Every Charlize Theron Movie Ranked Worst To Best

Actor and producer Charlize Theron has been working in Hollywood since the late '90s and is easily one of the most recognizable actors working today. She is also one of the most acclaimed, with numerous nominations under her belt, including three Academy Award nods — one of which she won for the 2003 biographical drama film "Monster." Overall, Theron is likely most known for her action films, which include 2003's "The Italian Job," 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road," and 2017's "Atomic Blonde." However, Theron has acted in a variety of genres throughout her career, from romantic comedies like 2019's "Long Shot" to thrillers such as 2015's "Dark Places" and so on.

With dozens of acting credits under belt, Theron has built up a strong and varied career as an actor, with an array of fans to delve into. Moviegoers likely have strong opinions about which of Theron's films are the best and which can be skipped over. Here, we'll break down every single one of Theron's movies — ranked worst to best.

The 2005 sci-fi action film "Aeon Flux" really didn't fare much better than "The Last Face" did — it has a very similar Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. Set in the 25th century, "Aeon Flux" presents a world population of a mere five million, a result of a deadly virus that wiped out most of humankind 400 years prior. A group of rebels, led by Handler (Frances McDormand), hire Aeon Flux (Theron) to assassinate one of the high-ranking members of the government in order to overthrow the current oppressive system.

Many critics point to the script as the film's biggest problem — mainly, that  it's overly complicated and cheesy. What could be a compelling sci-fi film is instead a hard-to-connect-with convoluted attempt at it. Further, Neil Smith of BBC.com described it as "preposterous, pretentious and surprisingly dull." All in all, "Aeon Flux" is likely not worth your time. 

1999's "The Astronaut's Wife" is the perfect example of a box office bomb — the film made just about $19.5 million worldwide, which pales in comparison to its budget of $75 million (via Box Office Mojo). Directed by Rand Ravich, "The Astronaut's Wife" focuses on Jillian Armacost (Theron), the wife of astronaut Spencer (Johnny Depp), who notices that her husband seems changed after returning from a mission that almost cost him his life.

Critics had just as little interest in the film as moviegoers did. Joe Leydon of Variety deemed it an "aggressively stylish but dramatically flaccid drama." The review continued, "Top-flight work by professionals on both sides of the camera can't quite disguise the predictability of the formulaic material." The New York Times, meanwhile, noted that Theron and Depp have a "warm rapport that would seem more natural if the film had anything else to offer." Thus, at least, Theron did what was asked of her — it's just too bad it didn't result in a better ranking film.

Set in 1930s Paris, John Duigan's "Head in the Clouds" introduces photographer Gilda Besse (Theron), who shares an apartment with Irish scholar Guy (Stuart Townsend) and Spanish refugee Mia (Penélope Cruz), both of whom have been Gidla's lovers in the past. But when Guy and Mia both decide to leave Paris to help with World War II, Gilda opts to stay in Paris to work on her career — and ultimately feels abandoned by her two companions.

A major issue that critics have pointed out is that the 2004 film fails to fully flesh its characters. Of Theron's Gilda, Variety Dennis Harvey of Variety, "Wild-child offspring of an American socialite and French tycoon, Gilda is ... Sally Bowles, Isadora Duncan and Daisy Buchanan rolled into one. She is, in short, a quasi-literary concept even this able, beautiful performer can't quite render flesh-and-blood."

Of course, it may be fun to watch Theron in a "Daisy Buchanan" type role, but it unfortunately does not make the film worthy of a higher placement on this list.

Directed by William Maher, 2009's "Sleepwalking" sees Joleen Reedy (Theron) and her young daughter Tara (AnnaSophia Robb) being evicted from their home after Joleen's boyfriend is arrested for marijuana possession. As a result, the two move in with Joleen's younger brother James (Nick Stahl) — until Joleen takes off. Soon, Tara has been placed in a foster home, where James soon kidnaps her from and takes her on a road trip to Utah, where James' his abusive father (Dennis Hopper) lives.

Theron's character isn't exactly at the center here — it's more the story of the bond between James and Tara — which is a positive in this case, since the film didn't exactly land well with critics or audiences. Leo Goldsmith of IndieWire points out that the film's failure in a script that never reaches its goal, writing, "Each bend in the road positively screeches with the urgency of impending catharsis, but the film never earns its resolution."

All in all, this lackluster film — which Theron only plays a minor role in — won't exactly be remembered as one of Theron's best.

