Every Nicole Kidman Movie Ranked Worst To Best

Nicole Kidman's monumental career first started from humble beginnings, when she was a teenage actress, who made her feature film debut in 1983's "Bush Christmas." Since then, she's gone on to star in over 60 films and has become one of Hollywood's biggest film stars. She's also been a force in prestige television, appearing in shows like "Big Little Lies," and "Nine Perfect Strangers."

What's incredible about Kidman's career is how different all of her characters have been. She's played everything from dastardly villains to grieving mothers to powerful scientists. There doesn't seem to be anything she can't do, and she's embodied a number of historical figures as well from Diane Arbus to Lucille Ball. It'd be easy for someone as successful as Kidman to have a reputation for being a diva, but that's certainly not the case, as she seems to be loved by everyone she works with. To celebrate this incredible actress, we've ranked every single one of her feature films. This is every Nicole Kidman movie ranked from worst to best.

Few could have predicted what a complete and utter misfire "Grace of Monaco" would be, which has made it our lowest-ranked Nicole Kidman film. When it was first announced that Nicole Kidman was set to play the legendary Hollywood actress Grace Kelly, nobody would have looked at you strangely if you thought the role would translate into surefire Oscar glory. Unfortunately, Olivier Dahan's "Grace Of Monaco" is anything but awards-worthy ... unless you're talking about the Razzies. The film looks lovely but looks, as they say, are deceiving.

It hurts to think of what this film could have been, since despite a bad script and directionless direction, Kidman still manages to shine in the odd moment. As Kate Muir, critic for the Times says, it's "not so much a turkey as a dodo, 'Grace of Monaco' never takes flight and extinction is probably the best course for it." In good conscience, and as huge fans of Nicole Kidman, we can't forgive this film for squandering what could have been the role of a lifetime.

The Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston-led "Just Go With It" is the second worst movie out of over 60 films featuring Nicole Kidman because it's cinema at its blandest and most forgettable. In a scathing (and accurate) takedown, Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post says the film is "an egregiously unfunny enterprise that seems less crafted and extruded through the great product-mill that is Hollywood at its most homogenized and soulless."

Although Kidman has a supporting role in "Just Go With It," she manages to be a real highlight in a romantic comedy that manages to be rarely romantic or comedic. Kidman delights in playing the uptight and obnoxious Devlin, who has an intense rivalry with Katherine (Jennifer Aniston). The two face off in a hula contest, which is one of the few genuinely funny moments in the entire film. Watching Kidman commit wholeheartedly in a film where most people involved seem to be there purely for a paycheck is great, and it showcases how Kidman elevates just about any material. But despite Kidman's most valiant efforts, "Just Go With It" is a drag and feels incredibly long. How on earth a film this listless runs for nearly two hours is something that will haunt us for eternity.

"Trespass" is a home invasion film: Kyle (Nicholas Cage) and Sarah (Nicole Kidman) live in a beautiful lakeside mansion that gets taken over by a group of violent criminals disguised as cops. The film earns some credit for being surprisingly nasty and violent, which at least makes it feel slightly less generic, but it's hard to get through this predictable, ugly thriller. It's staggering to think that Joel Schumacher, who directed "Phone Booth," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Falling Down," could be behind something so drab.

"One of those movies that an audience knows is terrible the minute it starts," said Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe about "Trespass," and while it is a harsh statement, it's also a true one. The film feels visually empty and bland, which perfectly matches the narrative. Nobody feels believable here, and the central relationship between Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman lacks any meaningful chemistry. It's really difficult to imagine that their characters would ever be together, which makes the entire film difficult to believe in.

What happens when you adapt one of the funniest TV shows ever into a film? The answer looks something like "Bewitched," an extremely rare misfire for the master of romantic comedies, Nora Ephron. The film stars Will Ferrell as Jack Wyatt, an actor who is a long way away from the success he used to enjoy. Wyatt agrees to play the lead role in a film version of the '60s sitcom "Bewitched" to help revitalize his career. He's the reason that the production decides to go with an unknown actress to star alongside him, which leads to Isabel Bigelow (Nicole Kidman) getting the role. As luck would have it, Bigelow is extremely well-suited for the role of the famed housewife/witch Samantha, as she happens to be a witch herself.

The film version of "Bewitched" actually offers a pretty unique take on the television series, but it's not long before the creative premise makes way for a very standard formula. The dynamite cast that also includes Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine, and Jason Schwartzman isn't enough to make the film any more interesting. It isn't nearly as dreadful as most of the films at the bottom of this list, but it is pretty darn forgettable.

There's something old-fashioned about Werner Herzog's "Queen of the Desert," but not necessarily in a good way. The director's distinct style — once seen in brilliant films like "Aguirre: The Wrath of God" and "Fitzcarraldo" — has all but vanished in this melodramatic biopic. Kidman plays the historical figure Gertrude Bell, a Victorian explorer and writer, who lived a life of remarkable adventure. Bell traveled the vast lands of Mesopotamia in the early 20th century, and was admired and respected by just about everyone she met. In the role, Kidman expresses an impressive emotional complexity, as she plays this vastly complicated woman and embodies many facets of her character.

While Kidman's performance is worthy of Bell, the film itself is far less impressive. It looks lovely, but it's an extremely conventional movie about a tremendously unconventional woman. It's also bogged down by its sluggish episodic pace, which places us in various stages of Bell's life and yet never manages to capture the extraordinary woman the film is based on. It's not a complete disaster by any means, but it is undeniably a big-time disappointment.

The dark comedy satire "Wills and Burke" takes aim at historical epics, as it investigates the lives of real-life Australian adventurers Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills. The pair were the first ever to travel the entirety of Australia from south to north, before meeting their tragic deaths on their way back home. If you're reading this and thinking, "this doesn't seem particularly ripe for parody," you'd be right. It also doesn't help that the characters of Wills and Burke aren't funny or particularly witty, and the film's heart regularly feels as if it's in the wrong place.

Kidman plays Julia Matthews, a young actress who has found success on the stage. It's a rather thankless role, but Kidman does get to showcase some of her more comedic abilities. It's not a film worth watching, but it certainly helped hone the seemingly endless list of talents Kidman possesses.

It's clear that Kidman's star was on the rise at a young age, as she appeared in a series of successes in Australia, which garnered significant interest for her to act in America. However, as Kidman explained to The Australian, she was happy to remain in Australia in her youth: "I went to LA ... but I decided it would be better to stay here, to gain experience and recognition. I like Australia, the way they operate ... there's too much pressure with the [Hollywood] star system."

"Windrider" marked the then 19-year-old Kidman's first "adult" role, and she shines as the confident and alluring rock musician Jade. Kidman commands the screen and her fiery red curls help establish her as a distinct and exciting presence. While Kidman is a delight, the actual film is quite a bore. It never seems to understand who it was for, as it feels too adult for teens but too immature to captivate older audiences.

While Nicole Kidman has been a major A-list talent for some time now, her incredibly diverse acting career began as a teenager with her first film role in the Australian family drama movie "Bush Christmas." Kidman plays Helen Thompson, a young woman who sets off with her brother and cousin on horseback through the Australian outback. They're on a mission to get their racehorse, Prince, back from thieves.

