The 15 Best Ana de Armas Movies, Ranked By Her Star Power
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Cuban-Spanish sensation Ana de Armas has come a long way since her first role in Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón’s adventure romance Virgin Rose at the age of 17. Born in 1988, she moved to Spain at age 18 and starred in El Internado (The Boarding School), a widely popular drama, from 2007 to 2010. Then, de Armas settled in Los Angeles, focusing on English-speaking roles, and landed her first one in 2015 with Knock Knock.
Ever since, she's gained more and more fans for her work in Hollywood, turning heads on screen and the red carpet. Far from a one-trick pony, de Armas has worked in various genres, from classic, suspenseful whodunits to international spy flicks and emotionally charged biopics.
While waiting for her appearances in the much-anticipated John Wick spin-off, Ballerina, and in Ron Howard’s survival thriller, Eden, review de Armas's filmography and help decide which role best shows off her star quality.
- 127 VOTESPhoto: Lionsgate
What It’s About: Daniel Craig stars as Benoit Blanc, a private detective investigating the death of famed mystery author Harlan Thrombey, whose throat was slit at his 85th birthday bash.
Her Role: Marta Cabrera is Thrombey’s compassionate nurse and confidante, and she is suspected of his murder, particularly after becoming the sole inheritor of his fortune. She has a peculiar tendency to vomit when she lies.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The film got showered with awards and nominations, as did de Armas herself, who many called a highlight of the movie. Additionally, writer/director Rian Johnson brings the mystery genre back into the spotlight by deftly balancing humor, danger, and suspense as the puzzle unfolds.
- 217 VOTESPhoto: Universal Pictures
What It’s About: The 25th installment in the James Bond film franchise features 007 (Daniel Craig) following CIA instructions to find a kidnapped scientist. From there, he scrambles to stop terrorist Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek) from using infectious nanobots in a warped plot for vengeance.
Her Role: Paloma is a bubbly and eager CIA agent who is assigned to help Bond, and goes out of her way to help 007 in his mission. Ana de Armas claims her character has equal “brains and looks,” despite being “very irresponsible.”
Why It’s Worth A Watch: No Time to Die delivers classic thrills that viewers expect from a Bond film. It won Best Stunt Coordination at the Online Film Critics Society Awards, and Billie Eilish's titular theme song earned an Oscar. As for de Armas, she was nominated for Best Actress in an Action Movie at the Critics' Choice Super Awards and won the Hollywood Rising Star Award at the Deauville American Film Festival.
- 37 VOTESPhoto: Warner Bros. Pictures
What It’s About: Based on real events that took place in 2005, War Dogs incorporates a good deal of dark comedy as it follows two arms dealers, Efraim (Jonah Hill) and David (Miles Teller), who make a deal with the Pentagon to supply US allies in Afghanistan.
Her Role: de Armas plays Iz, David’s pregnant girlfriend who fervently opposes the war and is frustrated with the constant lies he tells her to conceal his criminal life.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: War Dogs is an entertaining comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously, and Hill and Teller have great on-screen chemistry, with critics calling the former “repellently brilliant.”
- 46 VOTES
Overdrive
Photo: Paramount PicturesWhat It’s About: Scott Eastwood and Freddie Thorp star as Andrew and Garrett Foster, brothers who team up as international luxury car thieves. While doing a job in the south of France, they get caught and rehired by a local crime boss, Jacomo Morier. Upping the stakes, Morier kidnaps Andrew's girlfriend, in order to ensure the brothers follow through on the job.
Her Role: de Armas portrays Stephanie, Andrew's girlfriend. Though she's kidnapped, she's not just a prop - she proves to be shrewd, resourceful, and gutsy in her attempts to escape.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Overdrive is an entertaining action-thriller, a good choice for fans of films like the Fast & Furious series. While it doesn't redefine the genre, it's a good watch with some popcorn on the couch. For her part, de Armas “radiates more … charisma than her thankless sidekick role might suggest.”
