10 Underrated Natalie Portman Movies Fans Need to See

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From small-town tales to historical drama.

Here are some of the Natalie Portman movies that might've flown under your radar but are absolutely worthy of your movie nights.

1. "Beautiful Girls" (1996)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
Imagine returning to your sleepy hometown for a high school reunion; that's the jump-off point for "Beautiful Girls." Our man Willie Conway is at a crossroads, dealing with his quarter-life crisis, pondering over what to do about his unfulfilling life and high school sweetheart.

Enter Marty, played by a young Natalie Portman, a precocious teen who strikes up a friendship with Willie. Despite the age gap, they share a bond that's as unconventional as it is profound.


2. "Anywhere But Here" (1999)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%
Adele and Ann August are a mother-daughter duo with a rocky relationship in "Anywhere But Here." Adele is an eccentric dreamer who drags Ann from their small town to Beverly Hills with promises of a better life. But the glitz and glamour don't exactly pan out.

We see Ann's struggles with her mother's instability, her dreams of becoming an actress, and the real-world problems of making ends meet.


3. "Where the Heart Is" (2000)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 35%
Novalee Nation's life could be a country song. Pregnant and abandoned by her no-good boyfriend in a Walmart in Oklahoma, she secretly lives in the store until her baby's abrupt arrival makes her an overnight media sensation.

"Where the Heart Is" follows Novalee through her journey into motherhood, her rise from the ashes of abandonment, and the quirky cast of characters that become her makeshift family.

There's Sister Husband, the eccentric woman who takes her in; Lexie, the nurse with a big heart and a troubling romantic track record; and Forney, the peculiar librarian who harbors a not-so-secret crush.


4. "Goya's Ghosts" (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 30%
When Francisco Goya's muse, Inés, is accused of heresy by the Spanish Inquisition, it sets off a chain of events that entangle her, Goya, and a zealous priest, Brother Lorenzo.

Inés faces the horrors of imprisonment and torture, while Brother Lorenzo, played by Javier Bardem, embarks on a power-hungry journey that sees him exploiting his position and descending into moral ambiguity. The plot thickens as the years roll on, and the French Revolution brings new chaos.


5. "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 39%
Mr. Magorium is the eccentric owner of the Emporium, and his store is not your average toy store – it's a living entity, with walls that breathe and toys that seem to have minds of their own.

Natalie Portman plays Molly Mahoney, the store's manager and aspiring composer who's yet to find her own symphony. When Mr. Magorium decides to "leave," he bequeaths the store to Molly, who doubts her ability to handle it. Cue the arrival of an accountant named Henry, who doesn't believe in magic.


6. "The Other Boleyn Girl" (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 43%
"The Other Boleyn Girl" throws us back to the sumptuous and cutthroat world of 16th-century England. King Henry VIII is desperate for a male heir, and the Boleyn family sees an opportunity to rise above their station.

Natalie Portman's Anne Boleyn and her sister, Mary, played by Scarlett Johansson, are pushed into the royal court with one goal: to beguile the king. What ensues is a dangerous rivalry filled with seduction, betrayal, and political intrigue.

Anne's cunning wit puts her ahead, but her journey to becoming queen is fraught with challenges.


7. "Brothers" (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 64%
"Brothers" is a powerful drama about the horrors of war and the fragility of family. The story pivots around Capt. Sam Cahill, a Marine who is presumed dead in Afghanistan, and his black sheep brother, Tommy, who steps in to care for Sam's grieving family.

As Tommy grows closer to Sam's wife and kids, the family begins to heal – until Sam is found alive and returns home, tormented by his experiences.


8. "Hesher" (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 55%
Hesher is a greasy-haired, tattooed loner who crashes into the life of young T.J. and his family, who are grappling with loss. "Hesher" is a walk on the wild side, as this anarchic force of nature turns T.J.'s life upside down, for better or worse.

Natalie Portman plays Nicole, a supermarket clerk who forms a unique bond with T.J., serving as a counterbalance to Hesher's chaotic energy. It's an offbeat story about finding friendship and guidance in the most unlikely of places.


9. "The Other Woman" (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 38%
In "The Other Woman," we meet Emilia (Natalie Portman), who has recently married Jack (Scott Cohen), a high-powered New York lawyer. Their relationship, however, began with infidelity, as Jack was married when they had an affair.

The story takes a deeper dive following the couple as they cope with the most devastating loss imaginable – the death of their newborn daughter.


10. "Knight of Cups" (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 46%
Terrence Malick's "Knight of Cups" is a cinematic poem that follows Rick, a screenwriter lost in the decadence of Hollywood. Portman's character, Elizabeth, is one of the women who drift in and out of Rick's life, each representing different paths and contrasts.

The film is less about a concrete plot and more about the emotional and spiritual journey Rick undertakes.