Ranking the movies of Margot Robbie from worst to best
It seems like one just can’t escape from the true cinematic force that has become the iconic Australian actor Margot Robbie. Since making her breakthrough in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street in 2013, starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey, Robbie has gone on to become one of the most sought-out actors of her generation.
Robbie had started her career, like many Australian actors, on the famed TV soap opera Neighbours, starting in 2008 and staying there for three years. In 2011, she moved to America in search of becoming one of the biggest film stars, and it’s easy to see now that she has more than achieved her goal.
Since breaking through, Robbie has played the iconic characters Harley Quinn and Jane Porter in The Suicide Squad and The Legend of Tarzan, respectively, and throughout her time on our screens and been recognised and admired for her performative efforts, being nominated for two Academy Awards and winning as many as four Golden Globes and five BAFTAs.
With Barbie hitting cinemas, we’re taking a look at every feature film Robbie has ever starred in and taking on the unenviable task of ranking. So, in ascending order (from worst to best) and without further ado, it’s time to talk about Margot Robbie.
Margot Robbie’s best movies – ranked:
27. Vigilante (Aash Aaron, 2008)
After enjoying minor TV roles and one massive part in the popular soap Neighbours, Robbie kicked off her movie career with the 2008 horror flick Vigilante from director Aash Aaron. Playing just a minor role in the movie that feels like it was made with a camera that came free with a box of cereal, Robbie’s debut film is certainly a forgettable one, offering very little in terms of creativity or originality.
Following a pretty generic horror plot, the film tells the story of Luke, who takes to a life of crime after his fiancée is brutally raped and murdered.
26. I.C.U. (Aash Aaron, 2009)
Many first-time performers make their name in the world of horror, with Robbie collaborating with Aash Aaron for the second time in 2009 for I.C.U. Clearly learning very little from his 2008 film Vigilante, Aaron’s I.C.U. is impressively even worse than his debut, boasting a sadistic horror plot that offers nothing in terms of original insight, with Robbie and her co-stars putting in some bargain bin performances.
Similarly to his debut film, Aaron’s follow-up is pretty formulaic, telling the story of a voyeuristic killer who captures three teenagers, forcing them to fight for survival.
25. Suicide Squad (David Ayer, 2016)
David Ayer’s foray into the DC universe is a tricky one. On the one hand, it really is objectively a bad film. No amount of zany characters, R-rated superhero antics and a tatted-up Joker could change the fact that the movie was stitched together, Frankenstein-style, in the editing room. Perhaps there’s a great movie buried in there, and perhaps the fan calls for ‘The Ayer Cut’ have a ring of truth to them. Nevertheless, the theatrical release was a total mess.
On the other hand, it gave us Robbie’s version of Harley Quinn, which has continued through a number of other titles to prove to be one of the most enjoyable, enduring and distinct superhero characters to grace the big screen. As it turns out, she’s so dynamic and charming as Quinn that her performance is guaranteed to be better and bigger than any film she’s part of.
24. Terminal (Vaughn Stein, 2018)
Rightfully panned upon release, this neon-soaked neo-noir revenge thriller is the textbook example of style over substance. This is particularly telling, seeing how even the style is uninspired, derivative and just flat-out cringeworthy. Produced by Robbie, Vaughn Stein’s debut feature feels like it was written and directed by a teenager who’s fresh from watching Blade Runner and Pulp Fiction for the first time.
Robbie’s performance as the waitress/twins is by far the strongest factor of Terminal, which is a grave shame considering the additional talent of Dexter Fletcher, Simon Pegg and Mike Myers. Following the interwoven and tandem storylines of assassins in a nondescript city in a vaguely futuristic setting, the film is about as juvenile as you can get. It will rightfully be forgotten by history.
23. Focus (Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, 2015)
After the success of The Wolf of Wall Street, Robbie naturally became a sought-after star in her own right. However, merely being sought out does not necessarily lead to the right paths or, in her case, the right films. The crime comedy-drama Focus does not live long in the memory at all.
