From Blonde to Knives Out, these are Ana de Armas’ top 5 best performances, ranked ahead of the release of Ballerina.
Wielding her almond-shaped hazel eyes with precision, Ana de Armas quietly grounds every role she takes on, whether she’s entangled in a whodunnit, reinventing an icon, or stealing the spotlight from Bond. Before she steps into the John Wick universe in Ballerina, these are 5 of Ana de Armas’ best on-screen performances, ranked.
5. War Dogs (2016)
Director: Todd Phillips
Ana de Armas has a small, notable role as Iz, the wife of an arms dealer, in War Dogs, a darkly comic crime drama about two hustlers who land a $300 million arms deal with the Pentagon. de Armas, who only spoke Spanish before moving to the US, learned her lines phonetically for the role, but it didn’t hinder her performance. She’s one of the film’s quieter strengths. In a story that often leans into sensationalism, de Armas brings a much-needed emotional grounding, offering a strong contrast to Miles Teller and Jonah Hill’s chaotic fuel. She elevates what could have been a flat, space-filling character; her performance a reminder that, despite the absurdity of its events, War Dogs is rooted in truth.
4. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Providing the film’s emotional grapnel, de Armas plays Joi, a holographic companion designed to fulfil the romantic needs of its user—in this case, Ryan Gosling’s K. Blade Runner 2049 follows K, a “blade runner” who uncovers a long-buried secret that threatens to destabilise society. Again, Joi could have easily been a one-note role: the artificial girlfriend. But de Armas brings a human longing that makes her feel more real than many of the stoic, flesh-coated characters in the film. Her chemistry with Gosling is supremely haunting; the now infamous “you look lonely” scene lands an emotional gut punch. Projected into the night as a giant, nude, purple-hued advert, Joi reveals that her affection for K is mass-produced. Anchored by Ana de Armas’ presence, it represents the loss of intimacy K believed he held.
3. Blonde (2022)
Director: Andrew Dominik
Blonde is a fictionalised, impressionistic portrait of Marilyn Monroe’s life, exploring the psychological detriment that fame, objectification, and a splintered identity played in her downfall. In this polarising biography, de Armas, who portrays Monroe, does more than imitate the icon; she inhabits her pain. While the film is often criticised for being exploitative or excessively bleak, de Armas captures enough realness for this movie to breathe. Any trace of her Spanish accent doesn’t distract from her stripped performance. Between the twitch of her upper lip and her aching silences, de Armas delivers a haunting turn in a film that doesn’t always deserve it.
2. No Time to Die (2022)
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Ana de Armas only has 10 minutes or so of screen time in No Time to Die, the final instalment in Daniel Craig’s run as suave British secret agent James Bond. Appearing as newly minted agent Paloma, de Armas injects a jolt of energy into the film’s second act. Dressed in a flowing midnight-blue gown, Paloma is visibly thrilled to be on the mission with Bond. Balancing the film’s more brooding tones, de Armas plays Paloma with a refreshing mix of levity and nervous charm, all while navigating gunfire, hand-to-hand combat, and cocktail banter with ease. In No Time to Die, de Armas’ spirited performance proves impact has little to do with screen time.
1. Knives Out (2019)
Director: Rian Johnson
In this sharp satire filled with acting veterans like Daniel Craig and Toni Collette, de Armas grounds Knives Out with a career-defining performance. She plays Marta, the immigrant nurse whose goodness is often weaponised, and who is caught at the centre of a wealthy family’s unravelling. Ana de Armas captures Marta’s hesitation and vulnerability with physical tics, like fiddling with the loose cotton on her winter sweater, tapping her foot constantly, and widening her bulbous eyes like a frightened child. Her chemistry with Craig is unexpected; his turn as the flamboyant detective Benoit Blanc is both theatrical and methodical, while she provides the perfect counterbalance — quiet, reactive, and emotionally transparent. de Armas is the moral centre that keeps Knives Out pulsing.
Whether she’s lighting up the screen for mere minutes or carrying a film on her shoulders, Ana de Armas brings impressive depth and empathy to her roles. As Ballerina approaches, it’s clear de Armas is only just hitting her stride.
