Scarlett Johansson Opens up About Her Top Movies of All Time
Scarlett Johansson first started turning heads in the late 90s, but it was her work in the early 2000s that really cemented her place in Hollywood. She had early roles in films like The Man Who Wasn’t There and Ghost World, showing an impressive range even as a young actress.
Everything changed in 2003 when she starred in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. Acting opposite Bill Murray, she played a young woman feeling lost in Tokyo and delivered a performance far beyond her 17 years.
The film earned Coppola an Oscar for Best Screenplay, but Johansson herself was famously overlooked. Still, the critical acclaim opened doors for her to work with top directors like Christopher Nolan, Spike Jonze, and Wes Anderson.
Fans often wonder which movies have influenced Johansson over the years. In a recent interview with Letterboxd, she shared four films that she considers her all-time favorites. She picked Auntie Mame from 1958 first, praising its story about an eccentric woman raising her orphaned nephew.
She also highlighted Groundhog Day, the 1993 comedy with Bill Murray, which she described as a perfect mix of humor and meaningful storytelling. Johansson’s third pick was The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, a 1994 Australian road movie about three performers traveling across the outback.
She said she loved the film’s energy and its early representation of drag and transgender communities. Rounding out her list, she chose James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day. She called it a thrilling, large-scale action movie and said it inspired her love for high-stakes cinematic storytelling.
These choices show how Johansson balances her appreciation for both classic and groundbreaking films, mixing comedy, drama, musicals, and action. She explained that each film shaped how she views storytelling and character work. “They are films I go back to again and again,” she said, highlighting their lasting impact on her approach to acting and filmmaking.
Four Favorites with the cast of #AsteroidCity: Maya Hawke, Sam Marra, Stephen Park, Tony Revolori, Ethan Josh Lee, Rupert Friend and Scarlett Johansson ✨
— Letterboxd (@letterboxd) June 22, 2023
🎤@miavicino
📷@flynnslick pic.twitter.com/VMHlmgQySJ
Johansson has also stepped behind the camera. She made her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great, a heartfelt story about a 90-year-old woman reclaiming her life. The film premiered at Cannes and received a standing ovation before its streaming release on Netflix in January.
On the acting front, Johansson continues to be a box office force. Her role in Jurassic World Rebirth helped the film earn over $869 million worldwide. She is also preparing to star in Mike Flanagan’s horror project The Exorcist: Martyrs, scheduled for a March 2027 release, and is developing Disney’s Tower of Terror, which she described as a “complex but exciting” challenge.
From her early indie hits to blockbuster franchises and now directing, Scarlett Johansson has built a career that spans decades and genres. Her love of films like Auntie Mame, Groundhog Day, Priscilla, and Terminator 2 shows a deep appreciation for movies that are both meaningful and entertaining.
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