Films That Drew Praise And Criticism In The Careers Of 15 Well-Known Actors
Hollywood careers can pivot overnight, and not always in a good way. One year brings an iconic role and major buzz, then the next release has people asking, “Who approved this?” Hits turn into cultural moments, flops become instant meme fuel, and the same actor can land on both sides of that coin.
Talent matters, but timing and script choices can be wildly unpredictable.
Disclaimer: This article discusses film reception and career narratives using a mix of widely documented awards history and subjective critical and audience perceptions.
1. Meryl Streep: Sophie’s Choice And The Laundromat
You know that feeling when a performance stays with you long after the credits roll?
Sophie’s Choice delivered exactly that in 1982, with a portrayal so raw it earned an Oscar and proved dramatic range could redefine careers. The accent work alone became legendary, the kind of detail that separates good acting from transformative art.
Fast forward to 2019, and The Laundromat arrived with a thud critics couldn’t ignore. The satire about financial scandals felt heavy-handed, and even a stellar cast couldn’t rescue the muddled storytelling.
Sometimes even the best stumble when the script doesn’t click.
2. Tom Hanks: Philadelphia And The Bonfire Of The Vanities
Philadelphia hit theaters in 1993 and changed the conversation around a crisis the world desperately needed to understand. The courtroom drama tackled prejudice head-on, earning an Academy Award and showcasing vulnerability that felt painfully real.
Three years earlier, though, The Bonfire of the Vanities crashed and burned despite its pedigree.
The adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s novel tried too hard to be clever, ending up tone-deaf instead. Critics called it one of the decade’s biggest misfires, proof that star power can’t fix fundamental flaws.
3. Robert De Niro: Raging Bull And Dirty Grandpa
Raging Bull remains a masterclass in method acting, the kind of commitment that involves gaining sixty pounds and learning to move like a boxer. Released in 1980, the biopic about Jake LaMotta showcased brutal honesty both in and out of the ring.
Then came Dirty Grandpa in 2016, a broad comedy that left longtime fans bewildered. The shock-first humor felt desperate rather than funny, and watching a legend reduced to shock value gags stung more than any cinematic punch.
Not every risk pays off.
4. Al Pacino: The Godfather And Jack And Jill
Picture 1972, when The Godfather redefined what cinema could achieve.
Playing Michael Corleone meant transforming from reluctant outsider to cold-blooded leader, a journey that earned three Oscar nominations and became the gold standard for character arcs. The whispered intensity, the calculating stares – pure magic.
Jack and Jill in 2011 somehow convinced this same talent to appear in a comedy about twin siblings that swept the Razzies for all the wrong reasons. Critics called it unwatchable, audiences stayed away, and the mystery of why anyone said yes remains unsolved.
5. Nicole Kidman: Moulin Rouge! And Bewitched
Moulin Rouge! burst onto screens in 2001 like a fever dream set to music, all swirling cameras and tragic romance. The cabaret spectacle demanded singing, dancing, and emotional gymnastics that earned a Golden Globe and cemented status as a musical icon.
Bewitched arrived four years later with a meta-comedy concept that sounded clever on paper but landed with a confused splat.
The remake-within-a-movie approach felt too clever by half, leaving audiences wondering what they’d just watched. Sometimes high concepts need more than charm to work.
6. Leonardo DiCaprio: The Revenant And J. Edgar
The Revenant pushed physical acting to extremes in 2015, with frozen rivers and raw bison liver becoming part of Hollywood legend.
Surviving the wilderness while delivering minimal dialogue earned that long-awaited Oscar, validation after years of near-misses. The bear attack scene alone became instant cinema history.
J. Edgar four years earlier aimed for prestige but got bogged down in heavy makeup and a plodding narrative.
Critics found the biopic lifeless despite ambitious scope, the kind of film that feels important without actually engaging viewers.
Ambition doesn’t always equal impact.
7. Brad Pitt: Fight Club And Troy
Fight Club flopped initially in 1999 but became a cultural phenomenon once people actually watched it. The anarchic energy and twist ending sparked endless debates, turning a box office disappointment into a defining role that launched a thousand dorm room posters.
Troy in 2004 promised epic spectacle but delivered bloated runtime and questionable accents instead.
The ancient Greece adventure looked gorgeous yet felt hollow, like watching a very expensive history textbook come to life without the soul. Sometimes bigger isn’t better, just longer.
