Susan Sarandon is no stranger to Hollywood. With her early roles dating back to the 1970s to her most recent appearance in the 2021 movie, Jolt, Sarandon has made quite the name for herself. Some of her most notable performances come from her early days when she appeared in the horror/comedy musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show as the heroine, Janet Weiss.
After Rocky Horror, Sarandon went on to star in a slew of films with a new one premiering almost every year. Her roles ranged from comedies like Bull Durham to horror and fantasy such as The Witches of Eastwick. The 90s were arguably the best decade for Sarandon, showcasing many of her best performances. In 1991, she starred as Louise in Thelma & Louise, a film that passes the Bechdel test for introducing women-led roles to Hollywood. She additionally starred in the 1994 version of Little Women, a novel adapted by Louise May Alcott.
Some of her most recent roles include her role in the part live-action, part animation film, Enchanted where she played the villain, Queen Narissa. According to EW, Sarandon looks to take on another villain role – this time as a superhero villain, which is a first for the star, in DC Universe’s upcoming Blue Beetle. The film is set to be released in August 2023. The actress has scored five Oscar nominations and one win during her successful career. Here are a handful of Sarandon’s best movies, ranked.
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9 Blackbird
Millenium Media
In this 2019 film, Sarandon plays the terminally ill Lily. With only a weekend left to live, Lily gets her family together for one last time before she passes away. As with all families, tension threatens to ruin the last weekend of memories. While the cast is small, big names like Sam Neil, Kate Winslet, Rainn Wilson, Lindsay Duncan, and Mia Wasikowska make up the cast of Sarandon’s family.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Stepmom
Columbia Pictures
In a similar plot to Blackbird, Sarandon once again plays a terminally ill mother in Stepmom. This time, she unwillingly has to turn to her children’s new stepmother to ensure her children are taken care of after she passes. Jackie, played by Sarandon, and her husband have been divorced long enough for him to find a new partner in Isabel, played by Julia Roberts. Isabel is attentive and loving towards the kids, but it isn’t until Jackie is suddenly diagnosed with cancer that she realizes how much more she needs to become to the kids.
7 Bull Durham
Orion
Annie Savoy (Sarandon) is a baseball fan in the sense that she picks one player a season and takes them under her wing. This year, her prospects are between two players: a young pitcher who can’t take criticism, and the 12-year veteran catcher who has to work with the young pitcher. This unexpected threesome are in for a season of learning, love, and maturity as their relationships progress. Bill Durham showcases Sarandon’s light humor as opposed to her usual roles in crime drama films.
6 Enchanted
Disney
Enchanted became one of Disney’s most talked-about movies back when it was released in 2007. In the film, Sarandon plays the evil Queen Narissa, who sends Giselle, played by Amy Adams, to New York. The banishment forces Giselle from her home in Andalasia, a musical, animated land, to modern-day Manhattan. While there, she meets a divorce lawyer (Patrick Dempsey) and falls in love. This relationship is complicated when her Prince Charming from Andalasia (James Marsden) comes to rescue her — closely followed by the evil queen herself.
5 Little Women (1994)
The 1994 version of the popular novel Little Women was a stunning film filled with a stellar cast that stayed true to the original novel. At the time this film was released, it was the fifth adaptation of the story and is arguably the best adaptation of the lot, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The story follows the March sisters growing up with their mother, played by Sarandon, in Concord, MA during the Civil War era.
4 Atlantic City
Selta Films
The 1980s crime drama Atlantic City was nominated for five Oscars, including one for Best Actress for Sarandon. Atlantic City is the place people go to realize their dreams. For Sally Matthews, played by Sarandon, Atlantic City will help her achieve her dream of working at the casinos in Monte Carlo. Another dreamer, Lou, fancies himself a big-time mob boss, when in reality he is a small-town gangster. When Sally’s estranged husband pays her a visit, the dreams of both are in jeopardy.
3 The Rocky Horror Picture Show
20th Century Fox
In this comedic horror musical, Sarandon plays Janet Weiss, the heroine who finds herself stranded on the side of the road with her new fiancé, Brad Majors. The house they end up at belongs to Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his band of oddities. From the moment they step inside the castle, things will never be the same for the couple. While The Rocky Horror Picture Show bombed at the box office, its reintroduction as midnight showings bumped the film to the iconic cult status it has today.
2 Dead Man Walking
Dead Man Walking is a crime drama written and directed by Tim Robbins, whom you might remember as Andy from The Shawshank Redemption. Sarandon earned an Oscar for her performance as Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who befriends a convicted killer on death row. While getting closer to the convicted killer, Sister Helen also empathizes with the victim’s families, causing a paradox for her as the execution grows closer.
1 Thelma & Louise
Pathé
Sarandon plays the titular character of Louise in the 1991 drama-crime film Thelma & Louise. Alongside Geena Davis as Thelma, what starts out as an adventure turns into a game of cat and mouse with the cops. Their simple adventure from everyday life turns sour after Louise commits murder to protect Thelma. While trying to flee to Mexico, the pair is hunted by the authorities and Thelma’s bully of a husband. Both Sarandon and Davis were nominated for Oscars for their roles.