The film hasn't aged especially well, as it has some very questionable racial politics. Although it's definitely one of the cheesiest films Kidman has ended up making, it still has its moments. Kidman shows her adventurous side in "Bush Christmas," and we get to see the usually poised actress let loose, ride horses, and eat witchetty grubs. Who wouldn't want to see that?

No, this movie isn't a retelling of "The Wizard of Oz" — the titular "Emerald City" in this 1988 drama about life in the big city actually refers to Sydney, Australia. The film follows screenwriter Colin (John Hargreaves) and his wife, book editor Kate (Robyn Nevin), who move from Melbourne to the hustle and bustle of Sydney. There, they meet Mike (Chris Haywood), one of Colin's coworkers. But Colin soon finds himself utterly smitten with Mike's girlfriend Helen (Nicole Kidman), which creates a crack in his marriage.

The film follows the money, temptation, ambition, lust, and power that can come from moving to a big city, where big opportunities exist, as do significant downfalls. While "Emerald City" entertains, it struggles a bit with whether it wants to be a comedy or a drama. Although it features a charming and feisty performance from Kidman, the film relies heavily on highly specific Australian references and cultural knowledge, which may make it less accessible to foreign audiences.

There was understandably a lot of hype for "The Goldfinch," which was based on Donna Tartt's hit Pulitzer-winning novel of the same name, and included an amazing cast of actors like Nicole Kidman, Jeffrey Wright, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, and Finn Wolfhard. So, where did it all go wrong? The film takes place over a decade, as it follows Theo (Ansel Elgort), who survived a horrific attack that claimed the life of his mother. Kidman stars as the graceful but cold Mrs. Barbour, who becomes Theo's guardian via foster care and helps his love of art blossom.

Despite a great deal of anticipation, "The Goldfinch" bombed when it was released. It earned a paltry $9.9 million worldwide, which was a huge loss compared to its $45 million budget. Critical reception was very poor, with many complaining that the film squandered its fascinating source material. Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent said, "it's all poeticism without a sense of humanity, since the characters themselves aren't written as people, but as broad statements. Kidman's Samantha can only express emotion through significant glances."

In Oliver Hirschbiegel's "The Invasion," Kidman stars as psychologist Carol Bennell, who starts to notice something strange in her patients, as one claims that her husband is no longer her husband. It turns out even her worst fears weren't enough to prepare her for the truth: An alien virus is taking over people's bodies, and the infection is spreading faster than anyone could imagine. She investigates the epidemic with her colleague and romantic interest Dr. Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig), and they discover that Carol's own son Oliver (Jackson Bond) may be the key to stopping the alien takeover.

While "The Invasion" has an interesting premise, this cinematic adaptation of Jack Finney's 1955 novel "The Body Snatchers" (the fourth film to do so) is pretty dead on arrival. Every performance feels as wooden and lifeless as the alien inhabitants themselves, which makes for a snooze fest. Throw in some hokey CGI plus boring and predictable execution, and you've got yourself quite the clunker.

Frank Oz's 2004 film "The Stepford Wives" takes a very different approach from the 1975 film of the same name (both adapted from Ira Levin's 1972 novel), as it turns the story's science fiction horror into a full-out comedy. Kidman stars as Joanna Eberhart, a big-wig television executive, who loses her job after an embittered contestant from one of her reality shows goes on a violent attack. Joanna undergoes a serious breakdown, so her husband Walter (Matthew Broderick) moves their family from the hustle and bustle of New York City to the picturesque Connecticut suburb of Stepford.

Things are perfect in Stepford, but — as Joanna soon discovers — they're a little too perfect. The women seem to take great delight in having virtually no personalities at all, and all any woman in Stepford seems to want to do is serve her husband. After a bizarre incident where one of the Stepford wives dances until she collapses, Joanna seeks to get to the bottom of things in this seemingly perfect town. The film was universally panned upon release, and it only just made back its considerable budget at the box office. Despite its negative reception, Kidman really shines in "The Stepford Wives." Even though it's considered one of her weaker films, any fans of camp will find an awful lot to enjoy here.

Another film where Nicole Kidman plays a real-life person, "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus" sees Kidman playing the titular photographer, who was known for her challenging and sometimes disturbing photography that played a significant role in showcasing people who are often marginalized. In "Fur," Arbus is a devoted mother and housewife, who supports her photographer husband. She feels deeply unsatisfied with her world and soon finds herself fascinated by her mysterious neighbor Lionel (Robert Downey Jr.), which ultimately ignites her own passion for photography, as well as her interest in people on the fringes of society.

Unfortunately, "Fur" features a really disappointing ending that feels like it's going against the very ideals it sets in place. It was also largely disliked amongst critics, as people like Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called the movie "an interestingly designed but inescapably pointless film."

"The Goldfinch" isn't the only disappointing adaptation of a major bestselling novel in Nicole Kidman's career. There's also "Before I Go To Sleep," based on S.J. Watson's novel of the same name. There's some major talent in front of the camera, as Kidman stars alongside fellow A-lister and Oscar-winner Colin Firth. Life isn't easy for Christine Lucas (Kidman), who tragically suffers from anterograde amnesia, a condition that prevents her from making memories. Every day, she goes through the same process, as if she's stuck in a time loop. She has to relearn who her husband is and who she is because of a traumatic past injury. One fateful day, things finally begin to fall into place for Christine, and she discovers that everyone around her may not be as they seem.

Despite big-time pedigree from its stars and its source material, "Before I Go to Sleep" barely made a dent at the box office and received a number of negative reviews. However, Kidman is genuinely impressive here and she's great at plumbing the depths of human sadness, as her expressive face allows for the shocking revelations to come across strongly. 

It seems like Hollywood simply can't resist remaking a well-received foreign film. Sadly, the English-language "The Upside" captures precisely none of the charm and joy of its original source, the 2011 French film "The Intouchables." "The Upside" stars Bryan Cranston as Philip, an extremely wealthy quadriplegic, and Dell (Kevin Hart), who is looking for work so he can meet the conditions of his parole. Philip decides to hire the inexperienced Dell as his caretaker, much to the surprise of his assistant Yvonne (Nicole Kidman).

Kidman plays an important part as Philip's stern yet kindhearted assistant. She may not understand exactly what Philip needs, but she is willing to do whatever is necessary for his care. That said, she's very much second fiddle to Cranston and Hart, who are the focus of "The Upside." Unfortunately, "The Upside" is also a reminder that Hollywood really should stop remaking movies, as it manages to feel a great deal longer than its French predecessor, while also featuring plenty of disappointing stereotyping. The only real upside to this film is that it may inspire you to watch "The Intouchables" instead.

You'd be forgiven if you've never heard of "Billy Bathgate," a crime drama directed by Robert Benton ("Kramer vs Kramer"). The 1991 film reunites Benton with Dustin Hoffman, who stars as fearless real-life gangster Dutch Schultz. The ruthless Schultz enlists Billy Bathgate (Loren Dean) to join his crew and he shows him the ropes. While becoming Schultz's protégé, Bathgate finds himself falling for his mentor's mistress, Drew Preston (Nicole Kidman). It's not long before Bathgate finds himself torn between love and obligation, but crossing the menacing Schultz could have deadly consequences for both him and the woman he loves.

