The 15 Best Natalie Portman Movies Ranked

Compared to the epic scale that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has reached in its later phases, the first "Thor" film is relatively small in scale. Director Kenneth Branagh tackled Marvel's powerful God of Thunder by stripping him of his hammer and signature powers. Banished from the Kingdom of Asgard, Thor is forced to live on Earth in order to reassess his values. It helped humanize a character that could have felt emotionally unreachable, and a lot of that empathy comes from Natalie Portman's character Jane Foster.

Jane is a scientist who researches anomalies within the galactic map, and she's fascinated by the outer space visitor that appears in the middle of the desert. Jane has a real passion for practical studies, and seeing her scientific approach to the mysticism of Thor was an interesting twist. Love interests in superhero movies can often feel one-note, but Jane is an active character who engages in the plot.

Zach Braff's 2004 directorial debut, "Garden State," continues to generate widespread discussion, being ripe for analysis and criticism. It is an early example of a Hollywood star creating a smaller, personal project that is semi-autobiographical and has an idiosyncratic sense of humor. Unfortunately, many have labeled Natalie Portman's character as a "Manic Pixie Dream Girl," including that moniker's creator Nathan Rabin. Although the film has its issues, Portman is truly wonderful in it, as she embraces Braff's wacky slice-of-life relatable comedy.

The film centers around the actor Andrew Largeman (Braff), who returns to his hometown in New Jersey after the death of his mother. During a medical appointment, he has a chance encounter with the energetic Samantha (Portman). Braff is a talented comic performer, but less accustomed to more serious work, but Portman's high-spirited energy elevates Braff's performance, and they have strong chemistry.

Natalie Portman is renowned for her ability to deliver emotionally devastating moments as a dramatic actress, but she's often not given enough credit for her comedic sensibilities. Portman would go on to star in a few romantic comedies like "No Strings Attached" later in her career, but her sense of humor was apparent even within her early work. She's absolutely hilarious in Tim Burton's wild 1996 disaster film parody "Mars Attacks!," based on the Topps trading card series. 

The film centers around an invasion of Earth by vicious Martians that take advantage of mankind's utter incompetence. Among the biggest idiots on the planet is President James Dale (Jack Nicholson), and Portman appears as his daughter Taffy, who has grown bored by politics and has to fend for herself during the attack. Although Taffy is spoiled and incredibly wealthy, Portman is still able to make her a likable character.

One of the signs of a great actor is someone who can deliver memorable performances regardless of how much screen time they have. Natalie Portman is often credited above the title thanks to her frequent starring roles, so when she took on a smaller role in the 2003 Civil War epic "Cold Mountain" it came as a bit of a surprise. However, in only a few extended scenes, Portman delivered memorable work that ranks among the film's strongest moments.

"Cold Mountain" is centered around the carpenter William Inman (Jude Law), who is forced to enlist in the Confederate Army and leave both his home in Charleston, South Carolina as well as his lover Ada Monroe (Nicole Kidman). After Inman is left for dead in battle he ventures on the long journey home, and during his travels comes across the meager widow Sara (Portman). Sara lives within a dangerous community but takes William in nonetheless. He's forced to protect her from soldiers that attempt to assault her and kidnap her son Ethan.

Although Natalie Portman has had many box office successes over her career, many viewers still remember her as Padme Amidala in the "Star Wars" prequel films. The romance between Padme and Anakin never worked, and it was unfortunate that Portman's talents were wasted, especially since seeing her in a science fiction project is exciting. Thankfully, Portman was able to star in a new sci-fi classic that gave her a much more interesting role with Alex Garland's 2018 film "Annihilation."

Portman stars as Lena, a biologist researcher whose husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) disappears into a mysterious energy field known as "The Shimmer." Lena is given the chance to rescue him when she's recruited by the government psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Lena joins Ventress and her team composed of paramedic Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez), physicist Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson), and creature specialist Cassie Sheppard (Tuva Novotny) in their exploration of "The Shimmer." Within the enigmatic "Area X" they experience monstrous creatures and frightening visions that haunt each woman with demons of their past.

Natalie Portman finally won the Academy Award for best actress for her performance in Darren Aronofsky's brilliant 2010 psychological thriller "Black Swan," a role that required her to play two conflicting sides of the same character and do extremely physically challenging dance sequences. Occasionally actors will win a "career Oscar," in which they'll be rewarded not for their individual performance but as a representation of their overall filmography. There are also instances in which the immense challenge of a role, such as a physical transformation and difficult stunt work, can also result in the award. While Portman already had an extensive career to this point, "Black Swan" was such a challenge that her win arguably came completely on the basis of merit.

Portman's character Nina Sayers is a shy dancer at the New York Ballet Academy who auditions for the lead role in "Swan Lake," her dream part. Nina rarely does anything other than practice due to the demands of her domineering mother Erica (Barbara Hershey), but she's introduced to the New York social circles by her fellow classmate Lily (Mila Kunis). When she lands the role, Nina is a natural fit for the purely innocent White Swan but must challenge her own psychology to play the seductive Black Swan. She's drawn into a complicated relationship with the conductor Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel).

Natalie Portman has never been shy about her politics during press cycles for her film projects, and many of her films have spotlighted critical issues through direct recreations of historical events. Ironically, one of her most blatantly political films came from within the comic book genre, as James McTeigue's 2005 adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel "V for Vendetta" explores a dystopian militaristic future version of England. The charged story centers around themes of anti-authoritarianism, social discrimination, media dominance, and the necessity of rebellion through public protest. Although McTeigue is credited as the director, the film was produced by the Wachowski sisters and is influenced by their unique stylistic impulses. Portman has a critical role as Evey Hammond, a victim that becomes a victor.

Hammond is a timid British woman who works as a secretary within the BTN broadcast program. The entire media within the nation is directly controlled by the neo-fascist government under High Chancellor Adam Sutler (John Hurt), who rules with an iron fist and a militaristic police force, silencing anyone who dares to disagree with his conservative values. Evey despises Sutler but is helpless to do anything about it until she is saved from a streetside assault by an enigmatic vigilante known only as "V" (Hugo Weaving). V teaches Evey to defend herself and take on his mantle, and Portman shows her remarkable transition as she gains confidence.

Even for some of the best performers in the industry, there are certain roles you can only play at a certain point in your career once you've reached a level of maturity. Few recent cinematic performances have been quite as challenging as the role of Jackie Kennedy in Pablo Larraín's 2016 biographical film "Jackie." Not only does it follow the former First Lady of the United States, someone whose voice and characterization was widely covered by the mainstream media, but it presented Kennedy in a very fragile emotional state in the aftermath of her husband's assassination. It's one thing to play a famous historical figure where the audience is likely familiar with their characteristics, but another to paint them in a sympathetic light as a grieving widow, struggling mother, and unsuspecting pinpoint for the nation's grief. 

Natalie Portman fulfilled these high demands and delivered one of her most powerful performances. Larraín draws parallels between the Kennedys and Arthurian legend, with Portman capturing the essence of heartbroken princess Guinevere watching the glory of Camelot fade away. The story is brilliantly framed around her reclusive conversations with a journalist (Billy Crudup), who gains insight into her state of mind. Portman still leaves some of these emotions ambiguous.