, hard-drinking mother Mimi (Sarandon). His father suffers from a psychiatric disorder, and Igby worries he may one day be afflicted with it too, while his older brother (Ryan Phillippe) is more like his wealthy, entitled parents than he ever will be.

Igby seeks to get out from under his family's thumb and discover a life for himself out of their shadow. He goes from a prestigious academy to a military school, from Chicago to New York, from the home of his godfather to a job at a construction company. Along the way he gets involved — and into trouble — with the reckless and free-wheeling Rachel (Amanda Peet) and Sookie (Claire Danes), a listless lover who leaves him for another man.

A broad ensemble cast featuring Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Jared Harris, Jim Gaffigan, and Cynthia Nixon makes "Igby Goes Down" a parade of all-stars and an impeccably quirky turn-of-the-millennium drama that was mostly well-received. Though never a big hit, it's a perfect encapsulation of the new generation. For many, it's a quintessential Sarandon performance, as The Sydney Morning Herald notes that she makes "a monster of such dignity and forthrightness that you can't quite give up the hope that there's a human being in there somewhere."

1989's "A Dry White Season" is noteworthy for more than just its star-studded cast, which includes Susan Sarandon, Donald Sutherland, and Marlon Brando. Based on a novel by Andre Brink, it also confronts race relations surrounding apartheid in South Africa. While it was set in 1976, it was a clear statement on current events in the region. The movie is historic for being the first studio film to be directed by a Black woman, Euzhan Palcy, whose filmmaking mentor was none other than François Truffaut.

Benjamin du Toit (Sutherland) is a South African school teacher at an all-white institution. He's happy to turn a blind eye to apartheid, but is forced to re-evaluate his entire belief system when the school's Black gardener goes missing. When the gardener's son comes to him for aid, du Toit is arrested and abused by the authorities, and later learns that both men have been killed by the police. While his family wants to forget about the incident, du Toit wants justice, and enlists the aide of human rights lawyer Ian McKenzie (Brando) to pursue a case against the police force, while liberal reporter Melanie (Sarandon) helps him with the case. 

Lauded by critics for its powerful statement on apartheid, Variety called "A Dry White Season" a "wrenching picture ... [that] displays riveting performances and visceral style."

Before screenwriter Christopher D. Ford established himself as a collaborator with "Spider-Man: Homecoming" director Jon Watts, he came out of the gate strong with the 2012 sci-fi drama "Robot & Frank." Starring Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, and James Marsden, it tells the story of an aging man and his robotic caretaker in its memorable vision of where emerging robot technology could be in the not-too-distant future. 

"Robot & Frank" introduces us to ex-con Frank Weld (Langella), an older divorced man suffering from the early stages of dementia. To avoid putting Frank into a care home, his son Hunter (Marsden) purchases him an artificially intelligent robot assistant to aid in his daily life. Though at first unconvinced of the robot's usefulness, Frank comes around when he realizes he can use the mechanical caretaker to help him return to criminal exploits. The robot helps Frank rob a library to impress a librarian (Sarandon), but when repeated heists draw police attention, he must grapple with erasing his new friend's memories.

With a poignant story about aging, "Robot & Frank" uses its sci-fi elements to full effect and even features a few genuinely surprising twists. The movie was critically acclaimed and The New Statesman highlighted the "tender work from Susan Sarandon as a gentle, near-obsolete librarian."

In the early days of her career, Susan Sarandon snagged the lead role in the 1980 neo-noir crime romance movie "Atlantic City." Starring Hollywood icon Burt Lancaster, it re-teamed Sarandon with Louis Malle, the director behind the controversial "Pretty Baby." This one isn't nearly as scandalous; instead, it's a more conventional crime drama about a former old hood (Lancaster) smitten with young casino waitress Sally Matthews (Sarandon).

Sally has recently moved to Atlantic City with dreams of working a blackjack table, but she's followed there by her ex-husband Dave (Robert Joy), who wants her to help him sell a stash of cocaine. The aging small-time former gangster Lou (Lancaster) gets involved and uses the drugs to impress Sally by pretending to be a much more impressive Mafia man than he really is. But his efforts to seem like he's part of the big time get them both into trouble, leaving more than one person dead and the police on the case. If they're not careful, they could wind up in the back of a patrol wagon — or in the ground.

A strong crime caper and tender love story, "Atlantic City" isn't much talked about today. But back when it was released it was a critical smash, and was nominated for five Academy Awards, earning Sarandon her first of five nods for best actress. 

