- 6 hours ago
From humble beginnings to the biggest movies in the world, Margot Robbie has done it all. We rank all of them from worst to best.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00It can be genuinely difficult to describe Margot Robbie without coming across as exaggerating or
00:05hyperbolic. She has one of the most recognisable faces working in Hollywood. She is supremely
00:10talented and has a habit of stealing not only scenes but entire films. There have been powerhouse
00:16blockbusters, huge critical and commercial flops and everything in between in Margot Robbie's
00:22extensive back catalogue. But no matter what, she typically tends to be one of the best things
00:27about them. So with that in mind, I'm Ellie for WhatCulture here with every Margot Robbie movie
00:32ranked from worst to best.
00:35Number 26. Vigilante
00:37Before Margot Robbie broke into Hollywood, she featured in two low-budget movies from Australian
00:42filmmaker Ash Aaron. Very low budget. The first of these was Vigilante in 2008, in which she played
00:49Cassandra, the wife of Luke, who was attacked and assaulted. The rest of the film is a by-the-numbers
00:55revenge flick, but the story, the dialogue, the acting and just about everything else make
01:00it difficult to sit through. At least it was the first step on the film ladder for Margot
01:04Robbie. But that's about the only positive you can take from it.
01:07Number 25. I See You
01:09One year after Vigilante came I See You, another collaboration between Margot Robbie and Ash Aaron.
01:15This time, the future megastar played the lead role of Tristan Waters, one of three characters
01:21who spy on their neighbour only to be stalked by him in return. There are exactly the same
01:26issues with ICU as with Vigilante, though more Margot Robbie on screen puts the former ahead.
01:32It is far from her best performance, as is to be expected, but she is the only person
01:37on screen who looks as though she is actually there to act, and though the director was not
01:41above using her for gratuitous sex appeal, Robbie did the best that she could with what she
01:46was given. Number 24. Suicide Squad
01:49Every now and then, incredible performances can get trapped in terrible movies that simply
01:54didn't deserve them. Margot Robbie deserved better than David Ayer's Suicide Squad, and David Ayer's
02:00Suicide Squad damn sure didn't deserve Margot Robbie. As Harley Quinn, Robbie's performance instantly
02:06became legendary. Almost overnight, the character was everywhere. You couldn't move at Halloween without
02:12seeing a handful of the psychotic killer, and she was by far the best aspect of this disappointing
02:17DCEU outing. The film did its level best to try and drag Robbie and Harley down with it, with more
02:23than a few shameless shots that were there for no other reason than sex appeal, but even so,
02:28her performance rose above and stood out for all the right reasons. Harley was insane, she was funny,
02:34she was compelling, and she even managed to be sympathetic within it all. Back in the early days of the DCEU,
02:40Harley Quinn was arguably the most popular character in the franchise right next to Gal Gadot's Wonder
02:45Woman, but she was trapped within one of the worst comic book movies in recent memory.
02:50Number 23. Terminal
02:52When watching Terminal, it's easy to see how Margot Robbie's performance as Harley Quinn
02:57influenced her casting as psychotic twins Annie and Bonnie. There's a similar vibe, although the twins
03:02are more cerebral and calculating, and Robbie is easily the best part about the movie, even if her English
03:09accent is far from flawless. Terminal itself aimed for a neo-noir thriller surrounding the lives of a
03:15handful of contract killers, but never quite got off the ground thanks to poor dialogue and a
03:19frustratingly uninteresting story that couldn't be saved by what was supposed to be a shocking twist
03:24towards the end. Like many of the entries that will follow on this list, Robbie's performance is the
03:30brightest shining light in Terminal, but unfortunately not bright enough to save the uninspiring feature.
03:36Number 22. The Legend of Tarzan
03:38There are plenty of movies that have attempted to retell classic stories with a twist, usually taking
03:44on something of a darker, grittier angle. See the likes of King Arthur, The Legend of the Sword,
03:49or Hercules. The Legend of Tarzan is one of them, and like most, it fails to recapture the magic of what
03:55came before, or add something different enough to make it feel fresh or even particularly necessary.
