The Old Guard is currently the number 1 film trending on Netflix. With that in mind, we decided to take a deep dive into the filmography of one of the greatest actresses working today, Charlize Theron. Let us know @siftpop what your favorite Charlize Theron film is!
Furious [EXPLETIVE DELETED] Frank here to talk about [EXPLETIVE DELETED] Fate of The Furious here. Seriously [EXPLETIVE DELETED] that [EXPLETIVE DELETED] of a [EXPLETIVE DELETED] movie. Honestly how [EXPLETIVE DELETED] did this [EXPLETIVE DELETED] get made. Holy [EXPLETIVE DELETED] . Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been on board with mindless action movies before but [EXPLETIVE DELETED]! I cannot stress enough that this [A PHRASE OF SOMETHING I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE]. Then The Rock just casually uses his hands to guide a [EXPLETIVE DELETED] torpedo! The producers get Charlize Theron involved with what I can only guess is by using [REDACTED DUE TO NATIONAL SECURITY] and also use it to get [EXPLETIVE DELETED] Helen Mirren! Directed by F Gary Gray, and honestly that’s about the only good [EXPLETIVE DELETED] thing out of this. Do not get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed most of this series up until this flick, I even enjoyed Hobbes and Shaw, the flick that came after [EXPLETIVE DELETED]. I mean what else could be said about this besides [EXPLETIVE DELETED]. And you can take that to the bank! (Frank Kemp)
Are you a fan of MAN and of The Devil’s Advocate? Many will remember this dark and sinister thriller with plenty of ham to go around for the off the wall performance by the great Al Pacino. Whether it is him deriding God for his sadism and absentee landlord status or trying to force his own offspring to “do a thing”, Pacino steals every scene. Reeves does…his thing as an ambitious young lawyer caught up in the big city life. But who provides the real treat of the film? Charlize Theron is there to deliver a powerful performance as an under-utilized and stereotypical character. Playing the suffering wife to our lead might not sound too enticing but Theron delivers a raw and emotional performance as one of the few relatable and sympathetic characters in the film. A performance that opened the door to her role in Monster, this role is some added heft in a film remembered for the full-blown scenery chewing of its famous and legendary supporting actor. (Shane Conto)
Bombshell is a difficult film to watch. As a man, it made me sick to my stomach to see what these women went through at the hands of a power hungry, abusive, and dispicable “man”. While this film is hard to watch, it’s hard to turn away from due to the incredible performances from this A-list cast of leading ladies with Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie, and Nicole Kidman. All of them bring their A-game and earned awards nominations for their powerful performances. My only fault with this film is that while the subject matter lends itself to a powerful story, the movie seems to lack the focus it needs to really drive home the experiences of what these women went through. Again, though, Bombshell is a timely film driven by incredible performances that I will sit with for quite some time. (Ben Davis)
Hancock (Will Smith) is a deadbeat alcoholic superhero (and second worst superhero behind Florida Man) until he meets up with Ray Embry (Jason Bateman), a PR Specialist whose life Hancock saves, and a man who sets his goal in life to reform the troubled superhero, much to the chagrin of his wife Mary (Charlize Theron), though after a major plot twist we soon learn why. While this movie bogs down about midway through the movie (mostly, in my opinion, due to a miscast Jason Bateman, not fleshing out Charlize’s character more than she deserves, and a head literally being up someones ass) while also not handling the big reveal as well as I think it should, Hancock does provide an interesting tale in the superhero genre, one that feels like it left a lot on the drawing board. If the planned sequel ever comes to fruition, and Charlize Theron and Will Smith return to their roles, I hope that they take the time to add the depth that Mary as a character deserves in this world, can flesh out the backstory of superheroes in this world, and could make this series one of the cornerstones of the genre. Just don’t call Hancock an asshole. (Joseph Davis)
If there’s one thing I know, it’s never to mess with mother nature, mother in-laws and mother freaking Ukrainians. Do you love heist movies? Same; I even like the not so great ones. And before I get going, no this is not going to be an all-time heist movie, but it is a very serviceable one. After a 35 million gold heist goes successfully, but team member Ed Norton’s gotta Ed Norton, and kills the team lead, Donald Sutherland, a year later, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Statham, Seth Green, Yasiin Bey, and (most importantly) his daughter Charlize Theron plan and execute a heist to steal all the money back from Ed Norton, who is also being tracked by Ukranians eventually. Look, this movie doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it has really charming characters but nothing to write home about, it isn’t very simple or very complex, and there are some aspects of it that are very unsatisfying at the end when you actually think about it, but what this movie does have is some really creative set pieces, some really good acting (particularly from Charlize), car scenes that Fast & Furious should take notes of, and some witty humor. When all is said and done, The Italian Job, should leave you with a good (Aaron Schweitzer)
While I often enjoy Seth Rogen’s movies due to their impeccable mix of humor and heart, I find that they’re often missing something deeper. This is exactly why I love and appreciate Long Shot so much. It is able to bring in the familiar tone and feel of a Rogen comedy, while also saying something of true depth and value about modern life. Themes of self-worth, understanding one another, and standing up for what you believe to be right permeate the whole movie amidst hilarious gags. Of course, Charlize Theron is the missing puzzle piece to truly make this movie soar. Having an actress of her caliber take the movie seriously while also having fun validates the entire film and takes it to the next level. (Robert Bouffard)
