Actress Halle Berry made her film debut in the early '90s and immediately captured the world's attention. She started out mainly playing love interests in romances or comedies before she was able to branch out into other roles. Berry proved time and again that she was not simply a pretty face to be relegated to the sidelines, particularly when she became the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress thanks to her role in Monster's Ball.
Since then, she has stepped into many leading roles, such as that of Catwoman in 2004. This is arguably her best-known work, despite being slammed by critics and having flopped at the box office. In recent years, Catwoman has had a resurgence of love, with some viewers placing it in the "so bad it's good" category or even claiming it was unfairly maligned altogether. Ariana Grande even paid homage to the film in her music video for "The Boy Is Mine."
Berry's body of work has only gotten better since Catwoman. Continue reading to learn more about her best post-2004 films.
8 Frankie & Alice (2010)
In 2010, Berry starred in a drama called Frankie & Alice, based on a true story. Frankie (Berry) is a stripper who dances at a club in L.A. in the '70s. She is a favorite among the clientele. One night, she attracts the attention of a bartender. The night leads to his place, where they are about to hook up when Frankie's personality shifts to an alter ego. She attacks the man and, after word gets out, she's fired from the club. The film follows Frankie as she comes to terms with her dissociative identity disorder.
A Story That'll Make You Think
Some people label this movie as awards bait. While this is technically accurate, as the release was planned to make it eligible for certain honors (it ended up with a Golden Globe nomination), Berry didn't portray Frankie in a sensationalized way that exploited her mental health struggles to shock audiences. Rather, she was sympathetic and brought a lot of dimension to each of the "different people living inside [her]." It's a relatively unknown credit in Berry's filmography, but one of the most emotionally poignant.
7 The Call (2013)
The Call is a psychological thriller about a teenage girl who is kidnapped by a serial killer and the 911 operator who tries to save her. Jordan Turner (Berry) is having just another day at work when a call comes in from a terrified young girl. Someone is breaking into her house and Jordan is on the line when the intruder snatches the girl from underneath a bed. Shaken by the call, Jordan feels the increasing need to find the girl (and the killer) as word of his other victims hit the news cycle.
A Call Viewers Won't Forget
Said "call" is reminiscent of the kidnap scene from the more popular Taken. However, this one feels more grounded as Jordan is a normal person rather than a trained detective and killer. Tense doesn't even begin to describe The Call. Abigail Breslin did a fantastic job as the young girl, but it's Berry's portrayal of Jordan that truly shines. Her calm demeanor contrasted by the ramping up of stakes at every turn make it a truly thrilling watch.
6 Bruised (2020)
In the sports drama Bruised, Berry took her decades of film experience and put it to use both on and off-screen. Her directorial debut follows Jackie Justice, a former UFC fighter who has fallen from grace after forfeiting in an important match. Now, she has a job she hates and drowns her sorrows in alcohol. She wants to get back into fighting but believes that phase of her life is over. And when her mother shows up with Jackie's son who she hasn't seen in years, it further rocks her world.
Wearing All the Hats
Berry had roles in a string of films that didn't fare well critically leading up to Bruised, so a lot was riding on it, especially considering that she starred, produced, and directed the movie. While critics didn't deem this a flawless film, many couldn't help but note its strengths. Namely, Berry, who dug deep into Jackie's psyche, and that of those around her. No character was cookie-cutter or flat, showing Berry's true potential as a filmmaker.
5 Things We Lost in the Fire (2007)
DreamWorks Pictures may be best known for bringing movies like Shrek to the world, but they aren't just an animation studio. Things We Lost in the Fire is a live-action drama starring Berry and Benicio del Toro.
Audrey Burke (Berry) lives a happy life with her husband Brian and their two children. Of course, as in most films, this picture-perfect life means turmoil is soon to follow. Here, it comes in the form of Brian's murder. Also dealing with this devastating loss is Brian's best friend, Jerry, who is trying to overcome a drug addiction and accepts Audrey's offer to live with her and the kids.
