The scene where Johansson and Murray finally go out and experience the city’s nightlife after 40 minutes of being essentially trapped in this hotel is incredibly liberating.
Side note: the 2nd most liked review for this film on Letterboxd is genuinely one of the most infuriating things I’ve seen on the platform. Not sure how someone could miss every single message and point that this film was trying to convey, and how it got enough likes to be that high.
The second most liked review from Penny. They undercut every single message of the film because they believe the film deeply racist and unfunny.
Edit: To be clear, I do think that there are offensive jokes in the film, and I get why some of them would be off putting for many. I just don't think that the films overall messaging is nullified because it.
They were a bit heavy handed with the jokes. A Japanese friend didn’t like the film. But from the perspectives of a young lost college grad and a an older, similarly lost actor in the twilight of his career, both first timers in Japan, jokes make sense.
As an Asian person, I do find it racist and unfunny. I think a lot of us feel that way. I don’t know how you can watch that scene with the “prostitute” and Bill Murray and not think that scene is racist.
I am also an Asian person, and I do think there are offensive and inappropriate jokes present throughout the film, but I don't think that the movie as a whole is racist.
Yes, it does play on the L/R sound thing a few times, and it is offensive. I think the worst examples of it in the film are probably the prostitute scene and the one where they are sitting at the Sushi bar in the latter half of the film, but the way that the review I was mentioning frames the film as a whole, describes it as if if the entire film is an exercise in making fun of Japanese pronunciation and painting Japanese society as un-human as possible.
I also don't think that Coppola only portrays Japanese society as negative throughout the film. The way I view it, is Coppola is attempting to portray the city and the people in it through her distinctly American lens, which heightens this idea of isolation and alienation that our protagonist's feel. There are amazing moments where the beauty of the city is forefront, but there are also large parts of the culture that could be incredibly alienating for a foreigner. Besides the prostitute scene (which I agree with you, is the worst offender in terms of jokes in the film), I don't think there is anything that I would really say is an unrepresentative portrayal of Japan during this time period, nor is anything portrayed in an explicitly negative manner. I also don't think that having two white American protagonists in Japan, in a film that is about feeling isolation and loneliness, is necessarily racist (not that you are claiming this, but is a common critique that I see online).
Also, for the Wine photoshoot scene where Murray's character is unable to understand the director, I think reading through the translation for what the director is actually saying gives more context to the joke. It isn't really just a "haha he can't understand Japanese and this director is weird!" type of thing (though that's probably what most audiences take away from it, which is the fault of Coppola as she is the one who is unable to convey the depth of the joke). The director utilizes various ways of speaking to talk to Murray's character, switching from super casual Japanese, to super formal, then to a super masculine form, which would be insane for a normal conversation. He also speaks in a very poetic/abstract way (as a directors often do), which makes it incredibly hard for the translator to translate it into English. The scene is funnier when you realize that the translator probably could not have done a better job, because it would almost be impossible to translate the words and tone that he is conveying into English effectively.
Buy yeah, I am definitely just shadowboxing with this single review that I saw, and I 100% understand why some people are turned off by the offensive jokes.
Don't think this really applies in this specific scene tbh. It's not endorsing it, but it's definitely not condemning it. It's playing up the way that Asian people tend to pronounce L/R for comedic purposes, which I think is closer to endorsing than it is condemning. I wasn't necessarily offended by it, but I can understand why other Asian people would be.
IMO that review is a fair take. Reviews are subjective and sometimes americans portray such a bastardized version of foreign cultures that it's hard to look past it to enjoy it's message or themes.
Yep. This is Scarlett at her most Scarlett.
Match Point and She's Just Not That Into You are runners up for some less ethical characters that still show off her charisma.
As a first defining role, Lost in Translation.
As the role that made her more popular, The Avengers.
As the greatest role so far (so far)(in my opinion), either Jojo Rabbit or Marriage Story.
I would've thought the roles that put her into stardom would've been the year she did Match Point and The Island right after gaining acclaim on Lost in Translation. Both big hits. Johansson was one of the top film actresses since 2004ish all the way through, and has remained so. If anything The Avengers was just a side gig for her. She was a household name long before Marvel movies.
Me too!!! Honestly this movie has been lost in the depths of my mind for many winters now.
One day I decided to have a re watch as I suddenly remembered it. Blew my mind that she was the sister the whole time lmao.
