Natalie Portman got her first big break as an actor at the age of just 12, landing an impressive starring role in Léon: The Professional before moving towards more theatre work and, from the 2000's onwards, a combination of big-budget blockbusters and character-driven independent films.
While her name is often tarnished due to her connection to the polarizing Star Wars prequels, she is one of the finest actors currently active and has some brilliant work to her name. Obviously, it isn’t all great. As such, here are what IMDb s consider to be her five best films to her five worst.
BEST: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (2005) - 7.5
Against all odds, the third installment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy was actually quite well-received. After the shambles of the first two films, this one managed to add a powerful, dramatic and (somewhat) unexpected ending to the prequel saga.
Despite this landing in fifth place on the list of Natalie Portman’s best films, her portrayal of Pe is certainly not her best work.
WORST: Knight Of Cups (2015) - 5.7
While Portman is known for a few major franchises, she does like to throw some major moments of weirdness into her career.
Terrence Malick's Knight Of Cups is an experimental film in which she stars opposite Christian Bale in a story that, at its heart, follows Tarot Card meanings. It received very mixed reviews, which is somewhat expected of a Malick feature.
BEST: Black Swan (2010) - 8.0
While Pe is probably going to remain the character that Natalie Portman is most well-known for, psychological horror film from Darren Aronofsky follows Portman, portraying a ballerina, as she tries to land herself the t role of the Black Swan and the White Swan.
It’s surrealist, bizarre and full of deep symbolism and meaning, and the end result is a rather spectacular work of art that allowed Portman to remind everyone how brilliant she was after Star Wars.
WORST: Your Highness (2011) - 5.5
A raunchy and irreverent parody of fantasy films, Your Highness is one of many ‘stoner comedies’ that just doesn’t hit the spot. Portman doesn’t often go for comedic roles, but this one is about as dumb as it gets.
Danny McBride and James Franco star opposite Portman in a film that tries to combine fantasy with stoner comedy in all the worst ways possible. It made about half of its budget back at the box office.
BEST: V For Vendetta (2005) - 8.2
The cinematic adaptation of Alan Moore's V For Vendetta is a poignant look at the rise of fascism in the United Kingdom, something which seems to be looming on a very real horizon in real-life right now. Adding to the irony is the fact that the film is actually set in 2020.
It places Portman in the main role of Evey as she ends up in the middle of V’s (Hugo Weaving) mission to fight back against the oppressive government. It is both a powerful anti-political statement and an exciting thriller in which Portman is given the room to develop her character hugely in just two hours.
WORST: Lucy In The Sky (2019) - 4.7
One of Portman’s most recent films is another of her lower-budget, stranger works. She stars as Lucy in a story based loosely on the real-life astronaut Lisa Nowak, directed by Noah Hawley.
The film didn’t even make two percent of its budget back at the box office and to make matters worse, it received universally negative reviews.
BEST: Avengers: Endgame (2019) - 8.4
Just like every single actor in the history of planet Earth, Natalie Portman eventually landed herself a character in the Avengers: Endgame.
Jane Foster had humble beginnings in the Thor films and only got a wordless cameo in the latest Avengers movie. However, the Thor: Love And Thunder will see her become the Mighty Thor and continue to prove her own power and worth.
WORST: The Summoning (2016) - 4.6
The Summoning really sounds like it’s going to be a gritty horror film in which Portman can shine with a sense of likable craziness that was present in Black Swan. Instead, it’s a horrendously boring drama that puts Portman opposite Johnny Depp’s daughter, Lily-Rose.
Reviews were negative and seemed to agree on the fact that there was potential for something great lurking deep within that never came very close to finding its way out of monotony.
BEST: Léon: The Professional (1994) - 8.5
For the first film for any actor to make to be considered their best is a seriously impressive move. To pull off that difficult feat aged just twelve is even more impressive.
In this action-thriller, Portman’s character is trained as a brutal hitman protégée, leading to a performance praised universally. Portman is also a rare example of a child actor who has managed to lead an even more successful career in adulthood.
WORST: The Heyday Of Insensitive Bastards (2015) - 4.4
Completing Natalie Portman’s list of her five worst films is The Heyday Of Insensitive Bastards. It’s incredibly difficult to have an anthology film reach the same level of appreciation as a ‘normal’ films amongst the general public, and this movie is proof of that.
Portman stars in the Lacunae section, a short film almost completely lacking in story or anything that could convince someone to watch.
