Emma Watson, for better or worse, is inextricably tied to wunderkind witch Hermione Granger, a central role of the Harry Potter franchise which she filled for 10 years, from age 11 to 21. Since the end of the series, she has taken on a handful of noteworthy projects, including the film adaptations of Stephen Chbosky’s Perks of Being a Wallflower and Dave Egger’s The Circle, as well as the live-action remake of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, in which she played the titular “beauty.”
Outside of the realm of acting, Watson has also built a reputation as an activist for the international human rights of women and transgender individuals. Indeed she has become a public figure apart from her definitive role. All that said, however, Granger is indeed that — a definitive role. As such, it requires mention. Whether in the wizarding world of Harry Potter or beyond — here are Emma Watson’s best films.
This is the End (2013)
This is the End is unlike almost any other film out there. It is imaginative and raunchy and irreverent as all get-out. It conceives of a world where Hollywood’s most famous stoner comedians—Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera Danny McBride and Craig Robinson, all playing a version of themselves—find themselves throwing a party during which the Biblical apocalypse described in the Book of Revelation unfolds. Chaos and antics ensue. In the film, Emma Watson appears — also as a version of herself — in a brief but undeniably funny cameo.
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The Bling Ring (2013)
Sofia Coppola adapted The Bling Ring from a Vanity Fair piece called “The Suspects Wore Louboutins” about a gang of teenage San Fernando Valley club-hoppers who burgled millions of dollars worth of merchandise from celebrities’ homes. Watson plays Nicki Moore, the ringleader of the group. She gives a great performance, characterizing a grotesque who is interested in little else than reaching the upper echelon of celebrity.
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
After two fun, relatively light Harry Potter films directed by Chris Columbus, the mind behind Gremlins, the franchise turned to Alfonso Cuaron to push it toward its inevitable darkness. Watson reprises her role as the eponymous Harry (Daniel Radcliffe)’s overachieving best friend Hermione Granger. The film is arguably the most compelling of the series as it slowly peels back the layers of Harry’s mysterious family.
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 (2010)
As a “part one” of a film adaptation, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1, it was not required to cram the entire book into a single film. As such, the film was free to move at a pace uncharacteristically slow for the franchise. The result is one of the best of the franchise. It reads much more like a small, character-driven film, with the focus pointed at the deep friendship between Harry and Hermione. It has perhaps the most heart of any of the Harry Potter films and certainly feels the least overstuffed.
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Noah (2014)
In the adaptation of the Biblical narrative of Noah’s Ark by Darren Aronofsky — director of Requiem for a Dream, The Fighter and Mother! — Watson plays the titular character (Russell Crowe)’s adopted daughter Ila. The film received mixed reviews from various public figures in the Abrahamic religions, but critics gave it generally positive response. Though it certainly has its detractors — perhaps rightfully so, perhaps not — the gigantic scale of the film is hard to deny.
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
Who better to kick off the whimsical Harry Potter franchise than Chris Columbus, writer of Gremlins and director of Home Alone? It is almost all fun and games in this first entry in which the titular Harry Potter is transported from his miserable mortal life to that of wizards and witches. He befriends two other children, the neurotic, constantly-grimacing Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and the studious brainiac Hermione Granger (Watson). Together they solve a mystery which unfolds at their boarding school of wizardry, Hogwarts.
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Apart from being the sequel to the massively successful first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is also a sturdy whodunnit genre film. Something or someone is paralyzing students of Hogwarts and the triumvirate of well-intentioned wizards-in-training are on the case. It is a cute caper — remarkably light in comparison to the films which were yet to come.
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
With Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, an event called the Triwizard Tournament comes to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Three representatives, each from a different school compete in the competition — one of whom, Viktor Krum, has eyes for Watson’s Hermione. Harry too is unwittingly selected to compete in spite of not applying to do so. The tournament brings a different, somewhat jovial energy to the fourth film of the franchise but it nonetheless takes a rather dark turn.
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
The fifth film of the series sees the trio of heroes take a more mature, focused role in preparing for the impending darkness. Their inept teacher fails to properly educate them on how precisely to combat these shadowy forces, so Harry, Hermione and the rest take it upon themselves to self-educate in secret. While somewhat weaker than other entries, it has a sort of rebel-with-a-cause excitement to it.
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 (2011)
As a result of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 taking it slow, the follow-up feels overstuffed. Harry must leave his friends Ron and Hermione behind and come face-to-face with his destiny. With a regrettably heavy-handed epilogue, the film is nearer to the worst the franchise has to offer than the best but is a solid entry nonetheless.
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