Eva Green currently finds herself swamped in numerous scandals around the unmade James Bond film. From being accused of calling the crew “peasants” to being the core orchestrator in wrecking the production, Green’s career has seen better days. Green started her acting journey playing negative roles in drama school, stating that “it’s a great way to deal with everyday emotions”. Following that, she went on to act on stage in Jalousie en Trois Fax (2001) and then made her debut in Bernardo Bertolucci’s cult classic The Dreamers. Cut to almost two decades later, Eva Green is recognized as an actress of great repute and pedigree with projects such as James Bond, Penny Dreadful, and Dark Shadows under her belt. Here are some of her best movies and TV shows ranked.
10 Dumbo (2019)
Dumbo is one of the many collaborations between Green and director Tim Burton. Rumored to be in a relationship at some point in their career, the status of their relationship was never clear, but their professional synergy was there for all to see. Putting her fear of heights at bay, Green plays the role of a trapeze artist, Colette Marchant, in Dumbo. In an interview with USA TODAY, the actress opened up about her paralyzing fear of heights and the process she went through to overcome her fear and effortlessly soar through the air.
9 Camelot (2011)
Since Green’s skimpy debut in The Dreamers, the actress has pushed hard and strong in a bid to change her public perception. Instead of just being viewed as an exotic arm candy, Green put her acting chops for all to see by taking up the role of an evil sorceress called Morgan Le Fay in Starz’s series Camelot. Being a Starz series, the show has no evident shortage of sexual innuendos and equips Green to really bare her venomous fangs as she tries to destroy her half-brother, King Arthur.
8 Perfect Sense (2011)
- Senator Film Verleih
IFC Films
Apart from the clever wordplay, David Mackenzie’s 2011 film tries to tackle the parables of modern-day romance, while operating within the framework of a solemn sci-fi world. The film neatly ties in scientific explanations along with human emotions as it explores an epidemic that causes the victim to lose their sense of smell, preceded by an intense bout of grief. Green’s Susan, an epidemiologist, is at the center of solving the mysterious epidemic while also navigating her relationship with a rakish chef, Micheal (Ewan McGregor).
7 Dark Shadows (2012)
Continuing on her childhood preference of playing negative characters, Eva Green is seen as the evil witch, Angie, in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows. She spitefully buries Depp’s Barnabas Collins in this gothic film. As Collins manages to escape after two centuries of captivity, he sets out to seek Angie for revenge. Set in the 17th century, Burton’s film is well-dressed in terms of costumes and visuals, but narratively struggles with where it wants to go.
6 Proxima (2019)
Proxima plays on a female astronaut's internal state of grief fused with an overarching sense of wonder. Sarah (Eva Green) is an astronaut that is assigned to a crew as they leave for Mars. As her departure seems imminent, Sarah’s desire to explore the unexplored comes in direct conflict with her tethered familial reality. Green is the only driving force of Alice Winocour’s half-baked Proxima. The film tries to slice the genre with a fresh approach, but only manages to parrot what’s already been said before.
5 Casino Royale (2006)
Being a bond girl is more pressure than it would seem at first glance. Previously, Bond women were recognized for being blonde bombshells with limited ability. Green’s introduction in Casino Royale pushed the envelope of female representation in the right direction, as she had more to offer than just being mute arm candy. In fact, the film adds an interesting layer to Green's character by showing her play on both sides of the field.
4 Liaison (2023)
Set against the post-Brexit world, this jumbled narrative revolves around the idea of a nation’s infrastructure is susceptible to a cyberattack, Despite an interesting premise, the show isn't matched with the execution which results in the plot being a globe-trotting mess. Cassell and Green share tempestuous chemistry, but it still comes up short given the grander mess up of things. Ultimately, the show starts out with an intriguing premise, but finds it hard to get to the finish line despite Cassel and Green’s brilliance.
3 Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (2016)
Green’s external persona complements Burton’s eccentric vision perfectly. This is put on display in Burton’s 2016 film Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, where Green brilliantly plays a caretaker to children with supernatural powers. As the film is an adaptation of a novel of the same name, comparisons with Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket were bound and justified to a certain degree. Though that's only applicable to a certain degree, as Burton’s films differs from its adapted neighbors as it's darker and tinted with shades of goth; a stylistic testament to the director's visual style.
2 Penny Dreadful (2014)
By now, Green’s love and propensity for all things gothic are evident for all to see. Further, accentuating this, the actress is seen spearheading a gothic revival at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London as she’s recruiting a select team of demon hunters channeling her inner Vanessa Ives. Helping her on this demon hunt are a big-game hunter, Sir Malcolm, and an American gunman named Ethan Chandler. Penny Dreadful is one instance where Green really puts her acting chops for all in the world to see as her character oscillates between the extremes of desperation and determination.
1 The Dreamers (2003)
Bertolucci’s 2003 film serves as the collision between three planets — Sex, Politics, and the Cinema exerting an inevitable effect on the status quo. The film is culturally symbolic in its approach to the everyday angst and trite experienced by the youth during their formative years. Taking place in a Parisian apartment, the film revolves around a plethora of issues ranging from adulthood, to the importance of cinema in everyday existence. Upon the release of the film, Green was lauded for her performance, particularly acknowledging her undaunted effort in presenting a raw and realistic portrait of the youth.