Highlights

• Ana de Armas has had a successful career in Hollywood, appearing in critically acclaimed movies with well-known actors.
• While some of her films have received mixed reviews, de Armas consistently delivers good performances.

Ana de Armas is one of the most talented actresses of this day, and she has been on a roll since the late 2010s. Born in 1988 in Cuba, Armas filmed her first movie when she was just sixteen. She moved to Los Angeles in 2014 and kept building her acting career. She became more prominent in the second half of the 2010s and as her fame grew, she appeared in several critically-acclaimed movies with well-known actors.

Although fairly experienced by this point, de Armas is still an exciting and fresh face in Hollywood. The actress rose to superstardom in 2017 and has been a fixture of Hollywood ever since, even if her output has slowed down somewhat in recent years. What are de Armas’ best films?

Updated April 17, 2024, by Mark Sammut: Ana de Armas has had a quiet 2024 so far, and that is following a single-film year. However, the actress has two notable projects in post-production (Ballerina and Eden), giving fans something to look forward to. In the meantime, they should try to watch some Ana de Armas movies they might have missed. While not batting 100, most of her films are watchable, and she is usually great in them.

12 Knock Knock (2015)

Messy Movie, Fun Performance

This is a good chance that Knock Knock was some people’s introduction to Ana de Armas as it was among her first English-speaking projects. While not exactly “mainstream,” Eli Roth’s remake of Death Game did attract attention due to starring Keanu Reeves as a married guy who is visited by two women when his wife is out of town. Things happen, and he suddenly finds himself stuck in a sticky situation of his own making alongside two dangerous strangers.

Now, Knock Knock is not exactly great. The film peaks in its opening act with a suspenseful “chase” sequence, but the story goes off the rails after that point and never really gets back on it. While giving a passable performance, Reeves is too naturally likable to fully work as a character who should slowly gain the audience’s ire; meanwhile, the female characters lack much in the way of depth or nuance. Still, de Armas performs her role well, even if she is not given as much to do as her co-star, Lorenza Izzo.

11 The Informer (2019)

Underutilized By A Decent Movie

The Informer is among Ana de Armas’ best movies, at least if the sole criterion is that she appears in it. Andrea Di Stefano’s crime thriller follows Joel Kinnaman’s Pete, an ex-con turned double-agent for the feds. Becoming a key player in a New York-based crime syndicate, Pete’s volatile situation predictability explodes in a series of unfortunate events, resulting in the protagonist having to go behind bars at the behest of both his gang boss and the FBI.

The Informer is an enjoyable movie with a generally great cast that, besides Kinnaman and de Armas, includes Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen. While not extremely tense or unpredictable, the movie is well acted and reasonably suspenseful, even if the story does not always make perfect sense. That said, the film does not give Ana de Armas much to do as Pete’s wife. She is mostly there to humanize the character and act as the occasional plot device. Although perfectly fine in the role, the actress is very much a minor player who is not granted the opportunity to leave much of an impression.

10 Ghosted (2023)

Better Than The Material

Ever since Knives Out, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas have found themselves drawn to each other cinematically. 2023’s Ghosted was basically advertised on its leads’ double-act, and the film spends a lot of time emphasizing how exciting they are as a couple. In truth, this action rom-com does not really hit the mark, largely thanks to a tired script and uninspired action sequences. Evans and de Armas also do not really click in this one, at least not to the point of being able to carry such a weak and by-the-numbers storyline.

Evans is a hopeless romantic named Cole who is “ghosted” by a woman he recently dated; consequently, he decides to surprise Sadie by visiting her in London. However, Cole ends up dragged into the espionage life as he is mistaken for a CIA operative by a shady organization, and Cole quickly learns that Sadie is a spy. While far from good, Ghosted is a harmless way to spend two hours on a random weeknight. It is not Ana de Armas’ best movie, but it is fine.

9 Deep Water (2022)

Confident Performance In A Lackluster Movie

A chilling psychological thriller that also stars Ben Affleck, Deep Water was originally produced for the streaming service Hulu. It tells the story of what looks like a normal upper-class couple caught in an unhappy marriage, and the emotional toll that takes even when a person seems pampered and comfortable.

Vic and his wife Melinda seem to have a perfect life, but their dark secret is that they aren’t happy as a couple, and have an agreement that Melinda can take the occasional lover as long as she stays with the family. While Affleck and Ana de Armas do not have especially great chemistry, they are both charismatic enough to carry this story’s more dramatic moments. Unfortunately, the core mystery lets the film down as it is quite contrived and unbelievable.

8 Sergio (2020)

Less Flashy Role

Based on the true story of UN diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello and the events that took place in the immediate aftermath of the invasion of Iraq. The script is based on a book by Samantha Power called Chasing the Flame: One Man’s Fight to Save the World and when the movie was released it was a source of controversy, including the grim fact that the explosion killed the titular character and has never been properly investigated.