- 514 VOTESPhoto: Apple TV+
What It’s About: This romantic spy movie stars Chris Evans as Cole Turner, a kindhearted farmer who meets and falls for a mysterious woman at the farmers' market, and later gets embroiled in an international bio-weapon case because of the nature of her job.
Her Role: de Armas plays Sadie Rhodes, an aloof CIA agent known as “the Taxman," who becomes conflicted between her devotion to her mission and her growing love for Cole as he's put in danger.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The chemistry between the stunning leads alone warrants a closer look. Evans gushed over de Armas's talents, and he also admitted that he enjoyed playing the “damsel in distress," a major departure from his longtime role as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- 612 VOTESPhoto: Netflix
What It’s About: The plot revolves around Sierra Six (Ryan Gosling), a highly efficient CIA assassin who uncovers some compromising secrets and becomes the target of a former operative called Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) after he learns compromising information about a high-ranking CIA official (Regé-Jean Page).
Her Role: de Armas portrays Dani Miranda, an honest, Berlin-based CIA agent who initially hopes to capture Six to help clear her own reputation after a mission goes sideways, but who gradually cooperates more and more with him as they're forced to work together to survive.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The Gray Man is directed by the Russo brothers, who are also known for their work on several Avengers films, so it's no surprise that it delivers on the action front. Additionally, the film won praise for its treatment of de Armas's character, not as a sex symbol (as women in action films are so often portrayed), but as a competent agent who “doesn't have to prove herself to anyone, not even the audience.”
- 720 VOTESPhoto: Sony Pictures Releasing
What It’s About: Blade Runner 2049 is an artistic neo-noir sci-fi film set 30 years after the events of Ridley Scott’s 1982 blockbuster, Blade Runner. It centers on K (Ryan Gosling), a replicant who works as a blade runner, hunting down and terminating rogue replicants for the LAPD. His work leads him to a shocking discovery that forces him to question his origins.
Her Role: Joi is K’s girlfriend - who happens to be a holographic artificial intelligence projection. Ana de Armas imbues the character with an aura of mystery and passion in a cold, dystopian world.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The movie is a must-see for fans of the original Blade Runner or sci-fi in general. It also won a whopping 100 awards, including an Oscar and a BAFTA for Best Cinematography, and de Armas was nominated for a Saturn in the Best Supporting Actress category.
- 818 VOTESPhoto: Lionsgate Premiere
What It’s About: Knock Knock is an exploitation thriller following Evan Webber, a married architect who finds himself in a threesome with two stranded women after they knock on his door, soaking wet, and ask for his help. From there, a twisted game of blackmail and torture ensues.
Her Role: de Armas plays Bel, one of the sadistic, exploitive women. At some point, she even ties Webber up and sexually assaults him.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The film might make viewers think twice before offering shelter to strangers, but it is a bizarre and intriguing rollercoaster, with Reeves portraying a very different character from his usual heroic roles. Ana de Armas demonstrates a riveting capacity to play a menacing villain, as well.
- 98 VOTESPhoto: Memento Films Distribution
What It’s About: Wasp Network is a thriller that is based on real events, exploring Cuban spy and terrorist rings in the 1990s. The story follows five Cuban political prisoners charged with both espionage and murder.
Her Role: Ana Margarita Martínez is the wife of Juan Pablo Roque, a Cuban pilot turned asylum seeker and FBI informant. Martínez is concerned and suspicious of Roque’s wealth and doesn’t know of his criminal associations.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The film stars top-tier Spanish-speaking actors, like Penelope Cruz, Gael García Bernal, and Edgar Ramírez, so it's a treat to watch all those titans work together. Though the plot is a bit convoluted in the eyes of some critics, those who enjoy a good bit of on-screen espionage with tangled webs of betrayal will find a lot to love here.
- 1019 VOTESPhoto: Netflix
What It’s About: Blonde is Andrew Dominik’s controversial adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates's novel of the same name, which fictionalizes the life of actress and bombshell Marilyn Monroe.
