Dakota Johnsonhas become one of the most notable names in Hollywood over the past decade or so, thanks to some memorable movies. As is the case with most actors, those movies are easily remembered for both good and bad reasons, as her filmography has both Oscar contenders andmaligned blockbusters.
Dakota Johnson is acting royalty as her parents are Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, but she’s become a household name on her own merits. After a handful of smaller roles over the years, Johnson broke out as the lead in theFifty Shades of Greytrilogy.
While those movies weren’t well received, they were major commercial successes. Dakota Johnson has proven herself as a performer in the time since, landing a handful of awards' recognition, including being nominated for a BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2016.
On its own,The Social Networkhas a strong case for being the best film that Dakota Johnson has ever appeared in.Directed by David Fincherand written by Aaron Sorkin, the movie tells the story of the founding of Facebook and is considered by many to be one of the best films of the 2010s.
The reason it doesn’t rank higher is that Dakota Johnson is barely in it.
The Social Networkhelped make major stars out of Andrew Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg, while also being nominated for Best Picture and winning three other Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay. However, the reason it doesn’t rank higher is that Dakota Johnson is barely in it.
This marked Johnson’s first film other thanCrazy in Alabama, which she appeared in when she was only a kid. Johnson played Amy, a girl from Stanford who hooks up with Justin Timberlake’s Sean Parker, and is actually the one who introduces him to Facebook. It’s a small but memorable scene.
After initially premiering in 2019 at the Toronto International Film Festival,Our Friendended up waiting a couple of years for a bigger release, not arriving until 2021. The film instantly stands out forboasting a strong cast as Dakota Johnson is joined by Jason Segel and Casey Affleck.
Our Friendis based on the article “The Friend: Love is Not a Big Enough Word” by Matthew Teague fromEsquiremagazine and is a biographical story. Matthew learned this wife is terminally ill with just months to live, and they get support from his best friend, Dane, who moves in with them.
Partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic,Our Friendwas a flop as it didn’t even gross $1 million on a budget of $10 million. However,the film was met with widespread acclaim, holding an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoesand most of the praise went to the performances of the three lead actors.
Another film that premiered at a film festival (this time it was Sundance) and didn’t get a larger release until a few years later,Am I Ok?features Dakota Johnson at her best. Also likeOur Friend, this is a movie that is loosely based on a true story. In this case, it was the life of screenwriter Lauren Pomerantz.
Sonoya Mizuno played Jane, a woman who announces that she’s moving to London for work and has her best friend Lucy (Johnson) reveal that she thinks she might be a lesbian. That leads to the friends exploring this avenue ahead of the move.
The poster forAm I Ok?lets everyone know that they’re going to see a raw side of Dakota Johnson as it shows her crying. It’s a good preview ofa film that showcases Johnson’s talentsas her performance (and that of Mizuno) was the highest-praised aspect of a well-received movie.
After helming his first movie in 1999,director Luca Guadagninobroke out in the mid-2010s and has since become one of the most sought-after filmmakers anywhere. Just before directing a Best Picture nominee inCall Me By Your Name, Guadagnino releasedA Bigger Splash.
The film is loosely based on 1969’sLa Piscineand is the middle entry of Guadagnino’s self-describedDesiretrilogy (afterI Am Loveand ahead ofCall Me By Your Name). The story centers on an American couple vacationing in Italy who find trouble when a former lover and his teenage daughter join them.
The twist at the end involving her character is a big reason whyA Bigger Splashis so memorable.
Johnson stars as the daughter, who is seemingly manipulating the others or is being manipulated herself. The twist at the end involving her character is a big reason whyA Bigger Splashis so memorable. Add in a cast that also includes Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes and it’s a great movie overall.
After starring in a movie that was a loose adaptation of an older film, Dakota Johnson and Luca Guadagnino teamed up again for a straight-up remake. In this case, it wasSuspiria, a remake of the 1977 cult classic of the same name. Johnson also played the lead this time, portraying Susie Bannion.
InSuspiria, Susie is an American woman who joins a prestigious dance academy in Berlin, only to discover that it’s run by a coven of witches.Guadagnino held nothing back in telling this story that is gripping and often violent, including one scene that is absolutely brutal to watch.
