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Whether it’s something like big-budget action spectacles like Godzilla vs. Kong and Marvel's Iron Man 3 or timeless romantic comedies like Starter for 10, the list of Rebecca Hall’s best movies is one that is rich and deep as just about anyone else in Hollywood today. She can make us laugh, she can make us cry, and she can make us feel something that we may have never felt before with her acting ability. But, before the British actress goes and does it again with her slate of 2021 new movie releases, let’s take a step back and look at the Rebecca Hall best movies list so far.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Best friends Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) travel to Barcelona for what will be an adventurous summer exploring the art, food, and culture the Spanish city has to offer. This trip quickly turns into something much more complicated upon meeting the talented and seductive painter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), kicking off a summer romance neither saw coming.
Why it’s worth checking out: Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona — thanks in part to its brilliant cast — is at times as funny as anything else the director has released throughout his career and at other times a dramatic exploration of love, identity, and the battle between the head and the heart.
Stream Vicky Cristina Barcelona on Tubi.
Rent/Buy Vicky Cristina Barcelona on Amazon.
The Prestige (2006)
Two partners-turned-rivals, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), find themselves in the middle of a bitter feud caused by a magic trick in which one of the former friends has supposedly pulled off the impossible: teleportation.
Why it’s worth checking out: Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige, if anything, is about how someone can lose touch with the world and people around them in the pursuit of greatness. This is best illustrated in Rebecca Hall’s performance as Sarah Borden, Alfred’s confused and emotionally traumatized wife who pays the ultimate price for her husband’s new trick.
Rent/Buy The Prestige on Amazon.
The Town (2010)
Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) lives life one bank robbery at a time alongside his brother-in-arms, James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), in the down-and-out Boston neighborhood of Charlestown, but his life becomes much more complicated when he forms a connection with bank teller Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) after taking her hostage.
Why it’s worth checking out: Directed by Ben Affleck, The Town is one of the best crime films to come out in the 21st Century thanks in part to its complex story, explosive heists, and a cast so believable you don’t see them as actors but the New Englanders they’re playing on screen.
Iron Man 3 (2013)
In the aftermath of the Battle of New York, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a broken man suffering from severe PTSD that brings on bouts of insomnia and horrific nightmares when he is able to rest. Iron Man’s life becomes all the more complicated when two ghosts from his past — Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) and Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) — come back for revenge with the fate of the world at stake.
Why it’s worth checking out: Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 isn’t everyone’s favorite MCU movie, but the follow-up to The Avengers does feature an emotionally-complex story based around the idea of cause and effect, especially when it comes to a hero’s less-than-heroic past.
Rent/Buy Iron Man 3 on Amazon.
Christine (2016)
Television reporter Christine Chubbuck’s (Rebecca Hall) life begins a tailspin when she is pulled off human interest stories to focus on crime news at a Florida station where “if it bleeds, it leads,” much to her detriment. What follows is a woman’s descent into darkness, one that leads to her committing suicide on live TV.
Why it’s worth checking out: Antonio Campos’ 2016 biographical drama Christine tells the traumatic story of the events that led to a reporter becoming the first person to commit suicide on a live television broadcast. Rebecca Hall’s portrayal of a person trying to find balance and meaning in life before ending it all is harrowing, yet sympathetic to Chubbuck’s position.
The Gift (2015)
Everything seems perfect for Simon Callem (Jason Bateman) and his wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall) after they move from Chicago to start a new life in Los Angeles, but all of that is forever changed when Gordon “Gordo” Moseley (Joel Edgerton) repeatedly shows up unannounced with various gifts. What starts out as a seemingly harmless relationship slowly unfolds into something much darker that could ruin everything the couple has built.
Why it’s worth checking out: Joel Edgerton’s The Gift is one of the most frightening psychological thrillers of the past few years and does a masterful job of steadily building tension and upping the ante as its complex and frightening narrative unfolds. Plus, The Gift ending is one of those open-ended conclusions that still has people debating.
Godzilla Vs. Kong (2021)
Legendary monsters King Kong and Godzilla are pitted against one another in an epic battle for supremacy after being drawn to fight by a mysterious force. But, the two titans — and the humans monitoring them —soon realize that something with far greater consequences is going down in the shadows.
Why it’s worth checking out: Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs. Kong hits in all the right places. With a focus on the series of battles between the two titans and less of an emphasis on their human counterparts than previous titles in the Legendary MonsterVerse, the epic action flick finds the perfect balance. It also doesn’t hurt having Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, and Alexander Skarsgård serving as the bridge that brings the beasts together.
Stream Godzilla vs. Kong on HBO Max.
Buy Godzilla vs. Kong on Amazon.
Frost/Nixon (2008)
In 1977, Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) grants his first interview since resigning as the President of the United States just a few years earlier. On the other end of the series of 12 conversations is British journalist David Frost (Michael Sheen), who may or may not be up to task of pressing the former commander-in-chief on his tumultuous past.
Why it’s worth checking out: Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon is a good enough movie on its own with its portrayal of Richard Nixon and the way it humanizes its subjects, but then there’s the superb acting on the part of Rebecca Hall, whose turn as David Frost’s love interest Caroline Cushing adds another dimension to this emotionally and politically charged movie.
Stream Frost/Nixon on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Frost/Nixon on Amazon.
The Awakening (2011)
Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall), a writer and ghost hunter living in post-World War I England is invited to a boys boarding school to investigate hauntings that have been reported by one of the academy’s teachers, Robert Mallory (Dominic West).
Why it’s worth checking out: Directed by Nick Murphy, The Awakening touches on a number of different topics ranging from spirits haunting a preparatory academy and grief, to a country attempting to rebound from a devastating war and how people forced to face those problems learn to accept and move forward.
Rent/Buy The Awakening on Amazon.
Starter For 10 (2006)
Working-class university student Brian Jackson (James McAvoy) finds himself in a rather precarious position when he falls in love with an intelligent old soul named Rebecca Epstein (Rebecca Hall), and bombshell Alice Harbinson (Alice Eve). Brian’s situation becomes even more complicated when he joins and finds success on the school’s quiz team.
Why it’s worth checking out: Tom Vaughn’s Starter for 10 has everything you would want from a great romantic comedy and then some. With a relatable lead in Brian, a great cast that also includes a young Benedict Cumberbatch, Dominic Cooper, and James Corden, and a fulfilling story, there’s a little something for everyone here.
Stream Starter for 10 on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Starter for 10 on Amazon.
Even with so many great performances behind her, the future is still bright for Rebecca Hall as she continues to provide audiences with deep and rich portrayals of complex characters no matter the genre. That being said, don’t be surprised if Hall shows up in one or more of the 2022 movies with a lot of potential.