04:01Even in spite of a stellar cast, featuring Alexander Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson,
04:06Christoph Waltz, Jaimon Honsu, and of course, Margot Robbie, David Yates' 2016 outing is rather
04:12forgettable. Far from the deepest of characters Robbie has ever brought to the screen, it truly feels as
04:18though she could play Tarzan's Jane in her sleep. Thankfully, she has risen far above the role of the
04:23cliché love interest since 2016.
04:25Number 21. Slaughterhouse Rules
04:28When you think of horror comedy starring Simon Pegg, you'd immediately go to the Cornetto trilogy.
04:33Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End are all far superior to 2018's Slaughterhouse Rules,
04:39in which a fracking project underneath a posh boarding school releases the monsters that live
04:44underneath it, and which fails to hit the mark in both the horror and comedy categories. As a tiny
04:49appearance, seeing Margot Robbie's face on screen is a fun surprise that stands out as one of the
04:54better moments in the film, as she plays an old flame of Meredith's that he is trying to reconcile
04:59with. Ultimately, however, her role is little more than a zoom-cool cameo, and though it momentarily
05:04buoys the struggling movie, it's not enough to have any real impact.
05:08Number 20. Goodbye Christopher Robin
05:11Such is the star power and ability of Margot Robbie, most of the movies she has appeared in have
05:16leaned heavily on her performance. And why wouldn't they? She is one of those actors who tends to make
05:21better anything she appears in. However, Goodbye Christopher Robin is slightly different in that
05:26the story very much surrounds A.A. Milne and his ultimately strained relationship with his son.
05:32Though she has her moments, the film wouldn't be too different if Robbie's Daphne, wife of Milne,
05:37were to be removed. The movie itself is a powerful biopic that poignantly treads through the pitfalls of
05:43celebrity and even emotional manipulation, before a heartwarming reconciliation that didn't actually happen in truth.
05:50Number 19. Dreamland
05:52Dreamland is a movie that arguably more so than ever needs Margot Robbie's charisma and charm,
05:58and not to mention her best accent to date, to lift it from a waste of time halfway to enjoyable.
06:04While on the hunt from the law after robbing a bank, Alison Wells ultimately finds protection in
06:09the form of Eugene Evans. The two fall for each other while on the run as the latter falls deeper
06:14into the former's world. But while the two actors enjoy a strong chemistry on screen,
06:18the film needed more. Almost as something of an homage to the likes of Bonnie and Clyde,
06:23instead with Robbie's Alison taking the lead rather than her male counterpart,
06:28Dreamland brings to the table some truly beautiful cinematography, but frustratingly
06:32little in the way of substance. Two characters falling in love under difficult circumstances
06:37isn't enough to make a compelling film on its own.
06:40Number 18. Peter Rabbit and Peter Rabbit 2 The Runaway
06:44Beatrix Potter and her Peter Rabbit works have been beloved British institutions for centuries,
06:50and as such, any movie adaptations were going to be automatically met with a certain amount of
06:55skepticism. Being held as a far too modern take on the character, and deviating too far from the
07:01original creation, Peter Rabbit and Peter Rabbit 2 The Runaway have seen their share of hate.
07:06However, as a box office hit, the franchise clearly won over the children to which it was aimed,
07:12even if it wasn't so successful in other demographics. Margot Robbie's role as Flopsy
07:17doesn't allow her to stretch any kind of acting muscles, as you would expect, and neither does
07:22her narration. As a relatively small part of the franchise, she at least offers small glimpses
07:27of cheeky comic relief, even if the films themselves aren't quite as charming as intended.
07:32Number 17. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
07:35As a movie boasting as potentially dangerous a premise as a comedy revolving around the war in
07:41Afghanistan, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot could have been a lot worse. However, at the same time,
07:47it could have been a lot better. It feels like the premise alone should have made the film more
07:51memorable than it ultimately became. The plot revolves around Tina Fey's Kim Baker, a reporter
07:56who moves to the war-torn country on an assignment and ultimately loves what she does despite the
08:02subject she is covering and the difficulties faced as a woman. Margot Robbie's involvement comes as a
08:07friend but also as journalistic competition, as Tanya goes behind Kim's back for her own job.