2015
89%
2018
65%
Upon release,Suspiriawas met with decent reviews but nothing special (evidenced by its 65% rating on Rotten Tomatoes). However, people have come to appreciate it more over time. It’s also an intriguing movie to look back on, given how far Johnson and Guadagnino have come, as well as for having an early Mia Goth role.
It’s always interesting to find movies that underperformed at the box office or just didn’t have a lasting impact, yet have outstanding casts. That’s the case withBad Times at the El Royale, which boasts a fantastic group of actors and an intriguing premise, yet was unable to make back its budget commercially.
From the mind of Drew Goddard,Bad Times at the El Royaletakes place at the titular hotel and follows a group of strangers as things unravel involving crime, faith, morality, and more.Johnson appeared as Emily Summerspring, a hippie who is attempting to rescue her younger sister from a cult.
Just seeing those actors together is more than enough reason to check this out.
Along with Johnson, the film features established stars like Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, and Jon Hamm, as well as future stars like Cailee Spaeny, Manny Jacinto, and Lewis Pullman. Just seeing those actors together is more than enough reason to check this out.
A theme for many of Dakota Johnson’s best movies is that she tends to find a way to stand out in a talented ensemble. That was again the case with the Netflix original filmThe Lost Daughter,which saw her act alongside two people who were nominated for Oscars.
Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal,The Lost Daughterfollows a woman (Olivia Colman) on vacation who becomes obsessed with a younger mother (Johnson) while flashbacks show her own struggles with being a young mom. Colman was nominated for Best Actress while Jessie Buckley was up for Best Supporting Actress as Colman’s younger self.
It’s difficult to deliver a standout performance alongside the powerhouse acting from Colman and Buckley, yet Johnson does just that. She subtly does some of her best acting in a film that holds a 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating and was on many “best of” lists for 2021.
The Peanut Butter Falconmight not be a well-known movie but it was actually a sleeper hit upon its release in 2019. It went on to become the highest-grossing independent film of that year and that’s thanks in large part to positive word of mouth, especially when it came to the performances of its three main actors.
The movie stars Shia LaBeouf as a fisherman who forms an unlikely bond with a young man with Down Syndrome (Zack Gottsagen) who is on the run from the care facility where he lives. Together, they embark on a journey to get Zak to meet his favorite pro wrestler.
Dakota Johnson nearly steals the show as Eleanor, the social worker assigned to help Zack, who ends up traveling with the duo. The film is heartfelt, features great performances, and is just a feel-good picture. Plus, it’s another case of Johnson shining in a supporting role.
Although she has proven herself to be a great supporting actor several times over, Dakota Johnson’s work in 2022’sCha Cha Real Smoothmight be the best of her career. The Apple TV+ original was written and directed by star Cooper Raiff and was met with widespread acclaim.
In it, Raiff played Andrew, a man in his 20s without much direction who starts working as a party planner and forms an unexpected bond with a mother and her teenage daughter.Johnson played the mom and her chemistry with Raiff is one of the things that makes the movie work.
Johnson felt like a shoo-in for some Best Supporting Actress nominations and even though she didn’t get any, it’s still a stellar performance on her part.
AlthoughCha Cha Real Smoothwas ignored come major awards season, there are many who believe it got snubbed. Johnson felt like a shoo-in for some Best Supporting Actress nominations and even though she didn’t get any, it’s still a stellar performance on her part.
As mentioned several times, Dakota Johnson has made a career out of stealing scenes as a supporting actor. Her lead roles have typically come in movies that weren’t well received, likeMadame Weband theFifty Shadestrilogy, but that changed in 2025 withMaterialists.
Writer and director Celine Song made waves with 2023’sPast Lives, which was a Best Picture nominee.Materialistsis her follow-up, which centers on a love triangle involving a matchmaker (Johnson), her aspiring actor ex-boyfriend (Chris Evans), and a charismatic millionaire (Pedro Pascal).
Reviews forMaterialistswere strong right from the startand the trio of actors were a major reason why.Johnson got the opportunity to lead a movie where she really could sink her teeth into the role and she delivered in spades, proving herself again as one of the most impressive actors currently working in Hollywood.