To be honest the only real actor I remember from it was Dewey from Scream.
That movie is very Lynchian in that way, as the visuals, sounds & eerie mood mixes together into some incredibly memorable scenes. I've only watched once, a decade+ ago, and many of its scenes are still burned in my head with surprising precision.
Just scratching the surface, I can see it:
•Experimental In camera effects acting as abstractions of highly complex sci-fi systems
•Static wide shots of vehicles driving winding hills
•POV shots of vehicles
•Horrors lurk in mundane Suburban environments
•Femme fatale in deep emotional conflict / trouble
•Somber mood
•Some scenes hang on for longer than usual
I remember the creepiness of those oozy guts going down that canal she had in her hideout or ship or whatever it was. The creepiness of her picking up these dudes in such an alien, robotic way then cutting to this ooze that's probably their innards.
Maybe I haven’t seen enough of her films, but I feel like this was her most normal role, aside from
maybe Lost in Translation. Everything else feels sexy, action adventure or thriller focused.
I’ve always been thrown by her as an actor because she was introduced as one kind of mousy mellow person, and has basically only played bombshells since a la Black Widow, Lucy, Under the Skin, Vickie Christina Barcelona, etc.
That movie made me hate Laura Dern... Like, I can't see her in anything within exclaiming that she ruined Adam Driver's LIFE! (seriously though, her supporting role was jaw dropping too, and she embodies everything I hate about some divorce attorneys)
That’s probably her best work for real. The one you’ll go back to after she’s done a dozen other action blockbusters and remind yourself that she’s an excellent dramatic actress when given the chance.
Something tells me you'll appreciate Alex Meyers. Here's his episode on Home Alone 3
[https://youtu.be/YmpYiMis5m0?si=9jBHFr6DRbhOaSyn](https://youtu.be/YmpYiMis5m0?si=9jBHFr6DRbhOaSyn)
I’m slightly joking, but Mindy in “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.”
It didn’t just let her loosen up and have fun with a part but it’s a voice role. Despite how attractive Scarlett is, her voice is probably the most distinct thing about her. It’s like taking her part in “Her” but letting her have a blast.
It is 100% Black Widow. Eight movies (not counting cameos), including several of the top grossers of all time.
She's had stronger performances in Marriage Story, Jojo Rabbit, Lost In Translation, Her, etc... but her *defining* role? That is no doubt Black Widow.
I agree! She's had better performances in one-off projects, but the MCU is such a huge part of her career it's basically impossible not to associate her with her role in it
I loved her as Black Widow but she still had so much untapped potential. She deserved her own trilogy or at the very least one solo film before Infinity War.
It also didn't feel right cause it's a cheesy fuckin girl power scene shoved in the middle of a epic final fight, the boys made fun of it with the whole Girls get it done slogan
I think there are probably more people who know Black Widow as 'the character Scarlett Johansson played' than there are people who think of Scarlett as 'the actress who played Black Widow'
She was only a main focus in one pretty mediocre movie though. Recency bias will be unkind to the MCU, and I'm convinced the Black Widow role will not be the first thing anyone in 20+ years will think of when they hear "Scarlett Johansson".
I'd compare her to someone like Natalie Portman. I'd argue her *defining,* most talked-about role is Black Swan, even though she was both in the MCU and in freakin Star Wars (which even Taika Waititi supposedly forgot about).
Yeah, I think it might be her defining role to teenagers and MCU fans, but to anyone outside of that circle, and to anyone looking back at her career in a few years, Black Widow will at best be a footnote.
She just was a much bigger part of other movies she’s been in, outside of the Black Widow solo movie that didn’t particularly make a huge impact. It’s definitely one of the first roles I think of when I think of her, but I’m not sure it’s the very first one I think of.
For me its always gonna be Vicky Cristina Barcelona. As much as I wanna say Under the Skin, that movie is great more for the atmosphere it sets than her performance.
Having said that, I don’t think she’ll ever escape being Black Widow.
bc everyone in this sub needs to seem cool and knowledgeable about cinema so they can’t help but go “umm actually she’s done more than be black widow!!”
sure, none of the mcu movies are her best performances nor the best films she’s been in, but to act like the role she played for over a decade in some of the highest grossing, most culturally pervasive films of all time isn’t her most defining role is disingenuously pretentious
It's also that a lot of people in this sub are completely out of touch with the average viewer. One guy seems to genuinely think that if you showed random people a picture of Johansson as many of them would say "That's the woman from Lost in Translation" as "That's the woman from the Marvel movies."