08:13It's a typically strong performance from Robbie as she walks the line between comedy and drama
08:18better than anyone else in the film, if only the Australian twang in her London accent wasn't too
08:23difficult to ignore. Number 16. Focus
08:26There are certain things that have come to be expected from any Margot Robbie appearance,
08:30and among the likes of stealing any scene she is in and charming the hell out of anyone watching is the
08:36fact that she always seems to have incredible chemistry with whoever she shares the screen with.
08:41A year before they came together in Suicide Squad, Robbie and Will Smith led Focus. It's not the most
08:46memorable of movies, but it's a fun couple of hours with twists upon twists upon twists, arguably too many
08:52twists, propelled in the most part by the two powerhouse actors. Nikki is a conman who takes the
08:58inexperienced Jess under his wing, only to split and ultimately reunite three years later. Their
09:04relationship is at the core of the film, and the cons they pull are certainly fun, but it is Robbie
09:09who steals the show, as usual. With Jess, the actor offers the full range from young and naive through
09:15to powerful and confident femme fatale, with a lot of vulnerability thrown in for good measure.
09:20It's a performance that outshines the rest of this fun but flawed popcorn flick.
09:24Number 15, Sweet Francaise. The forbidden love angle is as old as time, and they don't come more
09:30forbidden than between a German soldier and an oppressed villager in Nazi-occupied France.
09:35It makes for an incredibly powerful story. When the Nazis invade the villagers' homes in
09:40soul-dibs Sweet Francaise, Bruno van Valk slowly falls in love with Lucille, who against the very
09:46reasonable and understandable objections of her mother-in-law, Madame Angelier, falls in love right back.
09:51Margot Robbie only brings to life a small supporting role as Céline, one of Madame Angelier's
09:56tenants. It's a solid if unspectacular performance, as instead this movie is purely that of Michelle
10:03Williams, one of the only people in Hollywood who would be able to steal the show from Robbie
10:07even if the latter had a larger role. Though the picture fell short of its Oscar expectations,
10:13it is a strong addition to the wartime romance genre.
10:16Number 14, Amsterdam. Initially touted as a potential Oscar winner, with an ensemble cast
10:22that could make literally any other film in history jealous, the movie quite famously failed
10:27to live up to its lofty budget and expectations. The story revolves around three friends who get
10:32framed for murder in a story that couldn't decide whether it wanted to be a wacky comedy or a serious
10:38social commentary. There were plenty of harsh reviews for Amsterdam upon its release, with the
10:43inconsistent tone, uninspired direction, and poor script in particular coming under fire. Not one
10:49single bad word was aimed at Margot Robbie though, as she and Christian Bale were easily and
10:54unsurprisingly the highlights. Though not what was necessarily expected, as it fell short of being
10:59another American hustle from David O. Russell, Bale and Robbie in particular make Amsterdam worth a watch,
11:05though probably just the once.
11:07Number 13, Asteroid City. Wes Anderson has, over the years, established a certain and unmistakable
11:14style to his movies that simply can't be emulated or found anywhere else. As per usual, you have to
11:20really buy into said eccentricity and straight up weirdness to enjoy Asteroid City. Behind the whimsy
11:27and incredible art style, Anderson is still typically able to tackle heavy themes, and Asteroid City is no
11:33different. In this case, it's uncertainty and battling with what can't be controlled, framed in
11:39such a way like an actor in a play not understanding what the play is about, but having to carry on
11:44anyway. Lost in a sea of famous faces and Oscar winners is Margot Robbie's cameo appearance. The story
11:50is told on two different levels, as a play and as a TV documentary surrounding the making of the play.
11:56Robbie almost bridges the gap between the two framing devices as the actress who played the wife of
12:01Augie Steenbeck until her scene was cut. Jones Hall, the actor who played Steenbeck in the play,
12:07listened to her run her lines, and the face of uncertainty seems to find some comfort. Anderson has a
12:13history of casting huge actors for minor yet important parts, and Robbie's few minutes on screen
12:18showed why this is such a good idea. Number 12, Mary Queen of Scots. Historical figures are never easy
12:25roles to take on, and Margot Robbie playing Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots was absolutely no different.