On the topic of unnecessary sequels, we're brought to our next film on this list: 2021's "The Addams Family 2." This animated film is a followup to 2019 film, "The Addams Family" and focuses on Morticia (Theron) and Gomez (Oscar Isaac), upset that their kids have begun growing up and want less to do with them, take the family on a road trip.

Much like with "The Huntsman: Winter's War," this sequel screams "unnecessary." Sandra Hall of the Sydney Morning Herald wrote, "Nothing can change the fact that it's yet another example of Hollywood cannibalising its own in its eagerness to keep up the flow of franchises on which the studios rely these days for their sustenance." In this case, even the first "Addams Family" animated film did not fair extremely well (we'll get to that later), which only adds to the question of why a sequel is viewed as a good idea.

However, the film as a whole may have not been received well, but Theron's voice work was, at the very least. Allison Rose of FlickDirect noted that Theron's "deep and sensual voice [that] exudes confidence" is perfect for Morticia.

Over a decade before either "Gone Girl" or "Dark Places" came out, a star from each film — Theron and Ben Affleck — starred together in an action thriller called "Reindeer Games" in 2000. Directed by John Frankenheimer, "Reindeer Games" introduces Rudy Duncan (Affleck), a man newly released from prison who is looking to start a life with Ashely (Theron), a woman whom his prison friend has been writing to as a pen pal. When that friend dies, Rudy decides to take over Nick's identity so that Ashley thinks that she has been writing to him. However, before the two can be together, they must deal with Ashley's criminal brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise), who believes Rudy has some insider information about a casino that Gabriel plans to infiltrate.

The premise is as convoluted as it sounds. Unfortunately, "Reindeer Games" never finds its footing, resulting in a muddled attempt at a compelling thriller. Desson Thomson of the Washington Post wrote, "'Reindeer Games' is basically a test of your ability to accept a slushpile of implausible twisteroos and Tarantino-style conceits."

Words such as "slushpile" and "implausible" aren't exactly words that convince a potential viewer to actually watch something. Thus, "Reindeer Games" doesn't need to be added to your "to watch" list anytime soon.

Theron joined the ensemble cast for the 2014 American Western comedy, "A Million Ways to Die in the West," directed by Seth MacFarlane. The film follows sheep farmer Albert Stark (MacFarlane), who, as a bit of a coward, struggles in the Wild West. Luckily, Albert soon meets the beautiful and strong — and very brave — gunfighter Anna (Theron) who helps Albert grow out of his cowardly ways just in time to face Anna's angry outlaw husband Clinch (Liam Neeson).

"A Million Ways to Die in the West" has an outstanding cast and a promising premise, but, unfortunately, was unable to truly succeed — the film currently holds just a Tomatometer score in the low 30s and an audience score not much higher. Most critics found the film to be a bit all over the place and unable to achieve the nostalgic yet satirical tone that it tries for. Anthony Lane of the New Yorker declares that the only person involved who achieved the correct balance of "parody and homage" was the composer, Joel McNeely.

Furthermore, Jake Wilson of the Sydney Morning Herald calls out Theron's character specifically for making "absolutely no sense" and being the outlet for one extremely problematic storyline. Wilson wrote, "On the one hand, she's the ultimate Cool Girl ... On the other, she's trapped in an abusive relationship with Neeson's psycho, who has apparently enslaved her since childhood –- a revelation, played for laughs, that kills the comedy stone dead."

Directed by Nash Edgerton, 2018's "Gringo" features an ensemble cast which, alongside Theron, includes David Oyelowo, Joel Edgerton, Amanda Seyfried, Thandiwe Newton, and Sharlto Copley. The story follows a meek businessman, Harold Soyinka (Oyelowo), who travels to Mexico for work to deliver an experimental marijuana pill. While there, things quickly turn sour when Harold is kidnapped by a drug cartel. Theron plays Elaine Markinson, the co-president of Harold's company, Promethium Pharmaceuticals, whom he calls after being kidnapped.

On paper, "Gringo" sounds like it has the potential to be an action-packed thriller with a compelling story and an all-star cast to boot. However, the film falls flat, mostly due to a script as meek as its protagonist.

Paul Byrnes of the Sydney Morning Herald pointed out that the plot details tie together a bit too neatly, writing, "Life may be full of coincidences, but screenplays cannot be." Furthermore, Roxana Hadadi of Pajiba noted that the film comes across as if it is "created by someone who has ever actually been to Mexico [who never] thought to pay attention to more than kidnapping scares and cartel nightmares."