Robbie plays a femme fatale-type character who is taken under the teaching of an experienced con artist (played by Will Smith). Performing with an admittedly weak star like Smith did not bring out the best in Robbie, and this one easily finds its place right down the list. We weren’t to be tricked this time.
22. Slaughterhouse Rulez (Crispian Mills, 2018)
Crispian Mills’ 2018 movie Slaughterhouse Rulez is the kind of film you’d expect to be pretty great before you chose to watch it, yet we regret to inform you that it’s one of Robbie’s worst releases to date. Telling the story of a posh British boarding school that becomes an unlikely battleground thanks to emerging horrors from a nearby fracking site, Robbie plays the small role of Audrey, a sadly forgettable side character.
Disappearing into the well-cast ensemble, which includes Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Michael Sheen and Asa Butterfield, Robbie does her all in Slaughterhouse Rulez but simply doesn’t have the time to shine.
21. Peter Rabbit (Will Gluck, 2018)
The Australian actor hasn’t made a career from her voice performances, with the Peter Rabbit movies being some of the only films she’s made where she doesn’t make a physical appearance. Still, Robbie does a decent job bringing the character of Flopsy to life. We’re certainly not going to sit here and write that she was phenomenal, but as voicing a bunny rabbit goes, she’s pretty good.
One thing’s for sure is that she’s not given a whole lot to do, with most of the film being dedicated to other voice performers, James Corden, Fayssal Bazzi, Sia and Daisy Ridley.
20. The Legend of Tarzan (David Yates, 2016)
Sometimes it feels as though there’s no sacredness to our favourite animations of old, and in recent times, Disney has been doing all it can to cash in on Disney fever and turn cartoons into live-action. In 2016, we saw Alexander Skarsgard play the famed jungle dweller, with Robbie playing Jane Porter.
Jane is, of course, a central figure in Tarzan and with Robbie portraying her, the film has a real air of genuine quality, despite the criticism. We see Tarzan return to the African jungle to investigate the ongoing slavery after he has moved to London. Robbie shines, giving her all to this iconic role.
19. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (Will Gluck, 2021)
Another day, another Peter Rabbit movie. We considered lumping both movies into one entry, but that would be to deny the admitted slither of quality to the sequel, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway. Taking the story from the humble farm to the heights of the big city, the 2021 film once again follows Peter as he leads his family and friends on a wild adventure when he gets into a pickle with several peculiar characters.
With most of the cast returning from the first film, the sequel saw Robbie joined by the likes of David Oyelowo, Hayley Atwell and Lennie James.
18. Birds of Prey (Cathy Yan, 2020)
Only marginally better than Suicide Squad, this female-centric DC film at least has the wisdom to place Robbie’s Harley Quinn centre stage. Hardcore comic fans will probably lament the looseness that the filmmakers have taken with their approach to the title — it refers to a group of female villains that are much celebrated by the DC community but are barely represented in this live-action adaptation.
Nevertheless, watching Harley Quinn remains as fun as always, and as the title character, we get additional joyous delights such as an inner monologue as she salivates over her favourite breakfast sandwich (“Bacon, eggs, American cheese – just a dash of hot sauce”) and a Ferris Bueller-style breaking of the fourth wall. A sub-par movie, but one that reinforces what we already know — Robbie can absolutely carry a film by herself.
17. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (Glenn Ficara & John Requa, 2016)
Released shortly before Robbie would hit the big time with a significant role in the DC superhero universe, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot was another middling success for the actor, appearing alongside Tina Fey, Alfred Molina, Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton and Nicholas Braun in this confused comedy about a journalist recounting her time covering the war in Afghanistan in 2003.
Based on the book The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Kim Barker, Robbie tentatively plays Tanya Vanderpoel, a British journalist who plays a pivotal role in the plot, without much dramatic oomph.
