Here are seven films from a distinguished career spanning more than 50 years that you will never tire of. While some of the films on our list are equally among her greatest,
others have that enduring quality that makes them age just as well as the well-known actress. Some of her most well-known roles as well as a few underappreciated ones are included in this list. Foster has an amazing and wide-ranging résumé, with nearly every one of her films deserving of a second, third, or even fourth viewing (you get the idea). But these are the ten that, if you browse through them, you should definitely grab a tub of popcorn and settle in for a few hours of entertainment provided by the gifted actress.
She has experience in a wide variety of genres, having dabbled in everything from silly roles in her early career to gory revenge thrillers. To be clear, this is not the definitive list of Jodie Foster’s best films (you can find that list here); rather, this is a ranking of the films in her repertoire that are the most rewatchable.
In 2028, the world has completely collapsed, leaving the Hotel Artemis as the lone haven for a small number of highly trained mercenaries. In Drew Pearce’s neo-noir, post-apocalyptic thriller, Foster plays Jean Thomas, but she is referred to as “The Nurse”. In an intensely competitive setting, The Nurse easily outlasts erratic assassins portrayed by a fantastic cast that includes Charlie Day, Sterling K. Brown, Dave Bautista, and the legendary Jeff Goldblum. With an iron grip on the Hotel Artemis, Foster’s single vulnerability is shown when she is compelled to leave the premises. Her greatest challenge in a movie with criminals, mob bosses, and mentally ill hotel guests is her severe agoraphobia.
Foster has often shown that she is more than capable of carrying a conversation with the less appealing characters she plays opposite. You’re good for life if you can face Hannibal Lecter head-to-head and survive to tell about it. Her most recent appearance in the fourth season of HBO’s anthology True Detective demonstrates her continued ability to portray a fierce, formidable badass who is willing to draw a pistol on you. She also doesn’t mind displaying some vulnerability at Hotel Artemis.