While "Billy Bathgate" has an impressive story and cast, all of which should make for a thrilling crime drama, it's a lot less than the sum of its parts. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly observed that "there's a joyless, dutiful air to everything that happens" in the film. David Ansen of Newsweek was similarly harsh, saying that the movie "isn't an embarrassment, but it's a puzzle. Watching it, you can't locate the passion that drew the filmmakers to it in the first place."

The 2009 Argentinian crime thriller "The Secret in Their Eyes" was an unexpected hit that beat out stiff competition like "A Prophet" and "The White Ribbon" to pull off a surprise Oscar win for Best Foreign Language Film. Since Hollywood loves to do English-language remakes of foreign films, the hopes were very much that 2015's "Secret in Their Eyes" would at least replicate the success and power of the Argentinian original. Instead, Billy Ray's American version didn't fare very well at the box office and was critically panned. It was hard to escape the thought that the remake really served no purpose, which is never a good thing.

Despite a fantastic cast that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julia Roberts, and Nicole Kidman, the film is nothing short of a crushing disappointment. The story is compelling — a group of FBI investigators is left devastated following the disturbing murder of the daughter of one of their own — but it's executed poorly. Jason Bailey of Flavorwire said it best: "You just keep waiting for it to take flight, for some clue as to why these talented people are spinning their wheels with such subpar material."

It seems to happen to all great performers when you've been in film after film after film: Sometimes, you've just got to phone it in. That is certainly what Kidman seems to be doing in Ryan Murphy's dire adaptation of "The Prom," based on the Broadway musical of the same name. The film is about a teenager in Indiana, who wants nothing more than to take her girlfriend to prom, but her conservative town and parent-teacher association refuse to permit it. This injustice draws the attention of a group of Broadway performers, who discover the story on Twitter and make their way to Indiana to save the day, but more importantly, to reinvigorate their own careers.

Kidman plays Angie Dickinson, a Broadway diva and chorus girl, who wants to play the lead in "Chicago" more than anything. She gets a couple of fun moments, but it's not a particularly memorable role, and it really does feel like she's there for a paycheck. Considering how disappointing the film is, we can't really blame her, as her co-stars Meryl Streep and Andrew Rannells seem to be doing the exact same thing. And the less energy devoted to James Corden's stereotypical and offensive portrayal of a gay man, the better.

Clocking in at a beefy 165-minutes, Baz Luhrmann's "Australia" is nothing short of epic. The romantic adventure film stars Nicole Kidman as Lady Sarah Ashley, an Englishwoman who heads to Australia just before the start of World War II. Her goal is to get her cheating husband to sell his cattle station, Faraway Downs. But when she arrives in the outback, she discovers that her husband has been killed. Now the owner of Faraway Downs, Lady Sarah has to work with a man known as "The Drover" (Hugh Jackman) to take the cattle across Australia to sell them, which proves to be a greater challenge than either of them expected.

In "Australia," the characters take a backseat to the fantastic production design, beautiful cinematography, and show-stopping imagery of the Australian outback. While "Australia" performed fairly well at the box office, Kidman has actually distanced herself from the film, saying, "I can't look at this movie and be proud of what I've done." They're fairly strong words since she's actually good in the movie, but as they say, you're always your own harshest critic.

It's easy to see why an actor with a pedigree like Nicole Kidman would be drawn to star in "Strangerland." There's a lot for Kidman to sink her teeth into as Catherine, a mother desperate to find her two teenage kids, who disappear right before a brutal dust storm. The storm makes her mission seemingly impossible, but that won't stop Catherine from doing whatever it takes to find her children.

Despite the promising role, a characteristically strong performance from Kidman, and an excellent cast that includes Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, and Meyne Wyatt, "Strangerland" is a pretty lifeless movie. Despite Kidman's best efforts, the film lacks direction, as drags out its fairly simple premise for nearly two hours. It's also quite easy to figure out the secrets and twists of "Strangerland," so that when it's all over, you'll probably wish you didn't waste your time on it.

If you fancy a good cry, "My Life" is just the movie for you. Michael Keaton stars as Bob Jones, who is happily married to his pregnant wife Gail (Nicole Kidman). Their lives are content and everything seems to be going well for them: Their marriage is built to last, Bob loves his job, and they're about to have their first kid. One day, the Jones family's lives are turned upside down when a devastating cancer diagnosis gives Bob just a few months to live. Suddenly, Bob, who has everything, realizes now he may not even make it to witness the birth of his son.

Kidman is good as Gail, a woman whose wonderful life is being taken away from her. She tries to do whatever she can to keep things positive, including helping Bob pursue any and all alternative medicines that might be able to treat him. This is very much Keaton's movie though, and he expertly carries the emotional weight of "My Life." The movie was well-received by audiences at the time, earning an impressive "A" rating on CinemaScore, which is based on surveys of viewers. Critics were less keen on "My Life," however, and Roger Ebert noted, "If a character invites us to join him on the most important journeys of his life — to parenthood and death — then he shouldn't distract us with little side trips to schtick and funny business."

Not to be confused with the HBO Max series about a vigilante, "The Peacemaker" is an action thriller starring two of the world's biggest stars: Nicole Kidman and George Clooney. Kidman plays nuclear expert Julia Kelly, who joins forces with Clooney's military man, as the two set off on an epic mission together. They have to recover nuclear warheads believed to be stolen by vengeful terrorists, which were used to cause a brutal train collision that killed thousands. When they discover that the terrorists now have New York in their sights, they race to save the world from impending nuclear war.

"The Peacemaker" performed well at the box office, bringing in over $100 million worldwide. But critics were less impressed, as the movie struggles to find interesting things for Kidman and Clooney's characters, who have very little behind them except their focus on the mission. Although admittedly, it is refreshing that the two don't have a romantic subplot. It's a fairly thankless role for Kidman, who has a lot less fun than her counterpart, even though she does well with the material at hand.

The talent in front of the camera in Rob Marshall's "Nine" is nothing short of astonishing: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, and Kate Hudson all star in this musical by the director of "Chicago." So, why is it so low on this list? Despite a truly dynamite cast and an impressive crew, there's just something oddly disconnected and disconcerting about "Nine."

In musicals, the songs are what electrify the story and provide vital information and emotion, but most of the music in "Nine" feels remarkably flat. It's a strangely distant film and it's genuinely difficult to feel for anybody in it, despite strong performances throughout. Critic Dave Kehr of Film Comment was dead-on in his assessment of "Nine," noting, "Largely, the numbers just sit on top of the dramatic action, adding little to our understanding of the characters and seldom contributing to the advancement of the story." The film isn't completely without positives of course, and Kidman does the best she can with her role as the fiery Claudia, a well-known movie star.

While Nicole Kidman clearly has a wide range, it's not often that she really gets to play against any and all expectations. Thankfully, in Lee Daniels' "The Paperboy," that's exactly what she gets to do. Kidman plays the mascara-drenched Charlotte Blessing, a sultry Floridian woman in love with Hillary van Wetter (John Cusack, operating at peak creepiness), whom she believes to be wrongly imprisoned.

