Is Dakota Johnson a Good Actress?

When you think of Dakota Johnson, chances are the first thing that comes to mind is the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. While this is the role that launched her to fame, her career so far has been extremely diverse, ranging from small appearances in blockbusters to leading roles in Oscar-nominated films.

She’s one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood today, as proven by her major role in Marvel’s upcoming Madame Web and the six buzzy movies she’s starred in just in the last two years. She’s also one of the most polarizing—check Twitter reactions to her two most recent performances, in Netflix’s Persuasion and Apple TV+’s Cha Cha Real Smooth for proof of that.

She’s always taken risks in the films she chooses, and while not all of them are well received, her performance almost always takes the movies to a higher level. Now that Persuasion, an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel of the same name, is out on Netflix and people have had a chance to watch—not to mention develop their *strong* opinions about it—we decided it’s a good time to revisit her career.

Here’s a rundown of her best roles, ranked by the strength of her performance. (And, yes, you’ll find Persuasion on here, too. To paraphrase the film, “If you’re a 5 in Dakota Johnson’s career, you’re a 10 in Hollywood.”)

When Will Hollywood Stop Miscasting Dakota Johnson?

Fifty Shades Freed

The third and final installment of the Fifty Shades trilogy, this movie follows Anastasia (Johnson) and Christian (Jamie Dornan) as they navigate the challenges of a new marriage (plus some abduction and violence, of course). The movie is a mess, and while Johnson is often the highlight of the franchise, her performance declined, radiating the energy of someone ready to put a job behind them.

Persuasion

Persuasion is not a good film. The movie, which claims to be an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, takes an impressive work of literature and reduces it to something with cringey dialogue and flimsy emotional stakes. Johnson, who on more than one occasion is the saving grace of not-so-excellent films, does not manage to help this movie from being anything but a poor attempt at capturing the charm so many period pieces have.

The Social Network

You’re forgiven if, after seeing The Social Network on here, your first thought was, “Wait, Dakota Johnson was in that movie?” Released in 2010, The Social Network was her first role since acting alongside her mom in 1999. She played a college student that showed Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) Facebook, and while it was a short appearance, she made a great impact.

Wounds

A horror movie starring Armie Hammer as a New Orleans bartender who starts receiving threatening text messages, Johnson plays his wife, in a role that gives her the chance to show off her horror chops. The movie feels a little half-baked, and while the plot gets creepy, the poor direction and weak writing keeps the cast from letting their talent really shine, Johnson included.

Fifty Shades Darker

The second film in the Fifty Shades trilogy, and by far the worst, Fifty Shades Darker is a movie in which Ana, after being scared off multiple times by Christian and refusing to get back together with him (due to him being a psychopath), inexplicably ends up accepting his proposal. It’s baffling, yet Johnson’s performance manages to bring this movie from unwatchable to, well, still unwatchable. But at least she’s good, and brings some much-needed gravitas to the movie.

Bad Times at the El Royale

In a movie with a cast as impressive as this one (Jon Hamm, Jeff Bridges, and Cynthia Erivo to name a few), it’s a testament to Johnson that she made such an impact. The movie has a lot going on, and the sprawling cast means there’s a lot of storylines competing for attention. But Johnson’s role as hippie Emily Summerspring, who brings her seemingly kidnapped sister to the hotel after saving her from a cult, is a stand out. Because of the nature of the film, there’s a lot of twists, turns, and reveals, but Johnson grounds everything, always telegraphing the weight of the situation her character is in—even if we don’t know the whole story.

How To Be Single

Playing a recent college graduate who moved to New York after breaking up with her boyfriend, Johnson’s first leading role in a non-Fifty Shades rom-com was great, even when the movie wasn’t. It’s a mostly fun time, with a strong supporting cast. Johnson has chemistry with basically anyone, which is always a plus and certainly elevates the movie. Her character is extremely relatable, and her charming performance keeps the role from ever falling victim to many of the movie’s cliché choices.

A Bigger Splash

A remake of the film La Piscine, the movie follows a couple (Tilda Swinton and Mattias Schoenaerts) on vacation in Italy, where they are interrupted by Swinton’s character’s ex lover (Ralph Fiennes) and his daughter, played by Johnson. The movie starts as a seemingly twisty romance, but as the story progresses and we learn more about these people, the action kicks in. Johnson is not given, pardon the pun, the splashiest role, but her ability to come across as enigmatic and entrancing is crucial to the story and had critics looking at her in a different life.