After four acclaimed films, director Jason Reitman had a couple of missteps with later movies, but bounced back in 2018 with his comedy-drama, Tully. The story follows a young mother named Marlo (Charlize Theron), who has two children and a third on the way. Tired and stressed, her husband, Craig (Mark Duplass), hires Tully (Mackenzie Davis), a nanny who helps keep the household together and shows Marlo that her best years aren’t behind her. Theron is one of those actresses where a forgettable performance is rare in her career. The work that she provides for this film is as strong as ever and displays the emotions that come with both the rewards and challenges of parenthood. Davis is just as memorable as the kind-hearted, adventurous nanny who becomes both a saving grace and a best friend to Marlo, and the strong chemistry between her and Theron is an absolute delight as you embark with them on this emotional and humorous journey. This is the second time that Reitman, Theron, and screenwriter Diablo Cody have all collaborated (they all worked together on Reitman’s 2011 film,Young Adult), so it’s an intriguing coincidence that the subject matter of Tully pretty much makes this movie a spiritual sequel to Young Adult. Besides that, Reitman continues to show how skilled he is in handling true-to-life narratives with an abundance of heart and wit that will strike you with how relatable they can be. (Vincent Abbatecola)
The best animated film of 2016 (sorry not sorry, Zootopia and Moana) and maybe even one of the best films of that year has to be Kubo and the Two Strings. There is just so much love and care put into this movie. Laika alone spent one year on rigging a huge skeleton just to get the right series of shots for a scene. As far as the story goes, without going into spoiler territory, there is a character played by Theron that is a protector of sorts, a source of love and a teacher, which I’m not used to seeing in what is otherwise an animated movie for children. If you haven’t had the chance to see Kubo and the Two Strings for yourself, go rent it. (Austin Belzer)
Monster, directed and written by Patty Jenkins is based on the true life of infamous serial killer, Aileen Wournos. While well structured as a film, the true accolades goes to the phenomenal and career defining performance by Charlize Theron. It is truly a transformative performance and in my opinion in top 10 performances of all time. The way she captures Aileen Wournos in the film is uncanny. Everything from the mannerisms to the way that she speaks is emulated so perfectly, it is scary at times. She completely earned the Best Actress Academy Award in 2004. This credit should also go to Patty Jenkins, with her uncanny ability to direct actors and get the best performance out of them as humanly possible. The make-up work for Charlize Theron also lends to the effectiveness of her performance and further immerses you into her portrayal of Wournos.To elaborate more on the film itself, it starts off quite lovely and has a tenderness to it due to the core relationship of the film. This slowly turns sour after the sexual assault of Aileen at the hands of one of her john’s. You have a level of empathy for Aileen, despite her horrific acts that she commits. You can see through Theron’s performance and the storytelling that she had been molded into this tormented individual. This is a film that isn’t easy to digest by any means, but is a must watch due to the performances and care put into the storytelling. (Joe Vargas)
What was the biggest surprise when George Miller’s insane action masterpiece, Mad Max: Fury Road, finally released? Was it that they delivered such an impeccably realized work after all these years of waiting? Was it that Warner Bros invested a huge $150 million budget on such a strange and unconventional film? Honestly it was the fact that Max shared the spotlight and even relinquished the spotlight to an absolutely fantastic warrior named Furiosa. Charlize Theron delivers an intense and emotional performance as a character who has been through hell and comes out as a great warrior for justice. This fever dream of a car chase will be remembered for the practical and CGI effects working seamlessly together and the one-two punch of the stoic and mad Max, portrayed with the grunting and intense effort of Tom Hardy, and the powerful and unrelenting Furiosa. Theron has left her mark on The Wasteland and we long for more from her and her incredible character. (Shane Conto)
Honorable Mentions:
A Million Ways to Die in the West
Looking back at some of the things that Seth MacFarlane has been involved in writing, I’m surprised that very little mention A Million Ways to Die in the West. MacFarlane is also directing this time around, and that means that the movie is shot with great care to make the wild west feel authentic as you can get in a satire about it. While the film is a comedy, it also has great cinematography that one might mistake for a proper western at a glance. I’d also like to mention that Charlize Theron is my favorite part of the movie as her comedic timing can be unexpected, as I usually see her more in the more serious role. So if you have love for the Wild West genre, then this should be something worth checking out. (Alex Henderson)
Snow White and the Huntsman
Who wanted to see Kristen Stewart being leading lady as Snow White? Any one? No, anyways. When the film came out, I think everyone wanted to see if Stewart could carry a film. Sadly, she wasn’t the standout star of this film. Charlize Theron was. Her spin on the evil queen was amazing and right down scary. She had me shook. The actress was so good, I was scared to make the woman upset. How crazy is that? Theron is believable throughout the whole film, crazy and merciless. She got what she wanted, not caring who was hurt/killed along the way. She doesn’t stop giving 100%. By the end of the film, I was rooting for the evil queen to become the prettiest of them all. (Chantal Ashford)
Also See: 15 Minutes, Aeon Flux, Atomic Blonde, Celebrity, Men of Honor, Mighty Joe Young, North Country, Prometheus, Reindeer Games, Sweet November, The Astronaut’s Wife, The Cider House Rules, The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Old Guard, The Road, Trapped