Though the film bombed at the box office, Kidman is electric here. She clearly takes pleasure in going for broke, especially in a delightfully unhinged prison sequence that would even make fans of "Basic Instinct" blush. Though the film's critical panning matched its poor commercial results, there's actually a lot to enjoy in this lean-all-the-way-in approach that Daniels takes. It's a huge departure from his previous film "Precious," and it makes the most of its star-studded cast, where nobody shines brighter than Kidman. Recently, critics seem to be seeing the light when it comes to "The Paperboy," as Guy Lodge of The Guardian revisited the film's merits in 2021. He writes, "In 'The Paperboy,' [Daniels] set out to make trash first and foremost, smuggling in some burning sexual and political nuances along the way, and made the best film of his career."

Nicole Kidman teamed up with Sandra Bullock for the fun dramedy "Practical Magic," which is step up from her other witchy role in "Bewitched." It's a pretty silly film that doesn't make much of an impact, but it is hard to say you won't have a good time watching it. Based on Alice Hoffman's novel of the same name, "Practical Magic" stars Kidman as Gillian Owens and Bullock as her sister Sally. The Owens sisters were born into a world of magic, as they come from a long line of powerful witches. But they try their best to avoid using their magic at all costs, since they are saddled with a dreadful curse: Every man they fall in love with is destined to die. Sure, that description may not sound especially humorous, but the film mines a surprising amount of comedy from it.

While critical reception was poor, audiences generally enjoyed "Practical Magic," as evidenced by the vast difference in critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Kidman and Bullock have really great chemistry as sisters, and despite the film's plentiful shortcomings, "Practical Magic" is a strong showcase for Kidman. As Caroline Framke observes for Vox, "the moments that have lived beyond 'Practical Magic's' expected expiration date celebrate sisterhood with a fierce heart."

Nicole Kidman generally excels when playing historical figures. This is the woman, after all, who won her first Oscar for portraying author Virginia Woolf. In "Hemingway & Gellhorn," she plays real-life war correspondent Martha Gellhorn, a genuine trailblazer, who was on the front providing vital journalism all the way until her 80s. The film explores Gellhorn's relationship with writer Ernest Hemingway (Clive Owen), which lasted from the beginning of the Spanish Civil War until the end of World War II.

Kidman and Owen have pretty scintillating chemistry, and it's clear from their first scene together in a Florida bar that they're meant to be together. "There's too much rum in this rum," Gellhorn tells Hemingway with a delicious seductiveness that helps make Kidman's character shine. She's clever, strong, audacious, and exciting to watch. While their romance is steamy, the film is decidedly less so, as it abounds in clichés, and is also weighed down by its hefty 2.5-hour runtime.

In the sweeping romantic epic "Far and Away," real-life couple (at the time) Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman star together as a couple who travel from Ireland to America in the late 1800s. They plan to leave the Irish countryside behind for the promise of their own land in Oklahoma. While they weren't exactly miserable in Ireland, Shannon's (Kidman) parents completely disapprove of Joseph (Cruise) as a suitable partner, which spurs them to run away and into each other's arms. When they get to America, things go surprisingly well as Joseph becomes an up-and-coming boxer. But when he loses a big fight, they lose everything, which threatens to tear their passionate romance apart.

Neither Cruise nor Kidman can quite perfect the complicated Irish accent, and the film feels far more invested in the scope of things rather than the characters. Ultimately, it all ends up feeling a bit too schmaltzy. The film has the odd impressive moment, but it's hugely predictable, and hits just about every beat you would expect. Considering it's 140 minutes long, "Far and Away" could have really done with more depth and some actual surprises.

"BMX Bandits" is gloriously '80s. It's about three friends who love BMX riding and discover a stash of — wait for it — walkie-talkies. They soon discover that the walkie-talkies were hidden away for sinister purposes, as a criminal gang is planning to use them to pull off a big-time bank robbery. The trio — which includes Kidman as youngster Judy — take the walkie-talkies, which makes them the new targets of the robbers and forces the teens to use every inch of their biking talents to escape this danger. The movie is ridiculous, cheesy, and corny, but it's also a really good time.

Kidman is a total delight in "BMX Bandits," as she delivers a performance full of joy and excitement. She's a BMX rider every bit as good as her male peers — if not better — and she portrays her character with sassy confidence and a strut in her step. "Bush Christmas" may have been her first feature film role, but it was "BMX Bandits" that really signaled to the world that Nicole Kidman was a singular, exciting talent destined for great things.

Comic book movies offer the enticing prospect of seeing the characters we love on the page burst onto the screen, and "Batman Forever" certainly delivers, as it gives us Batman (Val Kilmer), The Riddler (Jim Carrey), and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones), and others from the Batman universe. In the film, Nicole Kidman plays Dr. Chase Meridian, an original character made specifically for the movie. Meridian is a criminal psychologist and doesn't do much of note in the movie, though she does provide a romantic interest for the caped crusader. Kidman makes the most of the supporting role, imbibing lines like, "You like strong women. I've done my homework. Or do I need skin-tight vinyl and a whip?" with a knowing wink and a powerful sensuality.

As with many of Kidman's big box office hits, critics were much colder towards the film, but with "Batman Forever," audiences were equally disappointed. It's fair to say that the appeal of Batman was a big reason the film made so much money. The film is all over the place, and while it is an enjoyable enough visual spectacle, it lacked the punch everyone wanted from the crime-fighting vigilante.

Although her career has been long and storied, Kidman hasn't taken many opportunities to play villains. Thankfully, she brings her talents to the antagonist role of Marisa Coulter in "The Golden Compass," based on the first book of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. Wisely using her striking beauty to seduce and add dimension to her wickedness, Coulter gets gradually more mischievous as the film goes on. Her alluring warmth is directly at odds with what she's really capable of (including kidnapping children and performing cruel experiments), and Kidman clearly thrives playing such an insidious role. It's also fun to see Kidman in such exquisite costuming: Her sparkly golden dress and extravagant fur coats are simply to die for.

While the Chris Weitz-directed film earned plaudits for its production design and visual effects, it failed to live up to its impressive source material, and earned a negative critical and fan response. Joshua Starnes of Coming Soon explains that "something fundamental to good storytelling — heart — has been lost, leaving a final product as icy and impossible to care for as Mrs. Coulter herself."

One of the stranger films Nicole Kidman has starred in, Jonathan Glazer's "Birth" is in equal parts absurd, bizarre, and beguiling. It is undeniably original: Kidman stars as Anna, a woman who lost her husband. It's taken her years to get over the devastation, but she does. She finds new love in Joseph (Danny Huston) and the two get engaged. All seems to be going well for Anna, and her future promises a return to the happiness she's longed for. One day, a young boy (Cameron Bright) suddenly appears in Anna's apartment. Anna is stunned, but nothing could have prepared her for what the boy has to say: His name is Sean and he claims that he is the reincarnation of her deceased husband.

