Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Each week, we’ll rank the top 10 films in a specific category. While we aim to tie these lists to big releases, that won’t always be the case. Our goal? For you to enjoy, share your own lists, and join in on a lively, friendly debate. This is an interactive space to build community here at The Contending.
No fancy intros, no long essays – just a category and a list. Sound good?
This week, David Lowery brings us another ghost-story-adjacent drama, Mother Mary, starring Anne Hathaway in the titular role as a fading pop icon who, on the eve of her comeback performance, reunites with her former best friend and costume designer, played by Michaela Coel.
Hathaway broke through as the wide-eyed royal-in-training in The Princess Diaries before fully arriving as a movie star in The Devil Wears Prada, holding her own opposite a pair of legendary actresses, Julie Andrews and Meryl Streep, respectively, in two defining studio hits of the 2000s. From there, Hathaway took on more ambitious work, earning her first Oscar nomination for Rachel Getting Married and eventually winning for Les Misérables, a performance that showcased her full emotional range.
Hathaway is set for a big 2026, with Mother Mary kicking off a lineup that includes The Odyssey, The End of Oak Street, Verity, and The Devil Wears Prada 2.
To celebrate one of the most versatile actresses working today, here are Anne Hathaway’s 10 best performances as she heads into a big 2026.
10. The Princess Diaries (Mia Thermopolis, 2001)
9. The Intern (Jules Ostin, 2015)
8. Colossal (Gloria, 2016)
7. Eileen (Dr. Rebecca St. John, 2023)
6. Love & Other Drugs (Maggie Murdock, 2010)
5. The Devil Wears Prada (Andy Sachs, 2006)
4. Brokeback Mountain (Lureen Newsome, 2005)
3. Interstellar (Dr. Amelia Brand, 2014)
2. Rachel Getting Married (Kym Buchman, 2008)
1. Les Misérables (Fantine, 2012)