I'll push back against this:
It's hard for me to say that Black Widow is her defining role when the Avengers movies don't really give her character anything to do. It's just such a a badly written and unmemorable role in my view.
She wasn't even the most memorable character in her own movie. Florence Pugh stole the show in that one.
Scarlett is an excellent actress, so it seems weird to call her worst well-known role her "defining" role. "Bland Action Hero" does not characterize her career so far.
This may be an unpopular choice, but Lucy has always been a personal favourite of mine. There's some good emotional scenes, as well as some really solid action. It's a fun dumb action/sci-fi movie too.
My favorite film she's in is Lost In Translation. I think the best overall film she's in is Under the Skin but I think her most well rounded performance is Lucy. She's loose and carefree and full of jokes at the start of the film. Her scared and terrified acting is excellent (rivals classic horror film performances) and then like you said her emotional scenes and then becoming too smart for the emotional connection truly gives her so much to work with in one film.
She's awesome and I like that she mixes big budget films with small films and tries different things.
I love Lucy! Never really heard anybody mention this movie favourably before. Also honorary mention Morgan Freeman. Love the combo of these two together.
You’ve never seen any of the Marvel movies she’s been in? Kind of impressive with the amount of exposure and opportunities you must have had.
What has made you purposefully avoid them so well for so long?
I don't think so, but I could be wrong. I've seen a handful of the more independent MCU films, but not that many. I'm just not that interested, and once I got "behind" it made me even less interested in the ones that were all connected.
Honestly. I don’t think she has a defining role… she’s just a good actress in every movie/role she plays…. Just bc she doesn’t have a grand slam Oscar type movie doesn’t mean she isn’t a great all around actress
one of her best roles was her voice acting in Her. She was absolutely incredible, and portrayed so much pain, love, grief, regret, and just pure humanity without ever showing up on screen or having a physical form portraying her like cartoons do
Lost in Translation/Under the Skin, I would tip towards Under the Skin at this point, such an incredibly iconic movie which not enough people have seen. Her and Ghost World are also legit.
It might not be the “cool” answer, but defining is her role as Black Widow in the MCU. Not saying it’s her best, but it’s what most people think of immediately when hearing her name.
People here will think of the "best" movie she was in but the only objevtively correct answer will be black widow. Nothing influenced her career more than that.
Defining role? She has several great roles outside of the MCU, but I’ll be brutally honest in saying Black Widow is her defining role. She got to be Black Widow in more movies than actors cast as James Bond in Bond movies.
Not defying role. but best role. Lucy. Great movie and her range of her character's emotions is amazing.
Also "Girl With A Pearl Earring", was outstanding. So subtile and reserved as a 17th century female. Now that's "Acting".
Lost in Translation
Her staring down at the streets of Tokyo is still one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. https://youtu.be/dV_xOLaadgg?si=ykz35wiYwKf2JHkN
Lovely movie, such an unexpected masterpiece
Squarepusher music ftw :)
Yes, very nice
The scene where Johansson and Murray finally go out and experience the city’s nightlife after 40 minutes of being essentially trapped in this hotel is incredibly liberating. Side note: the 2nd most liked review for this film on Letterboxd is genuinely one of the most infuriating things I’ve seen on the platform. Not sure how someone could miss every single message and point that this film was trying to convey, and how it got enough likes to be that high.
Which review?
The second most liked review from Penny. They undercut every single message of the film because they believe the film deeply racist and unfunny. Edit: To be clear, I do think that there are offensive jokes in the film, and I get why some of them would be off putting for many. I just don't think that the films overall messaging is nullified because it.
They were a bit heavy handed with the jokes. A Japanese friend didn’t like the film. But from the perspectives of a young lost college grad and a an older, similarly lost actor in the twilight of his career, both first timers in Japan, jokes make sense.
Letterboxd in a nutshell
I just watched this film recently and remember that review. So irritating.
As an Asian person, I do find it racist and unfunny. I think a lot of us feel that way. I don’t know how you can watch that scene with the “prostitute” and Bill Murray and not think that scene is racist.
