Currently, a successful actress Charlize Theron was raised on a farm outside the city of Benoni, Africa, but always had big dreams for herself. Initially, she was into ballet dancing and trained to be one. But because there was little work in her country, she traveled to the US and landed a job at the Joffrey Ballet in New York. But unfortunately, her dancing career was cut short due to her knee injury. Her ballet skills earned her significant roles in both “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker.”
Later Theron came to Los Angeles to pursue acting, and from there, her struggle started. She visited many agents on Hollywood Boulevard and managed to get attention with hard work and consistency. Her first role came with Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995). Although it was not more than 3 seconds of screen time, maybe it was enough to get noticed.
Then, in 1996’s Two Days in the Valley, she establishes herself as one of the humorous neo-noir’s femme fatales. The South African actress’s big break came only a year later when she played the satanic bait in The Devil’s Advocate. Soon she started working with some big names, becoming unavoidable. She continues to amaze people till now with her performance, like in a recent fantasy movie, The School for Good and Bad. So why not peek into her extremely diverse background? Here are the 10 best Charlize Theron movies to watch.
Image Courtesy: BuzzFeed News
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
Director: George Miller
Writer: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-fi
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Runtime: 2 hrs.
It’s an Australian post-apocalyptic action movie, a fourth installment and a reboot of the Mad Max film series. The movie was a blockbuster hit, earning over $375.7 million internationally, giving it the title of highest-earning Mad Max film. The audience and critics both were happy with the direction, action scenes, soundtrack, and performances, especially of Hardy and Theron. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won six among them – Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, and Makeup and Hairstyling.
The oppressive Immortan Joe holds apocalyptic survivors captive within the desert fortress of the Citadel decades after civilization has collapsed. Finally, the five wives of the ruler make a hasty exit under the leadership of the warrior Conqueror Furiosa (Charlize Theron). She gets help from reclusive former prisoner Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy).
Image Courtesy: EW.com
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (2016)
Director: Travis Knight
Writer: Marc Haimes, Chris Butler, Shannon Tindle
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
IMDB Rating: 7.7
Runtime: 1 hr.41 mins
It’s an American animated action movie that received mixed reviews from critics grossing $77 million. It won praise from critics for its craftsmanship and plot, but it also drew contempt for what some saw as whitewashing.
When Young Kubo (Art Parkinson) unintentionally calls forth a furious spirit from the past, his tranquil existence is turned upside down. Kubo teams up with Monkey (Theron) and Beetle (McConaughey) while on the run to reveal a hidden lineage.
Image Courtesy: Metacritic
TULLY (2018)
Director: Jason Reitman
Writer: Diablo Cody
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery
IMDB Rating: 6.9
Runtime: 1 hr.35 mins
It’s an American film that garnered mostly favorable reviews from critics. The audience praised the representation of motherhood in the movie, and performances by Theron and Davis were highly applauded. Theron won the Jupiter Award for Best International Actress.
An unexpected friendship develops between a hardworking mother(Theron) of three and the nighttime nanny she hires to aid with her newborn.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
LONG SHOT (2019)
Director: Jonathan Levine
Writer: Dan Sterling, Liz Hannah
Genre: Comedy, Romance
IMDB Rating: 6.8
Runtime: 2 hrs.5 mins
It’s an American rom-com that received highly favorable ratings from critics. People praised the chemistry between Theron and Rogen.
Journalist Fred meets with his childhood crush, Field, who is now one of the influential women. Sparks fly when Charlotte employs Fred to write her speech as she prepares to run for the presidency.
Image Courtesy: A Good Movie To Watch
MONSTER (2003)
Director: Patty Jenkins
Writer: Patty Jenkins
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
IMDB Rating: 7.3
Runtime: 1 hr.49 mins
Monster is an American biographical drama that was well-received by critics praising Theron’s performance. The film did really well at the box office, earning $64.2 million against $1.5 million. Theron even won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Based on the real-life story of Daytona Beach prostitute Aileen Wuornos(Theron), who turned serial killer.
Image Courtesy: Variety
THE OLD GUARD (2020)
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Writer: Greg Rucka, Leandro Fernandez
Genre: Action, Thriller
IMDB Rating: 6.6
Runtime: 2 hrs.5 mins
It’s an American superhero movie based on his same-titled comic book. Critics gave the movie largely favorable reviews, praising the action scenes and Theron’s portrayal.
A crew of mercenaries, including Theron, all of whom are hundreds of years old immortals with the power to cure themselves. They learn that their secret has been discovered and are forced to defend their liberty.
Image Courtesy: On the Screen Reviews
YOUNG ADULT (2011)
Director: Jason Reitman
Writer: Diablo Cody
Genre: Comedy, Drama
IMDB Rating: 6.3
Runtime: 1 hr.34 mins
It’s an American drama that got mostly good reviews from reviewers, and Charlize Theron was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal.
A fiction author travels back to her small-town Minnesota shortly after her divorce. She tries to renew her relationship with her former boyfriend, happily married and the father of a newborn daughter.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
ATOMIC BLONDE (2017)
Director: David Leitch
Writer: Kurt Johnstad, Antony Johnston, Sam Hart
Genre: Action, Thriller
IMDB Rating: 6.7
Runtime: 1 hr.55 mins
It is an American thriller modeled on The Coldest City, a visual novel published in 2012. In addition to receiving generally favorable reviews from critics, it made $100 million globally. In addition, Theron received a CinEuphoria Best Actress – Audience Award.
During the Cold War, a covert MI6 agent(Theron) is dispatched to Berlin to investigate a fellow agent’s assassination. Her other task was to locate a list of double agents that had gone missing.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
NORTH COUNTRY (2005)
Director: Niki Caro
Writer: Michael Seitzman, Clara Bingham, Laura Leedy
Genre: Drama
IMDB Rating: 7.3
Runtime: 2 hrs.6 mins
This American drama was influenced by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler’s book – Class Action: The Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Altered Sexual Harassment Law, published in 2002. Theron received a nomination for an Oscar in Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role category.
A dramatization of Jenson v. Eveleth Mines, the first significant successful sexual harassment case in American history. It was about a woman who suffered various forms of harassment while employed as a miner, filed a case, and won in 1984.
Image Courtesy: The Mary Sue
BOMBSHELL (2019)
Director: Jay Roach
Writer: Charles Randolph
Genre: Biography, Drama
IMDB Rating: 6.8
Runtime: 1 hr.49 mins
It’s an American drama whose story is modeled on the Fox News employee who tried to reveal CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. Most reviews for the movie were positive; they praised the performances and the makeup and hair choices, but some also criticized the narrative and its inconsistencies.
Several women, including Theron, accuse Fox News president Roger Ailes and the hostile environment he fostered at the company.
