The 10 Best Robin Wright Movies, Ranked (2024)

Younger generations were introduced to Robin Wright through Netflix's dark political thriller House of Cards and as Antiope, the General of the Amazonian Warrior army, in 2017's Wonder Woman. However, audiences tuning into the NBC soap opera Santa Barbara in 1984 were among the first to witness the birth of Wright's acting career. Before delivering her last dramatic line on the daytime soap in 1988, the young actress landed a pivotal role, solidifying her place in film history.

Rob Reiner's 1987 beloved fantasy adventure The Princess Bride was a formative household staple unless your childhood involved cruel and unusual punishment. Wright's effortless beauty will forever be synonymous with Princess Buttercup, though her off-screen life and relationship with screen legend Sean Penn intrigued viewers and tabloids for decades. From off-beat supporting roles in Toys to her upcoming reunion with Tom Hanks in Here, Wright can't go wrong. These are Robin Wright's best movies, ranked by how big a role they played in her career, how substantial her role is in them, and their overall quality.

10 'Moneyball' (2011)

Directed by Bennett Miller

Moneyball is a biographical baseball drama focusing on the 2002 season of the Oakland Athletics and General Manager Billy Beane's (Brad Pitt) attempt to assemble a winning team. Following a less-than-stellar season and limited by his recruiting budget, Beane hires a young economics graduate named Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), who has devised a statistical system for predicting untapped talent in the league. Together, the pair strategically amass a quality Oakland squad without breaking the bank, leading to the widespread and universal use of Brand's Sabermetric Method in sports.

The one-hundred-thirty-three-minute brooding baseball drama changed directorial, writing, and acting hands before the final product was released in 2011 to critical acclaim. Wright was hired to play Beane's ex-wife, Sharon, a minor supporting part further trimmed in the film's final cut. Alongside Spike Jonze in a random cameo appearance as Sharon's new husband, Wright offered her best rendition of a woman who's moved on but is rooting for her former spouse to get his life together. Wright's involvement in Moneyball elevated its quality, even if it was for one scene.

Moneyball

PG-13

Biography

Drama

Sport

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Release Date

September 23, 2011

Cast

Brad Pitt , Jonah Hill , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Robin Wright , Stephen Bishop , Chris Pratt

Runtime

133 minutes

Writers

Steven Zaillian , Aaron Sorkin , Stan Chervin , Michael Lewis

9 'White Oleander' (2002)

Directed by Peter Kosminsky

The film adaptation of Janet Fitch's best-selling novel White Oleander tells the story of Astrid Magnussen (Alison Lohman). After her mother, Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer), kills her new beau with a poisonous white oleander flower, Astrid moves into the homes of numerous foster parents with varying degrees of success. First come Starr and Ray (Wright and Cole Hauser), followed by Claire and Mark (Renée Zellweger and Noah Wylie), and finally, Russian immigrant Rena (Svetlana Efremova). Astrid visits her incarcerated mother throughout her tumultuous adolescence as her sadness about her mother's absence morphs into resentment.

The actors in White Oleander were limited by the movie's PG-13 rating, which is likely why it didn't reach its full chaotic potential. Irrespective of the hindrance, Michelle Pfeiffer swings for the fences, Zellweger delivers a poignant turn with a light touch, and Wright lets fury take hold. In one of the more colorful and tragic foster placements, Wright's character, Starr, enters the scene with a zealous exclamation point. A newly "saved" former exotic dancer, Starr's heavy-handed advice doesn't align with her actions in a role Wright approached with an impressive blend of emotional immaturity, ignorance, and unbridled rage. Astrid mingles with many mothers, but Wright guarantees the scar made by Starr doesn't fade from the viewer's memory.

