Oscar-winner Charlize Theron has appeared in many different genres of movies in her 25 years in the movie industry. She has most recently been involved in more action movies and is no stranger to it, with her impressive performances. TechTrends decided to make a list of the best Charlize Theron movies of all time.
Charlize Theron is an Oscar-winning actress who has had a decorated career in the film industry in Hollywood for 25 years. The South African actress has found success and fame pretty quickly as in 2003, she featured in the movie Monster, for which she won an Oscar. She proved that she is more than just a pretty face with her fascinating talent in acting. Moreover, she is also a model and a celebrity crush for many. She then also found success in some action-adventure movies. In addition, being a versatile actress has won a number of awards, such as the Golden Globes. Therefore, TechTrends put together a list of the best Charlize Theron movies of all time.
Best Charlize Theron Movies of All Time
Charlize Theron is fearless on-screen and engages in her performances, adding immeasurable value to all her movies. Having been in the industry for about three decades, she is one of the most recognizable faces. Now, without further ado, let’s get to the list of the best must see Charlize Theron performances. The list is in reverse chronological order.
The Old Guard 2020
- Genre: Action/Fantasy
- Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Harry Melling, Kiki Layne, Micheal Ward, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ngô Thanh Vân
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 80%, IMDb 6.6
One of the best Charlize Theron movies of all time is The Old Guard, while she also produced the movie. This is a breathtaking superhero action movie that is about a band of mercenaries who have healing powers and are on a mission. Due to great success on Netflix, they have announced that there will be a sequel in the future. Theron plays the role of Andromache of Scythia, who is an ancient warlord. She utilized her immortality and power to fulfill her dangerous tasks. However, Copley, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, reveals the tricks and the true nature of Andy’s team. In order to stop Copley, she has to team up with Nile, played by Kiki Layne. Don’t miss this great movie from Theron if you are interested in action-fantasy movies.
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Bombshell 2019
- Genre: Drama
- Director: Jay Roach
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie, Gretchen Carlson, Nicole Kidman, John Lithgow, Kate McKinnon, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Jennifer Morrison
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 68%, IMDb 6.8
Another one of the best Charlize Theron movies ever is Bombshell, where she starred alongside Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie. Theron plays the role of Fox News television anchor named Megyn Kelly. The three accused the CEO of a Fox News, Roger Ailes, of sexual harassment. Moreover, it shows how hard it can be for victims in the workplace to come forward. Theron portrays this difficulty in her character when she refuses to go public at the beginning. However, then, not only does she decide to come forward, but she also convinces other women to tell their side of the story. Following her incredible performance, Theron got an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Tully 2018
- Genre: Comedy/Drama
- Director: Jason Reitman
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass, Ron Livingston, Asher Miles Fallica, Lia Frankland
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 87%, IMDb 6.9
In the movie Tully, Theron portrays the role of Marlo, who is a mother of three. Her brother, who is quite wealthy, hires a nanny named Tully, played by Mackenzie Davis, to assist her with her children. The two become friends, with Tully even helping Theron make her sex life with her husband better. Her husband Drew, portrayed by Ron Livingston, has a thing for 50s-era diner waitresses. Moreover, Theron showed a lot of commitment to the role as she gained about 50 pounds for the character in the movie. She is also considered one of the most dependable performers in Hollywood. Tully is one of the best Charlize Theron films of all time. Make sure to add it to your watchlist!
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Atomic Blonde 2017
- Genre: Action/Thriller
- Director: David Leitch
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Sofia Boutella, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Sam Hargrave, Toby Jones, James Faulkner, Eddie Marsan
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 79%, IMDb 6.7
In the movie Atomic Blonde, Charlize Theron portrays the role of a British intelligence agent. The movie is a novel adaptation by John Wick’s director David Leitch. Theron goes on to show her capabilities when it comes to action movies, playing the role of Lorraine Broughton. She hunts down a number of double agents in the movie Atomic Blonde, where Theron dominates some fight scenes. During the process of training for the action scenes, Theron cracked her teeth and bruised a rib, which shows her dedication to her role. Fans are also keen on watching a sequel to the movie. This is indeed one of the best Charlize Theron movies of all time.
The Fate of the Furious 2017
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: Gary Gray
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Nathalie Emmanuel, Vin Diesel, Elsa Pataky, Scott Eastwood, Michelle Rodriguez
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 67%, IMDb 6.6
Theron took part in the Fast and Furious franchise in The Fate of the Furious, which was the eighth official entry in the action series. Theron’s character is Cipher, who is a smart criminal and cyberterrorist who tries to kidnap Elena, played by Elsa Pataky, and her son to turn Dome against his team. When Dom finds out that Elena’s son is his, he thinks about the mission twice and plans for a counterattack against Cipher with the help of Raldo, played by Celestino Cornielle, and Magdalene, featured by Helen Mirren. This is yet another one among Charlize Theron greatest movie roles.
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Mad Max: Fury Road 2015
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: George Miller
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy, Nicholas Hoult, Mel Gibson, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Zoë Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 97%, IMDb 8.1
Mad Max: Fury Road has won six Academy Awards and is one of the best Charlize Theron movies of all time. If our list was in the order of being the best, this movie was definitely either the first or the second best movie Theron has played in, with the other impressive movie being Monster. She plays the role of a war captain who turns against her leader and flees with his five wives, one of who is pregnant. As Imperator Furiosa, one of her most badass characters, she leads a mission to go to her childhood homeland. In her two-hour chase sequence, she aligns with another rebel named Max Rockatansky, played by Tom Hardy. Theron is undeniably amazing in this movie, and she shaved her head for this role. Theron got a whole new career as an action hero after playing in this movie.
