Summary

• Scarlett Johansson shines in sci-fi roles with exceptional commitment to performing.
• Legendary directors brought out Johansson's talent in science fiction films.
• Despite mixed reception, Johansson impressed in Eight Legged Freaks, Ghost in the Shell, Lucy, The Island, and Under the Skin.

Scarlett Johansson has made a name for herself as one of the most sought-after actors working today, and several of her greatest performances were in science-fiction movies. Johansson has taken up sci-fi roles since early in her career, such as in the little-known creature feature Eight Legged Freaks, right up to more recent releases like the controversial manga adaptation Ghost in the Shell. Across all these roles, Johansson delivered the same exceptional commitment to performing that she has shown throughout her varied career in Hollywood.

The best Scarlett Johansson movies included work with legendary directors, and her science fiction offers were no different. With fantastic performances in movies by filmmakers such as Jonathan Glazer, Spike Jonze, and Christopher Nolan, Johansson has consistently shown viewers that she’s one of the most talented actresses working today and that she can portray her roles with the depth and nuance these stories require. The greatest Johansson sci-fi movies overcame the usual trappings of this genre and stood out as some of the best science fiction releases of the 21st century.

7 Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Scarlett Johansson as Ashley Parker

Eight Legged Freaks was an over-the-top homage to B-movie monster horrors that featured Scarlett Johansson in a ing role shortly after her breakout performance in Ghost World. While Eight Legged Freaks was by no means an amazing film, it must be given credit for not taking itself too seriously. While there were plenty of thrills and a fair few laughs, the problem with Eight Legged Freaks was that it quickly ran out of steam and stood as a lackluster and mostly forgettable creature feature.

A potential sequel to Eight Legged Freaks was reported on in 2003 (via Moviehole); however, no subsequent information has come out since then, and it’s highly likely this project has been abandoned, especially considering the original film’s mixed critical and audience reception.

Johansson, along with David Arquette and Doug E. Doug, faced off against giant spiders that had grown in size due to a toxic waste spill in Eight Legged Freaks. It’s campy, it’s silly, it’s cheesy, and it’s the kind of movie that, if it came out today, would be a direct-to-steaming feature or made-for-TV film like Sharknado rather than a true theatrical release with A-list stars. However, if audiences don’t expect a masterpiece, they may be pleasantly surprised by just how fun Eight Legged Freaks was.

6 Ghost In The Shell (2017)

Scarlett Johansson as Major Mira Killian / Motoko Kusanagi

The live-action remake of Ghost in the Shell was always going to be compared to the previous anime adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s acclaimed manga. As a film set in the near future when the line between humans and robots was beginning to blur, Ghost in the Shell followed the cyber-soldier Major (Scarlett Johansson) as they investigated their past as the first of their kind. While Ghost in the Shell received praise for its visual style and action sequences, it was also heavily criticized for its casting choices, which led to accusations of whitewashing.

While Johansson delivered a strong performance as Major, she was entirely wrong for the part, and as a cult Japanese manga with a Hong Kong-inspired setting and a story influenced by Eastern philosophy, an Asian actor would have been the obvious choice. Ghost in the Shell also lacked the magic of the previous anime movie adaptation and proved this was a story that worked better in animation than in live-action. The overall problem was that Ghost in the Shell failed to justify its existence when other superior versions of this story already existed.

5 The Island (2005)

Scarlett Johansson as Sarah Jordan / Jordan Two Delta

Michael Bay’s escape-from-dystopia story The Island was a big-budget thriller that melded the over-the-top action spectacle of his previous movies with the philosophical ponders of sci-fi stories such as Logan’s Run and The Prisoner. With a narrative about farmed humans unknowingly being harvested for their organs from an isolated compound, The Island starred Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson as escapees determined to unleash the truth upon the world. While The Island felt derivative of several other films that tackled similar themes, it was still an enjoyable thriller that continued to highlight Bay’s skill for cinematic spectacle and action set pieces.

While The Island worked well as an entertaining summer blockbuster, it lacked the nuanced depth of more accomplished speculative sci-fi works where characters discovered they had been bred for death, such as Never Let Me Go. Johansson played her part well as the clueless clone who soon found everything she ever knew to be a lie and grew to discover everything from the nature of society to sexual desire. The Island was an enjoyable adventure but ranked among the most forgettable of all of Bay’s movies.