White Oleander

PG-13

Drama

Release Date

October 11, 2002

Cast

Amy Aquino , John Billingsley , Elisa Bocanegra , Darlene Bohorquez , Solomon Burke Jr. , Scott Allan Campbell , Sam Catlin , Debra Christofferson , Billy Connolly , marc donato , Svetlana Efremova , Patrick Fugit , Vernon Haas , Sean Happy , Cole Hauser , Leila Kenzle , Cathy Ladman , Drinda Lalumia , Myra Lamar , James Lashly , James W. Lee , Alison Lohman , Daniel Mandehr

Runtime

109 Minutes

See Also

Robin Wright is All Class. Check Out Her 12 Best Movies.Robin Wright | Rotten Tomatoes

Writers

Janet Fitch , Mary Agnes Donoghue

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8 'Blade Runner 2049' (2017)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Thirty years after 1982's Blade Runner, the world remains occupied by bioengineered replicant humans designed to work as enslaved people. In 2049, the Tyrell Corporation's reign is over, and the Wallace Corporation is the current manufacturer of obedient replicants designed by Niander Wallace (Jared Leto). Police Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a Blade Runner tasked with "retiring" Tyrell replicants, has discovered an anomaly that could result in war and is ordered to destroy evidence. However, K's quest to learn the truth behind his replicant revelation threatens his existence and endangers everyone in his orbit.

Harrison Ford reprises his celebrated role as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner 2049. However, his return does not answer fans' long-awaited question regarding his status as a replicant. Instead, the layered dystopian sequel introduces new villains, plot twists, and memorable, albeit brief, noteworthy characters like Lieutenant Joshi, played by Wright. Swaddled in futuristic garb with her House of Cards bob slicked back into stealth mode, Wright imbues Lt. Joshi with resolute command. Her position demands total compliance; still, Wright allows a sliver of humanity to slip through Joshi's enforcing veneer. It's not easy to impress fans of cult classic films, especially sci-fi, but Wright suited up and delivered a performance worthy of Denis Villeneuve's extraordinary sequel.

Blade Runner 2049

R

Sci-Fi

Action

Drama

Mystery

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Release Date

October 6, 2017

Cast

Ryan Gosling , Harrison Ford , Jared Leto , Ana De Armas , Robin Wright , Lennie James , Dave Bautista , Carla Juri , Hiam Abbass , Barkhad Abdi , David Dastmalchian , Mackenzie Davis , Sylvia Hoeks

Runtime

163 Minutes

7 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' (2011)

Directed by David Fincher

Amid an ugly libel lawsuit, investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is approached by Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), offering legal intel in exchange for help solving a family cold case. With the help of bleached-eyebrow hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), Mikael delves deeper into the mysterious disappearance of Vanger's grandniece forty years earlier. As the case unravels, revealing more suspects than answers, Mikael and Lisbeth navigate a foreboding Swedish landscape with their survival in the balance.

David Fincher's remake of the 2009 film based on Stieg Larsson's novel is stunning in its visual and atmospheric execution, to no one's surprise. The movie features an illustrious roster of actors, including Wright, who appears as Mikael's colleague and lover, Erika Berger. The versatile actress takes on a Swedish lilt and a no-nonsense, semi-detached persona as one of two women after Mikael's favor. Wright's time in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is brief but critical in establishing an intimate familiarity with Mikael and a basis for Lisbeth's discouraged pivot.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

R

Thriller

Drama

Crime

Mystery

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Release Date

December 21, 2011

Cast

Christopher Plummer , Robin Wright , Stellan Skarsgård , Rooney Mara , Steven Berkoff , Daniel Craig

Runtime

158 minutes

Writers

Steven Zaillian

6 'Nine Lives' (2005)

Directed by Rodrigo Garcia

Through a series of seemingly unrelated vignettes, Rodrigo Garcia's Nine Lives introduces audiences to nine individual women in one seamless take. From strained parental dynamics to forbidden love and grief, a cast featuring Holly Hunter, Glenn Close, Amy Brenneman, Wright, and Sissy Spacek craft moving snapshots of ordinary lives. Viewers slowly link the women in revelatory, surprising connections as their stories unfurl with compelling, understated performances.

Several actors from Rodrigo's previous vignette feature, Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her, return in Nine Lives, including Hunter, Close, and Brenneman. However, Wright's entry to the fold is a welcome, noteworthy addition. Great with child, shopping at a supermarket, Wright's Diana is unexpectedly reunited with her ex-love, Damian, played by the ever-brilliant Jason Isaacs. Her nuanced portrayal of an awkward, unsolicited encounter is authentic and relatable, lending sincerity and depth to the grocery aisle scene. Nine Lives is an ensemble piece, but Wright is essential in weaving Garcia's stratified tapestry.