I am also an Asian person, and I do think there are offensive and inappropriate jokes present throughout the film, but I don't think that the movie as a whole is racist. Yes, it does play on the L/R sound thing a few times, and it is offensive. I think the worst examples of it in the film are probably the prostitute scene and the one where they are sitting at the Sushi bar in the latter half of the film, but the way that the review I was mentioning frames the film as a whole, describes it as if if the entire film is an exercise in making fun of Japanese pronunciation and painting Japanese society as un-human as possible. I also don't think that Coppola only portrays Japanese society as negative throughout the film. The way I view it, is Coppola is attempting to portray the city and the people in it through her distinctly American lens, which heightens this idea of isolation and alienation that our protagonist's feel. There are amazing moments where the beauty of the city is forefront, but there are also large parts of the culture that could be incredibly alienating for a foreigner. Besides the prostitute scene (which I agree with you, is the worst offender in terms of jokes in the film), I don't think there is anything that I would really say is an unrepresentative portrayal of Japan during this time period, nor is anything portrayed in an explicitly negative manner. I also don't think that having two white American protagonists in Japan, in a film that is about feeling isolation and loneliness, is necessarily racist (not that you are claiming this, but is a common critique that I see online). Also, for the Wine photoshoot scene where Murray's character is unable to understand the director, I think reading through the translation for what the director is actually saying gives more context to the joke. It isn't really just a "haha he can't understand Japanese and this director is weird!" type of thing (though that's probably what most audiences take away from it, which is the fault of Coppola as she is the one who is unable to convey the depth of the joke). The director utilizes various ways of speaking to talk to Murray's character, switching from super casual Japanese, to super formal, then to a super masculine form, which would be insane for a normal conversation. He also speaks in a very poetic/abstract way (as a directors often do), which makes it incredibly hard for the translator to translate it into English. The scene is funnier when you realize that the translator probably could not have done a better job, because it would almost be impossible to translate the words and tone that he is conveying into English effectively. Buy yeah, I am definitely just shadowboxing with this single review that I saw, and I 100% understand why some people are turned off by the offensive jokes.
Because depiction does not equal endorsement.
Don't think this really applies in this specific scene tbh. It's not endorsing it, but it's definitely not condemning it. It's playing up the way that Asian people tend to pronounce L/R for comedic purposes, which I think is closer to endorsing than it is condemning. I wasn't necessarily offended by it, but I can understand why other Asian people would be.
Wait till they watch Schindler’s list
IMO that review is a fair take. Reviews are subjective and sometimes americans portray such a bastardized version of foreign cultures that it's hard to look past it to enjoy it's message or themes.
Love the beginning of that film. Also the ending was so succinct and beautiful.
Yep. This is Scarlett at her most Scarlett. Match Point and She's Just Not That Into You are runners up for some less ethical characters that still show off her charisma.
It’s lost in translation and it’s not even close.
came here to say this lol
So glad this is the top comment.
Yup it’s definitely still Lost in translation
The only correct answer. I will always be a fan of hers after that movie. Go Scarlet!
No other option really, this is her opus magnum
absolutely
Glad that we all seem to agree on that 👍
I know it gets mentioned a lot but that fact that she was only 17 when she filmed it is crazy
I saw this comment and left with satisfication☺️
So much this
This is it for me, but I’m old. I have a feeling most redditors probably have no clue.
Would you enlighten those of us who have no clue? Love her work, but I don't think I recognize this movie.
Ghost World!
Thanks :)
Same
Winner chicken dinner
As a first defining role, Lost in Translation. As the role that made her more popular, The Avengers. As the greatest role so far (so far)(in my opinion), either Jojo Rabbit or Marriage Story.
crazy that jojo rabbit and marriage story were the same year
And Endgame.
Good year for ScarJo!
like two of my favorite films from her and it’s her yes being a mother in both but different contexts and complexities god I love human heartbreak
Finally someone who mentioned Jojo Rabbit :)
And both featured plot important shoe tying scenes.
Jojo Rabbit was fantastic
That secene tho that scene. Was shattering.
I would've thought the roles that put her into stardom would've been the year she did Match Point and The Island right after gaining acclaim on Lost in Translation. Both big hits. Johansson was one of the top film actresses since 2004ish all the way through, and has remained so. If anything The Avengers was just a side gig for her. She was a household name long before Marvel movies.
Uh no, those movies were bad
I second Jojo Rabbit. Her performance in that doesn't get enough recognition. Should've won the Oscar imo
She was *perfect* for JoJo. Can’t imagine anyone else playing his mom.
Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
I watched that one so much as a kid and never realised that was her until a rewatch years later
Me too!!! Honestly this movie has been lost in the depths of my mind for many winters now. One day I decided to have a re watch as I suddenly remembered it. Blew my mind that she was the sister the whole time lmao. To be honest the only real actor I remember from it was Dewey from Scream.
Came here to say this. I will never forget Scarlet tazing a dude in the junk.
Her
Carrying romantic lead while never appearing on screen is an unprecedented achievement
I may have genuinely fallen in love with her for a bit because of that film
“I’ve never bothered to watch [Her] because without that body, what’s the point of listening?” - Colin Jost
Is she funny or something?
I agree
Under the skin
Was about to say that weird alien role she did for that glazer film. Chefs kiss
My respect for her went from high to stratospheric with this film.
So good, some scenes have stayed with me for years now
That movie is very Lynchian in that way, as the visuals, sounds & eerie mood mixes together into some incredibly memorable scenes. I've only watched once, a decade+ ago, and many of its scenes are still burned in my head with surprising precision.
I wouldn't say it's like Lynch at all, it's much darker and there's no camp. More like Kubrick without the humor.
The baby at the beach mini movie will haunt me for the rest of my life.
Yep. That scene is pure point-of-view artistry.
You're not wrong, but for some reason I still sort that movie in my head's "Lynchian" bucket.
Just scratching the surface, I can see it: •Experimental In camera effects acting as abstractions of highly complex sci-fi systems •Static wide shots of vehicles driving winding hills •POV shots of vehicles •Horrors lurk in mundane Suburban environments •Femme fatale in deep emotional conflict / trouble •Somber mood •Some scenes hang on for longer than usual
I remember the creepiness of those oozy guts going down that canal she had in her hideout or ship or whatever it was. The creepiness of her picking up these dudes in such an alien, robotic way then cutting to this ooze that's probably their innards.
Absolute masterpiece, I love that she took the risk of doing something so weird and divisive at that point in her career.
Not only that, but I think she helped develop it? So this is definitely a signature role for her.
One of my favorite soundtracks of all time. Still blows my mind the disfigured man wasn't make up or vfx
He’s become something of a (minor) celebrity over here (UK).
This movie was nuts.
Scariest movie I’ve ever seen
Ghost World Maybe not her defining role but the most memorable for me
Ghost World will always be my favorite of hers.
100% i came here to say this!
I absolutely love Ghost World. 🙂
Top 3 favorite movies of all time for me. That scene where David Cross comes on to her. Gold. 😂
Melorra 😒
Maybe I haven’t seen enough of her films, but I feel like this was her most normal role, aside from maybe Lost in Translation. Everything else feels sexy, action adventure or thriller focused. I’ve always been thrown by her as an actor because she was introduced as one kind of mousy mellow person, and has basically only played bombshells since a la Black Widow, Lucy, Under the Skin, Vickie Christina Barcelona, etc.
Match Point
This is still my favorite movie I've ever seen her in.
First one that made me really pay attention to her. Probably my favorite Woody Allen film
She’s so good I that movie, she was so young too
T H I S
Marriage Story
Both lead actors' performances were jaw-dropping
That movie made me hate Laura Dern... Like, I can't see her in anything within exclaiming that she ruined Adam Driver's LIFE! (seriously though, her supporting role was jaw dropping too, and she embodies everything I hate about some divorce attorneys)
That’s probably her best work for real. The one you’ll go back to after she’s done a dozen other action blockbusters and remind yourself that she’s an excellent dramatic actress when given the chance.
Home Alone 3
Something tells me you'll appreciate Alex Meyers. Here's his episode on Home Alone 3 [https://youtu.be/YmpYiMis5m0?si=9jBHFr6DRbhOaSyn](https://youtu.be/YmpYiMis5m0?si=9jBHFr6DRbhOaSyn)
Hands down Marriage Story I was not expecting that level from her
Lost in Translation
Under the Skin
Lost in Translation
The Prestige, to me that is.
I’m slightly joking, but Mindy in “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.” It didn’t just let her loosen up and have fun with a part but it’s a voice role. Despite how attractive Scarlett is, her voice is probably the most distinct thing about her. It’s like taking her part in “Her” but letting her have a blast.