Following their successful pairing on "The Witches of Eastwick," director George Miller went back to work with Susan Sarandon one more time for his very next directorial effort, 1992's "Lorenzo's Oil." An emotionally charged story of a family dealing with a devastating tragedy, it stars Sarandon, Nick Nolte, two-time Academy Award-winner Peter Ustinov, and Margo Martindale in a dramatization of a remarkable true story.

Augusto and Michaela Odone (Nolte and Sarandon) are a loving, well-to-do couple living a dream life. But their bliss is shattered when they learn that their young son has been diagnosed with a degenerative nerve disorder for which there is no cure. They struggle to find any help, as doctors and researchers all insist that there is nothing that can be done. With no other choice, the Odones search for their own answers and discover a possible cure, but must battle against a skeptical and sometimes scornful medical community. 

A gut-wrenching drama, "Lorenzo's Oil" was critically beloved and considered one of George Miller's best movies. Sarandon received praise for her portrayal of a mother doing whatever it takes to care for her son, with Variety writing that she "convincingly conveys a fierceness and tenacity that is almost frightening."

The 1980s were full of famous baseball movies, and two of Kevin Costner's best movie and TV roles to date were in a pair of the decade's finest. In addition to the family drama "Field of Dreams," he also starred in "Bull Durham," which saw him sparring with a feisty love interest played by Susan Sarandon. "Bull Durham" is remembered today as a classic sports movie, but it may also be one of the best romantic comedies of the era.

Annie (Sarandon) is a local baseball groupie, who spends her time lusting after ballplayers on the minor league Durham Bulls. Recently re-assigned to the Bulls is veteran catcher "Crash" Davis (Costner), who's never been quite good enough for the majors. But management wants him on the Bulls to mentor their latest star pitcher, Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins). Ebby is being fast-tracked to the bigs, which Davis can't help but resent, and their already contentious relationship is strained further by Annie, as all three find themselves in an awkward love triangle. 

Full of wit, charm, and class, "Bull Durham" isn't just one of the best baseball movies of the decade, it's considered one of the best baseball movies of all time, thanks to writer-director Rob Shelton's own experience of playing in the minor leagues. The film is universally beloved by critics and as Gene Siskel declared for The Chicago Tribune, "Sarandon has one of the juiciest female roles in years and she makes you think no one could play it better."

Indie mumblecore dramas were all the rage for a brief period in the late 2000s, marked by their low budgets and focus on aimless, off-beat characters and their unconventional relationships. The name derives from the characters, who mumble their way through often ad-libbed scripts. The kings of mumblecore — the Duplass brothers — enlisted Susan Sarandon to co-star in their 2011 film, "Jeff, Who Lives at Home."

The film follows two separate but related stories. The first is about Jeff (Jason Segel), who lives in his mother's basement and goes on a quest to find meaning in his life, sparked by a mysterious wrong number phone call from someone named Kevin. The second story follows Jeff's mother Sharon (Sarandon), an office worker who receives a cryptic text from a secret admirer. Sharon attempts to discover who her admirer might be among her coworkers, discovering some surprising truths about herself in the process.

A number of critics fell in love with "Jeff, Who Lives at Home," and in particular, many noted Sarandon's subplot as a highlight of the film. Movieline noted that Sarandon's performance "feels believable and natural ... She's the kind of actress who can do a lot with a little." Sarandon fans will love this delightful performance of a woman finding affection in unexpected places.

Those looking to see Susan Sarandon in a fabulously evil role need look no further than 2007's "Enchanted." An original story rather than a remake or adaptation, "Enchanted" was a new, modern fairy tale in the tradition of Disney's animated greats like "Snow White" and "Sleeping Beauty," and it turned Academy Award winner Sarandon into an evil queen.

Set in a magical animated fantasy realm of Andalasia, the vile and iron-fisted Queen Narissa (Sarandon) wants to prevent her son Prince Edward (James Marsden) from finding his true love since that would end her reign. But when Edward meets and falls in love with Giselle (Amy Adams), Narissa conspires to put a stop to their love by sending them to a far-off realm where there is no magical happily ever after: New York City. There, in live action, Giselle meets Robert (Patrick Dempsey), a disillusioned attorney, who doesn't believe in true love.

A wildly inventive and captivating family adventure, "Enchanted" rises above most Disney princess fare to become something truly special that both subverts the genre and find something fresh in it at the same time. Critics loved "Enchanted," which cemented Amy Adams as a star, and provided Sarandon the chance to ham it up as an over-the-top villain. According to The Age, Narissa is "played with scenery-chewing gusto by a perfectly cast Susan Sarandon" in a performance that can't be missed.

On paper, it shouldn't have worked, but "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is the perfect example of a film that's more than the sum of its parts. Adapted from the British rock musical "The Rocky Horror Show," the film is a subversive, surreal homage to '50s sci-fi and horror movies and sexual liberation that follows squeaky clean couple Janet (Sarandon) and Brad (Barry Bostwick), who get a flat tire and seek shelter at a nearby castle. 

