Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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By Geoff Carter
Even though Scarlett Johansson is still relatively young, she has more than seventy film appearances to her credit. From her breakthrough role in The Horse Whisperer at the tender age of fourteen, she has gone on to become one of the most acclaimed and versatile actresses of her generation. She has appeared in small independent gems like Ghost Worldand Lost in Translation as well as appearing as superhero Black Widow in monster box-office hits like The Avengers—and its innumerable sequels—in recurring appearances as a member of the Marvel universe.
As the alien in the chilling sexually charged psychodrama Under the Skin, she was absolutely terrifying as she deliberately stalked, seduced, and devoured her male victims. In her collaborations with Woody Allen, Johansson has appeared as sophisticated, ambitious, and intelligent young women. In Scoop, she plays a clumsy but determined journalism student and in Match Point, she plays a young embittered actress determined to claim the man she loves at any cost.
In 2020, she enjoyed the distinction of being simultaneously nominated for two Academy Awards. She was nominated for Best Actress in A Marriage Story and as Best Supporting Actress as the ebullient mother in JoJo Rabbit, unfortunately winning neither. Her work in Marriage Story, however, as a wife struggling to understand how she had become subsumed in and consumed by her marriage was beautifully calibrated and exquisitely executed. Her frustrations, bitterness, and anger—all tempered by the love she still feels for husband, is beautifully calibrated. As Rosie in JoJo Rabbit, she deftly balances physical comedy, goofy winsomeness, and exceptional courage. It is an exceptional performance in an exceptional film.
On top of all this, as if it wasn’t enough for one person, Johansson also has been hailed as a sex symbol, but—to her credit—she has not let that sort of recognition define her. She is physically attractive—to be sure, but her really beauty radiates from within: her talent, her attitude, her demeanor, her intelligence, and her “je ne sais quoi” define her as one of the best actors not only of her generation, but of any generation.
The Ten Best Films of Scarlett Johannsson
Lost in Translation: A young woman, Charlotte (Johansson), is dragged by her husband (Giovanni Ribisi) on a business trip to Tokyo where he promptly abandons her in a hotel while he goes off to work. Lonely and adrift in a strange new culture, she makes the acquaintance of an older man, Bob Harris (Bill Murray), an over-the-hill actor who has come to Tokyo to shoot a commercial for Japanese whiskey. Like Johansson, he is alone and adrift in the most foreign of lands. The two hit it off, are invited to a rollicking after-hours party (where Murray does his patented Karaoke bit) and have a relationship which is simply a human connection. Johannsson’s rendering of the young wife alone in a hotel room, staring out at a disconnected world is beautiful. She is wistful, frustrated, and disappointed all at once, but when she meets Murray, her intelligence, wit, and spirit are rekindled.
Starring: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris, and Akiko Takashiti. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola.
Under the Skin: This unconventional science fiction thriller stars Johansson as a unnamed alien who seduces and then feeds on young and lonely men. Helped by a mysterious motorcyclist who first retrieves an unconscious woman at the side of the road and places her in a van, Johansson’s alien dons the woman’s clothes and identity. The men she seduces fall into sort a liquid abyss where it seems they are dissolved. However, as she meets more people, her behavior seems to become more and more human. She spares a disfigured man, who is later harvested by the mysterious motorcyclist, and apparently tries to understand some human traits, like eating and the pleasure of sex. Johansson’s cold and mechanical seductions are chilling (and make her targets seem all the more pitiful for it) but the alien’s slow realization of her human identity is subtly and artfully portrayed.
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Pearson, Dougie McConnell, Joe Szula, Paul Brannigan, and Alison Chand. Written by Walter Campbell and Jonathan Glazer. Directed by Jonathan Glazer.
Scoop: This supernatural romantic crime comedy stars Johansson as Sondra Pransky, a stumbling journalism student who is tipped off—by a ghost of a journalist of all things—that Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman) is The Tarot Killer, who has been victimizing young prostitutes. Pransky enlists the help of magician Sid Waterman (Woody Allen) to help implicate Lyman. She fakes drowning in his pool to get his attention and they start dating. Pransky, with the help of Waterman, begins to uncover suspicious evidence that points to Lyman as a viable suspect in the murders. However, when the real Tarot Killer is caught, Pransky confesses to him that she is a journalist. Unconvinced of Lyman’ innocence, Waterman continues investigating and makes a harrowing discovery. As Pransky, Johannson is the epitome of an insecure, nervous, yet determined young professional. During the scene with Allen onstage, her body movements convey her absolute naivete. Later this is tempered with her determination to break the story,
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Woody Allen, Ian McShane, Charles Dance, and Kevin R. McNally. Written and directed by Woody Allen.
Match Point: In this Woody Allen psychological thriller, retired tennis star Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) befriends one of his wealthy students Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode) and accepts an invitation to meet his family. Tom’s sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer) becomes infatuated with Chris and persuades her father to employ him in the family business. Chris, in turn, becomes enamored with Tom’s fiancé Nola (Johansson) a struggling actress. The two begin a clandestine affair even while Chris and Chloe become engaged and eventually marry. When Nola discovers she is pregnant, Chris decides to take violent action in order to protect his place in the Hewett household. Johansson’s depiction of Nola, the opportunistic mistress, is a sterling example of her versatility. Here she plays a tough, embittered, yet insecure woman.
Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Matthew Goode, Emily Mortimer, Brian Cox, and Penelope Wilton. Written and directed by Woody Allen.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona: In yet another Woody Allen vehicle, Johansson plays Cristina, a young and somewhat naïve woman looking for love who travels with her friend Vicky (Rebecca Hall) to Barcelona for the summer. There they encounter artist Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardem) who invites both women to join him for a weekend getaway. Cristina, very much attracted to Juan Antonio, accepts immediately, but Vicky, while refusing to sleep with Juan, goes along in order to keep an eye on Cristina. When Cristina is laid up with food poisoning, Vicky ends up spending time with the artist and develops feelings for him and they have sex. After Cristina recovers, she develops a relationship with Juan Antonio. When his violent ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz) comes back into the picture, things get even more complicated. Johansson’s portrayal of Cristina is beautifully measured and provides a perfect counterpoint to both Bardem and Hall.
Starring: Javier Bardem, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Messina, and Kevin Dunn. Written and directed by Woody Allen.
JoJo Rabbit: In this biting yet strangely poignant World War II satire, young JoJo (Roman Griffin) is infatuated with the Hitler Youth to the point where his imaginary playmate is none other than Adolf (Taiki Waititi) himself. During a Nazi Youth rally, JoJo is disfigured by a hand grenade and is assigned to work with Captain Klezendorf (Sam Rockwell) and Fraulein Rahm (Rebel Wilson) to bolster the Nazi war effort. Rosie (Johansson), JoJo’s ebullient mother, is working with the German Resistance, and while at home, JoJo discovers she is hiding a young Jewish girl in the attic. Fearing for his mother’s safety if the girl is discovered, JoJo comes to an uneasy détente with her while trying (with imaginary Adolf whispering in his ear) to unsuccessfully cow his unexpected houseguest. Johansson shines as the irrepressible Rosie. Although she is deeply disturbed by her son’s allegiance to the Nazis, she never loses hope that the little boy under the Nazi facade will reemerge. The scene where she dons the persona of JoJo’s absent father is alone worth the price of admission.
Starring: Roman Griffin, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Thomasin McKenzie, and Alfie Allen. Written and directed by Christine Leunens and Taiki Waititi.
Ghost World: In this coming-of-age tale, best friends Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Johansson) have just graduated from high school and are following through with their plans to move in together. The girls fancy themselves as cynical outsiders. Enid answers an ad seeking a young woman from a lonely young man Seymour (Steve Buscemi) and makes an appointment to meet him at a diner. Feeling sorry for him after she and Rebecca mock him, Enid trails him to a record sale, buys a vintage album, and becomes friends with Seymour. As the summer progresses, As Enid realizes Rebecca is drifting away from her and that she must find an anchor in an unpredictable adult world, she grows closer to Seymour. As Rebecca, Johannson perfectly embodies the aloof adolescent snideness—and meanness—of a false teen bravado.
Starring: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfro, Ilieana Douglas, and Bob Balaban. Screenplay by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff. Directed by Terry Zwigogg.
Marriage Story: In this harrowing tale of a marriage gone sour, Johansson plays Nicole, an actress struggling under the shadow of her husband Charlie (Adam Driver), who owns his own New York theater company. Even though she stars in his latest production, Nicole feels subsumed by her husband and yearns for independence. After a stint of unsuccessful counseling, she accepts a part in a television pilot and decides to move to LA with their son Henry. Nicole then initiates divorce proceedings, hiring cutthroat divorce attorney Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern), who counsels her client to fight dirty. When the case moves into court and Fanshaw and Jay Marotta (Ray Liotta), Charlie’s attorney, start a series of character assassinations, which neither party really wants. The two eventually reach a more civil agreement than their lawyers had wanted and finally attain a cordial relationship. As Nicole, Johansson skillfully conveys the confusion, frustration, and apprehension her character is feeling during the split. It is a subtly powerful yet completely accessible performance.
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Alan Alda, Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Julie Hagerty, and Wallace Shawn. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach.
Girl With a Pearl Earring: This historical drama recreates the creation of renowned painter Johannes Vermeer’s (Colin Firth) masterwork “Girl with a Pearl Earring”. When Griet’s (Johansson) father goes blind, she is sent to work as a domestic in the household of famous painter Johannes Vermeer, where she is abused by his daughter. Vermeer befriends the girl when she cleans his studio and describes the art of painting to her. When Vermeer’s patron Pieter van Rujiven (Tom Wilkinson) visits, he becomes smitten with Griet and asks Vermeer to send her to him. Vermeer refuses but offers to paint her portrait for him, an offer he accepts. Vermeer’s feelings for Griet grow and eventually result in her departure. Forced to express Griet’s complex emotions of innocence, innocence, and sexual attraction with a minimum of dialogue, Johannson conveyed a superbly crafted performance.
Starring: Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt, Cillian Murphy, Essie Davis, and Joanna Scanlan. Written by Olivia Hetreed from the novel by Tracy Chevalier. Directed by Peter Webber.
Hail, Caesar: In this hilarious Coen Brothers romp through their version of the Golden Age of Hollywood, studio fixer Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) has to secure the release of kidnapped (and idiotic) leading man Brad Whitlock (George Clooney), who is in the hands of Communist radicals. Along the way, he also has to arrange for pregnant synchronized swimmer DeAnna Moran’s (Johannson) baby to be eventually placed into foster care. Johansson’s portrayal of the sassy and saucy DeAnna is priceless. She captures just the right amount of chutzpah, pizzazz, and obnoxiousness to create a perfect caricature of the spoiled Hollywood actress.
Starring: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes, Alden Ehrenreich, and Frances McDormand. Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.