8. Angelina Jolie: Girl, Interrupted And The Tourist
Girl, Interrupted showcased volatility and vulnerability in equal measure back in 1999, earning an Oscar for a supporting role that stole every scene. The psychiatric ward drama required fearless commitment to a character audiences couldn’t look away from, no matter how uncomfortable she made them feel.
The Tourist in 2010 paired two gorgeous stars in a Venice thriller that somehow bored everyone watching.
Despite the canals and couture, the chemistry fizzled and the plot plodded along predictably. Beauty alone can’t carry a movie when nothing else works.
9. Johnny Depp: Pirates Of The Caribbean And The Lone Ranger
Captain Jack Sparrow stumbled onto screens in 2003 and changed everything.
The off-kilter pirate swagger earned an Oscar nomination for what could have been a throwaway summer blockbuster role. Kids wanted the costume, adults quoted the lines, and a franchise was born from pure charisma.
The Lone Ranger tried repeating that magic in 2013 but crashed spectacularly, with Disney projecting a loss of up to $190 million. The bloated Western felt like a theme park ride nobody asked for, proof that lightning doesn’t strike twice just because you want it to.
10. Halle Berry: Monster’s Ball And Catwoman
Monster’s Ball delivered a performance so powerful that it led to a historic Best Actress Oscar, following the film’s early 2002 release. The raw grief and complicated romance required courage most actors never attempt, creating moments that still resonate decades later.
Then Catwoman pounced in 2004 with a script that should have stayed in the litter box.
The superhero disaster earned multiple Razzies, which were accepted with humor and grace. Sometimes you take a paycheck and move on, learning what not to do next time.
11. Ben Affleck: Argo And Gigli
Argo proved doubters wrong in 2012, winning Best Picture and showcasing directorial chops nobody saw coming.
The Iranian hostage thriller balanced tension with humor, turning a wild true story into edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Suddenly the tabloid punchline became a serious filmmaker worth respecting.
Gigli nearly derailed everything back in 2003, a romantic crime comedy so bad it became shorthand for Hollywood disasters. The chemistry with the co-star felt forced, the plot made no sense, and reviews were unusually unforgiving.
Careers can survive anything with enough persistence.
12. Kristen Stewart: Clouds Of Sils Maria And Twilight
Clouds of Sils Maria showcased a different gear, and Kristen Stewart won the César Award for Best Supporting Actress in February 2015 for her performance. The French drama about aging actresses and their assistants required subtlety that silenced the haters who only knew one franchise.
Twilight launched superstardom in 2008 but also became a punching bag for those who dismissed teen romance.
The vampire saga earned billions while critics rolled their eyes at the melodrama and wooden delivery. Young fans didn’t care what reviewers thought, making the franchise unstoppable despite constant mockery.
13. Matthew McConaughey: Dallas Buyers Club And Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation
Dallas Buyers Club in 2013 marked the peak of the McConaissance, a career reinvention that earned an Oscar through dramatic weight loss and fearless commitment. Playing an AIDS patient fighting the system required vulnerability rom-com fans never imagined possible, transforming a shirtless heartthrob into a serious artist.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation from 1994 remains buried for good reason.
The horror sequel nobody wanted featured scenery-chewing that crossed into unintentional comedy. Early career missteps happen, but this one’s particularly cringeworthy in hindsight.
14. Adam Sandler: Uncut Gems And Jack And Jill
Uncut Gems revealed depths nobody knew existed, a panic attack of a movie from 2019 that had critics begging for Oscar recognition.
The manic jeweler drowning in debt showcased anxiety and desperation through relentless pacing that left audiences exhausted in the best way. Suddenly the guy from Happy Gilmore could actually act.
Jack and Jill in 2011 swept the Razzies by playing twins in a comedy that felt like punishment for audiences and critics alike. The lazy humor and obvious cash grab made everyone wonder why talent gets wasted on such thin material.
15. Robert Pattinson: Good Time And Twilight
Good Time in 2017 announced a serious actor had emerged from the vampire ashes, with a frantic criminal desperate to save his brother.
The neon-soaked thriller demanded intensity and unpredictability that shocked anyone who dismissed him as just a pretty face. Critics finally paid attention to the choices he’d been making quietly for years.
Twilight in 2008 made him famous and miserable simultaneously, launching a franchise that earned billions while boxing him into a glittery vampire image he worked hard to outgrow. The melodramatic romance became a cultural phenomenon despite wooden performances everyone loved to mock mercilessly.
