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Usually, young actors and actresses struggle at the beginning of their careers by either having minor roles in big Hollywood movies, acting in small-budget indie productions, or a combination of both.

However, this was not the case with Emma Watson, who became one of the most recognizable British actresses of the 21st century, immediately after landing her very first role as Hermione Granger in the first Harry Potter movie.

But, although Hermione is the character Watson is most well-known for, there is so much more to the young actress than playing the feisty, book-smart witch that we all grew to love and admire.

So, in this article, we will get ourselves thoroughly acquainted with Mrs. Watson’s works by looking at all of her movies and ranking them in order of awesomeness. So, let’s begin!

20. The Circle (2017)

The Circle was a financial success, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that it has redeemable qualities. It’s an adaptation of Dave Eggers’ novel of the same name, and here Emma plays Mae Holland, a tech worker who lands a job at “The Circle”, a powerful tech company that is about to introduce a technology that is basically going to end everyone’s privacy and make everyone “transparent.”

For some reason, everyone in the company is enthusiastic about this new technology (including Watson’s character), and somehow, not one of these high-IQ geniuses working there can see the obvious disastrous consequences of implementing this in real life. It’s only after (spoilers ahead) Mae’s friend dies as a result of the implementation of this technology, that we learn that losing our privacy is perhaps not the best thing that can happen to us (yeah… no $h#t, Sherlock).

The Circle tries to achieve, what The Truman Show (1998) and EDtv (1999) have already achieved twenty years earlier (and much more effectively), and its ending is almost identical to EDtv‘s.

19. Regression (2015)

The appropriately titled Regression is easily one of Watson’s worst movies. A psychological thriller with elements of horror and mystery set during the Satanic panic in the early 90s, Regression fails on every level: a weak script, unmemorable characters, ridiculous plot twists, and a horribly bad third act make this one a miss. Watson does a pretty good job, but not even good acting skills can save this badly-written mess. Don’t waste your time with this one.

18. The Tale of Desperaux (2008)

Watson’s first, and so far, only animated movie. The Tale of Desperaux is an adaptation of the 2003 children’s fantasy novel of the same name and here Watson stars as Pea, a princess who becomes friends with the titular mouse. Desperaux was praised for its animation and characters, but also criticized for its predictable and unimaginative story. All in all, it’s one of the weakest movies Watson has been in, and perhaps her most forgettable one.

17. Noah (2014)

Acting alongside veterans like Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Connelly, Russel Crowe, and Ray Winstone, and still being able to deliver the best performance in the movie it’s not an easy task, but that’s exactly what Watson does in this biblical epic! While the movie itself divided critics, everyone complimented Watson for having the most powerful scenes in the film.

Noah is arguably Watson’s most controversial movie, as It was banned in seven Muslim countries for going against some of Islam’s core teachings, and It also received criticism from some Christian communities for using non-biblical sources for the story, like the Book of Enoch.

16. The Bling Ring (2013)

In 2013 Watson decided to try something new, as she entered two new genres that she previously hadn’t worked in: comedy (This is the End), and crime (The Bling Ring).

This Sofia Coppola-directed feature is based on the real-life “Bling Ring-burglaries” that took place in Calabasas, California in 2008 and 2009, and here, Watson plays Nicolette “Nicki” Moore, a character based on real-life burglar Alexis Haines. That’s right: for the first time in her career, Watson finally gets to play a bad girl!

The film received mixed reviews, but even critics who didn’t like the movie agreed that Watson’s acting was by far the film’s greatest asset. One of her best performances of the 2010s.

15. Ballet Shoes (2007)

For the very first time, Watson plays a character other than Hermione. Ballet Shoes is a television movie adaptation of the 1936 novel of the same name about the three Fossil sisters: Pauline (Watson), Petrova (Yasmin Paige), and Posy (Lucy Boynton).

The movie received mixed reviews, but playing Pauline Fossil was an important role for Watson, as this is the first time she got to prove that her acting range goes far beyond just playing the young headstrong witch in the Harry Potter franchise.

Fun fact: Emma has two younger half-sisters, twins Lucy and Nina Watson, and they take turns playing younger Pauline at the beginning of the film.

14. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)

Let’s get one thing straight: there are no bad Harry Potter movies. But, that said, the first part of The Deathly Hallows is arguably the weakest of the bunch. This is, perhaps, because the movie is not a whole adventure in itself, but rather prepares the ground for the major events to come in Part 2.