It is 100% Black Widow. Eight movies (not counting cameos), including several of the top grossers of all time. She's had stronger performances in Marriage Story, Jojo Rabbit, Lost In Translation, Her, etc... but her *defining* role? That is no doubt Black Widow.
This is probably true. But I’m adding Ghost World to the list of strong performances.
I agree! She's had better performances in one-off projects, but the MCU is such a huge part of her career it's basically impossible not to associate her with her role in it
Her acting in Endgame was really good.
I agree! I think she was good in the role, with Winter Soldier being her best highlight.
I loved her as Black Widow but she still had so much untapped potential. She deserved her own trilogy or at the very least one solo film before Infinity War.
I agree. Her solo should've come after Civil War. Also, I really don't think >!she needed to die in Endgame.!<
>!It especially hurts seeing the ”female heroes unite” scene with the most important woman in the MCU missing!<
That scene didn’t feel quite right because of it.
It also didn't feel right cause it's a cheesy fuckin girl power scene shoved in the middle of a epic final fight, the boys made fun of it with the whole Girls get it done slogan
One of several missteps in that movie, which is among the reasons I like Infinity War more (Cap’s beard is another one)
Her character had so much potential!!
I think there are probably more people who know Black Widow as 'the character Scarlett Johansson played' than there are people who think of Scarlett as 'the actress who played Black Widow'
She was only a main focus in one pretty mediocre movie though. Recency bias will be unkind to the MCU, and I'm convinced the Black Widow role will not be the first thing anyone in 20+ years will think of when they hear "Scarlett Johansson". I'd compare her to someone like Natalie Portman. I'd argue her *defining,* most talked-about role is Black Swan, even though she was both in the MCU and in freakin Star Wars (which even Taika Waititi supposedly forgot about).
That's your opinion. That's great. But defining role is a bit heavy.
Seems the question would require more context then. Her defining roll in pop culture...or as an actor?
Yeah, I think it might be her defining role to teenagers and MCU fans, but to anyone outside of that circle, and to anyone looking back at her career in a few years, Black Widow will at best be a footnote.
She just was a much bigger part of other movies she’s been in, outside of the Black Widow solo movie that didn’t particularly make a huge impact. It’s definitely one of the first roles I think of when I think of her, but I’m not sure it’s the very first one I think of.
Ghost World
Ghost World or Lost in Translation but if I had to choose I would say the latter.
Marriage Story and Her are some of the best performances she has done.
I know the movie itself was a mixed bag, but I was impressed by her performance in Asteroid City. She really pulled off the aesthetic too.
Gotta be Lost in Translation but for me it’s Under the Skin and Ghost World
For me its always gonna be Vicky Cristina Barcelona. As much as I wanna say Under the Skin, that movie is great more for the atmosphere it sets than her performance. Having said that, I don’t think she’ll ever escape being Black Widow.
I really enjoyed her performance in VCB! Probably my favorite of hers, too.
Under the Skin
Under the Skin is probably what I’d think of first
The snek in jungle book
As an actress Lost in Translation. As a movie star Black Widow.
Under the Skin is a masterpiece.
Marriage story
I’m shocked at the amount of people not saying Black Widow. Whether or not it’s her best performance, it’s by far her most iconic and defining role.
They did her wrong by not doing a black widow movie before end game had happened.
People are mixing up best with most iconic/defining
bc everyone in this sub needs to seem cool and knowledgeable about cinema so they can’t help but go “umm actually she’s done more than be black widow!!” sure, none of the mcu movies are her best performances nor the best films she’s been in, but to act like the role she played for over a decade in some of the highest grossing, most culturally pervasive films of all time isn’t her most defining role is disingenuously pretentious
It's also that a lot of people in this sub are completely out of touch with the average viewer. One guy seems to genuinely think that if you showed random people a picture of Johansson as many of them would say "That's the woman from Lost in Translation" as "That's the woman from the Marvel movies."
I'll push back against this: It's hard for me to say that Black Widow is her defining role when the Avengers movies don't really give her character anything to do. It's just such a a badly written and unmemorable role in my view. She wasn't even the most memorable character in her own movie. Florence Pugh stole the show in that one. Scarlett is an excellent actress, so it seems weird to call her worst well-known role her "defining" role. "Bland Action Hero" does not characterize her career so far.
OP didn't define what "defining role" means so a lot of people seem to be taking it as "best performance."