12:31Granted, this particular movie gave itself an immediate uphill battle thanks to some rather
12:36hefty inaccuracies in the story, but portraying the Queen of England was always going to be tough.
12:41Ultimately, the film is about both Robbie's Queen Elizabeth I and Saoirse Ronan's titular Mary Queen
12:47of Scots, as two powerful women navigating ruling a masculine world. It's quite fitting then that both
12:52actors' performances are easily the best thing about it. There are plenty of issues throughout the
12:57exposition-heavy story that make its two-hour runtime feel like a hell of a lot longer than it
13:02is. However, the payoff of the two women finally meeting after being kept separate for the bulk of
13:07the picture is worth the wait. Displaying strength, vulnerability, fear, and yet courage, the story
13:13anchors on the meeting that both Robbie and Ronan pour everything into. A character-driven story such as
13:19this needed to make certain that its casting was flawless, and thankfully, it succeeded.
13:24Number 11. Z for Zachariah. In a movie with a cast list just three names long, there really is nowhere
13:30to hide, particularly when one of them is the uber-popular Chris Pine and another is Chiwetel
13:36Ejiofor, one of the most constantly solid performers in the business. And yet, Margot Robbie never looks
13:42out of place for even a beat in Z for Zachariah. In fact, of the three, she is arguably the most
13:47compelling, which is truly saying something. Tensions run at an impossible level from start to finish when
13:52you throw the last three people alive into an apocalyptic love triangle, with underlying themes
13:57of religious differences and alcoholism. It's an intriguing exploration of human nature that is
14:02completely and utterly reliant on the three actors on screen. Each one puts in an outstanding
14:08performance, but it's hard to look past Margot Robbie's role as Anne Burden at the center of
14:13everything as the piece's MVP. Number 10. The Suicide Squad. After James Gunn was fired by Marvel,
14:20DC wasted no time in picking the director up for a new Suicide Squad movie that didn't quite
14:25fully fit in either the sequel or reboot category. It was a bit of both, but arguably the most important
14:31thing was that Margot Robbie was brought back. As Harley Quinn, she was easily the best part of the
14:36first outing five years prior, and arguably the entire DCEU at that point. Though her supporting
14:42characters were better, the story was better, and the overall movie was better, Robbie was still easily
14:48the best part of the Suicide Squad as well. Though it was a team story with the likes of Idris Elba,
14:54John Cena, and Joel Kinnaman playing hugely important roles, there were times when this
14:59felt more like a Harley Quinn film, and arguably one of James Gunn's best decisions was to put her
15:04at the front and center of the entire thing. Harley was away from the rest of the team for a while,
15:09which allowed her to shine by herself, and she proved once again that she was a badass who needed
15:15no rescue. Aside from having some of the funniest moments, she also was the heart of the whole film.
15:20Number 9, Birds of Prey. After becoming a hit as the lone highlight of Suicide Squad,
15:25and before stealing the show once again in THE Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie was rightly given
15:30her own solo Harley Quinn movie. The ridiculously titled Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation
15:37of One Harley Quinn was soon re-titled to just Birds of Prey. But though her name was dropped from the
15:43title, make no mistake that this was her film. Breaking free of the Suicide Squad and of the
15:48Joker, a point that was driven home in spectacular fashion, allowed for a different side of the
15:54character to be seen. The protective, vulnerable, and wholesome side of Harley was on show, but
15:58absolutely none of the bat-crazy wonderfulness that made her so popular in the first place was
16:03sacrificed. This was Harley at her most chaotic and her most eccentric, going up against Ewan
16:09McGregor's unnervingly compelling black mask. And while Harley had to be diluted somewhat to
16:14fit into both Suicide Squad ensembles, here she could flourish like never before or since.
16:20Ultimately, the movie suffered from releasing at the height of a pandemic and from poor marketing
16:25in general, and it really did deserve more of an audience.
16:28Number 8, Bombshell. Bombshell was designed to offer a scathing look at the very real accusations
16:34from several women working at Fox News of sexual harassment by its founder and CEO Roger Ailes.