But, even as the weakest installment in the series, Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is quite the cinematic achievement and it also has perhaps the most heartbreaking ending of all Harry Potter movies. Oh, and Watson has her first on-screen kissing scene.

13. My Week with Marilyn (2011)

My Week with Marilyn is a biographical movie about the making of the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl and the tension between actors Marilyn Monroe (played by Michelle Williams) and Laurence Olivier (played by Kenneth Branagh) during the filming. It is based on the memoirs by Colin Clark (played by Eddie Redmayne), who was working as Olivier’s personal assistant at the time.

Watson has a supporting role as Lucy, a girl who works for the studio as a wardrobe assistant and falls in love with Colin, but she only has a few minutes of screen time here. So if you are considering watching the movie for Watson alone, you are going to be disappointed. You should, Instead, give it a watch for the excellent performances by Williams and Branagh who were both nominated for Academy Awards.

12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

The Half-Blood Prince continues with the dark tone established in the previous two Harry Potter movies, and with a $250 million budget, it is the most expensive movie in the series, as well as one of the most expensive movies ever made. Watson received positive reviews for her performance, but the film itself divided the critics and the fan base.

Some praised it as the best Harry Potter movie, while others considered it a letdown compared to its predecessors. But, love it or hate it, The Half-Blood Prince is a solid addition to the franchise and it was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

11. This is the End (2013)

After a decade of acting, Watson finally gets into the comedy genre, and for the first time ever, she starts dropping f-bombs like crazy (this alone should be reason enough to give this movie a watch). She teams up with James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride, where all actors play exaggerated versions of themselves and they try to survive in an apocalyptic scenario.

Depending on your sense of humor This is the End will be, either one of the dumbest movies you’ll ever see or the greatest comedy of the 2010s. Its style of humor is not for everybody, but watching Watson chasing a bunch of guys with an axe and swearing like a sailor is certainly not something we get to experience every day!

10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

After the huge success of The Philosopher’s Stone, Warner Bros. didn’t waste any time adapting Rowling’s second book. The Chamber of Secrets hit theatres the very next year, and It achieved a similar level of financial and critical success as its predecessor, with some critics considering it a slight improvement over the original.

It has a slightly darker tone than The Philosopher’s Stone, and, at 2 hours and 40 minutes, it has the longest running time of all Harry Potter movies. However, the bad thing is that (spoilers ahead) Hermione spends the second half of the film in a state of shock, and therefore, Watson has less screen time, and it’s up to Harry and Ron to defeat the bad guy and save the day.

9. Beauty and the Beast (2017)

This 2017 live-action version revives the classic French fairytale for the 21st century and introduces the famous story to Gen Z and younger millennials. With a budget of $250 million, it is one of the most expensive movies ever made, as well as one of the highest-grossing movies of all time (it made over $1.2 billion at the box office).

Critics praised the film’s visuals, costumes, ensemble cast, new songs, faithfulness to the source material, and Watson’s performance, but also considered it inferior to the classic 1991 animated version.

8. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)

When the casting for the role of Hermione Granger began, Watson had to compete with literally thousands of other girls, and she admitted that, at first, she didn’t think she had a chance of getting the role.

The Philosopher’s Stone was an excellent starting point for Watson’s career. The movie was very well received by both professional critics and fans of the book, with Watson’s performance being singled out for praise. It was also the second-highest-grossing movie of all time at the time of its release (behind only Gone With the Wind).

It was Watson’s first time acting in a movie, and yet, after the premiere, every fantasy fan knew her name.

7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Upon release, The Order of the Phoenix somewhat divided the critics: some considered it the worst movie in the series – for example, famed critic Roger Ebert gave it only two-and-a-half stars (out of four), stating that “Harry no longer has as much joy” – while others praised it as the best Harry Potter movie up until that point.

It’s arguably the most political of all films in the franchise, as it deals with abuse of institutional power, and introduces two of the most hated Harry Potter villains: Dolores Umbridge and Bellatrix Lestrange (played by Imelda Staunton and Helena Bonham Carter, respectively). The Washington Post praised Watson’s acting, noting that she has given her best performance to date.

