For years, Scarlett Johansson has maintained a spectacular Rotten Tomatoes streak that continues to this day, with the exception of two movies from 2017. Johansson's impressive career began in 1994, when she made her feature film debut in the movie, North. In 2003, she took on her first adult role in Lost in Translation. Since then, her participation in other indie movies and her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have afforded her worldwide fame. These days, Scarlett Johansson's movies are some of the highest-grossing and most popular films to date.
Scarlett Johansson's early Rotten Tomatoes scores are particularly hit-or-miss. It seems as though she could have a fantastic movie one year, then a completely awful one the next. For example, in 2003, Johansson released two lauded movies: Lost in Translation (95%) and Girl with a Pearl Earring (73%). However, just one year later, her score saw a steep decline with The Perfect Score, which earned a 16%. It wasn't until 2010 that Johansson's acting performances started reaching incredible heights. Since then, it has only come down twice, and these drops happened to occur in the same year.
Scarlett Johansson Had 7 Straight Years Of Fresh Rotten Tomatoes Scores Starting With Iron Man 2
Johansson Thrived From 2010 To 2016
While many actors could probably boast a positive Rotten Tomatoes streak at some point in their careers, Scarlett Johansson's trend is particularly outstanding. From 2010 to 2016, the actress only appeared in movies with fresh scores. More specifically, during that span of years, there are no green splats to be seen. This shift started after Johansson appeared as Natasha Romanoff for the first time in Iron Man 2, which earned a Certified Fresh 72%. Overall, Johansson boasts a total of 17 fresh movies from 2010 to 2016. Notably, 11 of those have earned the Certified Fresh tag.
Scarlett Johansson's Movies from 2010 to 2016 | Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score |
|---|---|
Iron Man 2 | 72% |
The Whale | 86% |
We Bought a Zoo | 65% |
The Avengers | 91% |
Hitchcock | 60% |
Don Jon | 80% |
Her | 95% |
Under the Skin | 84% |
Captain America: The Winter Soldier | 90% |
Chef | 87% |
Lucy | 67% |
Avengers: Age of Ultron | 76% |
Hail, Caesar! | 86% |
The Jungle Book | 94% |
Captain America: Civil War | 90% |
Floyd Norman: An Animated Life | 94% |
Sing | 71% |
A major aspect of this Rotten Tomatoes trend is the fact that the Marvel Cinematic Universe started truly ramping up from 2010 to 2016, and Scarlett Johansson was a vital part of that. Of Johansson's 17 fresh movies, five of them are Marvel movies. They include Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Captain America: Civil War. In this way, Johansson's accomplishments paralleled Marvel's. However, Johansson's success shouldn't be entirely attributed to Marvel. Johansson's non-Marvel films, ranging from action and drama to comedy and sci-fi, also deserved the praise that they received.
Both Of Scarlett Johansson's 2017 Movies Were Poorly Received
Ghost In The Shell & Rough Night Ruined Johansson's Streak
Unfortunately, Johansson's amazing Rotten Tomatoes streak was eventually broken. In 2017, the actress appeared in two poorly received films. The first was Ghost in the Shell, which earned a 42% critics' score. Reviewers said the movie did not do justice to the manga it was based on. It felt more like a superhero origin story than a thoughtful exploration of a unique character and cyberpunk world. Ghost in the Shell also faced backlash for Scarlett Johansson's casting, in particular. Many felt that the actor playing Major should not be white. This controversy may have also affected this film's success.
The second Scarlett Johansson disappointment of 2017 was Rough Night. This earned a slightly better score than Ghost in the Shell, with a 45%. The movie sees Johansson as a woman whose bachelorette party goes horribly wrong when a male stripper dies at her beach house. For the most part, Rough Night was criticized simply for not being funny enough. Critics argued that, despite the star-studded cast, the script was too weak to carry this movie forward. Ultimately, this poor reaction left a second demerit on Johansson's sterling Rotten Tomatoes resume.
Scarlett Johansson Has Only Had Fresh Movies Again After 2017
Johansson's Trend Continues On Today
Fortunately, 2017 did not completely ruin Scarlett Johansson's Rotten Tomatoes. After Ghost in the Shell and Rough Night, almost all of Johansson's films have been deemed fresh once again. From 2018 to 2024, the actress has appeared in a total of 12 fresh movies. Only one of these, a movie called North Star, has been given a low score. Notably, this project hasn't been widely screened yet, and its score is subject to change. This leaves Johansson with yet another incredible streak.
Though Johansson's more recent Rotten Tomatoes streak also benefits from Marvel's success, the actress has also proved her popularity outside the superhero franchise. Movies like Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story have continued to show Johansson's versatility and talent. Furthermore, Johansson's most recent movie, Fly Me To The Moon, continues this shift. Therefore, the only thing left to wonder is what Scarlett Johansson will do next.
