It was immediately clear that Margot Robbie was destined for stardom when she blew down the doors to the mainstream with her scene-stealing performance in The Wolf of Wall Street. However, even then, I do not believe anyone was fully prepared for the versatility of talent that she was capable of.
The Australian-born, three-time Academy Award nominee has become one of the most celebrated performers of her time for the striking believability and irresistible charisma she has brought to roles like Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, Harley Quinn in the DC Extended Universe, and title role of the Barbie cast, among plenty of others. Let’s take a look at some of her best performances as we rank our picks for the best Margot Robbie movies below, starting with Number 10.
10. Mary Queen Of Scots (2018)
Many actors have taken on the challenge of portraying one of the most seminal figures in history, Queen Elizabeth I, but the nearly unrecognizable Robbie’s embodiment of the English monarch is far up there. Her bold, commanding performance opposite Saoirse Ronan as her eponymous cousin in Mary Queen of Scots – a dramatization of the royal relatives’ quarrel over supremacy from director Josie Rourke – makes for a powerful stand-off fit for the throne.
9. Birds Of Prey (2020)
Despite having the honor of being an Oscar-winning superhero movie (for Best Makeup), 2016’s Suicide Squad is not one of the more widely beloved DC movies. However, one thing fans could agree on is Robbie’s inspired, live-action portrayal of Harley Quinn, which later earned her a spin-off movie that also serves as a fun, action-packed female-driven ensemble piece.
The actor (who also produces) brings her version of the clownish, fan-favorite Batman villain to her full potential in director Cathy Yan’s shamelessly brutal, candy-colored, comedic thriller, which is titled Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn in full.
8. Focus (2015)
Robbie currently has in development an Ocean’s Eleven prequel movie – a gig that she already proved she was perfect for in one of the best Will Smith movies, Focus. It stars Robbie as a wannabe con artist taken under the wing of an experienced veteran (played by Smith), but when their relationship becomes more than professional and comes to an abrupt end, it leads to a complicated reunion that evolves into a battle of wits.
Written and helmed by Glenn Ficara and John Requa – the directorial duo behind Crazy Stupid Love - the future Suicide Squad cast members in the lead elevate this into more than a typical, old fashioned, fun and sexy crime thriller.
7. The Suicide Squad (2021)
While Birds of Prey unlocked the full potential of Robbie’s Harley Quinn, I believe the film that really sees her at her best in the role – and the best movie about Task Force X yet – is The Suicide Squad.
Writer and director James Gunn earned his spot as head of the upcoming DC movies slate by demonstrating a firm understanding of what makes these particular bad guys so good – especially Robbie’s Clown Princess of Crime. Robbie is in a squad all her own with a hilarious performance that shows a deeper side of the character, which also comes through in some gorgeously constructed action sequences depicted from her warped perspective.
6. Barbie (2023)
Considering how Margot Robbie practically already resembles a Barbie doll come to life, casting her in a feature adaptation of Mattel’s massively popular toy line is just too perfect.
Of course, the star’s looks and impressive comedic sensibilities in the often self-parodic role are just one of the reasons why co-writer and director Greta Gerwig’s seismic blockbuster succeeds. Scoring eight 2024 Academy Award nominations – including Best Picture – Barbie is a visually striking, cleverly hilarious, and surprisingly moving commentary on what the eponymous doll was really made for and how she truly can be an inspiration to women everywhere.
5. Bombshell (2019)
Speaking of which, a more grounded film with an even more important and urgent message is director Jay Roach’s Bombshell, which is inspired by the events leading up to Roger Ailes’ exit from Fox News amid numerous sexual assault allegations.
Margot Robbie earned her second Academy Award nomination for playing Kayla Pospisil, who is not based on one person, but represents many young women who fell prey to the former CEO’s predatory behavior. Her devastating portrayal of the young, aspiring reporter’s fall from grace and eventual courageous upswing propels this already empowering dramatization of a momentous moment in history.
4. Babylon (2022)
The critics and audiences who reacted poorly to Babylon must not have been hoping to see a visually arresting, thoroughly dazzling, and deeply heartbreaking ode to the power of cinema. In addition to the pristine cinematography, gorgeous production design, Justin Hurwitz’s rousing score, and director Damien Chazelle’s incendiary script, much of the credit for this period drama’s captivatingly erratic energy goes to Margot Robbie’s incomparably brash performance as Nellie LaRoy – a natural-born star who becomes a devastating figure of self-destruction as the story traces Hollywood’s transition out of the Silent Era.
3. I, Tonya (2017)
In the ‘90s, otherwise highly-talented figure skater Tonya Harding’s lower-class upbringing gave her an unfavorable reputation in the athletic community that was only worsened by her then-husband’s involvement in a scandalous attack against her competitor, Nancy Kerrigan.
However, her toughest critics might be willing to change their tune when witnessing the story through her own eyes in director Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya. Margot Robbie earned her first Academy Award nomination for her impassioned, remarkably sympathetic, and transformative performance as the infamous former Olympian that spins this already refreshingly original biopic into, nearly, a perfect 10.
2. Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood (2019)
Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is a cheekily funny and absolutely exhilarating slice of alternative history (circa 1969) and told mostly from the point of view of fictional characters – actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt in an Oscar-winning performance). However, many key scenes feature Margot Robbie in a portrayal of Sharon Tate so convincing that it brought tears to the late starlet’s sister, Debra.
The film, arguably, could have used more of Robbie’s extraordinary charm, but her otherwise brief appearances are pivotal to the story and why this passionate love letter to cinema’s Silver Age is one of Tarantino’s best movies yet.
1. The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)
Admittedly, Margot Robbie’s limited screen time in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is the one aspect that keeps me from ranking it at Number One instead of another great Leonardo DiCaprio-led movie that utilizes her luminous onscreen presence and impeccable skill to the absolute fullest and would make her a star in the process.
In fact, I consider her fearless performance as Naomi LaPaglia to be the true secret weapon of The Wolf of Wall Street – a manic cautionary tale based on the memoir by former stock-broker Jordan Belfort (played by DiCaprio). As I said before, there was no question Robbie was destined to be a star from the way she first walks onto the screen, helping make one of the best Martin Scorsese movies of the 21st century one of the legendary filmmaker’s all-time finest classics.
Of course, we should not forget some of the films that feature Margot Robbie in much smaller, but no less memorable roles. For instance, when she stole the show as Charlotte in 2013’s romantic, modern time travel classic, About Time, or made a cameo as herself explaining some financial concept while taking a bubble bath in The Big Short from 2015. In whatever capacity she is featured, the actor never fails to light up the screen and Hollywood is better for it.
