Margot Robbie is one of the biggest Hollywood stars, with an impressive repertoire of films under her belt. She’ll be starring in the new Barbie movie directed by Greta Gerwig and coming to theaters in July 2023, and she stole hearts (and broke bones) as the hilariously mad Harley Quinn in the DCEU.
Robbie has shown strong acting abilities in her varied roles that range across genres. She’s an Academy Award-nominated actress and her performances have garnered critical praise and a loyal fanbase. Her LuckyChap Entertainment company has produced multiple films including Emerald Fennell’s Promise Young Woman, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and she’s showing no signs of slowing down.
From the beginning of her career, Robbie’s star has shone brightly. Listed below are 10 movies that prove she’s deserving of her accolades.
10. Terminal (Amazon Prime Video)
Terminal is a noir thriller that flew under many people’s radars, but it’s well worth a watch. Robbie plays an assassin named Annie who’s on the hunt for other contractors in hopes that her employer will find someone for her. Her lines are delivered with razor-sharp commitment, and the cast, which includes, Simon Pegg, Mike Myers, Dexter Fletcher, and Max Irons, each add something worthwhile to the story. The film isn’t favored among many critics, but no one can deny Robbie’s coldhearted coolness and the dynamic visual style of the movie.
9. Goodbye Christopher Robin (Roku)
Goodbye Christopher Robin is a quaint and charming film about writer A.A. Milne’s creation of Winnie The Pooh. Robbie plays his wife, Daphne Milne, and she’s the one who gives their son the teddy bear and stuffed animals. She plays with him and disguises her voice, which helps spark his imagination, but Daphne has her complexities as well. She has many passions and motherhood terrifies her, which makes the character all the more compelling.
8. The Legend of Tarzan (Spectrum)
What would Tarzan be without Jane? In The Legend of Tarzan, Robbie plays Jane who’s married to John Clayton the Earl of Greystoke (Alexander Skarsgård) who has left his wild roots behind for the life of a nobleman. When they go to the Congo, they reconnect with their former lives and with each other, and Jane, thankfully, isn’t a just damsel in distress watching her shirtless man swing through the trees. She’s fierce, intelligent, and helps battle Leon Rom, played by Christoph Waltz, who’s trying to capture Tarzan in exchange for diamonds. It’s an adventure movie that properly pays homage to the legacy of Tarzan.
7. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (Showtime Anytime)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot stars Tina Fey as a cable news producer Kim Barker who takes a dangerous assignment in Kabul, Afghanistan. Thankfully, she has fellow journalist Tanya Vanderpoel, played by Robbie, to help guide her through these treacherous waters. The winning combination of Fey and Robbie really works here as Vanderpoel exudes the confidence and skills that help Barker find what’s needed within herself. No matter how wild things get, Robbie seems to always have the situation well in hand.
6. Z for Zachariah (Roku)
Z for Zachariah has to be one of the most underrated apocalyptic movies. Robbie plays Ann Burden, a woman who’s been living a life of seclusion on her family farm after an apocalyptic event. She believes herself to be the sole survivor until a man named Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) arrives in an anti-radiation suit and she has to help him recover. They learn from one another, and the connection between them represents hope for the future. It feels like an apocalyptic Adam and Eve story that explores the nature of humanity in a very personal way.
5. The Wolf of Wall Street (Showtime Anytime)
The Wolf of Wall Street stars Leonardo DiCaprio as greedy stockbroker Jordan Belfort, a man who rises through the ranks in the cutthroat business world. It’s a male-centric movie filled with sex, drugs, and excess, but Robbie’s Naomi Lapaglia offers a much-needed reprieve from all the juvenile antics. Lapaglia is a former model and the second wife of Belfort who slowly becomes disenchanted with their romance after their lifestyle becomes untenable. The romance is doomed from the start, and Robbie plays the agonizing deterioration between them exquisitely.
4. About Time (Amazon Prime Video)
The time-traveling romance About Time is about the consequences of fixing the past. Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) comes from a family where the men can travel through time and he uses this ability to win the heart of Mary (Rachel McAdams). Robbie plays Charlotte who comes to visit the Lake family during the summer and Tim falls for her. He uses time travel to tell her how he feels about her, but this doesn’t win her over. She’s essential to the story because she proves that love can’t always be manipulated even with the power over time.
3. Focus (HBO Max)
Focus seemed like your typical cat-and-mouse comedy-romance, but the chemistry between Robbie and Will Smith lights this picture on fire. Smith plays Nicky, a con artist who teaches the up-and-coming Jess, played by Robbie, how to play this treacherous game. As he teaches her how to pull off perfect heists, things get steamy between them and Nicky ends their lessons. When Jess returns years later, she’s a full-fledged femme fatale and it’s Nicky who now has the disadvantage. Robbie and Smith’s scenes are so real at times that it feels like the viewer is invading their privacy, and that’s what really makes this film a must-watch.
2. I, Tonya (Hulu)
I, Tonya is probably Robbie’s most difficult role to date. She had to play a real-life villain, ice skater Tonya Harding who conspires with her husband to injure her fellow Olympic-hopeful Nancy Kerrigan, and has to withdraw from the national championship as a result. Robbie had to walk a fine line with Harding. She’s a notoriously disgraced figure and Robbie was tasked with revealing the elements in her life that turned her into the person that she became. The role earned her an Academy Award nomination and further cemented her status as a force to be reckoned with.
1. Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (HBO Max)
Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was the best part of Suicide Squad, and when she starred in the Birds of Prey movie, it gave viewers more time with the zaniest character in the DC Universe. After her breakup with the Joker, dangerous people are out to get her and she has to team up with a team of women if she hopes to survive. What’s immediately noticeable is how much Robbie loves this role. It’s not just some cartoonish caricature, she understands that this is a story of second chances and finding strength after dark times. She also delivers her punchlines extremely well, making this a fun ride from beginning to end. Harley Quinn is Robbie’s most iconic character, and the two are definitely intertwined in the public consciousness as a result.