Directed by George Tillman Jr., "Men of Honor" follows Carl Brashear (Cuba Gooding Jr.), an ambitious young man who enlists in the U.S. Navy with the goal of becoming the first Black master diver. This goal turns out to be more difficult than expected, mostly due to the racist Master Chief, Billy Sunday (Robert De Niro), who does not want to see Carl succeed. Theron plays Gwen Sunday, the wife of Billy, which is a role that film critic Roger Ebert deemed "unnecessary" in an unfortunately accurate description — the entire film can be summarized in detail without Gwen needing to be mentioned.

Despite Theron's lack of screentime, this 2000 film takes us to the more mixed review section of this list — on Rotten Tomatoes, the film only managed to get a low 40s Tomatometer score, but it did get a much higher audience score in the low 80s. Critics enjoyed Gooding Jr.'s performance above anything else, while the biggest downside seems to be the formulaic script. All in all, critics didn't have much to say about Theron's role, seeing as it is so minor, but we usually can expect a solid performance from the award-winning actor, even in the less-liked films.

As mentioned earlier, the predecessor to 2021's "The Addams Family 2" didn't exactly become a mega success, but it did manage to fare better than its sequel. The reviews were negative to mixed amongst critics, but audiences rated it a bit higher Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, the Addams family is prepping their house for the slew of spooky relatives that are coming to visit. However, they soon find themselves facing a conflict when TV personality Margaux Needler (Allison Janney) wants to get rid of the Addams family mansion in order to see out all the properties in the neighborhood.

Within the mixed reviews, some critics found the film charming while others found it missing the tone of the original "Addams Family" TV series. On the negative, Wenlei Ma of News.com.au wrote, "This 2019 CGI remake misses the mark in the most crucial element of what has sustained The Addams Family all this time — its offbeat, macabre vibe. If you don't get that, you're really not going to get any of it." Meanwhile on the positive, Amanda Greever of the Daily Times wrote, "It's a clever, funny movie with a message about family, even the quirky ones who we want to belittle or make fun of."

The 1997 comedy "Trial and Error" brings us to the halfway point of this ranked list, meaning we are now in the better half of Theron's filmography. Directed by Jonathan Lynn, "Trial and Error" follows a lawyer named Charlie (Jeff Daniels), who is sent to Nevada by his boss on business. While there, his best friend, an actor named Richard (Michael Richards), turns up to throw Charlie his bachelor party before he gets married. Things take a turn for the worst when, the next day, Charlie is too hungover to show up in court — leading Richard to fill in for him and "act" the part of lawyer Charlie. Theron plays Billie Tyler, a waitress whom Charlie falls in love with over the course of the film, making him rethink his wedding plans.

Theron's role may be minor but she makes it a memorable one. John Anderson of the Los Angeles Times wrote in his review, "If someone wanted to make someone else a star, it's hard to imagine a better route than Lynn takes with Theron, who brings the movie to its knees every time she comes on screen." Additionally, Janet Maslin of the New York Times called the film "A comedy that's much fresher and sunnier than it has any real right to be."

It seems as though Theron gives a scene-stealing performance in an already enjoyable comedy — this list really is on the up and up.

Written and directed by Stuart Townsend, the 2007 political thriller, "Battle in Seattle," is based on the 1999 protests against the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Seattle, Washington, claiming that their work only widens the wealth gap. The film follows a variety of characters, from protesters to the Seattle mayor.

Amongst the mixed reviews, a few critics enjoyed watching an infrequently-talked-about piece of history play out on screen. However, others found the real life events to be too glossed over within the narrative — for example, Leo Goldsmith of IndieWire wrote, "Approaching its subject with a neat idealism and packaging its political fervor in the most facile of forms, the film boasts a cast loaded with Hollywoods both new and old and wraps its message up with eye-rolling naivete."

With "Battle in Seattle" being right at the midpoint of this list, it really just comes down to the individual viewer's preferences when it comes to deciding if the film succeeds in dramatizing real life events or not.

