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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.
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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 it
01:00difficult to sit through. At least it was the first step on the film ladder for Margot Robbie.
01:04But 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.
01:16This time, the future megastar played the lead role of Tristan Waters, one of three characters who
01:21spy on their neighbour, only to be stalked by him in return. There are exactly the same issues with
01:27ICU as with Vigilante, though more Margot Robbie on screen puts the former ahead. It is far from
01:33her best performance, as is to be expected, but she is the only person on screen who looks as though
01:38she is actually there to act, and though the director was not above using her for gratuitous sex appeal,
01:44Robbie did the best that she could with what she was given.
01:47Number 24. Suicide Squad
01:49Every now and then, incredible performances can get trapped in terrible movies that simply didn't
01:55deserve 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
02:05instantly became legendary. Almost overnight, the character was everywhere. You couldn't move at
02:11Halloween without seeing a handful of the psychotic killer, and she was by far the best aspect of this
02:16disappointing DCEU outing. The film did its level best to try and drag Robbie and Harley down with
02:22it, with more than a few shameless shots that were there for no other reason than sex appeal. But even
02:27so, her performance rose above and stood out for all the right reasons. Harley was insane, she was
02:34funny, she was compelling, and she even managed to be sympathetic within it all. Back in the early days of
02:39the DCEU,
02:40Harley Quinn was arguably the most popular character in the franchise right next to Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman.
02:46But 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. There are plenty of movies that have attempted to retell classic
03:42stories with a twist, usually taking on something of a darker, grittier angle. See the likes of King
03:47Arthur, The Legend of the Sword, or Hercules. The Legend of Tarzan is one of them, and like most,
03:53it fails to recapture the magic of what came before, or add something different enough to make it feel
03:58fresh or even particularly necessary. Even in spite of a stellar cast featuring Alexander Skarsgård,
04:05Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Jaimon Honsu, and of course, Margot Robbie. David Yates' 2016
04:11outing is rather forgettable. Far from the deepest of characters Robbie has ever brought to the screen,
04:17it truly feels as though she could play Tarzan's Jane in her sleep. Thankfully, she has risen far
04:22above the role of the cliché love interest since 2016. Number 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 with.
04:59Ultimately, however, her role is little more than a Zoom call cameo, and though it momentarily buoys the
05:05struggling movie, it's not enough to have any real impact. Number 20. Goodbye Christopher Robin.
05:11Such is the star power and ability of Margot Robbie, most of the movies she has appeared in have leaned
05:16heavily on her performance. And why wouldn't they? She is one of those actors who tends to make better
05:21anything she appears in. However, Goodbye Christopher Robin is slightly different in that the story very much
05:27surrounds A.A. Milne and his ultimately strained relationship with his son. Though she has her
05:33moments, the film wouldn't be too different if Robbie's Daphne, wife of Milne, were to be removed.
05:38The movie itself is a powerful biopic that poignantly treads through the pitfalls of celebrity
05:43and even emotional manipulation, before a heartwarming reconciliation that didn't actually happen in truth.
05:50Number 19. Dreamland. Dreamland is a movie that arguably more so than ever,
05:55needs Margot Robbie's charisma and charm, and not to mention her best accent to date,
06:00to lift it from a waste of time halfway to enjoyable. While on the hunt from the law after
06:05robbing a bank, Alison Wells ultimately finds protection in the form of Eugene Evans. The two
06:11fall for each other while on the run as the latter falls deeper into the former's world. But while the
06:16two actors enjoy a strong chemistry on screen, the film needed more, almost as something of an homage to
06:21the likes of Bonnie and Clyde. Instead, with Robbie's Alison taking the lead rather than her male
06:27counterpart, Dreamland 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 isn't
06:38enough to make a compelling film on its own. Number 18. Peter Rabbit and Peter Rabbit 2 The Runaway.