16. Dreamland (Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, 2019)
Miles Joris-Peyrafitte’s Dreamland was a peculiar movie for Margot Robbie to have taken on in 2019, with it offering seemingly little in terms of commercial or critical attention. As it is, the film is perfectly fine, telling the story of a teenager’s journey as a bounty hunter alongside his new unlikely companion, a criminal named Allison Wells (Robbie).
Also producing the movie, Robbie does a great job in front of the camera, giving some gusto to a script by Nicolaas Zwart that could’ve done with some vim and vigour. Alongside Kerry Condon, Finn Cole and Garrett Hedlund, Robbie thrives.
15. Goodbye Christopher Robin (Simon Curtis, 2017)
One might have thought from the title that Goodbye Christopher Robin is a live-action version of Winnie the Pooh, which would have been a horrorshow, to say the least. What it is instead, thankfully, a biographical drama about Pooh’s creator, the author A.A. Milne.
Domhnall Gleeson portrays Milne, while Robbie plays his wife, Daphne. Despite the lighthearted nature of Milne’s fictional creations, there’s a dramatic seriousness to Simon Curtis’ film, and Robbie feels the full effects of the shellshock that the author experienced in battle during World War II. Certainly creeping up there in Robbie’s most nuanced performances.
14. Z for Zachariah (Craig Zobel, 2015)
By 2015, Robbie was a promising Hollywood star, having enjoyed high-profile collaborations with the likes of Martin Scorsese and Richard Curtis, but she was still a little off from becoming a household name. Craig Zobel’s Z for Zachariah was a stepping stone to this kind of success, appearing in the movie as Ann Burden, one side of a complex love triangle that emerges in the wake of a global disaster.
Alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine, who lead the film as the sole trio, Robbie gives an excellent performance, pushing the limited script as far as it can go, offering studios an insight into her potential as a performer.
13. Suite Française (Saul Dibb, 2015)
While there’s always been a sense of coyness about Robbie’s performances, certainly in the likes of The Wolf of Wall Street and Babylon, she also possesses a tragic seriousness too. This was expressed to a degree in the 2015 romantic war drama Suite Française, directed by Saul Dibb.
Still at the beginning of her career, Robbie plays a tenant of the protagonist’s mother-in-law, a French woman who is caught having sex with a German soldier during World War II. Robbie’s only in the movie for a brief moment, and though it’s certainly not her best effort, she shows us her varied capability as an actor.
12. Babylon (Damien Chazelle, 2022)
Every now and then, a film by a great filmmaker graces the cinema screens and, despite being perfect on paper, just falls completely flat in every way. As sad as it was to see, particularly after the triumphs of Whiplash, La La Land, and the much slept-on First Man, the fifth feature from Damien Chazelle was deeply disappointing.
Overly ambitious, overly written and over-produced, Babylon is a rich, sumptuous, wonderfully shot piece of cinema — it just doesn’t have any soul or substance whatsoever. Ostensibly one of the main characters, Robbie’s portrayal of an unlikely starlet during the pivotal transition from the silent era of cinema to ‘talkies’ is completely overshadowed by the bloated, convoluted and try-hard attempt at a historical epic.
11. The Suicide Squad (James Gunn, 2021)
The third time’s a charm; after David Ayer’s first attempt and Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey, director James Gunn of Super and Guardians of the Galaxy fame swept in and finally did the DC villains justice. In a sort of sequel, sort of remake/reboot, this 2021 film from Warner Bros more or less kept the same name as the 2016 version but allowed Gunn to make drastic improvements.
Boasting the same artistic flair, a knack for soundtracks and aptitude for forging great chemistry between his ensemble cast that he’s demonstrated with Marvel films, Gunn’s first step into the DC world was a resounding success in every which way. Funnier, darker, more gory and more soulful, the home run that the director hit with The Suicide Squad impressed the producers so much that it earned him a dramatic promotion to co-CEO of DC Studios. Let’s just hope that, with his future DC projects, he’ll have the common sense to keep Robbie and her wickedly fun version of Harley Quinn.