Ana de Armas plays the love interest of this tragic story, in which Sergio Vieira de Mello is on the verge of retirement when he decides to take one last job. It’s a cliché that’s not true for real life, but it adds another layer of personal drama to a story with global implications.

7 The Gray Man (2022)

Best Part Of A Decent Flick

Most likely, nobody involved in The Gray Man‘s production would cite it as their best project. The Russo Brothers have directed far better action flicks, while the movie is only a minor entry in Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans’ filmographies. That said, it is still an entertaining watch for the most part, particularly if a viewer is mostly interested in action. Unsurprisingly considering the talent behind and in front of the camera, The Gray Man is well-acted and looks good; it is a perfectly fine movie to watch on a slow Thursday night.

As has become something of a trend, Ana de Armas is arguably the film’s shining star. She goes through a relatively substantial arc compared to her peers, and she gets a couple of really awesome (and silly) moments.

6 War Dogs (2016)

A Successful Early English-Speaking Role

Before she became a household name, Ana de Armas had a supporting role in War Dogs, a crime-comedy movie. Inspired loosely by real events, the movie focuses on two young men played by Jonah Hill and Miles Teller, who start working for the American government and get an unexpected job that might just prove to be too much for them.

The movie’s fun to watch and all the actors give solid performances, including Ana de Armas. She plays Iz, Miles Teller’s onscreen girlfriend who’s not so happy about her boyfriend’s new job and everything he’s doing. In the grand scheme of things, de Armas has a fairly small part, but she brings some warmth and humanity to the story. She also gets to show some comedic chops.

5 Corazón (2018)

Short But Moving

One of Ana de Armas’ lesser-known movies also gave her one of her most challenging roles. In Corazón, de Armas plays a young prostitute who discovers she has a life-threatening condition and has to fight to get a visa so that she can get the treatment she needs.

The 49-minute-long movie is a must-watch for all fans of de Armas who want to see their favorite actress in a more civil, highly intimate story. Ana de Armas shines in the role and it’s easy to cheer her on considering all the challenges her character Elena faces. While its short runtime somewhat limits its potential, Corazón is a moving and well-performed drama based on a true story.

4 No Time To Die (2021)

A Bond-Worthy Cameo

As her fame rose, Ana de Armas started to appear in more prestigious franchises, and James Bond is one of the most iconic movie series of all time. In Daniel Craig’s final adventure as James Bond, the 007 agent comes back from retirement to help an old friend only to find out that things have gotten a bit more complicated.

Paloma is an intelligence operative employed by the Central Intelligence Agency, and she is an intelligent and capable fighter who more than holds her own when she works alongside Bond. De Armas’ role is a good example of how much the characterization of women changed for the better since the first James Bond flick. Despite appearing for just a sequence, No Time to Die is still one of Ana de Armas’ best movies; in fact, an argument could be made that she is the film’s highlight.

3 Blonde (2022)

Exceptional Performance In A Polarizing Film

Blonde is difficult to rate since it is the definition of a polarizing movie. Depending on the viewer, the Netflix film could easily rank among either 2022’s best or worst releases; however, Blonde‘s divisive nature does not extend to Ana de Armas’ performance. If analyzed purely on her acting, this is arguably the best Ana de Armas movie, and she carries the whole experience. There is barely a moment when she is not the focus, even if her character (a fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe) is not especially proactive or assertive.

When viewed as a whole, Blonde is (purposefully) uncomfortable and exhausting. Lasting nearly three hours, most of which consists of rather depressing scenes, the film is a very hard watch that suffers from repetition. For some, the journey will be worth it; while for others, they might feel like they have wasted their time.

2 Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Breaking Through

The long-awaited Blade Runner (1982) sequel proves that sometimes it’s possible to step into already-established waters and create something fresh. Even though she only has a supporting role in this release, Ana de Armas steals every scene she is in. An argument could be made that Blade Runner 2049 put her on Hollywood’s radar.

Ana de Armas’ Joi and Gosling’s K have a unique relationship since the former is a digital companion. The movie not only captivates the audience and keeps them guessing what will happen next but also has an excellent cast. Other than Ana de Armas and Ryan Gosling, Blade Runner 2049 also has Harrison Ford reprising one of his most iconic roles.

1 Knives Out (2019)

Leading An All-Star Cast

The 2019 Oscar-nominated crime comedy is the ultimate example of a movie similar to Agatha Christie’s work but not based on her novels. In other words, it’s clever, full of complex characters, and offers unexpected twists as well as dark humor. Ana de Armas is at the center of the story as Martha, the only more or less honest person in a house full of liars who genuinely seems to have good intentions.

It’s Martha who helps Daniel Craig’s detective crack the case of who murdered her employer (portrayed by Christopher Plummer). Other than its story, the movie also has a star-studded cast that includes names such as Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, and Katherine Langford. Compared to most of the cast, Ana de Armas was essentially unknown when the movie was released; however, she never seems out of place sharing a screen with these heavyweights. Portraying a fairly innocent but not naive character, Armas shows off the full scope of her talent, covering drama and humor in the process. It is a tour-de-force performance while still being understated.