06:44Beatrix Potter and her Peter Rabbit works have been beloved British institutions for centuries,
06:49and 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 doesn't allow her to stretch
07:18any kind of acting muscles, as you would expect, and neither does her narration. As a relatively small
07:23part of the franchise, she at least offers small glimpses of cheeky comic relief, even if the films
07:29themselves aren't quite as charming as intended. Number 17. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. As a movie boasting
07:36as potentially dangerous a premise as a comedy revolving around the war in Afghanistan, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
07:43could have been a lot worse. However, at the same time, it could have been a lot better. It feels
07:49like
07:49the premise alone should have made the film more memorable than it ultimately became. The plot revolves
07:54around Tina Fey's Kim Baker, a reporter who moves to the war-torn country on an assignment and ultimately
08:00loves what she does despite the subject she is covering and the difficulties faced as a woman. Margot Robbie's
08:06involvement comes as a friend, but also as journalistic competition, as Tanya goes behind
08:11Kim's back for her own job. It's a typically strong performance from Robbie as she walks the line
08:16between comedy and drama better than anyone else in the film. If only the Australian twang in her London
08:22accent wasn't too difficult to ignore. Number 16. Focus. There are certain things that have come to be
08:28expected from any Margot Robbie appearance, and among the likes of stealing any scene she is in and
08:34charming the hell out of anyone watching, is the fact that she always seems to have incredible
08:38chemistry with whoever she shares the screen with. A year before they came together in Suicide Squad,
08:43Robbie and Will Smith led Focus. It's not the most memorable of movies, but it's a fun couple of
08:48hours with twists upon twists upon twists, arguably too many twists, propelled in the most part by the
08:54two powerhouse actors. Nicky is a conman who takes the inexperienced Jess under his wing,
09:00only to split and ultimately reunite three years later. Their relationship is at the core of the
09:05film, and the cons they pull are certainly fun, but it is Robbie who steals the show, as usual.
09:11With Jess, the actor offers the full range from young and naive through to powerful and confident
09:16femme fatale, with a lot of vulnerability thrown in for good measure. It's a performance that outshines
09:21the rest of this fun but flawed popcorn flick. Number 15. Sweet Francaise.
09:26The forbidden love angle is as old as time, and they don't come more forbidden than between a
09:31German soldier and an oppressed villager in Nazi-occupied France. It makes for an incredibly
09:36powerful story. When the Nazis invade the villagers' homes in Sol Dib's Sweet Francaise, Bruno van
09:42Volk slowly falls in love with Lucille, who against the very reasonable and understandable objections
09:47of her mother-in-law, Madame Angelier, falls in love right back. Margot Robbie only brings to life a small
09:53supporting role as Céline, one of Madame Angelier's tenants. It's a solid if unspectacular performance,
10:00as instead this movie is purely that of Michelle Williams, one of the only people in Hollywood who
10:05would be able to steal the show from Robbie even if the latter had a larger role. Though the picture
10:10fell short of its Oscar expectations, it is a strong addition to the wartime romance genre.
10:16Number 14. Amsterdam. Initially touted as a potential Oscar winner, with an ensemble cast that could make
10:23literally any other film in history jealous, the movie quite famously failed to live up to its lofty
10:28budget and expectations. The story revolves around three friends who get framed for murder in a story
10:34that couldn't decide whether it wanted to be a wacky comedy or a serious social commentary.
10:39There were plenty of harsh reviews for Amsterdam upon its release, with the inconsistent tone,
10:44uninspired direction, and poor script in particular coming under fire. Not one single bad word was aimed at
10:50Margot Robbie, though, as she and Christian Bale were easily and unsurprisingly the highlights.
10:56Though not what was necessarily expected, as it fell short of being another American hustle from David O'Russell,
11:02Bale and Robbie in particular make Amsterdam worth a watch, though probably just the once.
11:07Number 13. Asteroid City.
11:10Wes Anderson has, over the years, established a certain and unmistakable style to his movies that
11:16simply can't be emulated or found anywhere else. As per usual, you have to really buy into said
11:22eccentricity and straight-up weirdness to enjoy Asteroid City. Behind the whimsy and incredible
11:27art 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 such a
11:39way like an actor in a play not understanding what the play is about, but having to carry on anyway.
11:44Lost in a sea of famous faces and Oscar winners is Margot Robbie's cameo appearance. The story is
11:50told 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
12:01wife of Augie Steenbeck until her scene was cut. Jones Hall, the actor who played Steenbeck in the
12:07play, listened to her run her lines, and the face of uncertainty seems to find some comfort.
12:11Anderson has a history of casting huge actors for minor yet important parts, and Robbie's few
12:17minutes on screen showed why this is such a good idea.
12:20Number 12. Mary, Queen of Scots
12:22Historical figures are never easy roles to take on, and Margot Robbie playing Elizabeth I in
12:28Mary, Queen of Scots was absolutely no different. Granted, this particular movie gave itself an
12:34immediate uphill battle thanks to some rather hefty inaccuracies in the story, but portraying the
12:39Queen of England was always going to be tough. Ultimately, the film is about both Robbie's Queen
12:43Elizabeth I and Saoirse Ronan's titular Mary, Queen of Scots, as two powerful women navigating
12:49ruling a masculine world. It's quite fitting, then, that both actors' performances are easily
12:54the best thing about it. There are plenty of issues throughout the exposition-heavy story that make
12:59its two-hour runtime feel like a hell of a lot longer than it is. However, the payoff of the
13:04two women
13:04finally meeting after being kept separate for the bulk of the picture is worth the wait.