Despite a largely negative critical reception, there's something really special about "Birth," and the film does have its passionate supporters. Will Self of the London Evening Standard says, "This is a grown-up, intelligent, beautiful film. Rejoice." A.O. Scott of The New York Times agrees, noting that "Without Ms. Kidman's brilliantly nuanced performance, 'Birth' might feel arch, chilly and a little sadistic, but she gives herself so completely to the role that the film becomes both spellbinding and heartbreaking."

John Cameron Mitchell's "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" features one of film's most common romances: that between a quiet teen and an alien (of course). After the brilliant "Rabbit Hole," it's no surprise that Kidman would want to work with director John Cameron Mitchell again, and this film offers her a completely different character. Charged with unpredictable and furious energy, Kidman is truly wild as Queen Boadicea in a role that's every bit as silly and absurd as the character's name.

While the film takes a big, big swing — there aren't many sci-fi romantic comedies, that's for sure — it also suffers a pretty big miss. While its scope and ambition are admirable, it struggles with a real lack of focus, and everything feels all over the place. The film hardly made a penny at the box office, and it wasn't especially well-received by critics or audiences. Perhaps the film tries a little too hard to be different, and as Christopher Orr of The Atlantic wisely claims, "One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie."

"Genius," directed by Michael Grandage, follows Scribner's editor Maxwell Perkins (Colin Firth) and his friendship with writer Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law), as they embark on a new collaboration together. Kidman plays Aline Bernstein, Wolfe's mistress and source of inspiration. Kidman is great, as she brings a fascinating and volatile person to life. For The New York Times, critic A.O. Scott notes that Bernstein is "the most interesting and unpredictable person in the movie, even though — or perhaps precisely because — it lacks the imagination to know quite what to do with her."

Unfortunately, that's part of the reason why "Genius" never quite turned into a hit, as evidenced by its minimal box office returns. Despite a fantastic cast that also includes Guy Pearce, Dominic West, and Laura Linney as notable historical figures, the movie doesn't totally figure out how to put all of the pieces together in a satisfying way. While it's a decent film, it's hard to live up to a title like "Genius," and unfortunately it can't quite measure up to its promise.

"The Human Stain" follows Colman Silk (Anthony Hopkins), a well-established professor respected by his peers and adored by his students. One day, he makes a passing remark in a class, and before he knows it, he's brought in front of a university tribunal and fired for his alleged racist remarks. Furious over the decision, Silk vows revenge and sets out to write a book with his colleague Nathan Zuckerman (Gary Sinise) in order to clear his name. All the while, he's engaging in an affair with Faunia Farley (Nicole Kidman), a much younger woman. Silk falls for Farley with ease, but she has a complicated past of her own, the very nature of which threatens to peel apart the layers of deception that Silk has built for himself.

While the film is a respectful retelling of Philip Roth's novel of the same name, "The Human Stain" largely loses a lot of its significance and emotional heft in this screen translation, which was written by Nicholas Meyer and directed by Robert Benton. While it's fun to watch Kidman play a seductress with a dark past, it's hard to shake the idea that she may have been miscast here, and while the cast is really strong, it all just feels a bit off. Still, fans of weighty dramas and Kidman fans will find something worthwhile in this movie.

Nicole Kidman meets the fast-paced world of NASCAR in Tony Scott's 1990 action movie "Days of Thunder." Kidman stars alongside superstar Tom Cruise, who does some particularly gnarly stunts in the movie. Cruise plays race car driver Cole Trickle, who is extremely driven and loves nothing more than winning a race. According to Desson Howe of The Washington Post, the movie "is exactly what it promises to be: Not Much — but at dizzying speed, stripped down and free of wind-resistant subtlety."

While there are some really exciting racing sequences that are sure to be thrilling for serious NASCAR fans, it's hard not to be disappointed by Kidman's character. Although she plays a neurosurgeon, she is very much here to support Cruise's Cole and rarely gets to do much on her own. While Kidman performs admirably, this is very much a Tom Cruise spectacle. Unfortunately, Kidman is more in his shadow here, which marks a departure from their other starring vehicle "Far and Away," which at least gave her a lot more to play with.

"Aquaman" is the movie that has the rather surprising distinction of being Nicole Kidman's highest-grossing film, and it marked Kidman's return to the world of superhero blockbusters for the first time since 1995's "Batman Forever." Kidman has a supporting role as Atlanna, the Queen of Atlantis and mother of Aquaman. She's not in the film an awful lot, but she does get a particularly impressive action scene that takes place in a house. It's pretty freaking awesome to watch Nicole Kidman wield a weapon and be a total boss.

Though the film was a big hit with audiences as it raked in over $1 billion worldwide, critics were a bit less positive. Although, they were entertained by the glorious nonsense in the movie. As critic Richard Crouse notes, "Wan decorates every frame with eyeball entertainment that grasps the sublime and the silly of the 'Aquaman' origin story."

A crazy and thrilling medical drama, "Malice" takes pleasure in going off the rails. Tracy (Nicole Kidman) is an art teacher and her husband Andy (Bill Pullman) is a college dean. The two have a happy marriage in their lovely, suburban Boston home. The couple is preparing for Tracy to get pregnant, so they can complete their picture-perfect family. When a cocky doctor, Jed (Alec Baldwin), performs an unexpected operation on Tracy, it throws everything for a loop, and wreaks havoc on Andy and Tracy's wholesome family dynamic.

The secrets of "Malice" are best kept as just that, as the film turns into a lurid melodrama. It gleefully inserts increasingly absurd and nonsensical plot points at will. It is patently ridiculous, but also highly suspenseful and legitimately thrilling. Kidman seems to be having a lot of fun playing the charming Tracy, and takes serious pleasure in peeling back surprising layers of her character.

Yet another film that showcases Nicole Kidman is an actress who is capable of just about anything, "Birthday Girl" is an off-kilter romantic comedy. It stars Kidman as Nadia, a mail-order bride ordered by John (Ben Chaplin), a successful worker, who has always found love to be elusive. To fulfill his desire for partnership, he finds Nadia on a website called "From Russia With Love" and brings her to England. Their relationship is a bit rocky to start, but Nadia's talents in the bedroom seem to make up for their general lack of passion for one another. When some of Nadia's family come to visit, things suddenly change, and the film takes a very unexpected turn from rom-com to a crime thriller.

Kidman is an actress who clearly enjoys playing roles that subverts expectations. She showcases this impressive range in "Birthday Girl," where she plays a character that we discover more and more about with each passing minute. It's one of the weirder movies Kidman has starred in, and while the major shift in genres doesn't fully work, it's still worth checking out.

Kidman seems to have a fascination with playing real-life icons, but she was faced with a particularly unique challenge in "Being the Ricardos." In this film, she plays a woman whose face and voice are extremely well-known all over the world: Lucille Ball. Unlike some of the other figures that Kidman has played — such as photographer Diane Arbus or explorer Gertrude Bell — Ball was most famous in front of the camera. In order for Kidman to be successful in this role, she'd have to accurately embody this person that so many already know quite well. While no one else can ever really be Lucille Ball, Kidman still manages to look a great deal like her and nails both the timbre and cadence of her voice. In fact, her impressive performance in the film earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

While Kidman delivers a compelling take on the legendary sitcom actress, Aaron Sorkin's "Being the Ricardos" is an incredibly strange film with a bizarre structure that regularly interjects the story with talking heads. Its color palette is also gray and murky, which makes the film feel strangely sad and melodramatic. Performances aside, it's quite a misfire, and while there are interesting portrayals from Kidman and her fellow actors, it is difficult to understand exactly why "Being the Ricardos" was made at all.

