In the 10 years since she made her English-language film debut, Cuban-born actress Ana de Armas has become one of Hollywood’s top rising stars, moving from supporting roles to lead parts in blockbusters and awards contenders.
Even in her earliest appearances in American films, including Eli Roth’s trashy thriller “Knock Knock” and the rote boxing biopic “Hands of Stone,” she makes a strong impression with limited screen time.
She’s gone on to star in big-budget streaming movies like Netflix’s “The Gray Man” (with Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling) and Apple TV Plus’ “Ghosted” (with Evans again). Now she’s taking her career to the next level as the title character in “Ballerina,” a spin-off of the hugely popular “John Wick” movies, hitting theaters June 6.
Here are five Ana de Armas movies to check out before watching “Ballerina."
‘Knives Out’
As the seemingly timid nurse to wealthy novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), de Armas is the stealth heroine of writer-director Rian Johnson’s clever murder mystery.
At first, de Armas’ Marta appears overwhelmed by Harlan’s obnoxious family members, following his mysterious death. But even when she becomes the target of their suspicions, Marta maintains her integrity and compassion, finding an understanding ally in renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig).
In a cast full of major stars — including Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Don Johnson, Toni Collette and Michael Shannon as Harlan’s extended family — de Armas emerges as the most engaging presence, and Marta provides the story’s anchor. Craig may have gone on to solve more mysteries as Benoit Blanc, but he’s not the only one who makes a lasting impression.
Watch on Prime Video
‘Blade Runner 2049’
The decades-later sequel to sci-fi classic “Blade Runner” explores the intersection between humanity and artificial life, placing de Armas in the middle of that divide as Joi, the holographic girlfriend of android protagonist K (Ryan Gosling).
K is a blade runner, which means that he hunts down his fellow replicants when they go rogue. His latest assignment puts him on the trail of a conspiracy, which leads him to former blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford).
Joi functions as a sounding board and support system for K, but she’s not just a glorified assistant. She has needs and desires of her own, even if she can never physically touch her lover. One of the movie’s most affecting scenes involves Joi employing a replicant surrogate so that she and K can have sex, and de Armas beautifully expresses that sense of longing and frustration.
‘No Time to Die’
De Armas shows up for just one extended sequence in Daniel Craig’s final movie as superspy James Bond, but she gives the somewhat bloated movie a jolt of energy and leaves the audience wanting more once she disappears. She plays Paloma, a rookie CIA agent sent by Bond’s American ally Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) to aid him on a mission in Cuba.
While Bond is suave, confident and sometimes overly serious, Paloma is exuberant and a bit nervous, but she proves to be resourceful when the moment arises. De Armas shows off her charisma and her skills as an action hero, and Paloma looks like a prime candidate for a potential spin-off.
That probably won’t happen in the current Bond era, but “No Time to Die” offers a glimpse into de Armas’ future ability to carry an action franchise.
‘War Dogs’
![War Dogs - Official Trailer [HD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Rwh9c_E3dJk/maxresdefault.jpg)
De Armas brings nuance and heartfelt emotion to a fairly thankless role in director Todd Phillips’ fact-based dramedy about a pair of friends who become unlikely international arms dealers.
De Armas plays the concerned wife of David Packouz (Miles Teller), an aimless dreamer who seems to find his calling when he reconnects with his childhood best friend Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill) and is introduced to the shady world of contract bidding for the Department of Defense.
Although de Armas’ Iz spends most of her time sitting at home worrying about David’s safety and getting angry about his lies, de Armas effectively conveys the anguish and frustration of Iz’s position, grounding the story in a familiar dynamic. As David and Efraim travel around the world, getting themselves deeper and deeper into trouble, Iz provides a sensible, relatable counterpoint to the mayhem.
‘Blonde’
Director Andrew Dominik’s fictionalized biopic about Marilyn Monroe is a bit of a disastrous mess, with bold stylistic experiments that mostly don’t pay off. One aspect that Dominik gets right, though, is casting de Armas as the troubled movie star, whose beauty most likely prevented her from getting the respect she sought as an artist.
Although the filmmaker puts his protagonist through nearly as much torture as she endured from the actual people in her life, de Armas maintains her poise and vulnerability in a sensitive and empathetic performance that earned her an Oscar nomination.
The movie is often tough to watch, but it shows the depth and range that de Armas can bring to a role — which she deserves to showcase in a project more worthy of her talents.
Watch on Netflix
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