Sandra Bullock is reshaping politics this week in David Gordon Green's political satire Our Brand is Crisis, which hits theaters Friday. It's another big leading role for Bullock, who's clearly one of the best actresses working today. She's proven that comedy, drama, and adventure are in her wheelhouse. You'll see all of those represented in this list: the top 10 Sandra Bullock films.
10. Minions (2015)
Voice-over performances rarely get enough credit, and Bullock has proven to be successful in translating her onscreen performance to animation. In Minions, she's perfectly cast as the eccentric villain Scarlet Overkill, who's bent on being the most wicked in history, using the help of the hapless Minions. Bullock is hilarious and full of personality, and Minions gives her more than a few chances to chew the scenery.
9. The Heat (2013)
Buddy-cop films are a consistent force in comedy, and The Heat is one of the best in recent memory. Paired alongside Melissa McCarthy's comic talent, Bullock excels as Ashburn, a hard-edged FBI agent who's determined to take down the local drug lords. The plot is familiar to any fan of buddy-cop films, but it's the contrast between Bullock and McCarthy that provides memorable comedic banter.
8. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)
An underrated gem, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close provided a much more intimate and emotional role for Bullock. As Linda Schell, a single mother struggling after the death of her husband in the attack on the World Trade Center, Bullock is heartbreaking. The relationship with her son, Oscar (young actor Thomas Horn), is emotionally moving. It would be easy to take a story like this and reduce it to melodrama, but Bullock brings authenticity to her role, making this a truly powerful film.
7. Demolition Man (1993)
A blast of adrenaline and adventure, Demolition Man is a fun sci-fi action flick that's both self-aware and highly entertaining. What's remarkable about Bullock in the film is that she takes the fairly conventional role of Lenina Huxley, the love interest to Sylvester Stallone's John Spartan, and makes it her own, matching Stallone's skills from top to bottom. The film is cheesy and fun, and Bullock recognizes and rolls with it, playing a heroic and enthralling character.
6. Miss Congeniality (2000)
Hilarious and endearing, Miss Congeniality is a funny film that combines romantic comedy and action beautifully. The film provides one of the best female action heroes in Sandra Bullock's Gracie Hart, who's charming as a romantic lead and beyond capable as an action star. It's how Bullock combines both aspects of the role throughout her character arc that makes the film so memorable.
5. A Time to Kill (1996)
An exciting and intelligent legal thriller, A Time to Kill is both an examination of the justice system and racial tension in the South. Though the heartbreaking performance by Samuel L. Jackson is the highlight of this courtroom drama, Sandra Bullock's and Matthew McConaughey's performances drive forward the story. This is Sandra Bullock doing some of her best dramatic work.
4. The Blind Side (2009)
Bullock won her only Academy Award to date for her performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy, a mother who adopts a homeless young man with football aspirations. Bullock's character is often hilarious, consistently entertaining with her snappy dialogue, but it's the more subtle and intimate moments that give the film emotional resonance. It's a heartwarming story, and Bullock's performance adds all the more personality to the film.
3. Crash (2004)
One of the best examples of an ensemble cast, Crash is a Best Picture winning drama about the cultural diversity and conflicts found in Los Angeles. It's always difficult to stand out in a film with such a large cast, but Bullock does so with her egocentric and disgusting performance as the pampered and racist wife of the District Attorney. It's hard for such a famed and renowned actress to become completely unlikable, but Bullock does it in splendid fashion, adding realism and edge to a dark film.
2. Speed (1994)
One of the quintessential '90s action movies, Speed is a thrilling ride from start to finish, with more than enough interesting characters and memorable exchanges along the way. Sandra Bullock plays Annie, a bystander caught within the conspiracy, and the action is secondary in this case to the characters trying to survive. It's more than a formulaic action film, and Bullock's intense and heroic performance adds to the fun of the experience.
1. Gravity (2013)
Simplicity is the greatest strength of Alfonso Cuaron's mind-bending look at space. The writing, directing, and acting are fantastic across the board -- so much so that there is little to say about Gravity other than that it is a cinematic experience. At the heart of the film is Sandra Bullock's Ryan Stone, an astronaut stranded and left to die, who begins to reflect upon her life and rethink her choices. Intimate and moving throughout, Bullock's performance is a tour de force.
