Before becoming one of Hollywood’s Queens of sci-fi and action, Charlize Theron starred in several underrated roles that largely went unnoticed. While it is safe to assume she found her niche in sci-fi, Theron has long proven her versatility. From rom-com, psychological horrors, dramas, and the post-apocalyptic genre, Theron has worked in a wide range of roles.
Since making her screen debut in 1995, Charlize Theron has become one of the world’s highest-paid actresses. Her commanding screen presence, beauty, and remarkable talents have earned her several accolades, including three Academy Awards nominations (and win). However, here are Charlize Theron’s 7 underrated roles of her career.
The Devil’s Advocate
In Taylor Hackford’s 1997 supernatural horror, Charlize Theron played the role of Mary Ann Lomax, a supportive and loving spouse. She played the wife of Keanu Reeves’ Kevin Lomax character. Kevin is a gifted Florida lawyer who was invited to New York to work for one of the city’s biggest firms. Although it offers a bigger pay and lifestyle, it is later revealed that its owner, John Milton (Al Pacino), is the devil. As work pulls Kevin away from home, his wife gradually experiences mental and emotional deterioration. Mary Ann’s descent into paranoia and hallucinations becomes central to the film’s dark, supernatural themes.
Charlize Theron’s performance in The Devil’s Advocate has largely gone underrated. Besides being dwarfed as a supporting character by two Hollywood A-list actors, the quality of her performance is often overshadowed by her nude scenes. Charlize Theron, whose career was about two years old, provided emotional depth to her character. She excellently portrayed a character unraveling under the influence of sinister forces. Overall, The Devil’s Advocate was a commercial success, but Charlize Theron’s performance remains underrated.
Mighty Joe Young
The 1998 Mighty Joe Young was based on the similarly named 1949 movie. While critics were positive about the original, they had little love for its remake. With Charlize Theron leading the cast as Jill Young, the 1998 Mighty Joe Young was quickly shelved in Hollywood film archives. The movie centered around a 4.6-meter mountain gorilla, it was poorly compared to the famous King Kong movies.
In Mighty Joe Young, Charlize Theron’s Jill Young is a young woman who has befriended a mountain gorilla named Joe since childhood. After Jill and Joe’s mothers are killed by poachers in the jungles of Africa, Jill is tasked with looking after and protecting Joe. The story follows Jill’s efforts to keep Joe safe as he’s taken to the United States to live in a wildlife preserve.
The Astronaut’s Wife
The Astronaut’s Wife wasn’t only panned by critics; it was also a Box Office flop. However, over two decades later, it’s safe to say critics weren’t too kind. In retrospect, The Astronaut’s Wife was an underappreciated science fiction thriller. In the movie, Charlize Theron played Jillian Armacost, the wife of astronaut Spencer Armacost (played by Johnny Depp). Jillian becomes increasingly concerned after her husband returns from a space mission.
While walking in space, Spencer Armacost lost two minutes of contact with Earth. Back on Earth, Spencer’s behavior becomes unsettling, causing Jillian to believe something sinister is at play. As the film progresses, it is revealed that Spenser was attacked and inhabited by an alien lifeform. After getting Jillian pregnant, a possessed Spenser ensures she carries the twins to term. Jillian does her best to ensure the alien lifeforms in her womb are terminated before they’re due.
Sweet November
Charlize Theron teamed up with Keanu Reeves again in the 2001 romantic drama Sweet November. Although the 2000s were known for their comedies and romantic movies, Sweet November largely flew under the radar. Theron plays Sara Dever, a free-spirited woman with terminal non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Sara forms a unique bond with Keanu Reeves’ Nelson Moss, offering to help Nelson change his work-focused lifestyle by spending a month with her. Nelson Moss is designated “November” by one of Sara’s close friends, Chaz Watley (Jason Isaacs). It is revealed that Sara takes in different men each month, hoping to change their lives with the little time she has left. While the film’s storyline is predictable, Charlize Theron’s performance remains flawless.
Trapped
Trapped is a 2002 crime thriller panned by critics and flopped at the Box Office. In the movie, Charlize Theron plays a protective mother, Karen Jennings, after her daughter is kidnapped. Karen and her husband, Will Jennings (Stuart Townsend), became the target of a meticulously planned kidnapping scheme. Dakota Fanning played their young daughter Abby, who’s kidnapped by a trio of vengeful assailants led by Joe Hickey (Kevin Bacon).
Aeon Flux
Although Charlize Theron later carved out a niche for herself in sci-fi action, her early projects weren’t as successful. With a 9% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Aeon Flux is one of Charlize Theron’s lowest-rated movies. Its first disappointment was its failure to do justice to its source material. The 2005 Aeon Flux was based on MTV’s animated sci-fi action series. Judging it away from its source material, Aeon Flux is naturally an underrated movie, especially for the decade it was released.
In the 2005 Aeon Flux, Charlize Theron led the cast as its eponymous character. Her character is a skilled and rebellious assassin working for a group of rebels trying to overthrow its oppressive government. The movie is set 400 years in 2415 after a disease wiped out 99% of humanity. Theron’s character is central to the plot, where she questions the government’s motives and uncovers hidden truths about society.
The Road
Although Charlize Theron’s character only appeared in flashbacks, The Road still makes the cut as one of her most underrated roles. Theron is cast as Woman, and is the wife of the main character, Man (played by Viggo Mortensen), and mother of their young son, Boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee). The 2009 movie was based on Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic novel.
While Theron’s role is relatively small but crucial to the film’s plot. Her suicide death deeply impacts the emotional tone of the movie, representing the hopelessness and repair of the post-apocalyptic world. Although reviews were above average, The Road bombed at the Box Office. Besides these Charlize Theron underrated roles, also check out these Colin Farrell’s underrated roles.
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