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5 'Unbreakable' (2000)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Security guard David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is the lone, unscathed survivor of a train crash that left one hundred thirty-one people dead. Shortly after, David finds a card on his windshield bearing the business "Limited Edition" and the cryptic question, "How many days have you been sick?" Curious, he asks his wife, Audrey (Wright), if she can recall him ever being ill, and she cannot. David and his son Joseph visit the comic book museum emblazoned on the card and meet the man behind it, Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), who believes David possesses superpowers. As David discovers the truth about his abilities, Elijah's intentions are slowly revealed.

As practical caretaker Audrey Dunn, Wright is a grounding presence in this original superhero movie. The actress's usual blonde mane is muted in a no-frills brunette style as she takes on the role of wife and wrangler of burgeoning hero and superhuman soothsayer David Dunn. As David becomes further distracted by his new-found strengths, Wright suffuses Audrey with concern and grief for the relationship she once shared with her college sweetheart, mirroring the audience's apprehension. In a limited role, Wright endears viewers with her determination to save her relationship and family amid the most unusual circumstances. Her pivotal presence incited a solemn moment of digestion when fans learned of Audrey's death and subsequent absence in the third and final film, Glass, a testament to her impact.

Unbreakable

PG-13

Superhero

Mystery

Sci-Fi

Thriller

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Release Date

November 22, 2000

Cast

Bruce Willis , Samuel L. Jackson , Robin Wright , Spencer Treat Clark , Charlayne Woodard , Eamonn Walker

Runtime

106 minutes

Writers

M. Night Shyamalan

4 'Wonder Woman' (2017)

Directed by Patty Jenkins

In director Patty Jenkin's origin story, an unconquerable hero emerges on a secluded island inhabited by Amazonian warrior women. Raised by fierce battle-tested badasses, Diana (Gal Gadot) is excluded from combat training by her mother, Hippolyta (Connie Nielson). However, her aunt Antiope (an impressively swole Wright) usurps her sister's orders and conducts covert tactical preparedness lessons, arming Diana with skills to enhance her innate abilities. When a German plane crash lands near the island, Diana rescues its pilot, a double agent soldier named Steve (Chris Pine), and decides to join him in his fight against an enemy she mistakenly believes to be Ares.

Wonder Woman is a standalone DC Extended Universe spectacular that blends empowerment with comedy without sacrificing quality. The heroine is Diana, played with affable charm by Gadot, but she is incomplete without the foundational imprint of the women who nurtured her. One of the fiercest creatures to wield a bow and arrow while clad in a riveted leather onesie is Wright as Antiope, General of the Amazons. Aside from the apparent hours logged at the gym, Wright wears the warrior's skin with ease, completely believable (and formidable) as the commanding officer on the island. Wright has transformed herself for previous roles, but none hold a candle to her shield-jumping midair melee and total dominion on the beaches of Themyscira.

Wonder Woman

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Superhero

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Release Date

June 2, 2017

Cast

Gal Gadot , Chris Pine , Connie Nielsen , Robin Wright , Danny Huston , David Thewlis , Saïd Taghmaoui , Ewen Bremner , Eugene Brave Rock , Lucy Davis , Elena Anaya , Lilly Aspell , Lisa Loven Kongsli , Ann Wolfe , Ann Ogbomo , Emily Carey , James Cosmo , Wolf Kahler , Alexander Mercury , Martin Bishop , Flora Nicholson , Pat Abernethy , Freddy Elletson , Sammy Hayman , Michael Tantrum , Philippe Spall , Edward Wolstenholme , Ian Hughes , Marko Leht , Steffan Rhodri , Andrew Byron , Dominic Kinnaird , Rachel Pickup , Ulli Ackermann , Frank Allen Forbes , Peter Stark , Rainer Bock , Josh Bromley , Jennie Eggleton

Runtime

141 Minutes

Writers

Allan Heinberg , Jason Fuchs , Zack Snyder , William Moulton Marston

3 'Land' (2021)

Directed by Robin Wright

In Wright's directorial feature film debut, Land, the actor pulls double duty as the central character, Edee, a bereft woman who moves off-grid to a cabin in the Rocky Mountains. Few details surround her anguish and inability to continue living in an inhabited civilization, so audiences watch with apprehension as Edee settles into a remote cabin alone. She abandons transportation, communication, and most creature comforts in her new life as a nomadic wilderness person, but a passerby hunter named Miguel (Demián Bichir) offers a helping hand and survival tutorials free of charge.