In the emotional war drama "The Railway Man," Kidman plays Patti, the wife of Eric (Colin Firth), who was a British army officer that was captured as a Japanese prisoner of war during World War II. Still haunted by his torturous past, he receives word that the man responsible for his misery — a soldier named Nagase (Hiroyuki Sanada) — is still alive. With a push from Patti, Eric agrees to confront Nagase face to face, in the hopes of finally putting his demons to rest. "The Railway Man" is the first of multiple collaborations between Kidman and Firth ("Before I Go To Sleep" and "Genius" would follow), and this film contains their finest work together.

Firth and Kidman share a strong yet understated chemistry, and even seeing the pair discuss buying supplies for their kitchen is enjoyable since their relationship feels completely believable. Similarly to "My Life," Kidman plays second fiddle to her co-star, since the film is really about Eric's journey, as he confronts the atrocities that he endured in the Second World War. The film is a bit too quiet for its own good and suffers from some the occasional lackadaisical pacing, but ultimately, "The Railway Man" has a strong emotional through line and is a worthy viewing experience.

Jane Campion is one of the most exciting directors in the world. While she's only made a handful of films in her impressive career, each one is unique and enthralling. The New Zealand-born director of "The Power of the Dog" and "The Piano" collaborated with Nicole Kidman in 1996's period drama, "The Portrait of A Lady," based on Henry James' novel of the same name. Kidman plays Isabel Archer, the very definition of a free spirit. She's young, has fierce passions and desires, and adores independence, which unsurprisingly puts her at great odds with 19th-century society. She's headstrong and very wealthy, but she's also innocent and naive, which makes her no match for the likes of intellectual Serena Merle (Barbara Hershey in a devilish Oscar-nominated performance) and Isabel's romantic interest, Gilbert Osmond (John Malkovich).

The film has its passionate defenders, like Geoff Andrew of Time Out who said, "what makes the film so rewarding — and challenging — is its refusal to soften or sentimentalize James' study of New World innocence unprotected against Old World experience." However, the film generally received a largely lukewarm reception by critics and audiences alike.

Nicole Kidman is often admired for her stunning beauty in addition to her versatility as an actress, and that's something she delightfully upends in Karyn Kusama's "Destroyer." Kidman is practically unrecognizable as Erin Bell, a police officer ravaged by her past. When she was younger, Bell went deep undercover on a case in which she was trying to help take down a sinister California gang. Her cover was tragically blown, which destroyed the case, and her failure ended up seeping into her own life like a parasite. "I'm mad, I'm still mad. It's burned a circuit in my brain," Bell confesses. One day, a clue next to a dead body suggests that she may have another shot at the case, something she never expected to happen.

"Destroyer" shines thanks to Kusama's clever direction and Kidman's raw and unflinching performance. It's a genuinely gritty film, and Kidman's Bell has all the embittered nastiness in the world to make it work. Critics received the film well and were quick to point out how excellent Kidman is in the role. While it's certainly a tough watch, those who love to see Kidman find something new to work with will certainly find something to love here.

Indie darling Noah Baumbach's "Margot at the Wedding" gives Kidman another opportunity to play against expectations, and she excels as the titular Margot. It speaks to Kidman's character that back in 2007 — when she could have worked with anyone — she elected to play the lead in this small indie film, where she gives a great performance. She's prickly and effacing as the narcissistic Margot, who makes an unexpected appearance at her estranged sister's wedding. Margot's son asks why they're going to the wedding at all, since she and her sister don't speak, to which Margot curtly replies, "We're supporting her."

Once they arrive, it's abundantly clear that support is the farthest thing from Margot's mind, as she spends the majority of her time trying to convince her sister Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) that her fiancé Malcolm (Jack Black) is really quite worthless. It's not a film for those who like their characters likable, but "Margot at the Wedding" features some sparkling Baumbach dialogue and a deliciously devilish performance courtesy of Kidman.

Silvia Broome (Nicole Kidman) works as an interpreter for the United Nations in Sydney Pollack's 2005 mystery thriller "The Interpreter." One day at work, everything appears to be going along as usual, until Broome believes she overhears something shocking: a scheme to assassinate Edmond Zuwaine (Earl Cameron), the President of (the fictional) Matobo, a country in Southern Africa that is also her birthplace. She alerts the authorities, but agents soon become suspicious of her explanations. In fact, once they uncover Sylvia's past, they believe her to be their prime suspect.

Kidman is solid in this twisty political thriller, once again playing a woman whose secrets are slowly revealed over the course of the film. Sure, things get pretty ridiculous a little too quickly, which ultimately manages to render the whole thing rather implausible. But that doesn't make going along for the ride any less of a blast.

Jay Roach's "Bombshell" follows the bravery of three women's experiences at the Fox News Network, who take a stand against the sexual assault that became an epidemic at the network. Three women — Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie), and Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) — are at the center of the film, as they work together to expose the treachery of the network, and specifically, the behavior of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes.

The film was a financial success, thanks to the brilliant performances of its three female leads. As Pamela Hutchinson explains for Sight & Sound, "It's 'Bombshell's' modus operandi that female leads are continually explaining things to men, but the women-only interactions are the strongest — epitomized by a moment when Gretchen, Megyn, and Kayla silently share the same lift." While the film rarely goes deeper than a surface-level explainer of the true events behind its story, the performances are strong, and "Bombshell" is expertly paced.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

"I've often wondered why it is we have children, and the conclusion I've come to is, we want someone to get it right this time. But not me. Personally speaking, I can't wait to watch the world tear you apart," Evelyn (Nicole Kidman) maliciously and chillingly tells her daughter India (Mia Wasikowska). In Park Chan-Wook's excellent English-language debut "Stoker," Kidman plays the gloriously unhinged Evelyn, who invites India's uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) to live with their family after the sudden death of her husband. Only thing is, India has never heard of her Uncle Charlie and she grows increasingly obsessed with his presence in their home.

"Stoker" is a visually sumptuous film by director Chan-Wook. Its creative style keeps things enticing, while its bold mood and atmosphere situate the tension on a knife's edge. As Jason Bailey observes for Flavorwire, "There is a freedom to [Chan-Wook's] filmmaking; he's trying things, odd moods and unexpected edits and unconventional compositions ... you can't help but respond to the wit and playfulness of his style." It doesn't hurt that the film has some thrilling twists and genuine excitement, and Kidman is tremendous in this performance.

Based on Garrard Conley's memoir of the same name, "Boy Erased" tells the harrowing story of the pain and anguish caused by gay conversion therapy. The film traces Jared's (Lucas Hedges) journey as he spends time at a conversion therapy camp to "pray the gay away," as well as the circumstances that lead up to his being placed in the camp by his parents: preacher Marshall (Russell Crowe) and hairdresser Nancy (Nicole Kidman).