16:40Add in the star power of Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie, and the film had the
16:45makings of something big. What was ultimately released was a hard-hitting piece based in
16:50and around the allegations made, though it failed to go deeper into the gritty realms as promised.
16:55Bombshell is about empowerment, certainly, but it never gets further than skimming the surface of
17:00the sexual assault at the heart of the subject. It could have gone so much further. To call
17:05Bombshell tame would perhaps be a little harsh, however. It feels as though the talent on screen
17:09could have been used for a further exploration into such a real issue. That being said, it is still a
17:15strong movie in no small part thanks to the performances of all three lead women, to the
17:20surprise of absolutely no one. In particular, Margot Robbie is at the top of her game, receiving an
17:26Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and it's not hard to see why.
17:30Number 7. Babylon Alongside Amsterdam,
17:33Babylon was Margot Robbie's other 2022 film, and again was a box office bomb. Also like Amsterdam,
17:40what was supposed to be another Oscar hit as Damien Chazelle's follow-up to La La Land,
17:45ultimately fell far short of his expectations. As something of a love letter to Hollywood,
17:50the first of two such films that will appear on this list. Babylon followed the rise and fall of
17:54several characters, including Robbie's Nelly LeRoy, as the world of film ushered in a new era in the
18:001920s. However, it ultimately felt like less a love letter and more an indictment of the Hollywood
18:06culture, instead highlighting depravity and debauchery rather than its glory. That being said,
18:12it's more thanks to falling shy of its incredibly lofty expectations than anything actually on screen,
18:17that Babylon has been labelled such a flop. The over-three-hour runtime doesn't help its cause either.
18:23However, if you watch it for what it is and not for what it's supposed to be,
18:27and simply enjoy the chaos and commitment that both Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt bring,
18:31then it can be a damn enjoyable, unique experience.
18:35Number 6. About Time With writing credits on the likes of
18:39Notting Hill, the Bridget Jones film series, and Love Actually to his name,
18:43Richard Curtis is one of the biggest names in the romantic comedy genre. It's not surprising in the
18:48least then that 2013's About Time was another huge success and feather in the man's cap.
18:54The premise is a little more out there than Curtis' previous work, as Donald Gleeson's Tim Lake finds
19:00out that all of the men in his family have the ability to time travel, and thus he uses this
19:05newly-learned skill to try to improve his life. As expected, it is utterly charming and certainly
19:10doesn't lack in the comedy aspect, while Gleeson is a perfect fit, as is rom-com legend Rachel McAdams.
19:16Being one of her earliest acting credits and coming before she became a household name,
19:21Margot Robbie's involvement is minimal, but crucial. She plays Tim's first love interest,
19:26for whom he initially goes back in time for before realising the consequences
19:30and butterfly effect of his actions. Realistically, her role was to be fallen in love with,
19:35which she's basically been doing effortlessly for over a decade now.
19:38Number 5. The Big Short The Big Short brought together an
19:42impressive ensemble cast to tell the story of how a handful of people saw the housing
19:46crisis of 2008 coming. Naturally, with a story like this, there was a lot of jargon and concepts
19:52that the mainstream audience just wouldn't understand. Enter Margot Robbie.
19:56Ryan Gosling's Jared Vanette introduces her in a voiceover to explain the concept of subprime
20:02mortgages, and that she did in a bubble bath with a glass of champagne. It was hilarious,
20:07and then she was gone, never to be seen in the film again. The movie itself is outstanding,
20:12with a wonderful cast. However, no matter how good Gosling, Christian Bale, or Brad Pitt were,
20:17Margot Robbie's scene arguably stole the whole show. There was no real acting involved,
20:22she wasn't playing a character. She merely showed up and explained what was likely confusing
20:27audiences watching. But she was compelling, and that truly shows that her talent knows no bounds.
20:33Number 4. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood There is some tough competition, as the director has
20:38some incredibly strong and influential movies to his name. But Once Upon A Time In Hollywood may be
20:43Quentin Tarantino's most popular work. He has gone on record to say it is his own personal favorite,
20:49and it's easy to see why. This effort is something of a love letter to the movie industry, while telling
20:55an amended version of the events surrounding Sharon Tate and the Charles Manson murders of the 1960s.