Before Theron and Keanu Reeves starred as conflicted lovers in 2001's "Sweet November," they played husband and wife in 1997's "The Devil's Advocate," directed by Taylor Hackford. In the film, Mary Ann Lomax (Theron) begins experiencing a series of strange and supernatural visions. Meanwhile, her husband Kevin (Reeves) dives deeper and deeper into his new job at a New York law firm — and eventually discovers that his boss, John Milton (Al Pacino) is actually the Devil (so, yes, the film's title may be a bit too on the nose).

"The Devil's Advocate" is as over the top as one would assume from the synopsis — and this is exactly why some critics think that the film works. For one, Todd McCarthy of Variety describes the film as "a fairly entertaining supernatural potboiler that finally bubbles over with a nearly operatic sense of absurdity and excess." Noting that it has its problems, McCarthy then declared that it is "engaging in [its] own pulpy way." However, others found it self-indulgent and lacking in substance and characterization, so if you check this one out, keep in mind that it is far from perfect.

Directed by James Gray, "The Yards" introduces Leo Handler (Mark Wahlberg), a man who has just gotten out of prison after taking the fall for a group of his friends. He is looking to settle back into a normal life and move on from his prison past. However, when he takes a job with his uncle, Frank (James Caan), Leo finds himself immersed in a criminal world yet again. Theron plays Erica Soltz, one of Leo's cousins and the one to suggest that Leo work with Frank.

While some critics found it to be lacking in enjoyability, others found it to be quite the opposite — a slow burn but a compelling one. Exemplifying what critics liked the best about the film, Richard Brody of the New Yorker wrote, "The tangle of family, business, and crime, with its resulting loyalties and betrayals, is the volatile stuff of which the drama is made."

For the 2019 drama "Bombshell," Theron portrayed a real life figure: former Fox News correspondent Megyn Kelly. Directed by Jay Roach, "Bombshell" is based on a true story and follows three women working at Fox News who work to expose CEO Roger Ailes for repeated sexual harassment.

The reviews were generally positive, with the actors receiving much of the credit for making the film a success. Manohla Dargis of the New York Times called out Theron especially, writing, "'Bombshell' works as well and as long as it does largely because of its actors, Theron most of all. One of her qualities as a performer is that she never begs for the audience's love ... Even when the movie puts some feminist-lite uplift on this ugly world, Theron doesn't soften Megyn."

Theron's performance is worth checking out for those curious about her portrayal of a real life, contemporary figure.

Directed by Niki Caro, 2005's "North Country" depicts a true story. It follows single mother Josey Aimes (Theron), one of the first women allowed to work at an iron mine in Minnesota. Soon these women find themselves being sexually harassed by the male workers, angry that women have been let into their workplace. In response to the horrific abuse, Josey files a harassment lawsuit — despite being warned not to by her friends and family.

Theron received an abundance of praise for her performance as the determined, willful single mother going up against a seemingly impossible task of making men face the consequences of their actions. Theron's apt performance is summed up well by Roger Ebert, who wrote, "What Charlize Theron does with the character is bring compelling human detail. We believe she looks this way, sounds this way, thinks this way."

It's a difficult story to watch play out, but as many critics would argue, Theron's performance makes it worth watching.

Long before Theron appeared in any "Fast and the Furious" films, she starred in another action film that has its fair share of car chases — 2003's "The Italian Job." Directed by F. Gary Gray, the film follows a group of thieves — including Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg), Handsome Rob (Jason Statham), Left Ear (Mos Def) and Lyle (Seth Green) — plan to steal from a former member, Steve (Edward Norton), who previously betrayed them. For their plan, they enlist Stella (Charlize Theron), the daughter of an associate killed in the midst of Steve's betrayal. The film is loosely based on the 1969 British film of the same name.

"The Italian Job" was deemed an exciting, well made action thriller by critics. Neil Norman of the London Evening Standard wrote, "It is smart, funny, well plotted and performed and as slick as a Vaselined eel. If you have to remodel a classic for a new age, this is the way to do it." Theron's presence is also a plus.

Written and directed by Tom Hanks, 1996's "That Thing You Do!" is set in 1964 and follows a small town band called The Wonders, who become famous overnight from one of their songs, aptly titled "That Thing You Do." Theron plays Tina Powers, the girlfriend of the band's drummer, Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott).

Critics, for the most part, loved everything about "That Thing You Do!" — from the script to the acting to the fictional band's song at the center of the plot. David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews, for one, called it "a persistently entertaining endeavor that's been suffused with a whole host of appealing, captivating elements." Theron plays a minor role — she isn't even the lead female role (that part is played by Liv Tyler), but, as expected, she plays a charming (if imperfect) first girlfriend to Guy before he inevitably ends up with Tyler's Faye.