13:09Displaying strength, vulnerability, fear, and yet courage, the story anchors on the meeting that
13:15both Robbie and Ronan pour everything into. A character-driven story such as this needed to
13:20make certain that its casting was flawless, and thankfully, it succeeded.
13:24Number 11. Z for Zachariah
13:27In a movie with a cast list just three names long, there really is nowhere to hide, particularly when one
13:32of them is the uber-popular Chris Pine, and another is Chiwetel Ejiofor, one of the most
13:37constantly solid performers in the business. And yet, Margot Robbie never looks out of place
13:42for even a beat in Z for Zachariah. In fact, of the three, she is arguably the most compelling,
13:48which 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.
14:15Number 10. The Suicide Squad
14:17After James Gunn was fired by Marvel, DC wasted no time in picking the director up for a new Suicide
14:24Squad movie that didn't quite fully fit in either the sequel or reboot category. It was a bit of
14:29both, but arguably the most important thing was that Margot Robbie was brought back. As Harley Quinn,
14:35she was easily the best part of the first outing five years prior, and arguably the entire DCEU at that
14:41point. Though her supporting characters were better, the story was better, and the overall movie was
14:46better, Robbie was still easily the best part of the Suicide Squad as well. Though it was a team
14:52story with the likes of Idris Elba, John Cena, and Joel Kinnaman, playing hugely important roles,
14:58there were times when this felt more like a Harley Quinn film, and arguably one of James Gunn's best
15:02decisions was to put her at the front and center of the entire thing. Harley was away from the rest
15:08of
15:08the team for a while, which allowed her to shine by herself, and she proved once again that she was
15:13a badass who needed no rescue. Aside from having some of the funniest moments, she also was the heart of
15:19the whole film. Number 9, Birds of Prey. After becoming a hit as the lone highlight of Suicide
15:25Squad, and 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 retitled 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 Joker,
15:49a 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 McGregor's
16:09unnervingly compelling Black Mask, and while Harley had to be diluted somewhat to fit into both
16:15Suicide Squad ensembles, here she could flourish like never before or since. Ultimately, the movie
16:21suffered from releasing at the height of a pandemic, and from poor marketing in general,
16:25and it really did deserve more of an audience.
16:288. Bombshell
16:30Bombshell was designed to offer a scathing look at the very real accusations from several
16:35women working at Fox News of sexual harassment by its founder and CEO Roger Ailes. Add in the star
16:41power of Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie, and the film had the makings of
16:46something big. What was ultimately released was a hard-hitting piece based in and around the
16:51allegations made, though it failed to go deeper into the gritty realms as promised. Bombshell is
16:56about empowerment, certainly, but it never gets further than skimming the surface of the sexual
17:01assault at the heart of the subject. It could have gone so much further. To call Bombshell tame would
17:06perhaps be a little harsh, however. It feels as though the talent on screen could have been used for a
17:11further exploration into such a real issue. That being said, it is still a strong movie in no
17:17small part thanks to the performances of all three lead women, to the surprise of absolutely
17:21no one. In particular, Margot Robbie is at the top of her game, receiving an Oscar nomination for
17:27Best Supporting Actress, and it's not hard to see why.
17:307. Babylon
17:32Alongside Amsterdam, Babylon was Margot Robbie's other 2022 film, and again was a box office bomb.
17:38Also, like Amsterdam, what was supposed to be another Oscar hit as Damien Chazelle's follow-up
17:44to La La Land ultimately fell far short of his expectations. As something of a love letter to
17:49Hollywood, the first of two such films that will appear on this list, Babylon followed the rise and
17:54fall of several characters, including Robbie's Nelly Leroy, as the world of film ushered in a new era in
18:00the 1920s. 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,
18:32then it can be a damn enjoyable, unique experience.