Prometheus 2012
- Genre: Sci-fi/Horror
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Logan Marshall-Green, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 73%, IMDb 7
Another one of the best Charlize Theron films ever is Prometheus, where she joined the Alien franchise in the 2012 spinoff. She plays the role of Meredith Vickers, who is a Wayland Corporation employee. Her character is very suspicious, and she does a great job of holding back emotions in the movie. Spoiler alert! She also manages to remain alive until the end before she gets crushed by a spaceship.
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Snow White and the Huntsman 2012
- Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
- Director: Rupert Sanders
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Ian McShane
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 49%, IMDb 6.1
Another retelling of the Snow White story came in 2012, where Theron played the role of the evil queen named Ravenna in this version of the story. The villainous queen is given more backstory in Snow White and the Huntsman. Ravenna uses her Magic Mirror to kill and eat her stepdaughter’s heart, who is played by Kristen Stewart. However, her Huntsman Eric does not follow the plan and helps Snow. The movie got two Academy Award nominations. Moreover, it resulted in a sequel, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, in which Theron continued her role. This is indeed one of the best must see Charlize Theron performances.
Young Adult 2011
- Genre: Comedy/Drama
- Director: Jason Reitman
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Patton Oswalt, Elizabeth Reaser, Collette Wolfe
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 80%, IMDb 6.3
Following her divorce, a fiction writer goes back to her hometown, eager to rekindle a romance with her former boyfriend, who is happily married. Theron pulls off an outstanding performance as Mavis Gary, who has her own vulnerabilities and secrets. Theron’s character is quite often delusional and she makes it hard to empathize with her until the end when we see the reason behind her behavior. For her role in the movie Young Adult, Theron got nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Comedy/Musical Actress. Young Adult is one of the best Charlize Theron movies of all time.
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In the Valley of Elah 2007
- Genre: Drama/Mystery
- Director: Paul Haggis
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Tommy Lee Jones, James Franco, Susan Sarandon, Jason Patric, Josh Brolin, Jonathan Tucker, Frances Fisher
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 74%, IMDb 7.2
In the Valley of Elah is yet another one of the best Charlize Theron movies ever, where she portrays the role of a police detective. She helps a military investigator, who is retired and is looking for his son. He has disappeared recently when he came back from a battle as he is a veteran of Iraq. Tommy Lee Jones also performed amazingly, helping the movie benefit a lot from great performances.
North Country 2005
- Genre: Drama/Trial Drama
- Director: Niki Caro
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sissy Spacek, Elle Peterson, Michelle Monaghan, Jeremy Renner, Sean Bean, Richard Jenkins
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 69%, IMDb 7.3
Charlize Theron’s second Oscar nomination for Best Actress came after North Country. She is a coal miner who sues her company for sexual harassment infringements back in the 1980s. Theron performs remarkably in the movie, which is one of the best Charlize Theron movies of all time, but she lost the Oscar to Reese Witherspoon for “Walk the Line.” Her character is Josey Aimes, who has survived domestic abuse, and works in northern Minnesota. She gets sexual harassment along with her female colleagues by her male co-workers. Then, nobody takes her seriously, and they want her to resign. She then has to hire a lawyer so that she can file a lawsuit. After that, the courtroom drama comes. Theron was praised for her performance in North Country, making it one of the best must see Charlize Theron performances.
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Monster 2003
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Patty Jenkins
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Scott Wilson
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 81%, IMDb 7.3
After playing in the movie Monster, Theron’s career has changed as she won an Oscar for Best Actress. She plays the role of serial killer Aileen Wuornos. For someone like her, who has long been known for her looks, she appeared quite differently in this movie. She chose to gain weight and have prosthetic makeup, which has changed her life forever. Moreover, she even shaved her eyebrows. Wuornos was an ex-street prostitute who killed seven men in the space of a year or so. This is indeed one of the best Charlize Theron movies of all time and even arguably the best one.
The Italian Job 2003
- Genre: Action/Thriller
- Director: Gary Gray
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Caine, Edward Norton, Jason Statham, Donald Sutherland
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 73%, IMDb 7
This is a remake of the classic The Italian Job from 1969, with the 2003 version also entertaining. Theron plays the role of Stella Bridger, who is a safe-cracker and John Bridger’s daughter. John was a criminal mastermind. Moreover, the plot is about a brazen heist of $35 million in gold bars in Venice. The action movie is quite entertaining with pulsating car crashes, exhilarating action sequences, and an amazing cast. Therefore, this also made it to our list of the best Charlize Theron movies of all time.
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The Cider House Rules 1999
- Genre: Drama/Romance
- Director: Lasse Hallström
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Tobey Maguire, Delroy Lindo, Michael Caine, Paul Rudd, Kathy Baker
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 71%, IMDb 7.4
The Cider House Rules is an adaptation of John Irving’s novel, and it got nominated for seven Oscars and won two for John Irving’s screenplay adaptation and for Michael Caine as Supporting Actor. The story revolves around a young man who was raised in an orphanage. He cannot decide whether to stay at the orphanage or go out and see the world. Theron portrays the role of a woman who meets him and tries to help him leave that place. This is one of the best Charlize Theron films of all time.
The Devil’s Advocate 1997
- Genre: Thriller/Horror
- Director: Taylor Hackford
- Stars: Charlize Theron, Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves, Connie Nielsen, Heather Matarazzo
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 63%, IMDb 7.5
Theron’s role in The Devil’s Advocate has launched her into a star. She performs as the wife of a lawyer, played by Keanu Reeves. She starts to lose her mind when they go to New York City as he is tempted by the job offer from a villainous man. Theron’s character thinks that they are in the presence of evil power. This was Theron’s first heavy dramatic role, proving she is more than just a pretty face. The Devil’s Advocate is one of the best Charlize Theron movies of all time.