Her Role: de Armas takes the starring role as Norma Jeane Mortensen - AKA Monroe - going to great lengths to make the portrayal accurate, including working with an accent coach. She also tapped into her own vulnerability and insecurity to deliver raw and credible emotions on screen, admitting to Variety:
I felt heavy. I felt helpless that I couldn’t change what was happening. I just had to go through a story that I know how it’s going to end.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: de Armas won Best Actress in an International Production from the Spanish Actors Union for this compelling and emotional portrayal. She also earned an Oscar nomination for best actress, among plenty of other awards nods, making this a must-see for fans of hers.
- 1111 VOTESPhoto: Hulu
What It’s About: Blending psychological and erotic thriller elements, Deep Water follows wealthy Vic Van Allen (Ben Affleck), who allows his wife to take lovers provided they never get divorced. Meanwhile, his own jealousy grows and he begins threatening the men she engages with.
Her Role: de Armas plays Melinda, the sensual, juvenile, and passionate wife, who is trapped in a loveless marriage and seeks physical and emotional fulfillment elsewhere.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The characters are complex and layered, with both Affleck and de Armas delivering great performances of distrust, jealousy, and anger in their grim marriage. The emotional thriller boasts “shock effects when and where you least expect them.”
- 124 VOTESPhoto: Saban Films
What It’s About: This crime drama stars Tye Sheridan as Bart Bromley, a night desk clerk with Asperger's syndrome who uses camera feeds and recordings at the hotel to improve his mannerisms and speech. After witnessing a man beat a woman on his feed, he rushes to her rescue and finds himself the primary suspect of her murder.
Her Role: Andrea Rivera is a manipulative hotel guest who flirts with Bromley; she turns out to be connected to the man who killed the first guest.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: de Armas shines as the femme fatale, wooing Bromley for her own ends. Though reviews overall were mixed, some critics found the “creepy, contemplative” thriller to be engaging enough in its enigmatic nature to be worth the time.
- 134 VOTESPhoto: Netflix
What It’s About: Sergio is a biopic depicting the last few months in the life of Sérgio Vieira de Mello, a UN diplomat who was opposed to the US occupation of Iraq and was eventually killed by a terrorist attack on a base camp in Baghdad.
Her Role: de Armas plays Carolina Larriera, an Argentinian-Italian UN economic consultant who is passionate about human rights; she is also Sergio's girlfriend.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The film sheds light on the life of a noble diplomat and humanitarian figure who may not be well known to US audiences. Critic Stephanie Zacharek called the film "pleasingly old-school in the way it merges political drama - and tragedy - with romance.”
- 144 VOTESPhoto: Warner Bros. Pictures
What It’s About: Pete Koslow (Joel Kinnaman) is a former convict who is coerced into becoming an FBI informant. He desperately tries to protect his wife and eight-year-old daughter from a Polish drug ring and corrupt agents.
Her Role: de Armas portrays Sofia Koslow, Pete’s wife, who also owns an aquarium shop. She is anxious and concerned he might meet his demise while trying to recover his freedom.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: With solid performances from Clive Owen, Rosamund Pike, and Common, The Informer asserts itself as an engaging crime thriller, even if it didn't make a huge splash upon its release. Joel Kinnaman proves himself as an action hero, and de Armas also stands out “a ball of curly-haired fire,” getting into the action herself as her character defends her family.
- 154 VOTESPhoto: The Weinstein Company
What It’s About: This biographical sports drama follows the rise and struggles of Panamanian boxing star Roberto Durán, who was active from 1968 to 2001.
Her Role: Durán falls for de Armas’s character, the devoted and loving Felicidad Iglesias, when she is still in school. They later marry and have five children, but he keeps letting her down, turning her into a heavy drinker and smoker.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Outside of a few creative liberties, Hands of Stone is generally praised as a fairly accurate and credible biopic, with “well-choreographed and believable” fight scenes. Fans of sports films, or of boxing in particular, should definitely check it out.