18:35Number 6. About Time
18:37With writing credits on the likes of Notting Hill, the Bridget Jones film series,
18:42and Love Actually to his name, Richard Curtis is one of the biggest names in the romantic comedy
18:47genre. It's not surprising in the least then that 2013's About Time was another huge success
18:52and feather in the man's cap. The premise is a little more out there than Curtis' previous work,
18:58as Donal Gleeson's Tim Lake finds out that all of the men in his family have the ability to time
19:03travel, and thus he uses this newly learned skill to try to improve his life. As expected,
19:08it is utterly charming and certainly doesn't lack in the comedy aspect, while Gleeson is a perfect fit,
19:14as is rom-com legend Rachel McAdams. Being one of her earliest acting credits and coming before she
19:19became a household name, Margot Robbie's involvement is minimal but crucial. She plays Tim's first love
19:25interest, for whom he initially goes back in time for before realizing the consequences and butterfly
19:31effects of his actions. Realistically, her role was to be fallen in love with, which she's basically
19:36been doing effortlessly for over a decade now. Number 5. The Big Short
19:40The Big Short brought together an impressive ensemble cast to tell the story of how a handful of people
19:45saw the housing crisis of 2008 coming. Naturally, with a story like this, there was a lot of jargon
19:51and concepts that the mainstream audience just wouldn't understand. Enter Margot Robbie.
19:57Ryan 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,
20:18Margot 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 audiences
20:27watching. But she was compelling, and that truly shows that her talent knows no bounds.
20:33Number 4. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
20:35There is some tough competition, as the director has some incredibly strong and influential movies to
20:41his name. But Once Upon a Time in Hollywood may be Quentin Tarantino's most popular work.
20:46He has gone on record to say it is his own personal favorite, and it's easy to see why.
20:51This effort is something of a love letter to the movie industry, while telling an amended version
20:56of 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 runtime
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
21:30greater testaments to her unrivaled talent than her portrayal of Sharon Tate.
21:35Number 3. 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,
21:47but Barbie told a powerful story with a real message, balanced perfectly with the wacky and
21:52funny side of things. Ryan Gosling's Ken grabbed many of the headlines, and looking back,
21:57it would be hard to see anyone else in the role. His comedic chops alone served him well,
22:02but like he said in the movie, there is no Ken without Barbie.
22:06Margot Robbie may have been the obvious choice for a stereotypical Barbie, but she more than
22:11backs this up with a performance full of emotion, heart, and vulnerability that encompassed everything
22:16the film was trying to say. It's a testament to what Greta Gerwig and co-created, that Barbie
22:21could feature something as ludicrous as Barbie Land, but tackle real issues with such grace and eloquence
22:27at the same time. While it received a handful of Oscar nominations, the fact that both Greta
22:32Gerwig and Margot Robbie were overlooked for Best Director and Best Actress respectively is just
22:37criminal.
22:38Number 2. The Wolf of Wall Street
22:40Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have collaborated together on a number of projects,
22:45and The Wolf of Wall Street is up there with the best of them. The story of Jordan Belfort's
22:50rise and fall from grace was brought to the screen in a unique and utterly compelling fashion.
22:54Realistically, DiCaprio's character is not one that anyone should be rooting for or laughing
22:59with. The movie glorifies every kind of depravity and illicit crime it could manage, and yet is
23:05sheer entertainment. Surrounded by the chaos of Wall Street, the narcotics, booze, criminal
23:10activity, and general human garbage that were the employees of Stratton Oakmont, Margot Robbie's
23:16Naomi is the undeniable human element of the piece. Nothing else is particularly relatable, unless
23:22he happened to have smuggled millions of dollars across national borders strapped to another
23:25being. But Naomi, as a wife and a mother who ultimately outgrows Jordan, brings a real
23:30sobering quality to proceedings.
23:32It was this masterpiece in 2013 that truly set Robbie on her path to superstardom, and
23:38it is nothing short of insane to think that this came just five years after Vigilante.
23:43Number 1. I, Tonya
23:44Margot Robbie is no stranger to bringing real people to the screen, but arguably her best ever
23:49work on screen came portraying legendary figure skater Tonya Harding. The biopic itself manages
23:55to blend comedy, plenty of it coming from Harding's sheer bluntness, with the darker and more emotional
24:00elements 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
24:10then some. There truly aren't enough superlatives to properly describe Margot Robbie's performance
24:15as Tonya Harding, and she takes one of America's most hated sports personalities and portrays
24:20her with a quiet dignity that actually turns her into a sympathetic character. There aren't
24:24many who could have pulled it off, but Robbie has the talent to evoke such emotions while
24:29still making you laugh.
24:30There have been plenty of movies on this list that didn't quite live up to the talent Margot
24:34Robbie brought to the table, but I, Tonya does not have that problem. If it weren't for
24:39Frances McDormand's outstanding performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, it's highly
24:44likely this role would have earned Margot Robbie her first Best Actress win. Her work certainly
24:50deserved it.
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