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 past weekend, Bennie Safdie’s The Smashing Machine hit theaters. The film stars Dwayne Johnson as real-life mixed martial arts and UFC champion Mark Kerr, and Emily Blunt as his partner at the time, Dawn Staples. In the film, Blunt plays the fiery, long-suffering girlfriend whose relationship with Kerr unravels as he wrestles with addiction and the brutal highs and lows of his career.
Blunt’s breakthrough came with The Devil Wears Prada (2006), and she’s since proven herself one of the most versatile actresses of her generation, effortlessly shifting between drama, action, musical, and comedy. She’s earned a Golden Globe for Gideon’s Daughter (2007), Screen Actors Guild Awards for A Quiet Place (2019) and The English (2023), and, in 2023, her first Oscar nomination for Oppenheimer, once again playing the grounded, emotionally charged counterpart to a larger-than-life male lead.
While I’ve long admired Emily Blunt, The Smashing Machine left me cold: an uninspired film that ultimately tells a flat, unimportant story. My chief frustration is how little the film gives Blunt to do. Still, she elevates every frame she’s in, transforming a thinly written part into something raw and resonant. As always, she brings intensity, authenticity, and texture where there’s barely a sketch on the page. With stronger material, she might have been a genuine awards contender rather than a fringe possibility.
Still, Blunt’s career remains one worth celebrating: a testament to craft, charisma, and consistency. So without further ado, here are Emily Blunt’s ten best performances.
10. Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
9. Into the Woods (2014)
8. The Young Victoria (2009)
7. Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
6. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
5. Oppenheimer (2023)
4. Looper (2012)
3. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
2. A Quiet Place (2018)
1. Sicario (2015)
Fine list for a very fine actress but I'd switch Oppenheimer with The Fall Guy. Mr Nolan has always handled female characters inadequately and sadly Ms Blunt's role there is no exception.
The Fall Guy on the other hand isn't just a massively underrated action flick but it's also a place where Ms Blunt shines next to the lead by Mr Gosling. Also I want to cheat and put her Amazon series The English at number one. TV or no TV, that's the best performance of hers I've seen and truly wish it was more well regarded.