Charlize Theron's new film The Old Guard was released on Netflix today, and our critic Matt Goldberg called it "the best Netflix action movie thus far." It certainly seems to cement Theron as an action star following her badass turns in Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde and The Fate of the Furious.

And yet, Theron is so much more than just an action star. Not only is she an Oscar-winning actress thanks to Monster, but she also produced that 2003 movie and many more via her Denver & Delilah Films banner, making her a creative force to be reckoned with even from behind the camera.

Theron is terrifying in Monster, and she's equally powerful playing a pair of very different survivors in the sexual harassment dramas Bombshell and North Country, both of which brought her individual Oscar nominations. The Cider House Rules earned more Oscar nominations than both of those films, yet it didn't make the cut for this list, given how rarely it's discussed these days.

I also had to leave off Theron's eye-opening debut in the 1996 crime movie 2 Days in the Valley and her turn as Keanu Reeves' wife in the B-movie pleasure The Devil's Advocate -- not to be confused with The Astronaut's Wife, which was less successful in my mind. Some at Collider advocated on behalf of Aeon Flux, but if I was going to put a big mainstream movie on here, I'd go with Ridley Scott's Prometheus or Peter Berg's Hancock, though neither appear below. In fact, if there's one movie I wish we had room for, it would be The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, which earned Theron a Golden Globe nod for playing Sellers' second wife, Swedish actress Britt Ekland.

In the end, I don't think you can argue with the top two films on this list, or the inclusion of both of Theron's Jason Reitman films, which showcase a completely different side of the South African actress, and allowed her to flex the comedy muscles that served her so well in last year's winning rom-com Long Shot. Check out the list of Theron's best films below, and let me know in the comments section if you think The Old Guard deserves a spot.

10. That Thing You Do!

Theron may have a relatively small role in this charming period piece from director Tom Hanks, but it was the first film that made us sit up and take notice, as it was clear as day that she would be a movie star. Theron plays small town beauty Tina Powers, who's dating dreamy drummer Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott). She's supportive of him at first, but just as his band The Oneders starts to take off, she dumps him for her dentist. Theron saw several of her scenes wind up on the cutting room floor, but she managed to get enough screen time to make a lasting impression here.

This film hit theaters just one week after 2 Days in the Valley, and given that it was Hanks' directorial debut, every major producer and executive in town made sure to see it. That kind of exposure was invaluable, and put her on an early path to success. After all, if Theron was good enough for Hanks and producer Jonathan Demme, she was good enough for them, and her small role in That Thing You Do! led directly to studio movies such as The Devil's Advocate and Mighty Joe Young, proving she just had "that thing."

9. Atomic Blonde

Arriving in theaters just two years after Mad Max: Fury Road, this graphic novel adaptation from John Wick co-director David Leitch boasts another incredibly physical turn from Theron, who further shows off her action chops as superspy Lorraine Broughton. Critics were mixed on the whole, including myself, but it's hard not to be impressed by Theron as she kicks all kinds of ass for two hours. The convoluted plot finds her hunting down a list of double agents who are being smuggled into the West on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, but really, you're here to see Theron dominate some fight scenes and fall into bed with Sofia Boutella.

Theron worked with a team of personal trainers who whipped her back into Furiosa shape, though she cracked her teeth and bruised a rib in the process -- not that those injuries prevented her from sparring with Keanu Reeves, who was training for John Wick: Chapter 2 at the same time. Atomic Blonde may not have the lasting cultural impact of Fury Road, but there are many fans who are eager to see a sequel -- and this one would actually star Theron. Mad Max should take a lesson...

8. In the Valley of Elah

Every Top 10 list has a "one for me" pick on it, and In the Valley of Elah is definitely that pick on this list. If you've totally forgotten about this movie, it was Paul Haggis' follow-up to Crash, perhaps the most divisive Best Picture winner ever. Theron's fellow Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones stars as a father searching for answers regarding the disappearance of his son, a soldier who had recently returned from Iraq. Theron plays Detective Emily Sanders, who becomes personally involved in the case, in which it becomes apparent that the missing man's comrades are lying about something.

In the Valley of Elah is a searing PTSD drama disguised as a police procedural, and though Theron isn't the front-and-center star, she compliments Jones quite well, and serves as a solid second lead. Theron imbues her world-weary character with a dogged determination that gives Jones' character a run for his money, and she seems to relish butting heads with her male superiors, played by Jason Patric and Josh Brolin. This is the kind of interrogation-heavy crime movie that may have whet Theron's appetite and led her to option Mindhunter, which she developed for Netflix with David Fincher. Either way, I'd sure love to see her play another cop again. Maybe on the next season of True Detective, if there is one? A boy can dream...