Wright's gorgeous and harrowing film about grief and trauma is a remarkable inaugural achievement. The movie's breathtaking backdrop serves as an additional character, simultaneously lending a sense of tranquility and danger. Land requires sparse dialogue, and Wright's face and body language sufficiently telegraph the unbearable weight of Edee's sadness. Her performance is raw and vulnerable, without a trace of vanity or fanfare, and Wright's directorial vision succinctly delivers her intentions. Edee's transformation from rock bottom to self-sufficient optimist is a testament to Wright's artistry, which has only improved through her decades-long career in cinema.

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2 'Forrest Gump' (1994)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Forrest Gump is a fantastical tale that can't be condensed into one genre. Instead, the Robert Zemeckis classic takes audiences on a journey through time and impossible scenarios told from the perspective of a man devoid of ill will for anything or anyone. Forrest (Tom Hanks) was born with a curved spine and a lower-than-average IQ to a loving, straight-shooter mama (Sally Field) in Alabama circa 1951. Forrest meets Jenny (Wright) and pledges his undying allegiance on the spot, though her commitment to him is less iron-clad. Without Jenny, Forrest embarks on unbelievable inadvertent adventures until the two are reunited, and Jenny's past comes to collect.

Audiences and critics either love or hate Forrest Gump, but it doesn't negate the film's iconic status in cinema history. Regardless of its intended or elicited response, the movie introduced beloved characters to the world, including Wright's complicated Jenny, Forrest's only love. From a young girl living with abusive parents in a shack on the outskirts of Greenbow, Alabama, to the beautiful needle-sharing woman of the '60s, Jenny's life didn't resemble Forrest's. Despite repeated offenses committed against Forrest, Wright made audiences fall in love with Jenny, too. Though she fluttered in and out of focus in the film, Wright's thoughtfully placed armor and tortured stare supplied viewers with an emotional backstory to adequately fill the gaps.

Forrest Gump

PG-13

Romance

Drama

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Release Date

July 6, 1994

Cast

Mykelti Williamson , Gary Sinise , Tom Hanks , Robin Wright , Sally Field

Runtime

142 minutes

Writers

Winston Groom , Eric Roth

1 'The Princess Bride' (1987)

Directed by Rob Reiner

A handsome yet penniless young farmhand named Wesley (Carey Elwes) leaves the farm of his love, Buttercup (Wright), in search of fortune, but his ship is attacked by pirates. Years later, Wesley is assumed dead, and Buttercup is engaged to the evil Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). However, Buttercup is kidnapped by a trifecta of bandits before she can be wed, but the unexpected intervention of a mysterious masked man will change the story's course.

From board games to behind-the-scenes memoirs and sports bars named for its likeness, The Princess Bride is one of the most quotable and celebrated romantic fantasy films ever made. It's funny and oozing with timeless charm and heart. At the film's center is a young Wright as the would-be Princess Buttercup, resplendent with cascading yellow locks and the supple glow of youth. In an early role in her career, she balances disdain and heartache in equal measure, endearing herself to audiences in perpetuity. There is no tragedy without Buttercup, and there is no Princess Bride without Wright--it's that simple.

The Princess Bride

PG

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

Romance

Where to Watch

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Release Date

October 9, 1987

Cast

Cary Elwes , Robin Wright , Mandy Patinkin , Chris Sarandon , Christopher Guest , Wallace Shawn

Runtime

98 minutes

Writers

William Goldman

Next: Why Didn't We Ever Get a 'Forrest Gump 2'?

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