(Photo by Focus Features)
Charlize Theron launched a career turning heads in 1996’s Two Days in the Valley as one of the quirky neo-noir’s femme fatales. The big breakthrough for the South African actress came but a year later, playing the satanic bait in The Devil’s Advocate. Thanks, Keanu! Theron suddenly became inescapable, working with some big name directors (Woody Allen, John Frankenheimer, Robert Redford) on their worst movies (The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Reindeer Games, The Legend of Bagger Vance). Then 2003 brought her international recognition (The Italian Job) and a significant Oscar win (Monster). Ever since, she’s fluctuated between catnip for fanboys (AEon Flux, Hancock, Prometheus) and dramatic art (North Country and the Jason Reitman collaborations Young Adult and Tully), and sometimes she’s found that rarefied sweet spot in-between (Mad Max: Fury Road).
Recently, she launched another potential action franchise with The Old Guard, and continued apace in another (Fast X). And now we’re ranking all Charlize Theron movies by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 119142%
Critics Consensus: With exhilarating action and a surprising amount of narrative heft, Mad Max: Fury Road brings George Miller’s post-apocalyptic franchise roaring vigorously back to life.
#2
Adjusted Score: 107725%
Critics Consensus: Kubo and the Two Strings matches its incredible animation with an absorbing — and bravely melancholy — story that has something to offer audiences of all ages.
#3
Adjusted Score: 96884%
Critics Consensus: A light, sweet, and thoroughly entertaining debut for director Tom Hanks, That Thing You Do! makes up in charm what it lacks in complexity.
#4
Adjusted Score: 102700%
Critics Consensus: Tully delves into the modern parenthood experience with an admirably deft blend of humor and raw honesty, brought to life by an outstanding performance by Charlize Theron.
#5
Adjusted Score: 98087%
Critics Consensus: A sharp and deceptively layered comedy that’s further fueled by the odd couple chemistry of its leads, this Long Shot largely hits its marks.
#6
Adjusted Score: 88564%
Critics Consensus: Charlize Theron gives a searing, deglamorized performance as real life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, an intense, disquieting portrait of a profoundly damaged soul.
#7
Adjusted Score: 96603%
Critics Consensus: The Old Guard is occasionally restricted by genre conventions, but director Gina Prince-Bythewood brings a sophisticated vision to the superhero genre – and some knockout action sequences led by Charlize Theron.
#8
Adjusted Score: 87765%
Critics Consensus: Despite its somewhat dour approach, Young Adult is a funny and ultimately powerful no-holds-barred examination of prolonged adolescence, thanks largely to a convincing performance by Charlize Theron.
#9
Adjusted Score: 99437%
Critics Consensus: Atomic Blonde gets enough mileage out of its stylish action sequences — and ever-magnetic star — to make up for a narrative that’s somewhat less hard-hitting than its protagonist.
#10
Adjusted Score: 82728%
Critics Consensus: The Road‘s commitment to Cormac McCarthy’s dark vision may prove too unyielding for some, but the film benefits from hauntingly powerful performances from Viggo Mortensen and Kodi McPhee.
#11
Adjusted Score: 88239%
Critics Consensus: Ridley Scott’s ambitious quasi-prequel to Alien may not answer all of its big questions, but it’s redeemed by its haunting visual grandeur and compelling performances — particularly Michael Fassbender as a fastidious android.
#12
Adjusted Score: 100231%
Critics Consensus: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness labors under the weight of the sprawling MCU, but Sam Raimi’s distinctive direction casts an entertaining spell.
#13
Adjusted Score: 80248%
Critics Consensus: Though some of Paul Haggis’s themes are heavy-handed, In the Valley of Elah is otherwise an engrossing murder mystery and antiwar statement, featuring a mesmerizing performance from Tommy Lee Jones.
#14
Adjusted Score: 78206%
Critics Consensus: Despite some iffy plot elements, The Italian Job succeeds in delivering an entertaining modern take on the original 1969 heist film, thanks to a charismatic cast.
#15
Adjusted Score: 76353%
Critics Consensus: The Cider House Rules derives affecting drama from wonderful performances, lovely visuals, and an old-fashioned feel.
#16
Adjusted Score: 76382%
Critics Consensus: Though sometimes melodramatic and formulaic, North Country is nonetheless a rousing, powerful story of courage and humanity.
#17
Adjusted Score: 67927%
Critics Consensus: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers struggles to truly capture its subject’s singular genius, but remains a diverting tribute — and a showcase for the talents of Geoffrey Rush.
#18
Adjusted Score: 86474%
Critics Consensus: Bombshell benefits from a terrific cast and a worthy subject, but its impact is muffled by a frustrating inability to go deeper than the sensationalistic surface.
#19
Adjusted Score: 84274%
Critics Consensus: The Fate of the Furious opens a new chapter in the franchise, fueled by the same infectious cast chemistry and over-the-top action fans have come to expect.
#20
Adjusted Score: 67507%
Critics Consensus: Featuring strong performances and direction, The Yards is a richly textured crime thriller with an authentic feel.
#21
Adjusted Score: 66795%
Critics Consensus: Though it is ultimately somewhat undone by its own lofty ambitions, The Devil’s Advocate is a mostly effective blend of supernatural thrills and character exploration.
#22
Adjusted Score: 63644%
Critics Consensus: A labyrinthine thriller with a host of memorable characters, 2 Days in the Valley is an uneven but intriguing thriller/black comedy.