There, they meet trans mad scientist Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry) and his collection of offbeat cohorts — assistant Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien), maid Magenta (Patricia Quinn), and groupie Columbia (Nell Campbell) — as he invites them to bear witness to his newest creation: the perfect man known as Rocky Horror (Peter Hinwood). Sarandon perfectly captures the seemingly innocent yet secretly lusty Janet. She later told Vanity Fair that her agents thought she was "insane" to do the movie but despite difficulties during filming — like getting pneumonia — she's "very proud to be part of [it]."

With loads of intercourse, murder, and rousing rock 'n' roll numbers, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" turned its initially negative reviews to acclaim over time, with critics appreciating it anew for its endless charm. Of course, "Rocky Horror" might be most famous for its fandom and its status as the ultimate midnight movie. The film gained cult status thanks to late night screenings, during which fans show up in costume, act out the film, and even bring props to throw at the screen. 

Louisa May Alcott's classic novel "Little Women" was already the subject of several feature film adaptations by the time Gillian Armstrong's 1994 version was released. In this retelling, Susan Sarandon plays Marmee, matriarch of the March family, with Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst, and Trini Alvarado playing her daughters, while Christian Bale, Gabriel Byrne, and Eric Stoltz round out the star-studded cast.

Jo March (Ryder) is a free-spirited writer searching for independence in mid-19th century America. Her three sisters — Meg (Alvarado), Beth (Danes), and Amy (Dunst) — make up the cast of characters in her real and imagined life during her most formative years. Their mother Marmee is trying to manage the household while their father is off fighting in the Civil War. Jo may be the protagonist, but Marmee is the glue holding everyone together. As Entertainment Weekly put it, Sarandon is "strong and serene" as Marmee, who offers her daughters wisdom that proves timeless and insightful.

A generational story about womanhood, the 1994 version of the story faced a tall order to live up to its predecessors. But thanks to its talented roster of actors and strong direction from Gillian Armstrong, it was critically acclaimed and earned three Academy Award nominations, remaining the definitive adaptation of Alcott's novel until the 2019 retelling from Greta Gerwig.

Even though Susan Sarandon was already one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the early 1990s, her most recognizable role was still as the young, naive — and often scantily-clad — Janet in 1975's "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." All that changed in 1991 when she starred with Geena Davis in what is arguably her most iconic film, the buddy crime comedy "Thelma & Louise." A rare film to feature a pair of hard-nosed, strong women in the title roles, with male love interests being supporting players, "Thelma & Louise" became a rallying cry for a whole generation of young women.

Thelma (Davis) is feeling oppressed by her domineering husband. Her best friend Louise (Sarandon) is a fast-talking and rebellious waitress, and they decide to take a weekend trip to blow off some steam. But along the way, a man's attempted sexual assault of Thelma ends with Louise killing him. The pair goes on the run, fearful that police won't believe their account of the events. They're soon pursued by a determined Detective Slocumb (Harvey Keitel) as the two women race to the Mexican border ... and freedom.

A critical darling, "Thelma & Louise" hinges entirely upon its leads, and it's impossible to imagine anyone but Sarandon as Louise. "Thelma & Louise" was nominated for six Oscars and landed Sarandon her second best actress nomination, while Davis took home the trophy. 

"Dead Man Walking" reunited Susan Sarandon with her "Bull Durham" co-star Tim Robbins, although this time, Robbins stepped behind the camera to play director. Alongside Sean Penn, Sarandon headlined one of 1995's best films, which amassed six Oscar nominations including the lone best actress win of Sarandon's career to date.

"Dead Man Walking" tells the real-life story of convicted murder Matthew Poncelet (Penn). While awaiting execution on death row for the murder of a young couple, Poncelet forms an unlikely friendship with a nun, Sister Helen Prejean (Sarandon), whom he asks to aid in his appeal to spare his life. A vicious, remorseless killer, Poncelet seeks only to live, while Prejean wants to save his soul, which will mean convincing him to face up to his crimes and take responsibility for his sin.

A powerful, moving story of forgiveness, "Dead Man Walking" manages to thread the fine line between sympathy for victims of violent crime and for the soul of the man who committed it. The film received near-universal critical praise, particularly for the performances of Sarandon and Penn as two people who seem to share nothing in common. Variety noted that "Sarandon inhabits the nun's role with powerful conviction, expressing the character's valor and vulnerability." While it might seem impossible to pick Sarandon's best performance in a career as long and storied as hers, her nuanced and complex turn as Prejean stands out.