While Girl, Interrupted is widely regarded as an uneven film with a shaky grasp on mental illness, Jolie’s performance articulates the shallow charm and cold calculation of a clinical sociopath with total aplomb. Jolie is a jittery force of nature in her limited screen time, making such an impact on Logan director James Mangold’s film that she completely overshadowed poor Winona Ryder’s attempted comeback performance. The actress would receive her first (and to date, only) Academy Award for her work as Lisa Rowe, the role that launched her into superstardom.
Angelina Jolie is a great many things: Hollywood royalty, humanitarian and director among them. But she’s also more often than not the most memorable thing in otherwise meh films. She is magnetic enough that she’s the sole reason we remember films like Wanted and Gone in 60 Seconds. And when she’s is paired with the right material, she can be riveting.
In advance of her Marvel debut in Chloé Zhao’s Eternals, we picked 12 of Jolie’s best performances. Each features a standout turn from an actress whose very presence is enough to elevate everything around her.