Bring Out the Tissues
From this setup, viewers are guaranteed lots of drama and maybe even a few tear-jerking moments. The relationship between Audrey and Jerry is nothing short of messy. They have their shared grief and become close in ways that neither of them expects (but viewers certainly do). With the added element of the children, it's a heartwarming film.
Berry and del Toro have amazing chemistry and it's too bad this one flew under the radar. It didn't perform well in theaters and quietly faded away after. While there aren't too many surprises with Things We Lost in the Fire, it's a reminder that quiet stories are needed.
4 Cloud Atlas (2012)
Cloud Atlas is a departure from Berry's usual dramas and thrillers. This epic sci-fi film is based on a novel by David Mitchell, published in 2004. The complex narrative spans centuries and multiple characters who connect in interesting ways.
Berry plays Luisa, a journalist living in 1973 San Francisco. She's roped into a dangerous world when she's tipped off about a plan to set off nuclear weapons. But this is not the only character Berry inhabits in Cloud Atlas. She steps into the shoes of several women from the Pacific Islands in the 1840s to post-apocalyptic Hawaii in 2321.
Divided Thoughts
Grab your notebooks, pens, or pencils, because it may take an unseasoned sci-fi viewer a beat to keep everything straight in this film. But don't let the slew of character names and the hundreds of years Cloud Atlas covers be a deterrent.
Initial reactions may have been split, with some praising the cinematography and others complaining the nearly three-hour runtime was way too long, but each timeline gives viewers a new set of characters to become invested in and a satisfying ending to see how everything (and everyone) comes together.
3 Robots (2005)
Robots marks Berry's first voice role in a movie. It centers on a robot named Rodney who is an aspiring inventor. When one of his creations gets into trouble, Rodney heads to Robot City. There, he hopes to meet with his idol and owner of Bigweld Industries, Bigweld, and convince him that his creation does have some merit. Yet when he's in Robot City, Rodney discovers that Bigweld's newest boss, Ratchet, has plans that can harm outdated robots.
A Fun, Family-Friendly Film
Berry voices Cappy, an executive at Bigweld who shares Rodney's dislike of Ratchet. The two become close as they work to take Ratchet down, and eventually fall for one another. Robots did extremely well in theaters and all signs were pointing to a sequel. However, the studio's more successful franchise, Ice Age, took priority and Robots was less in the dust. Despite not getting a sequel, viewers get a complete story and character arc in this film.
2 John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Berry was also part of the ensemble cast of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum alongside the likes of Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. This third installment of the John Wick franchise follows the continued struggles of John Wick outwitting and outmaneuvering the assassins of The High Table. Berry portrays Sofia, Wick's ex-friend with a dark past as an assassin.
Why It's Great
Each John Wick film is known for its high-octane action sequences and Chapter 3 is no exception. Sofia and John have a complicated history that is evident in Berry's very first scene with the lead. At 89%, it is one of Berry's highest-rated projects on Rotten Tomatoes. Most superfans have a favorite film in the franchise, and Chapter 3 is typically a fan favorite. In many ways, it is a direct continuation of Chapter 2, with several important characters being essential to this one. However, even if a casual viewer wants to drop in with 3, they'll be highly entertained.
1 X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
The John Wick franchise wasn't the only popular series Berry was a part of. She acted in four X-Men films over a decade. Perhaps her best performance came in her last appearance in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). Here, Logan (aka Wolverine, portrayed by Hugh Jackman) time travels to prevent an event that leads to the eradication of humans and mutants, bringing the original and rebooted X-Men timelines together.
The End of an Era
This film marked a few changes in the X-Men series. Berry's prominence was cut back from previous movies due to her pregnancy. Additionally, other cast members were given more attention, such as Jennifer Lawrence playing Mystique. Despite this, Berry took advantage of every moment she had on the screen. The casting of these films was excellent, with each individual actor nailing their character while simultaneously blending into a huge ensemble cast.
Halley Berry's latest movie,
The Union,
is currently streaming on Netflix. Watch the trailer below:
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