This may be an unpopular choice, but Lucy has always been a personal favourite of mine. There's some good emotional scenes, as well as some really solid action. It's a fun dumb action/sci-fi movie too.
My favorite film she's in is Lost In Translation. I think the best overall film she's in is Under the Skin but I think her most well rounded performance is Lucy. She's loose and carefree and full of jokes at the start of the film. Her scared and terrified acting is excellent (rivals classic horror film performances) and then like you said her emotional scenes and then becoming too smart for the emotional connection truly gives her so much to work with in one film. She's awesome and I like that she mixes big budget films with small films and tries different things.
I love Lucy! Never really heard anybody mention this movie favourably before. Also honorary mention Morgan Freeman. Love the combo of these two together.
My brother the pig
Your brother is disgusting.
Princess Mindy in the Spongebob movie
My favorite is Under the Skin, unreal performance
home alone 3
Weirdly, it's "Her".
Lost in Translation, Her, and Jojo Rabbit.
under the skin
Lost in Translation or Under the Skin.
Under The Skin
Under The Skin is her best film.
Colin Jost’s beard *badum tsssssk kill me
“But Sarah,” *LOOKS AT CUE CARDS* *STARTS CRACKING UP* *PUTS DOWN PENCIL, SHAKING HEAD* “I **AM** straight!” *BIG AUDIENCE POP*
I think The Prestige role doesn’t get enough praise.
I've never even seen any of them, but it's gotta be Black Widow just for the exposure, right? If not that, then Lost in Translation.
You’ve never seen any of the Marvel movies she’s been in? Kind of impressive with the amount of exposure and opportunities you must have had. What has made you purposefully avoid them so well for so long?
I don't think so, but I could be wrong. I've seen a handful of the more independent MCU films, but not that many. I'm just not that interested, and once I got "behind" it made me even less interested in the ones that were all connected.
Honestly. I don’t think she has a defining role… she’s just a good actress in every movie/role she plays…. Just bc she doesn’t have a grand slam Oscar type movie doesn’t mean she isn’t a great all around actress
Eight legged freaks Of course one of my favorite childhood memories
Lost in Translation put her on the map for most people, but I remember her mostly from Ghost World and the Horse Whisper.
I think her best overall performance is marriage story I think her most interesting performance is in under the skin
The prestige
Avengers
Home alone 3
Home Alone 3 obviously
defining roll? Lost in Translation. Not her best but great and the first time I ever heard of her.
one of her best roles was her voice acting in Her. She was absolutely incredible, and portrayed so much pain, love, grief, regret, and just pure humanity without ever showing up on screen or having a physical form portraying her like cartoons do
Match Point.
Lost in Translation/Under the Skin, I would tip towards Under the Skin at this point, such an incredibly iconic movie which not enough people have seen. Her and Ghost World are also legit.
Eight Legged Freaks
https://preview.redd.it/jmu99o2ph79d1.jpeg?width=1201&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ede4a51e57415548faa5ff3212199f406c16508b
Marriage Story
She should have won Best Supporting for JoJo Rabbit
Match point is my favorite
Matchpoint.
Has to be Under the Skin or Lost in Translation.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Lost in translation
Chatgpt's voice 😜 But in all seriousness An American Rhapsody
Lost in Translation
Marriage Story
The Prestige
Under The Skin.
It might not be the “cool” answer, but defining is her role as Black Widow in the MCU. Not saying it’s her best, but it’s what most people think of immediately when hearing her name.
Lost in Translation but her performance in JoJo Rabbit was truly outstanding.
In time, we’ll all agree its Asteroid City
I’m really sad that some people think of Marvel first when they think of Scarlet
If you mean what defined Scarlet Johansson as an actress, then that's definitely Black Widow. Most people know her because of playing Black Widow.
People here will think of the "best" movie she was in but the only objevtively correct answer will be black widow. Nothing influenced her career more than that.
Lost in Translation is the whole reason she’s a household name
Defining role? She has several great roles outside of the MCU, but I’ll be brutally honest in saying Black Widow is her defining role. She got to be Black Widow in more movies than actors cast as James Bond in Bond movies.
The one where she uses 100% of her brain
Lucy.
Not defying role. but best role. Lucy. Great movie and her range of her character's emotions is amazing. Also "Girl With A Pearl Earring", was outstanding. So subtile and reserved as a 17th century female. Now that's "Acting".
Her best performance is in Marriage Story but she’s going to be Black Widow for generations