A handful of actors have stood out as rising stars in the past few years but right near the top of that list is Ana de Armas. After shining in movies and TV shows in Spain, de Armas moved into appearing in English films made in the United States where she has impressed everyone.
Her performances in various indie films led to her working with some of the most acclaimed directors around including Denis Villeneuve and Rian Johnson. Throw in appearances in some major movies and an upcoming role as the iconic Marilyn Monroe in Blonde and you’ll find it’s worth checking out her best work.
Anabel (2015) – 2.56
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While Ana de Armas has certainly branched out into many genres during her career, one that she hasn’t done a lot of is horror. For a look at her in the genre, you can point to Anabel, though it shouldn’t be confused with the paranormal series of films in The Conjuring franchise.
This plot centers on de Armas’s character and her roommate bringing in an older man to live with them but once he gains their trust, things start to get very unsettling. Reviews were mostly mixed and it’s a hard movie to find but one positive was the performance of de Armas.
For A Handful Of Kisses (2014) – 2.67
Stream On Tubi, The Roku Channel & IMDb TV
Sometimes, all you need to do to make a romantic movie work is put two talented actors on screen together and make sure they have strong chemistry. That’s what For a Handful of Kisses does that allows it to be a successful little movie.
Ana de Armas plays Sol, a woman who is HIV-positive and puts out an ad to meet and date someone with the same condition. That brings her to Dani (Martiño Rivas) and the film focuses on their first date. Although some reviews felt that it had too many clichés, the acting more than made up for it.
Wasp Network (2019) – 2.67
Stream On Netflix
Some subscribers might not have noticed it but Ana de Armas has become a consistent presence in Netflix original movies. One of them was Wasp Network, which is based on the book The Last Soldiers of the Cold War.
The film puts de Armas on screen with the likes of Penélope Cruz and Édgar Ramirez as she plays Ana Margarita Martinez. It tells the true story of a group of Cuban spies located in the United States during the ’90s. Again, while the critics didn’t love this film, they appreciated the efforts of the strong cast.
Sergio (2020) – 2.79
Stream On Netflix
Once again, this is another Netflix original film. Sergio is also similar to Wasp Network in that is based on real people as it is a biographical drama centered around Sérgio Vieira de Mello, the Special Representative of the US Secretary-General to Iraq.
The plot sees Sérgio’s life in peril during the most dangerous mission of his life. Ana de Armas has a crucial role as Carolina Larriera, his girlfriend and an economic consultant for the United Nations. The acting was yet again the aspect of this movie that was lauded the most.
Hands Of Stone (2016) – 2.85
Stream On The Roku Channel & Vudu
The first notable roles in the United States for Ana de Armas came in the 2015 thriller Knock Knock and was followed up by this 2016 sports drama. Hands of Stone marked an early collaboration between de Armas and Édgar Ramirez and it tells the true story of pro boxer Roberto Durán.
Durán is basically royalty in Panama and is seen as a boxing legend, so getting to watch his story play out on the big screen was a welcome sight for many. Ramirez portrays Durán, while de Armas takes on the role of Felicidad Iglesias, who becomes the mother of five kids with him.
The Informer (2019) – 2.95
Stream On Amazon Prime, Kanopy & Hoopla
Based on the novel Three Seconds, The Informer put Ana de Armas back into the world of thrillers. It focuses on a former convict who is released on the condition that he becomes an informant for the FBI against his family members in the Polish mafia.
The premise itself is interesting enough but it gets boosted by a strong cast including Rosamund Pike, Joel Kinnaman, Common, Clive Owen, and de Armas. In it, de Armas plays Sofia, the wife of the protagonist who plays a pretty heroic role at one point.
War Dogs (2016) – 3.25
Stream On Netflix
While she had already appeared in a few American movies by this point, War Dogs was actually where a lot of people were introduced to Ana de Armas as it was a mild box office success and featured some pretty big actors.
War Dogs is based on a memoir but has an unreliable narrator and exaggerates some plot points. It centers on two arms dealers who won a $300 million contract to supply weapons to America’s allies in Afghanistan. In many ways, de Armas steals the show as Iz, girlfriend to one of the dealers.
No Time To Die (2021) – 3.53
Rent On Apple TV
The biggest movie that Ana de Armas has been part of so far is No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s last adventure as the iconic James Bond. When the cast list was first announced, many assumed de Armas would be the latest in a long line of Bond girls but that didn’t end up being the case.
Instead of acting as a love interest, de Armas plays Paloma, a CIA agent who works alongside Bond in a key scene. It’s arguably the high point in a great film and a lot of critics praised de Armas as a Bond movie scene-stealer. It feels like she has a great future in action flicks if she wants to go that route.
Knives Out (2019) – 4.04
Stream On IMDb TV
While No Time to Die is the biggest film Ana de Armas appeared in, her most prominent role came two years prior in Knives Out. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, this take on the classic whodunit genre featured an outstanding cast and earned a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination.
Paired again with Daniel Craig, de Armas plays the likable Marta, the young nurse to the patriarch of a wealthy family. When he dies and his family becomes the suspects of murder, the plot twists as Marta is his sole beneficiary, sending everyone into a frenzy. Again, de Armas was heavily praised for her performance, especially when sharing the screen with so many stars.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) – 4.09
Stream On Netflix & HBO Max
As noted, one of the great filmmakers that Ana de Armas has worked for is Denis Villeneuve. He took on the tall task of handling a sequel to the iconic ’80s sci-fi film, Blade Runner. He hit it out of the park with Blade Runner 2049, which was met with widespread acclaim.
Ana de Armas again managed to outshine many great actors in a supporting role. She plays Joi, the holographic artificial intelligence girlfriend of K, the protagonist. Though not a human, de Armas brought plenty of humanity to the role and had electric chemistry with Ryan Gosling.
