It’s Margot Robbie‘s birthday! To mark the occasion, here are fifteen performances from the acclaimed dramatic actress. Check some of these out!
I, Tonya (2017)
This is my favorite Margot Robbie movie, and I personally feel it’s her best performance. The movie is told from the perspectives of Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie), Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan) and LaVona Golden (Allison Janney). It follows the life and career of American figure skater Tonya Harding and her connection to the 1994 assault on her rival Nancy Kerrigan (Caitlin Carver). The screenwriter met with both Tonya Harding and Jeff Gillooly prior to writing the script and he was fascinated by the different and conflicting stories that he was told, which inspired him to write the script in the way that he did; where he included both sides of the story and allows the audience decide just what exactly they want to believe. Although it does a damn good job of depicting Tonya’s story, the movie is missing Nancy’s side of things. What the movie leaves out a large portion of just why the rivalry between these two women happened in the first place. If you don’t have prior knowledge as to just how competitive they with each other on the ice, then the assault kind of doesn’t make sense and comes out of nowhere. That’s really the only complaint. Other than that, I absolutely love this movie. I had it playing on a loop when it first came out, so to say it’s one of my favorites of the decade would be the biggest understatement. This movie is a must watch for anybody who is a fan of biopics and black comedies.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
The Wolf of Wall Street is a fictionalized version of the real life story of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his crimes relating into the stock market in the 1980’s and 1990’s. I don’t have much to say about this film. I didn’t care for it when it first came out and even though I liked it better now than I did then, it’s not something that I particularity care for. Margot Robbie basically plays Leonardo DiCaprio‘s wife who only enters the picture when the story involves his home and family life. I only watched it for Margot Robbie‘s involvement and as good as it is, it’s not the type of film that I’ll ever feel the need to revisit again anytime soon. Probably.
Z for Zachariah (2015)
This isn’t the type of film that I would normally watch. It’s a little bizarre, but not in the way that you might think. This takes place in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Ann Burden (Margot Robbie) is surviving on her own until she meets others survivors. There are only three people in this movie and it’s basically just a love triangle between three people who could potentially be the last people on Earth. This is an extremally slow burn and really the type of movie you just have to let it play out to enjoy as nothing really exciting happens. Even though I watched this for Margot Robbie, it’s Chiwetel Ejiofor who steals the show here.
Focus (2015)
This movie should’ve been called “Grifters” (or something to that effect) because that is exactly what this movie is about. With a name like Focus, it doesn’t exactly do the film justice. Jess Barrett (Margot Robbie) is a young upcoming pick pocket, after seasoned conman Nicky Spurgeon (Will Smith) takes her under his wing, they pull a few hustles together. Eventually falling in love but ultimately choose to go their separate ways. That is, until they run into each other a few years later and team up after realizing they are conning the same man. This movie isn’t groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s enjoyable for “what it is.”
The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
So, I thought this was a remake but it’s actually a continuation. Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård) and Jane (Margot Robbie) have already met, fallen in love and moved back in England to reacquire “John Clayton’s” birthright. However, they are persuaded to return to the Congo after learning that the natives are being enslaved. It’s a mystery as to why Margot Robbie agreed to this role. Jane gets kidnapped very early on and she is basically a prisoner until the third act. I didn’t care for this when it first released but ended up enjoying it upon a rewatch. It’s not great but in the same breath, it’s also nowhere near as bad as it’s been made out to be.
Suicide Squad (2016)
This movie goes down as one of the worst comic book movies ever made, and for good reason. Even I hated this movie when I first saw it as there are very few no redeeming qualities to it. I mean, just how in the hell does a movie about villains have a villain problem? It boggles the mind! Margot Robbie brings Harley Quinn to life and she is undeniably the best part about the film … and I know I might get crucified for this, but I actually didn’t hate it as much as I did when it first released. Don’t get me wrong; it was bad than and it’s still bad now but I’m glad I gave it a second chance. The only way this movie has a chance of being “good” is by comparing it to what the MCU has become.
Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)
Alan Alexander “A. A.” Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) has just come back from fighting in “The War to End All Wars” (World War I). He is suffering from PTSD and eventually develops writers block. After moving his family to the forest to get away from it all, he gets inspired to write about his son and his stuffed animals. I knew that Christopher Robin was a real boy and the stories were based off of his toys, but I never knew the tragic impact that Pooh’s popularity had on the boy. It starts off heartwarming that later delves into devastation. This film is a good watch for anybody who is interested in the origins of Winnie the Pooh.
Terminal (2018)
Margot Robbie plays a waitress named Annie, who both orchestrates and gets entangled in a murderous plan. I watched this a few years ago and didn’t much care for it and after a recent rewatch, I’m still not sure what exactly this movie was going for. There are a lot of references to Alice in Wonderland that don’t seem to have anything to do with the overall plot. It’s a little slow going and the script probably could’ve benefited from another rewrite. There’s a weird twist in the third act that I’m not going to spoil here, but it’s really one of those movies that you have to watch for yourself to determine whether you like it or not.
Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
This is a historical royalty movie taking place in 1561. Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan) returns home to Scotland after being widowed. She and Queen Elizabeth (Margot Robbie) are at odds with each other over who has the rightful claim to the throne. Religion has a part to play in it, but the movie doesn’t delve too deeply into that aspect of things. Of course, we’re all well aware of who ended up reigning supreme but apparently it isn’t very historically accurate, (not that I bothered to look it up). It’s a slow burn without much action. So if you check it out, don’t expect any Game of Thrones level of quality, (or skip it entirely, it’s not that entertaining).
Dreamland (2019)
Set in 1930’s Texas, Eugene Evans’ (Finn Cole) father leave him at a young age and he struggles to find his way in the world while growing up in a small town. Until one day Allison Wells (Margot Robbie), a young woman wanted for murder and robbing a bank, shows up in his barn bloody from a gunshot wound. Instead of turning her in, he decides to help her by allowing her to hide out from the police until it’s safe to escape. The two eventually love in love with each other. This is less about robbing banks and more a love story between two kids who want a better life. It’s doesn’t do anything new but it’s an okay film for how small scale it is.
Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood (2019)
A lot of people I know love this movie, but for me this wasn’t the movie I wanted it to be. When it was announced that Quentin Tarantino‘s new movie was going to tackle The Manson Family, I intentionally avoided spoilers because I thought the film was going to legitimately be about what led up to Sharon Tate‘s (Margot Robbie) murder, but that’s not what happened. That’s not what the movie was about at all! I don’t want to say that it’s a shame, but I do feel that Sharon Tate‘s story deserves to be told and I thought that if anybody in Hollywood would was capable of being able to handle that type of subject matter (and get away with it), it was Quentin Tarantino. I can admit that it’s a masterpiece but I still would’ve liked to have seen Margot Robbie have a much larger role.
Bombshell (2019)
Now, this movie is a product of and a reaction to the “Time’s Up” (#MeToo) movement and it’s a fictional version of actual events. It mainly follows Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) and Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and the various sexual harassment allegations against Fox News television executive Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) in 2016. Margot Robbie plays an original character named Kayla, who is trying to work her way up the corporate latter into a desirable position within Fox News. However, she ends up getting sexually harassed by Ailes herself and doesn’t know how to deal with it. Even though this movie bombed at the box office, it’s actually a really well put together story with a lot of solid performances.
Birds of Prey (2020)
Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn. She and the Joker have spit up and now Harley is out to make a new identity for herself. She ends up crossing Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) and eventually teams-up with with a few other classy ladies to take him down. I didn’t like this movie when it first released, but that may be due to it bombing at the box office. Upon a rewatch however, I actually really enjoyed it this time around and had fun watching Harley beat the living hell out of all the countless cops and henchmen. It’s not anything ground breaking and I understand why this failed to grasp an audience but again, this could only be considered a good comic book movie if you compare it to what the MCU has become.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
James Gunn makes his triumphant WB/DC debut with an absolute balls to the wall rendition of the villainous team The Suicide Squad. Margot Robbie returned with many of the cast members from the previous movie, Suicide Squad (2016). You can tell that Margot Robbie loves playing the character so much, which I’m sure is what made it a no-brainer for her to agree to return for a third time. Even though Harley Quinn is meant to be the same incarnation throughout all three of her film appearances, you can tell that each one is just the slightest bit different and I’d have to say that Gunn‘s version is definitely the best. Hoping she returns to the role!
Amsterdam (2022)
David O. Russell returns with a movie set in 1933 (Post-World War I) that follows three friends; a doctor, Burt Berendsen (Christian Bale) a nurse Valerie Voze (Margot Robbie), and a lawyer, Harold Woodman (John David Washington), who reunite and seek to uncover the mysterious murder of a retired U.S. general. This bombed at the box office, and probably for good reason. Which is a shame really because it has an absolutely stellar cast and the three leads are great together but that’s really about it. It’s not exactly a fun movie and it isn’t as prestigious as it wants (or tries) to be, nor is it very well written either. I didn’t care for it.
Babylon (2022)
This movie takes place in the 1920’s and follows the transition from silent to sound films. Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) is a silent movie star who can’t make the transition to sound and Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) is an up and coming young starlet who takes the movie industry by storm. This was another box-office bomb for Margot Robbie, but that’s not because this movie isn’t good. It just came out at the wrong time, couple that with the 3-hour runtime and it just wasn’t something that appealed to audience goers. It’s a fun watch as the first two hours aren’t just a wild ride, it’s sheer pandemonium but the third hour feels unnecessary.
Coming Soon …
Barbie (2023)
Of course, this movie hasn’t been released yet so this isn’t exactly a mini-review of the film but it would be a shame not to include it on the list. When it was announced that Margot Robbie would be starring as Barbie in the upcoming film, I was ecstatic. Mostly due to the fact that I couldn’t think of anybody better suited to bring the plastic doll to life. I have purposefully avoided all of the trailers for this because I want to go into it blind, but from what I have seen around the internet so far, it looks like it’s going to be an absolute riot.
Barbie will release on July 21, 2023.
What are some of your favorite films to feature birthday Goddess Margot Robbie?