Compared to other actors in Hollywood, Helena Bonham Carter stands out among the crowd. This isn't just because of her gorgeous, rebellious style; but it's also because of her incredible talent and unparalleled versatility. Throughout her impressive acting career, she has taken on a variety of different roles. From more gothic, whimsical characters to emotional powerhouses, Bonham Carter has shown that there's nothing she can't do. Here are 10 of the actress' best movies, according to the review-aggregation site, Rotten Tomatoes.
10 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) - 86%
Based on the stage musical of the same name, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is Helena Bonham Carter's fifth film with director Tim Burton. The film follows the story of murderous barber Sweeney Todd, who is seeking revenge on Judge Turpin, who exiled him in order to steal his wife. Bonham Carter plays Mrs. Lovett, Todd's dutiful and equally unhinged accomplice, who turns the corpses of Todd's victims into meat pies to help her struggling pie shop.
Despite initial concerns about the adaptation, it ended up becoming a hit. Not only was it praised for its stunning visuals and faithfulness to its source material, but also for the performances of the lead actors, Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp. Mrs. Lovett is clearly in love with Sweeney Todd, although he doesn't return the sentiment. Bonham Carter does a fantastic job at portraying this deep longing, as well as showing off her musical talents.
9 Enola Holmes (2020) - 91%
Enola Holmes is a Netflix original film, inspired by the stories of Detective Sherlock Holmes. However, while the character does make some appearances in the film, the story is entirely focused on his younger sister, Enola. Helena Bonham Carter plays the mother of Enola and Sherlock, Eudoria Holmes, an eccentric woman who has an air of mystery about her. The film's plot is set in motion when Eudoria goes missing, and Enola begins to trace where she has gone. Despite having an incredibly brief appearance in the film, Bonham Carter fantastically shows that Eudoria is extremely strong-willed and independent, keen to make the world a better place for women.
8 Enola Holmes 2 (2022) - 93%
Similarly to its predecessor, Helena Bonham Carter doesn't have much screen time in Netflix's Enola Holmes 2. The film follows Enola who has taken on her first case as a detective, after she is approached by a factory girl named Bessie who claims her sister has gone missing. Bonham Carter's screen time is quite brief, appearing to come to Enola's aid with another suffragette called Edith, after Enola is arrested. The pair break Enola out of prison, and Eudoria goes on to tell Enola about the importance of teamwork and companionship, before they part ways again.
Despite Bonham Carter's brief role in both films, Eudoria's spirit and bond with Enola is still felt on-screen. Much of what Enola knows is from her mother, such as her ability to read between the lines and pull on loose threads. Her mother's wise words about finding allies are what prompts Enola to come together with the factory workers to stand up to the wrongdoings towards the end of the film, as she remembers Eudoria's advice to work together to become one voice and make noise.
7 Howard’s End (1992) - 94%
Howard's End is one of Helena Bonham Carter's most critically acclaimed films to date, winning three Academy Awards. The film is based on the novel of the same name by E.M. Forster, and explores the class tension that existed in Britain in the early 20th century. Bonham Carter plays Helen Schlegel, the younger, more impulsive sister of Margaret Schlegel.
Both sisters are similar in nature, and are very intelligent and free-thinking. Both sisters become involved with the aristocratic Wilcoxes, though it becomes Helen's downfall. Helen becomes pregnant by the impoverished Leonard, which greatly affects her reputation.
Bonham Carter does an amazing job at showing Helen's naivety, and how her maturity differs to that of her sister. Her lack of control over her emotions prompts her to do things without thinking of the consequences, yet Bonham Carter doesn't let her faults defy her character. Instead, it's easy to sympathize with Helen thanks to Bonham Carter's performance, and in ways, you can understand the motivations behind her actions. Her performance earned her a nomination as Best Supporting Actress at the 1992 BAFTAs.
6 The King's Speech (2010) - 94%
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Most fans might remember Helena Bonham Carter's role as Princess Margaret in The Crown, but she actually played another royal family member before that. In 2010, Bonham Carter took on the role of Queen Elizabeth I in The King's Speech, who was the mother of Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth II. The film primarily follows her husband, King George VI, who enlisted the help of Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue to cope with his stammer. Together, they prepare George to make his first radio broadcast, declaring war on Germany.