10. Asteroid City (Wes Anderson, 2023)
Having curated a style so singular and specific that it bordered on self-parody, director Wes Anderson wisely chose to set his latest project in the realm of 1950s retro Americana. Whilst undoubtedly and immediately obviously another Anderson film, Asteroid City incorporates and builds upon the previously established aesthetics of mid-century South-Western America.
The result is a film that gives way slightly, sharing the visual load rather than buckling under its own weight like the auteur’s previous offerings. At the heart of it is a story about a small town, both geographically and culturally, whose eyes are opened to the cosmic wilderness after an encounter with a genuine, space-travelling alien. And, in a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it moment, there’s a fleeting contribution from Robbie as a theatre actor, too.
9. Amsterdam (David O. Russell, 2022)
Although the film was unceremoniously dropped by theatres after only a few weeks and swept under the carpet (also known as being dumped on streaming services), David O. Russell’s latest offering was treated unfairly. Perhaps partly due to resurfacing reports about misbehaviour from the director, the film itself stands as a shining example of that tried and tested formula: great actors plus a great story equals a great movie.
Following the adventures of two WWI veterans, played by Christian Bale and John David Washington, who form a bittersweet friendship with Margot Robbie’s nurse, the film explores the concepts of memory and geography and how people can associate specific moments or ‘eras’ of their lives with the people and setting. Part espionage thriller that tracks the dawn of fascism in the early 20th century, and part celebration of all things friendship, Russell’s film was a triumph that never lost sight of its complex, three-dimensional and nuanced protagonists.
8. Bombshell (Jay Roach, 2019)
The first major production to focus on systemic misogyny that would pave the way for 2022’s She Said, Jay Roach’s Bombshell is based on the experiences of three women at Fox News who eventually exposed and sued CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment and won tens of millions against him in settlement money.
Whilst delivering a much-needed gut punch to the industry and partly serving as a wake-up call to the inherent and dangerous imbalance in power, Bombshell fell somewhat short in terms of its tone and presentation. Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman give a perfectly adequate turn as real-life Fox Newsers Megyn and Gretchen, while weirdly, Robbie plays a completely fabricated character that undermines an otherwise serious biopic. Penned by the same writer of The Big Short, the film also leans heavily into its satirical, dark comedy elements, which further robs the impact of the story. Nevertheless, compared to titles like the first Suicide Squad, Bombshell is a masterpiece.
7. About Time (Richard Curtis, 2013)
There’s always a real tenderness to the films of Richard Curtis, and his 2013 romantic comedy-drama About Time is no different. Robbie stars alongside Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy in a tale about a young man called Tim who discovers the ability to time travel.
After discovering his ability, Tim decides to go back in time to try and change his past and therefore alter his future. Robbie plays Charlotte, a friend of Tim’s sister, who Tim is romantically interested in. When things don’t go as planned for Tim, he goes back in time to try and change his fortunes with her. However, Tim realises that there a something that even time travel can’t change, and it’s Robbie’s performance as Charlotte that gives this idea all the more weight.
6. The Big Short (Adam McKay, 2015)
Few cinemagoers will forget the excitement that came from realising The Big Short was by the same director as Anchorman and Step Brothers director Adam McKay. His searing, furious lampooning of bankers and the 2008 financial crisis managed to strike a balance between artful, ‘high-brow’ cinema and balls-to-the-wall, flat-out comedy.
Whilst a teeny cameo among several others from the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Selena Gomez, Robbie’s scene of her explaining the inner workings of ‘subprime mortgages’ all from the comfort of a bubble bath with a glass of champagne was a work of genius. Introduced by Ryan Gosling as “Here’s Margot Robbie in a bubble bath to explain,” audiences were then shown the Aussie actor shrouded in bubbles, conveying what would otherwise be rather dense and frankly boring financial concepts. It was a tongue-in-cheek nod from McKay, a demonstration of great sportsmanship from Robbie, and a moment in a film that is still considered one of 2010’s best.