#23
Adjusted Score: 75077%
Critics Consensus: F9 sends the franchise hurtling further over the top than ever, but director Justin Lin’s knack for preposterous set pieces keeps the action humming.
#24
Adjusted Score: 73990%
Critics Consensus: As irredeemably silly as it is satisfyingly self-aware, Fast X should rev the engines of longtime fans while leaving many newcomers in neutral.
#25
Adjusted Score: 57712%
Critics Consensus: Well intentioned and passionate, this docu-drama about the 1999 WTO protests is heavier on politics than character development.
#26
Adjusted Score: 56778%
Critics Consensus: Beguiling effects transcend a predictable plot.
#27
Adjusted Score: 56197%
Critics Consensus: While it isn’t terribly original, and it seems to have a political agenda that may rankle some viewers, Astro Boy boasts enough visual thrills to please its target demographic.
#28
Adjusted Score: 51805%
Critics Consensus: Trial and Error gets some laughs out of the comedic chemistry between its pleasantly mismatched leads, although the results are still somewhat less than memorable.
#29
Adjusted Score: 60372%
Critics Consensus: While it offers an appropriately dark take on the fairy tale that inspired it, Snow White and the Huntsman is undone by uneven acting, problematic pacing, and a confused script.
#30
Adjusted Score: 52904%
Critics Consensus: The Addams Family‘s starry voice cast and eye-catching animation aren’t enough to outweigh its saccharine handling of the delightfully dark source material.
#31
Adjusted Score: 49109%
Critics Consensus: The writing for Scorpion is not as sharp as Woody Allen’s previous movies as most of the jokes fall flat.
#32
Adjusted Score: 47979%
Critics Consensus: Despite the talent involved in The Legend of Bagger Vance, performances are hindered by an inadequate screenplay full of flat characters and bad dialogue. Also, not much happens, and some critics are offended by how the film glosses over issues of racism.
#33
Adjusted Score: 51223%
Critics Consensus: Though it begins with promise, Hancock suffers from a flimsy narrative and poor execution.
#34
Adjusted Score: 45829%
Critics Consensus: De Niro and Goodings Jr. manage to turn in performances that make this by-the-numbers inspirational movie watchable.
#35
Adjusted Score: 44008%
Critics Consensus: Entertaining, but too scattered.
#36
Adjusted Score: 46851%
Critics Consensus: Gringo rounds up a bafflingly overqualified cast for a misfire of a comedy that’s fatally undermined by its messy plot, poorly conceived characters, and obvious debts to better films.
#37
Adjusted Score: 40603%
Critics Consensus: This heavily symbolic, melodramatic multi-narrative drama lacks emotional resonance.
#38
Adjusted Score: 39921%
Critics Consensus: The cast is game and the visuals are dazzling, but a deeply derivative narrative means The School for Good and Evil flunks on the storytelling front.
#39
Adjusted Score: 42888%
Critics Consensus: While it offers a few laughs and boasts a talented cast, Seth MacFarlane’s overlong, aimless A Million Ways to Die in the West is a disappointingly scattershot affair.
#40
Adjusted Score: 36112%
Critics Consensus: As critical as it is about sensationalism in the media, 15 Minutes itself indulges in lurid violence, and its satire is too heavy-handed to be effective.
#41
Adjusted Score: 33052%
Critics Consensus: Altogether ooky, and not in a good way.
#42
Adjusted Score: 28186%
Critics Consensus: Despite a decent cast, subpar acting and a contrived plot disappointed reviewers.
#43
Adjusted Score: 26336%
Critics Consensus: Dark Places has a strong cast and bestselling source material, but none of it adds up to more than a mediocre thriller that gets tripped up on its own twists.
#44
Adjusted Score: 30263%
Critics Consensus: The Huntsman: Winter’s War is visually arresting and boasts a stellar cast, but neither are enough to recommend this entirely unnecessary sequel.
#45
Adjusted Score: 18702%
Critics Consensus: Despite some sharp performances, Sleepwalking suffers from a grimness of tone and sluggish pacing.
#46
Adjusted Score: 18257%
Critics Consensus: With its plot about child kidnapping and endangerment, Trapped is an exploitative thriller, more queasy than suspenseful.
#47
Adjusted Score: 18446%
Critics Consensus: Head in the Clouds aspires to soapy melodrama, but gets lost in its own lather, never mining romance from its central love affair or achieving authenticity in its period setting.
#48
Adjusted Score: 18114%
Critics Consensus: Schmaltzy and manipulative, Sweet November suffers from an implausible plot and non-existent chemistry between its leads.
#49
Adjusted Score: 17434%
Critics Consensus: Despite the best efforts of its talented leads, The Astronaut’s Wife moves at a snail’s pace and fails to generate enough intrigue to keep viewers engaged.
#50
Adjusted Score: 11479%
Critics Consensus: The humor is on the level of a corny sitcom, and the tone is condescending.
#51
Adjusted Score: 12515%
Critics Consensus: Aeon Flux lacks the gravity-defying pace of its animated predecessor, and, despite some flash, is largely a dull affair.
#52
Adjusted Score: 9509%
Critics Consensus: The Last Face‘s noble intentions are nowhere near enough to carry a fundamentally misguided story that arguably demeans the demographic it wants to defend.