6. Colonia (2015)

Critics were not kind to Colonia when it was released. The film has a very low rating of 29% on RottenTomatoes.com and was attacked on all fronts: “This was supposed to be a movie about the suffering of the people of Chile! Not a love story about two Europeans!”; “Watson’s and Brühl’s characters were underdeveloped!”; “The ending is too reminiscent of Argo (2012)!”.

But, although the critics were correct to point out some of the flaws, Colonia is still a damn good piece of art! It does what every historical thriller should do: bring awareness to historical events that people are mostly unfamiliar with; keep you on the edge of your seat, guessing whether our heroes are going to make it, and introduce a terrifying villain who’s going to give them a hard time for two hours (seriously, Swedish actor, Mikael Nyqvist, does an excellent job portraying Paul Schäfer).

A word of warning though: although this is Watson’s most underrated movie, it’s also by far her darkest and most disturbing one! Be prepared for lots of violence, torture, and even se@#ual abuse of children. If this would be too much for you, it’s best to give this one a skip.

5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

The Goblet of Fire is significantly darker in tone than the previous three films in the series and is the first Harry Potter movie to receive a PG-13 rating for violence and (potentially) disturbing images.

The main characters have matured significantly since The Philosopher’s Stone, and here, Hermione experiences her first love problems. This is also the first movie in which Harry gets to face Lord Voldemort in his final form.

The movie is widely considered one of the best in the series with particular praise for the acting, the humor, and the dark tone. It also set a Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling DVD of all time.

4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)

The Deathly Hallows, Part 2 brings the Harry Potter franchise to a spectacular and satisfying conclusion. It is the highest-grossing Harry Potter movie, the highest-grossing movie of 2011, and, at the time of release, the third-highest-grossing movie of all time.

Many consider it to be the best in the series and it’s also the highest-ranked Harry Potter movie on sites like Rotten Tomatoes (96% Tomatometer; 89% audience score) and IMDB (8.1).

Sadly, this is probably the last time we see Watson playing her most iconic character, but we really cannot complain much, as we already got eight excellent movies that we can re-watch every time we feel nostalgic and want to revisit our childhood. What more could we ask?

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

For every decade, there are those one or two defining teen movies that have stood the test of time and will forever have a special place in the hearts of those who grew up with them. For the 80s, those films were The Breakfast Club (1985), and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). In the ’90s, we had Clueless (1995) and American Pie (1999). The 2000s gave us Mean Girls (2004). And for the 2010s, that movie is The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

The film received excellent reviews and gained a strong following among Gen-Z and younger millennials. Watson wasn’t a teen during filming (she was in her early twenties), but, nevertheless, her performance received critical acclaim with many considering it the best of her career. This is also the first time she uses an American accent.

2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

If you found the first Harry Potter movies a bit too “safe” and “family-friendly,” and the last ones a bit too “dark” and “gloomy,” then Prisoner of Azkaban would be the perfect film for you!

Considered by many to be the best in the series, Prisoner of Azkaban perfectly blends action. suspense, comedy, and mystery, and it’s filled with clever plot twists that will keep you guessing till the very end.

Also, while in the previous installments Hermione was more of a helper to Harry and Ron, she is a total badass in this one. Hands down the Greatest Harry Potter movie of them all!

1. Little Women (2019)

Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel has already been adapted six times for the silver screen, but this 2019 version is arguably the best of them all. The acting, the costumes, the locations, the story… everything is perfect here! Finally, the famous novel is complemented by a movie that is just as classic as the source material!

Watson does a very good job playing Margaret “Meg” March, but this time she is somewhat overshadowed by the excellent performances of Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh – both of them receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. The film itself was nominated for Best Picture, and as of this writing, it’s arguably the best movie Watson has been in! Highly Recommended!

Watson stopped acting in 2019 after completing Little Women. Her agent has stated that, for the time being, she doesn’t plan to take on any new projects which started rumors on the internet that Watson has retired from acting.

But, as of writing this, Watson has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors and considering she has a massive and loyal following who are eager to see her on the big screen once again, it’s highly unlikely that she is quitting for good. Watson has been in the spotlight ever since she was a child and it’s understandable that she would like to withdraw from the public eye for a while and spend some time with her friends, family, and fiancé.

But whenever she chooses to return to the big screen, we will, of course, welcome her with open arms, and until then we can always re-watch the many masterpieces she has given us so far. Thank you for reading and have a nice day!