Bonham Carter's role as Queen Elizabeth I earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 83rd Academy Awards. In real life, Queen Elizabeth I asked for the film not to be made until after her death, due to the painful memories it brought her. Screenwriter David Seidler respected this wish, and Bonham Carter portrayed the late queen with grace and dignity, while also showing her fiery nature.
5 Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) - 95%
Helena Bonham Carter takes on a more light-hearted role in Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, playing Wallace's love interest, Lady Campanula Tottington. The horror inspired film follows Wallace and Gromit against a giant rabbit, who is stealing the town's crops prior to the annual Giant Vegetable Competition. Bonham Carter's character is a kind aristocrat, whose family has upheld the Giant Vegetable Competition for centuries.
Her romantic feelings for Wallace are a very sweet addition to the film, and is shown to care deeply about the rabbits despite protests from other people in the town, even creating a nature reserve at the end of the film.
4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) - 96%
Helena Bonham Carter's role in the Harry Potter franchise as Bellatrix Lestrange is one of her most iconic roles to date. Since her first appearance in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Lestrange solidified herself as an extremely fearsome presence, torturing Harry by murdering Sirius Black in front of him. As a result, fans were excited to see her reach her demise in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 at the hands of Molly Weasley, in one of the franchise's most iconic scenes.
Bonham Carter's role as Lestrange was loved by both critics and fans. Despite the fact that the character was criminally underused in the final four Harry Potter films, Bonham Carter remained one of the main standouts. She completely embodied the role of Bellatrix Lestrange, and it's incredibly difficult to imagine anyone else who could have played the menacing antagonist better.
3 The House (2022) - 97%
The House is a stop-motion anthology film created by Netflix. The film features three very different stories that embody different themes, but they are all set in the same house. Helena Bonham Carter appears in the third story, "'Listen Again and Seek the Sun", in which she plays an anthropomorphic cat called Jen. In this tale, the world has suffered an apocalyptic flood, and the house is surrounded by water that continues to rise. Its landlord, Rosa, tries her best to keep it running, with its main message being the importance of moving on.
Bonham Carter's Jen is Rosa's Bohemian tenant, who is a key motivator in Rosa's spiritual ascension and eventual acceptance of her situation. Jen and the house's other tenant, Elias, do not pay Rosa rent, primarily concerned with the rising water. Eventually, Jen invites her spirit partner, Cosmos, to the house, where he begins to build a boat for Elias to leave. Jen is very observant of Rosa, and is always there to lend her a helping ear, leaving together with Cosmos and Elias in search of a new life.
2 A Room With a View (1985) - 100%
A Room With a View is Helena Bonham Carter's first film on this list with a perfect 100 percent score. Adapted from the novel of the same name by E.M. Forster, the film follows Bonham Carter's character, Lucy Honeychurch. It is set towards the end of the Edwardian era, in which England's culture was incredibly repressive. Honeychurch meets a man called George Emerson, who represents everything that the world he finds himself in does not. He is free-spirited, believing in the equality of the sexes, challenging traditional societal norms.
Honeychurch falls in love with Emerson, prompting her to break free from the expectations placed on her.
Bonham Carter's role in A Room With a View marked her first major movie role. She was just nineteen years old at the time of her casting, and already embodied everything about Lucy Honeychurch's character and appearance. Bonham Carter's performance breathes life into the character, highlighting the subtleties of Honeychurch's emotional evolution with ease. As a result, Bonham Carter made her a truly memorable character, which is a major reason as to why the film is so widely loved.
1 Burton and Taylor (2013) - 100%
Like A Room With a View, Burton and Taylor also has a perfect 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film did not receive a theatrical release, and was instead released on BBC Four. It is a biographical drama, focusing on the turbulent romantic relationship between the acting duo, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The film is set during the pair's preparation for a theatrical production of the play, Private Lives. Bonham Carter takes on the role of Elizabeth Taylor, capturing the actress' magnetism and vulnerability.
Bonham Carter managed to accurately channel Taylor's larger-than-life persona, showing the complexities of her relationship with Burton. She manages to embody Taylor's extravagance, while also showing the emotional turmoil that she finds herself dealing with. Together with Dominic West, they show the heartbreak of a relationship that isn't meant to be, acknowledging the damage of toxic relationships.
Burton's close friend, Robert Hardy, described Bonham Carter's portrayal as "...brilliant, absolutely brilliant. She got the spirit of her and sounded like her."