As Nancy, Kidman offers a softer alternative to her husband, who is prone to angry outbursts, particularly in relation to his son's homosexuality. She's notably more tender than Marshall and always places a gentle hand on her son to try and calm him down. Still, despite this kinder approach, she doesn't seem especially hesitant to send him off to the torturous experience of conversion therapy. She does realize that she's made a mistake more quickly than her husband, chalking it down to a maternal intuition: "They say sometimes you've got to hurt a child in order to help them, but a mother knows when something isn't right," she says.

The film was celebrated by critics. Ben Turner for The Pink Lens notes that "This is a tightly wound drama that packs an emotional punch. As movies about institutionalised abuse, this is up there with 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' and 'Girl, Interrupted.'"

In this sweeping and emotional movie set during the American Civil War, Nicole Kidman plays Ada Monroe, a woman whose husband Inman (Jude Law) is sent off to fight in the war. Some time later, Inman deserts and begins his tumultuous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina. Meanwhile, Ada is on the verge of doom, as she tries to maintain order at home while also dealing with her dying father. It's all made worse that her letters to Inman go unanswered, which leaves a ferocious doubt in Ada's mind that threatens to destroy her. A source of potential relief comes from Ruby (Renée Zellweger in an Oscar-winning role), a drifter who helps Ada keep things afloat.

"Cold Mountain" was a financial hit, and a critical one too, as it picked up an impressive seven Oscar nominations, including ones for Law and Zelwegger. Kidman was the only headlining performer left out of the Oscar nominations, which is surprising since she delivers an exceptional performance in "Cold Mountain" that simmers with despair, ferocity, and power.

You may not have even heard of this small indie dramedy, as "The Family Fang" barely made a drop at the box office, but the movie is absolutely worth checking out. Growing up was challenging for siblings Baxter (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Nicole Kidman), as their parents are performance artists, famous for their bizarre hoaxes that have regularly sent the general public into a riot. Annie, now a struggling actress, and Baxter, a writer, return to their childhood home when they hear that their parents have mysteriously disappeared. The problem? They don't know whether their parents are really in danger or if it's yet another one of their ridiculous hoaxes.

Family dysfunction is something that's all-too-relatable, so many will get a lot of value from watching "The Family Fang." Both Kidman and Bateman deliver complex and intriguing performances. There are plenty of surprises in "The Family Fang," and as David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter explains, the film "thumbs its nose at the cliches of the over-trafficked dysfunctional family genre to dissect the sometimes lifelong quest of children to understand their parents in ways that are funny and bittersweet, poignant and often bracingly dark."

"Dead Calm" is the film that first brought Kidman to Tom Cruise's attention when he was looking for his "Days of Thunder" costar. So, arguably, this is the movie that marked Nicole Kidman's transition from Australian actress to bonafide Hollywood star. As Rae Ingram, Kidman is a revelation, brimming with a sort of secretive intensity that makes it impossible to look away from her. "Dead Calm" follows Rae and her husband John (Sam Neill), who are reeling from the death of their young son. In order to escape and try to decompress, they embark on a holiday on their yacht. While out at sea, they discover the sole survivor on a schooner (a magnificent Billy Zane) and rescue him. It turns out to be a decision the Ingram family will come to regret, as the stranger will soon reveal his true self and threaten their lives.

"Dead Calm" is an intoxicating cat-and-mouse thriller and received a strong critical reception. Critic Nigel Floyd of Time Out praised Kidman's talent in particular: "A classic piece of pared-down genre film-making is lent extra depth by an emotional subtext stressing Kidman's transition from dependent wife to resourceful individual."

Spectacle abounds in the glitzy and glamorous world of Baz Luhrmann's sensational jukebox musical "Moulin Rouge!," a film with more than enough excitement to earn the exclamation point in its title. The film is a relentlessly entertaining story of a powerful romance in 1899 between writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) and Satine (Nicole Kidman), a seductive nightclub courtesan desired by men all over Paris. It's a film completely uninterested in following any sort of traditional structure associated with musicals. Instead, it throws in lavish musical numbers left and right, and its two crazed hours disappear in the blink of an eye. Kidman is utterly mesmerizing as Satine and is rarely more fascinating than when performing "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend."

Critics and audiences alike adored "Moulin Rouge!" and the film pulled in an impressive $184 million at the box office. Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote that "Moulin Rouge!" is "a tour de force of artifice, a dazzling pastiche of musical and visual elements," and Marc Savlov of the Austin Chronicle praised the movie as "monumentally over-the-top."

Based on the 1971 film of the same name, Sofia Coppola's "The Beguiled" greatly improves upon the original. The movie takes place at a girls' boarding school in the South during the American Civil War. Because of the war swirling around them, the girls very rarely leave the confines of the school grounds, and their sheltered lives are thrown for a loop when an injured enemy soldier (Colin Farrell) appears at the gates. Kidman is really in her element here as Miss Martha, the head of the school, who is greatly hesitant to let the soldier into their sanctuary. She runs things with a quiet dominance, which gradually gets more and more menacing as time goes on, and she's clearly willing to do whatever it takes to protect her charges.

The film received great acclaim, and Sofia Coppola became just the second woman to win Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival, where "The Beguiled" premiered. Critics celebrated the film's merits, with Total Film's Jane Crowther saying, "witty, menacing and steamy (in every sense), 'The Beguiled' is an intelligent update and Coppola's best work to date."

Director Yorgos Lanthimos has a knack for showcasing society's strangest people, and it's a trend that certainly plays out in the chilling psychological thriller "The Killing of a Sacred Deer." The movie follows Steven (Colin Farrell), a surgeon who is unsatisfied with his existence that centers around his wife Anna (Nicole Kidman) and their kids. One day, a strange young man named Martin (Barry Keoghan in a star-making performance) appears in Steven's life, and the two develop a strange relationship that in some ways becomes like a father-son dynamic. However, their relationship changes and Steven tries to get rid of Martin, who becomes increasingly clingy. When Martin's true intentions are revealed, he risks destroying Steven's life forever.

"The Killing of a Sacred Deer" is a divisive film, with Olly Richards of NME noting that it's "a chilling and nightmarish sort-of horror film that's easy to love and hate." Not a single person is anything like they seem in Yorgos Lanthimos' deliberately prickly and labyrinthine "The Killing of a Sacred Deer," and this undefinable movie is one of Kidman's most impressive achievements.

A heartfelt and uplifting story about an extraordinary journey to return home, Garth Davis' "Lion" follows the Australian-raised Saroo (Dev Patel) from childhood to adulthood, as he seeks to find his birthplace in India and the family that was taken away from him as a child. The incredible true story is based on the memoir "A Long Way Home," written by Saroo Brierly, and "Lion" is a thoughtful and emotional adaptation of this book.

Kidman stars alongside the brilliant Patel as Saroo's adoptive mother Sue, who struggles with her son's determination to return to India and leave their family behind. "I'm sorry you couldn't have your own kids," Saroo tells her in a heart-wrenching scene. Sue reveals that she could in fact have children, but she wanted Saroo and his adopted brother Mantosh more than anything else in the world.

Kidman got her first Best Supporting Actress nomination thanks to her emotionally vulnerable performance here. "Lion" earned six Academy Award nominations in total — including Best Picture — and was loved by critics and audiences alike.