21:01It has everything you could want from a Tarantino flick, led by the three-headed powerhouse of Brad
21:06Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie. Robbie's appearance in the film is a strange one,
21:11as she actually has very little screen time, particularly when compared to that of Pitt
21:15and DiCaprio. However, being on screen for around half an hour of the almost three-hour run time
21:20allowed Robbie to show exactly what she could do with both limited time and dialogue. She is
21:25captivating and spellbinding, even when she doesn't have much to say, and there are few greater
21:30testaments to her unrivaled talent than her portrayal of Sharon Tate.
21:353. Barbie
21:36Could anyone have really predicted what a smash hit and cultural phenomenon Barbie would turn
21:42out to be in the summer of 2023? It could easily have been a cheap movie based around a toy. But
21:47Barbie told a powerful story with a real message, balanced perfectly with the wacky and funny side of
21:53things. Ryan Gosling's Ken grabbed many of the headlines, and looking back, it would be hard to
21:58see anyone else in the role. His comedic chops alone served him well, but like he said in the
22:03movie, there is no Ken without Barbie. Margot Robbie may have been the obvious choice for a
22:09stereotypical Barbie, but she more than backs this up with a performance full of emotion,
22:13heart, and vulnerability that encompassed everything the film was trying to say.
22:18It's a testament to what Greta Gerwig and co-created, that Barbie could feature something
22:22as ludicrous as Barbie Land, but tackle real issues with such grace and eloquence at the same time.
22:28While it received a handful of Oscar nominations, the fact that both Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie
22:33were overlooked for Best Director and Best Actress respectively is just criminal.
22:372. The Wolf of Wall Street Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio
22:42have collaborated together on a number of projects, and The Wolf of Wall Street is up there with the
22:47best of them. The story of Jordan Belfort's rise and fall from grace was brought to the screen in
22:52a unique and utterly compelling fashion. Realistically, DiCaprio's character is not one that anyone
22:57should be rooting for or laughing with. The movie glorifies every kind of depravity and
23:02illicit crime it could manage, and yet is sheer entertainment. Surrounded by the chaos of Wall
23:08Street, the narcotics, booze, criminal activity, and general human garbage that were the employees
23:13of Stratton Oakmont, Margot Robbie's Naomi is the undeniable human element of the piece.
23:19Nothing else is particularly relatable, unless you happen to have smuggled millions of dollars
23:23across national borders strapped to another being. But Naomi, as a wife and a mother who
23:28ultimately outgrows Jordan, brings a real sobering quality to proceedings. It was this
23:33masterpiece in 2013 that truly set Robbie on her path to superstardom, and it is nothing short of
23:38insane to think that this came just five years after Vigilante.
23:421. I, Tonya
23:44Margot Robbie is no stranger to bringing real people to the screen, but arguably her best
23:49ever work on screen came portraying legendary figure skater Tonya Harding. The biopic itself
23:54manages to blend comedy, plenty of it coming from Harding's sheer bluntness, with the darker and more
23:59emotional elements of the story. It's funny but brutal at the same time, and while other movies may
24:05struggle to bring two drastically different tones like this together, I, Tonya succeeds and then some.
24:10There truly aren't enough superlatives to properly describe Margot Robbie's performance as
24:15Tonya Harding, and she takes one of America's most hated sports personalities and portrays her with a
24:20quiet dignity that actually turns her into a sympathetic character. There aren't many who
24:25could have pulled it off, but Robbie has the talent to evoke such emotions while still making you laugh.
24:30There have been plenty of movies on this list that didn't quite live up to the talent Margot Robbie
24:35brought to the table, but I, Tonya does not have that problem. If it weren't for Francis McDormand's
24:40outstanding performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, it's highly likely this role would
24:45have earned Margot Robbie her first Best Actress win. Her work certainly deserved it.
Recommended
1:07
|
Up next
15:04
11:05
12:15
3:32
6:12
3:36
2:20
1:44
1:22
11:06
12:57
15:48
10:38
14:28
Be the first to comment