4 Lucy (2014)

Scarlett Johansson as Lucy Miller

Luc Besson’s Lucy explored the myth that humans only used ten percent of their brain capacity to deliver a polarizing sci-fi action movie that took this fallacy to its absolute extreme. With Scarlett Johansson as Lucy Miller, a woman who gained psychokinetic abilities after absorbing a brain-enhancing drug, Lucy was an enjoyable thriller, assuming audiences left logic at the door and just accepted the story as it was presented. As Lucy’s brain capacity improved, the over-the-top spectacle of Lucy grew before reaching the absolute extreme in the film’s extraordinary climax.

Although director Luc Besson has entertained the idea of a sequel to Lucy, during a recent interview with The Playlist, he stated he was not involved in any plans to continue the story and said that although he had read reports about a potential Lucy 2​​​​​​​ it was news to him and he had not been approached to direct or develop any follow-up to his hit movie.

Johansson gave a solid performance in Lucy, which more than made up for the absurdity at the heart of its concept. As a cross between superhero, gangster, and speculative sci-fi filmmaking, Lucy was a brief 90-minute movie that kept the stakes high and the action consistent throughout. While it may not have been for everyone, Johansson was on top form, and director Besson recaptured some of the magic that made his best movies, like Léon: The Professional and The Fifth Element, work so well.

3 Her (2013)

Scarlett Johansson as Samantha

Considering the rise of artificial intelligence in recent years, Spike Jonze’s romantic sci-fi Her has never felt more relevant or prescient. With Scarlett Johansson as the virtual assistant Samantha, Her involved a lonely, introverted man named Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) forming a strong attachment to Samantha as they bonded through intense discussions about life and love. Her brought up fascinating questions about the nature of romance in the digital age and signaled ethical and philosophical dilemmas that humans may soon be forced to reckon with.

Part of the power of Her was the vulnerable sadness of Ted’s character and the comfort he got from his interactions with Samantha. It’s a testament to Johansson’s acting talents that she was such a powerful presence through her voice alone in Her, as she ironically brought humanity to what could have been a very robotic and detached role. Her was truly a romance for the modern age and, through its science-fiction concept, warned toward a potentially unsettling future concerning human and AI romances.

2 The Prestige (2006)

Scarlett Johansson as Olivia Wenscombe

The Prestige was one of director Christopher Nolan’s most fascinating films as it explored the deeply psychological story of rivalry, sacrifice, and the pursuit of perfection. With Christian Bale and Hugh Jackson as magicians battling to create the ultimate illusion, Scarlett Johansson played the magician assistant Olivia Wenscombe, who fell in love with Bordon (Bale) but later learned that everything was not as it seemed. As the magician's trick ‘The Transported Man’ showcased the darkest impulses of humans’ need to succeed, The Prestige highlighted themes of one-upmanship, secrecy, and the willingness to destroy oneself in the pursuit of glory.

Johansson, along with other ing characters such as David Bowie as Nikola Tesla, added to the innate power of The Prestige. While the impact of The Prestige rested primarily on the ionate performances of Bale and Jackson, Johansson’s love story shone a light on all that had been lost through the magician's single-minded quest to outdo one another. As one of the very best Nolan movies, The Prestige was a significant release in Johansson’s acclaimed filmography.

1 Under The Skin (2013)

Scarlett Johansson as The Female

The strange, sublime, and visually stunning Jonathan Glazer film Under the Skin stood as the greatest of all Scarlett Johansson’s sci-fi movies. With a minimalist style and spare story, Under the Skin was a haunting viewing experience as Johansson played a mysterious young woman who seduced lonely men as she traversed the Scottish countryside in a highlight atmospheric and eerie depiction. With Johansson in the leading role as a seemingly alien woman, most of the cast had no acting experience, which added the pervading sense of dread throughout Under the Skin.

Although Under the Skin failed at the box office, it received universal acclaim from critics. Its absorbing imagery and mesmerizing performance made it one of Johansson’s most unusual and accomplished releases. Under the Skin was not driven by its plotline and was an ethereal experience that must be witnessed to be believed. It’s dark and creepy, but in many ways unquestionably beautiful, and for those with a fondness for Scarlett Johansson’s sci-fi offerings, Under the Skin was an absolute must-see movie.

Sources: Moviehole, The Playlist,