"Flirting" is a wonderful teen comedy about the relationship between an all-boys boarding school and a rival all-girls school, and it's perhaps Nicole Kidman's best film that she made in her native Australia. Though the film is a sequel to director John Duigan's earlier film "The Day My Voice Broke," you can watch "Flirting" and still love every second of it without any knowledge of the prior film.

"Flirting" is witty, delightful, and it really has its finger on the pulse of what it's like to be a teenager. Despite the fact that it's from the early 1990s, it hasn't aged a day. Kidman sparkles as prefect Nicola Radcliffe, who has more responsibility than the other girls, as she is in charge for keeping order. Although, she finds the other student's rebellious natures rather irresistible. It's one of the earliest signs that Kidman has comedic gifts on par with her dramatic ones, and the film also features a young (and brilliant) Thandiwe Newton in her screen debut.

Grace (Nicole Kidman) appears in a small American town, begging the inhabitants for a place to stay, as she's being pursued by violent criminals. The town — which is uniquely stylized as a barren soundstage with white chalk outlines on the ground in place of buildings — appears friendly and charming, and takes Grace under their wing in exchange for work. As Grace works tirelessly to maintain her safety, the townsfolk become increasingly manipulative, taking advantage of Grace's innocence for their own personal gain.

Lars Von Trier's "Dogville" is both the bleakest and longest film in Kidman's immense filmography, clocking in at a massive 178 minutes. It's often extremely difficult watch, as Kidman's character endures horrifying hardships, but the film provides a masterful exploration of societal depravities. Though Von Trier's film got a mixed reception upon its release, "Dogville" has recently had quite the resurgence, as it has regularly appeared in lists of the best films of the 21st century, including Time Out, The Guardian, and BBC.

The haunted house movie has been done time and time again, but it's rarely as delightfully creepy and effective as it is in Alejandro Amenábar's 2001 horror film, "The Others." Kidman stars as Grace, a single mother who moves her children to a home in the Channel Islands. Her kids suffer from a mysterious disease similar to photosensitivity, which requires them to live a life largely in darkness, as bright lights aggravate their vision. Strange happenings in the house begin to occur, and Grace soon believes that the house is haunted.

"The Others" is a masterclass in mood and atmosphere, and not a single minute goes to waste. It's wonderfully crafted and wickedly paced, and the final twist packs a serious wallop. It's also one of Kidman's most multilayered performances. As Kenneth Turan explains for the Los Angeles Times, "Though Kidman doesn't hesitate to make Grace high-strung and as tightly wound as they come, she also projects vulnerability and courage when they're called for. It's an intense, involving performance, and it dominates and energizes a film that would be lost without it."

An emotionally crushing and worthwhile film, "Rabbit Hole" features a revelatory performance from Nicole Kidman as a mother whose happy life is turned inside out with the sudden death of her child. Becca (Kidman) and her husband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) have very different approaches to their grief: While Howie wants to keep every possible memento of their child, Becca is keen to move to a new home and try to start over.

Kidman delivers a powerful portrait of a grieving woman and offers an interesting and different take. Yes, Becca is deeply emotional and no stranger to a sudden breakdown — typical after a sudden loss — but she often surprises with her behavior too. In a scene at group therapy for people suffering from loss, another couple states that their child was taken from them because God needed another angel. Becca snaps, angrily responding with, "Why didn't he just make one? Another angel? I mean, he's God after all, why didn't he just make another angel?" It's a harrowing, sensitive, and humane performance that anchors the wonderful film, and it earned Kidman her third Oscar nomination.

Nicole Kidman finds herself in some extraordinary company in Stephen Daldry's 2002 psychological drama "The Hours," where she stars alongside fellow legendary actresses Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore. The film follows three different women from different times, who are all connected by the Virginia Woolf novel "Mrs. Dalloway." Kidman stars as Woolf herself, living in a London suburb in the 1920s, where she struggles with her personal demons while writing "Mrs. Dalloway."

Kidman delivers a complex performance worthy of the incredibly gifted author, and she treats Woolf's depression with great respect. There's no denying that the film is somber, and it can be a difficult watch for those who struggle with mental health, but Kidman approaches the role with equal parts fearlessness and delicateness. While Kidman has received plenty of accolades and praise for many of her performances, "The Hours" stands out as perhaps her very best work, and it's the film that resulted in her first-ever Oscar win.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

In Gus Van Sant's hilarious black comic satire "To Die For," Kidman is luminous as Suzanne Stone. Stone is a beautiful woman who wants nothing more than to be a big-time broadcast journalist. Stone gets a job as an assistant at a local cable station, and while it's entirely menial and thankless work, she believes that if she works tirelessly, she'll make her way onto the TV screen. It's not long before she becomes the weather reporter, but it's not nearly enough for her ambitions. When her husband starts pressuring her to give up her career for a family, she devises a scheme and enlists some high schoolers — including the hapless Jimmy (Joaquin Phoenix) — to help achieve her professional goals, no matter the cost.

"To Die For" is incredibly clever in its dissection of our unrelenting obsession with celebrity culture, and the innate desire to be seen. Critics loved the film, including Margaret McGurk of the Cincinnati Enquirer, who wrote, "Aside from outstanding performances, the movie is smartly paced and well-designed. Most of all, it delivers fascinating characters and provocative ideas with skill and grace."

Nicole Kidman takes an unbelievably good turn in Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" in what may be the most surprising performance of her career. The final film of Kubrick's illustrious filmography follows Dr. William Harford (Tom Cruise) and his wife Alice (Kidman). Alice admits to William that she considered having an affair with another man, which stuns William and leads him to question everything. It sends him on a frightening and intense journey to explore his own desires for an extramarital encounter, in which he discovers an enormous sex club filled with the world's most rich and powerful people, which leads to potentially devastating consequences.

"Eyes Wide Shut" is a very different film from others made by the man who directed masterpieces like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Dr. Strangelove." It's an epic tale of one couple's intimate sexual desires, but in many ways, it's every bit as powerful as Kubrick's very best work. As Alice, Kidman delivers a performance filled with cruelty and callousness, but also immense humanity. There's little else like it, and it simply must be seen.

It's all come down to this: Nicole Kidman's very best film is a family-friendly movie about a CGI bear from Darkest Peru. It may be surprising to see a film like "Paddington" at the very top of our list, but after watching it, it really shouldn't come as a shock. We don't think Kidman has ever had a better time performing than in "Paddington," where she plays the evil and menacing Millicent, who works at the Natural History Museum in London. When she hears that Paddington (Ben Whishaw) — a very rare type of bear — has come to London, she decides to do absolutely whatever it takes to have this bear on display in her museum.

Kidman is simply everything in the film, donning a wonderful blonde bob while delivering a villainous performance with tremendous wit and a sense of high camp. She's simply having the time of her life being the bad guy, but she also injects a great deal of truth and honesty in her character, something she's perfected over the course of her career. It's as every bit frightening as it is hilarious, and it's an incredibly challenging duality that only an actress as talented as Kidman can pull off. The film is also the most universally adored of her career amongst critics, and when it comes to Nicole Kidman, this role and this film stand supreme.