Everyone on the planet knows that Meryl Streep is one of the greatest actors on the planet. But some actors, no matter how good they are, aren't as acknowledged worldwide. Rebecca Hall is, maybe, the best example of this.
Most may not recognize her based on name alone, but you've no doubt seen her before. Whether it's in small indie dramas or big budget blockbusters, she has proven herself time and time again to be an actor of the highest caliber.
'Christine' (2016)
Portraying the tragic true story of Christine Chubbuck, Christine should have been Rebecca Hall's Oscar. She plays this troubled person with such passion and empathy that you believe she is Christine.
Christine Chubbuck's story is very sad. She was a TV news reporter who took her own life on live TV. Making a movie about something as shocking and heartbreaking as this is a tall task, but the crew behind Christine, especially Hall, tell it in a way that doesn't make a spectacle out of her death. Instead, it uses the tragedy of her death to highlight the importance of her life. The signs were there, people just chose to ignore them.
'The Night House' (2020)
If the Oscars didn't have a clear dislike for horror movies, Rebecca Hall would have been a major contender for The Night House. In the movie she plays a character whose husband has just died, and whose grief is made complex by discovering her husband's secrets.
No one plays sorrow as well as Rebecca Hall. Grief is something that you carry with you and never really recover from, and in every scene, you can see it in her eyes. Her performance elevates the horror of the surrounding movie, because when she discovers another clue to the puzzle, you can't help but get wrapped into her performance.
'Professor Marston and the Wonder Women' (2017)
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is not your typical comic book movie. It's about the creator of Wonder Woman, and how the character was influenced by he and his wife's polyamorous relationship. The film is a brilliant examination of how art and life intertwine in surprising ways, and the struggles of being non-traditional in traditional times.
Hall arguably steals the movie, even surrounded by the likes of Luke Evans and Connie Britton. Yes, she and her husband and their mistress are all branching out into polyamory together, but in the world of the 1940's the judgment inevitably comes down hard on the married woman.
'The Town' (2010)
Ben Affleck has made quite the name for himself as a director, and even though Argo won Best Picture, many would say that The Town is his best movie. The crime thriller follows Affleck as Doug, the leader of a group of armed robbers who rob a bank and take a bank teller named Claire (Hall) hostage. Remaining anonymous, they release her, but Doug keep tabs on her, and they end up falling in love.
Rebecca Hall has proven herself to be an incredibly capable supporting actress, and in The Town, she gives the movie exactly what it needs. You believe her every step of the way: from the fear of being a hostage, to the bliss of new love, to the heartbreak of revelation. It's masterful.
'Tumbledown' (2015)
Tumbledown is an altogether brilliant movie that it seems pretty much no one has seen. It follows Rebecca Hall as Hannah, a woman who has never really got over the death of her folk singer husband. When she meets New York writer Andrew (Jason Sudeikis), they collaborate on writing her late husband's biography. Their relationship helps her move on from her past and look toward the future.
While Hall is technically playing another character dealing with trauma, her specialty, Tumbledown is lighter than most of her other movies. She has the talent to exist in a dark, somber movie and a quirky, sweet movie, like Tumbledown, and give a spectacular performance in each.
'The Awakening' (2011)
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Rebecca Hall fits perfectly into the world of horror movies. She can display fear so effectively that you immediately believe in ghosts. One of the best examples of this is The Awakening. She plays Florence Cathcart, a woman who exposes hoaxes in post-WWI England. When she's called to investigate reports of a child ghost in an orphanage, her understanding of reality is challenged.
With a different lead actress, The Awakening could be written off as just another ghost movie, but Rebecca Hall's lead performance elevates the movie. That's her strength as an actor.
'The Prestige' (2006)
Chances are you probably didn't realize Rebecca Hall has been in a Christopher Nolan movie. The Prestige is one of his lesser known movies, but it's among his best. The movie is a battle of wits between two magicians in the 19th century, played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. Hall plays the wife of Bale's character, and is primarily a supporting role in the film.
One of Rebecca Hall's biggest strengths is her ability to make the most of however little screen time she may have, and that's exactly what she does here. What happens to her character is shocking and leaves an undeniable impact of the rest of the movie.
'Holmes & Watson' (2018)
Holmes & Watson is not well-liked. But, even in bad movies, there's always something to like. In this case, it's Rebecca Hall. Typically thought of as a dramatic actor, it should be more well known just how funny she is. She and Lauren Lapkus are the funniest parts of this entire movie.
A good actor can be great at a particular genre, style or archetype, but a great actor is good at a variety. Rebecca Hall may not get the opportunity to show off her comedy chops all that often, but when she does, you realize that she can do pretty much anything.
'The Gift' (2015)
The Gift is one of the most underrated movies of the 2010's, and so it kind of makes sense that Rebecca Hall is in it. The film follows a couple, Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Hall), as a man from Simon's past, Gordo (Joel Edgerton) comes back into his life, bring along long-buried secrets and a series of bizarre gifts.
Based on the premise, you may think that the movie is a two-harder between Bateman and Edgerton, but Hall doesn't let you forget her. Robyn is the emotional ground of the movie, having to come to terms with the revelations of why Gordo is back. She begins to question whether or not she really knows her husband. That kind of deeply emotional role is pitch-perfect for Rebecca Hall.
'Resurrection' (2022)
The latest entry to the Rebecca Hall filmography, Resurrection is yet another killer Hall performance that will inevitably go under the radar come awards season. When the film debuted at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, people were raving about her stellar performance. Here's hoping it will carry on into awards season.
Hall plays Margaret, a woman whose life is thrown into disarray by the re-appearance of David (Tim Roth), a man who brings with him memories of the trauma he inflicted on Margaret in the past. Hall is very good at playing someone struggling with coming to terms with her trauma, and this is yet another example of how powerful of an actor she is.