Based on true events, 2008's "In the Valley of Elah" focuses on Detective Emily Sanders (Theron), who helps Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones), a retired Army soldier whose son — in the military himself — went missing.

Much of the attention went to Jones' performance — the actor even received an Oscar nomination for the role — but Theron holds her own opposite him. William Thomas of Empire noted that Theron played her part "with depth and honesty," while The Independent Critic remarked that Theron "shines as a stressed out, burned out detective who seems to spend as much time dealing with sexist peers as she does bad guys and bureaucrats."

Theron has become somewhat known for playing strong and bold women, often in action films. She plays one of those characters here, even in a more reserved setting. If you enjoy her performances and want to see one in a powerful drama, "The Valley of Elah" will likely satisfy you.

In the 2017 action thriller "Atomic Blonde," Theron stars as Lorraine Broughton, a ruthless and ultra-skilled spy. Set just before the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, Lorraine must set out on a mission to find a list of double agents.

With a Tomatometer score in the high 70s, it's safe to say that the David Leitch-directed "Atomic Blonde" is a captivating and successful thriller. According to critics, the film's success is led by Theron, followed by the deftly executed fight scenes. To this point, Kambole Campbell of One Room with a View wrote, "A good time — saved by spectacular fight scenes, a colourful cast of supporting characters, and a great lead in Theron." Meanwhile, Jane Crowther of Glamour gave just about all of the credit to Theron, writing, "Who do we thank for this refreshing take on the smash-'em-up genre and this thoroughly modern woman in a Bechdel-beating blockbuster? ... Thank Charlize Theron."

Here, we arrive at the role that earned Theron her Oscar: playing serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 biographical crime drama, "Monster." Written and directed by Patty Jenkins, "Monster" introduces sex worker Aileen, as she meets and begins a relationship with the young Selby Wall (Christina Ricci). The plot chronicles the seven murders of male clients that led to Aileen's death sentence.

Nev Pierce of BBC.com declared that Theron gives "a tender performance of fractured humanity, while Matthew Lucas of The Dispatch calls Theron's performance "fierce, hauntingly vulnerable" and one that "shows us who Aileen Wuornos really was." Furthering the praise, Stephen Holden of the New York Times wrote that Theron "uncovers the lost, love-starved child cowering under the killer's hard shell" in a performance that is full of "emotional intensity."

Some other critics did have reservations about the success of the film as a whole, but they were all in agreement about Theron's performance, which many described as career-defining and unforgettable.

Proving she also excels in the romantic comedy genre, Theron starred alongside Seth Rogen in 2019's "Long Shot," directed by Jonathan Levine. Theron plays Charlotte Field, the U.S. Secretary of State who decides to run for president. Rogan plays Fred Flarsky, a journalist who, upon running into Charlotte at an event, realizes that she was his childhood babysitter (and childhood crush). After reconnecting, Charlotte impulsively decides to hire Fred as her speechwriter, ultimately leading to a romance.

With a fun premise and an unexpected but palpable chemistry between Theron and Rogen, there is a whole lot to love about this rom com. Describing its appeal nicely, Wendy Ide of The Guardian declared it a "crowd-pleasing charm bomb of a movie that combines intelligence and a sexual spark to explosively funny ends." Further, Olly Richards of NME wrote that "Long Shot" is "proof that romantic comedy can still be smart and refreshing."

Truly, rom com fans won't be disappointed.

At last, we've made it to Number 1 on the list, and the top film will likely come as no surprise. Theron's turn as Imperator Furiosa in the 2015 post-apocalyptic action film, "Mad Max: Fury Road" has become perhaps her most iconic role to date. Directed by George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road" is set years after the collapse of civilization, in a society where gasoline and water are scarce and the tyrant Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) makes slaves of apocalypse survivors. A warrior known as Imperator Furiosa has just led an escape of Joe's group of wives when she meets and teams up with former captive Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy).

"Mad Max: Fury Road" has a near perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was praised for just about every detail, including the leading performances of Theron and Hardy. Autostraddle declared that Theron "delivers a captivating, challenging performance as Furiosa, arguably her best since 'Monster.'"

A few years down the line, "Fury Road" has maintained its status of being a must-watch action film — some even call it the most important action film of the decade.