5. Barbie (Greta Gerwig, 2023)
With great ease, the most-hyped of Margot Robbie’s performances comes in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie. However, the hype is more than worth it here because the film is a fascinating (if at times blinding) examination of what the Barbie doll represents in our actual human lives. Is she a form of escapism from the horrors of the real world or a damnable excuse for unachievable beauty ideals in young girls?
Gerwig’s film asks all these questions and more, and it feels like Robbie was pretty much born to play the lead role. Ryan Gosling as Ken is equally impressive (though in a more eye-covering, cringeworthy way), and every moment of the movie is well-written, well-choreographed and well-performed. This will be a movie that sticks long in the memory of Robbie fans across the world.
4. Mary Queen of Scots (Josie Rourke, 2018)
Robbie’s been able to do it all, play uptight wives and badass superheroes, make us cry and laugh in equal measure and put her talent to the test in so many different ways. In 2018, she added another string to her bow by playing a historical role in Josie Rourke’s Mary Queen of Scots opposite Saoirse Ronan.
Ronan played the titular character, while Robbie played her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. There’s a genuine air of believability when it comes to Robbie playing the famous British monarch, who served as the head of the country from 1558 until 1603. The actor proved, as she always has done, that she can put herself into any role and come out the other side with swathes upon swathes of newfound respect and admiration.
3. Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino, 2019)
Ticking off acclaimed directors with the same tenacity as a terminal patient with their bucket list, 2019 saw Margot Robbie collaborate with the indelible Quentin Tarantino for his penultimate film. In a marvellous portrayal of real-life actor Sharon Tate, partner of director Roman Polanski and sort-of, would-be mother to his children, Robbie’s small but vibrant participation in Tarantino’s ode to 1960s Hollywood will remain forever etched into the audience’s consciousness.
Proving herself perfectly capable of fluidly transitioning between superhero films, indie dramas and huge arthouse blockbusters, any directors still unsure about her worth as an actor will have 100% changed their minds after seeing Robbie in this alternative-history epic that heralded a triumphant end to a decade of cinema.
2. The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese, 2013)
When it comes to Margot Robbie, it’s hard to look beyond her breakout role in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 biographical comedy-drama The Wolf of Wall Street, in which she plays Naomi, the second wife of stockbroker Jordan Belfort (played wonderfully by Leonardo Di Caprio).
After all, it was in Scorsese’s movie that we were shown Robbie as the true dramatic force that she is today. There’s comedy and tragedy in abundance in Robbie’s portrayal of Naomi, and pretty much every single one of us remembers the first time we saw her act. While Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street will long serve in the memory, it’s not exactly her best-ever performance. We’re picking something with her more at the centre as opposed to waiting on the sidelines…
1. I, Tonya (Craig Gillespie, 2017)
If it wasn’t already obvious by 2017 that Robbie was an acting tour de force who was capable of being a leading lady, then Craig Gillespie’s adaptation of the 1994 ice-skating scandal more than confirmed it. A biographical sports/mockumentary hybrid, I, Tonya featured Robbie in a career-defining role as Tonya Harding, the infamously badly-behaved figure skater who caused a media shockwave after her alleged assault of a competitor in the Championships.
With blotchy skin, thinly scraped back hair and terrible makeup, Robbie’s performance won her multiple nominations for ‘Best Actress’, and rightly so — rather than taking cheap shots at a figure judged by history, the Tonya Harding presented in I, Tonya is rich, complex and deeply vulnerable. Six years later, it remains one of Robbie’s best roles and, combined with outstanding supporting roles from Allison Janney and Sebastian Stan, her best film to date.
