50 God-Tier Acting Moments Buried in Bad Movies
10. Blonde - Ana De Armas
Blonde is one of the worst Oscar-nominated films not just of the decade so far, but possibly the 21st century as a whole.
The story of Marilyn Monroe (here played by Ana de Armas) is a tragic tale that's just as relevant today as it was all those decades ago, and the late, great star deserved so much better than this wretched quasi-biopic. Pretentious and self-indulgent yet also exploitative and grossly offensive, this is a totally repellent movie that actually managed to win the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture - beating out Disney's ghastly Pinocchio remake and even Morbius. Oof!
Perhaps that win was overzealous, but this remains an awful movie, albeit one that also happens to boast a fantastically good performance at its centre. Ana de Armas did give an undeniably stellar turn as Marilyn Monroe. Her Cuban accent occasionally slips through a bit, but other than that issue, this is a majestic and heartbreaking portrayal of a spiritually broken young woman left at the mercy of the cruel, toxic system of old Hollywood.
As much as de Armas' performance deserved a far better movie, it is also difficult to argue against her receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. It was among the finest female lead performances in 2022.