Fifty Shades of Grey

Easily Dakota’s most well-known role, Fifty Shades of Grey follows recent college grad Anastasia Steele as she begins a BDSM relationship with billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). The movie, based on the hugely popular novel of the same name, was not super well-received, mostly because of the awkward dialogue and not-so sensual sex scenes. It’s important to note that this movie was the only one of the films to be directed by a woman (Sam Taylor-Johnson), and it doesn’t seem accidental that this film is the best of the trilogy, as well as Dakota’s best performance in the series. Even pans of the film praised her captivating, star-making work.

In a Relationship

The only short film on this list, In a Relationship follows two couples mockumentary-style as they navigate two very different relationships. Matt (Nicholas Braun) and Willa (Johnson) have been hooking up for six days, while Owen (Zachary Webber) and Abby (Sophie Simpson) have been dating for five years. It’s a very intimate and casual film, which gives the cast’s natural screen presences a chance to shine. Johnson and Braun do an excellent job of playing two people who are obviously attracted to each other, but can’t decipher what their relationship is. It’s an understated and sweet performance from Johnson, and in a short amount of time she manages to create a character that feels lived-in and real.

Our Friend

One of the smaller, more human stories Johnson has been a part of, Our Friend tells the story of Nicole, a woman who gets diagnosed with terminal cancer and has months to live. She and her husband, Matthew (Casey Affleck), decide to have their best friend, Dane (Jason Segel), live with them to help take care of their two daughters during this time. It’s a complex character, and Johnson manages to bring a necessary depth. She doesn’t make Nicole seem like the caricatures we so often see in cancer stories, but rather grounds her in an, at times, frightening realism.

The High Note

The High Note, a fantastic and fun movie about pop star Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross) and her overworked assistant Maggie (Johnson), flew under the radar due to its May 2020 release. No, this movie did not receive the critical acclaim or popularity that her other movies have, but the story is heartwarming, the soundtrack is shockingly great, and all the performances are strong. Johnson is convincing as Grace’s personal assistant, and their crackling chemistry is endearing enough to believe they care for each other even when the movie’s script doesn't always give them the best material to work with.

Cha Cha Real Smooth

Cooper Raiff’s sophomore directorial project stars himself as recent college grad Andrew who is struggling to figure out his career. He ends up becoming a Bat Mitzvah party starter after attending one with his little brother, where he meets a single mother, Domino (Johnson), who has brought her daughter to the party. The two end up connecting on a level both are unfamiliar with, and the movie follows their (at times romantic) relationship. There’s something to be said about Johnson’s ability to convincingly play moms on screen, as her love and concern for her daughter is what drives the film and her performance. Johnson is extremely compelling, and the viewer, similarly to Andrew, can’t help but be enthralled by her and her life. The small and intimate conversations Domino and Andrew have leave the audience wanting more, mostly because of the charm she exudes.

The Peanut Butter Falcon

A touching story, The Peanut Butter Falcon follows Zak (Zach Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome after he runs away from his residential care home. He comes across Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a criminal, and the two begin to travel, as they both intend to leave their pasts behind. Eleanor (Johnson), Zak’s caretaker, discovers he has run away and goes to bring him back. After finding out that Zak is to be taken to a harsher facility, she decides to stay and travel with him and Tyler. The movie is extremely emotional, and while Dakota does not have the largest role in the movie, her character, especially in the second half of the film, brings a lot of heart and humor to the story, especially playing off of LaBeouf.

Suspiria

A remake of the 1977 film of the same name, Suspiria is a dark, creepy, and overall unsettling story, a departure from Johnson’s typical roles. The movie follows Susie (Johnson) as she enters a prestigious ballet company that is actually a cover for a witch coven. The whole experience is extremely immersive, thanks to the stunning set and score, but also because of the performances. It received mixed reviews, but Johnson was widely praised for her portrayal of Susie, playing both the naive dancer we see at the beginning and the dark, tortured performer we see at the end. This role required an intense physicality and Johnson rose to the challenge, showing off new shades of her talent.

The Lost Daughter

By far one of the best movies Johnson has been a part of, it’s also her best performance. Once again, she’s playing a mother. Her character, Nina, comes across Leda (Olivia Colman), a professor on vacation alone in Italy. The film, adapted from Elena Ferrante’s novel of the same name and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, is an alternately touching and harrowing story about motherhood. Nina is by no means the main character of the story. She floats in and out of the film, in the background and in focus, but her character plays a key role. The relationship between Nina and Leda is deeply strange, as their interest in each other is both sweet but somewhat “off.” Johnson plays the role in a way that’s deeply specific to the story, but leaves room for interpretation. She’s shared that she had an instant connection with director Gyllenhaal, and it’s easy to believe they had a strong bond when watching this movie. Dakota so easily sinks into this role, in the way that only an actor comfortable with their material can.

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