7. Bombshell

Like her somewhat comparable turn in Monster, Theron once again disappears into the role of Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, who whatever you might think of her, certainly didn't deserve to be sexually harassed at the liver-spotted hands of Roger Ailes (John Lithgow). Theron plays Kelly like a lone wolf. When Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) accuses Ailes publicly, many female staffers at Fox News come to his defense, yet Kelly offers no comment, leaving both Ailes and Carlson to twist in the wind, even though she was sexually harassed herself when she started at the network.

The real Megyn Kelly took issue with several things in Bombshell, including a scene where Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie) blames Kelly for not speaking up, describing it as "victim blaming." Theron's Kelly does eventually encourage Kayla to come forward, though she's not exactly a friendly shoulder to cry on, as she's always looking out for herself, with the real Kelly going so far as to acknowledge that she could have done more to help other victims. Theron captures Kelly's conflicted nature but doesn't judge her, and that's the key to her vulnerable portrayal here. Your mileage may vary regarding the film overall, but even if its biggest critics have to be impressed with Theron's Oscar-nominated work here.

6. Tully

I'm not sure that anyone in Hollywood knows how to utilize Theron better than director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody. You'll read my ode to Young Adult shortly, and that surely remains their best work together, but I have a real soft spot for this 2018 dramedy. Theron plays Marlo, an exhausted mother of three whose wealthy brother (Mark Duplass) hires her a young night nurse named Tully (Mackenzie Davis) to help take the load off. The two of them develop a close friendship, and Tully even helps Marlo spice up her sex life with husband Drew (Ron Livingston), who has a thing for '50s-era diner waitresses.

As wonderful as Davis is as the title character, it's Theron's outstanding performance that carries this raw, honest and funny look at the stress of modern parenting. Theron reportedly gained nearly 50 pounds for the role, and that kind of physical commitment is why she's considered one of Hollywood's most dependable performers. She and Davis have strong chemistry together, and the team of Reitman and Cody give both actors the chance to shine.

5. North Country

North Country isn't the kind of movie you rewatch over and over, but it's one that sticks with you. Theron gives a powerful performance as Josey Aimes, a survivor of domestic abuse who takes a job at an iron mine in northern Minnesota. Along with her female colleagues, she's subjected to sexual harassment and repeated humiliation by her male co-workers, including her old high school boyfriend Bobby (Jeremy Renner), who sexually assaults her at work. When no one takes her concerns seriously and she's asked to resign, a devastated Josey hires a lawyer to help her file a lawsuit against the company. She's the only woman willing to speak up, though that doesn't deter her one bit. She's willing to go it alone, because someone has to say something.

The third act then becomes a courtroom drama, and in the end, Josey's crusade results in the establishment of a landmark sexual harassment policy at the mining company. North Country boasts one of Theron's finest perfomances, and it certainly doesn't hurt that she's surrounded by veterans like Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, Sissy Spacek and Woody Harrelson. Theron has always been in her element subverting male expectations onscreen, and though this movie preceded the #MeToo movement by about a decade, it remains as timely as ever.

4. Long Shot

When I sat down and really thought about this list, it dawned on me that Long Shot is probably my favorite Charlize Theron movie, and I can't believe she didn't get a Golden Globe nomination for it, because her performance is pitch-perfect. She's an absolute delight as U.S. Secretary of State Charlotte Field, who falls for a schlubby writer played by Seth Rogen. Theron is the right mix of charming and ruthless as a politician with her eye on the White House, and watching her negotiate the release of an American hostage while high on molly is one of the many joys of this movie.

However unlikely you may find Theron's romance with Rogen, her performance allowed me to believe it. Maybe it's because I, too, am a schlubby writer who wants to believe a brilliant, beautiful blonde would be willing to date me, but Theron invests Secretary Field with a certain insecurity that humanizes her. She knows she could have any man she wants, including the Canadian Prime Minister (Alexander Skarsgard) but she just wants the nice guy who has had a thing for her since she babysat him as a kid, and doesn't want anything from her. In the real world, things rarely work out like that and these two would almost certainly not wind up together, but that's why we go to the movies -- to see these kinds of hilarious, heartwarming fairy tales.

3. Young Adult

I've heard that Theron is genuinely funny offscreen, and as noted earlier, no one is able to tap into her considerable comic energy better than director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody, who give their hot mess of a protagonist some killer lines here. Theron plays Mavis Gary, a divorced, alcoholic 37-year-old who works as a ghost writer of a series of YA novels. Emotionally stunted and eager to avoid her latest deadline, she takes a trip to her small hometown in Minnesota, where she arranges a meeting with her high school boyfriend Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson), intent on destroying his marriage and rekindling their old flame. She also spends a lot of time with a disabled former classmate (Patton Oswalt) who warns her that interfering with Buddy's marriage won't end well.

Theron is in fine form here as the girl you hated in high school, a "psychotic prom queen bitch" who doesn't mind that Buddy has a child now, because hey, she has baggage too. Theron's withering glare does some heavy lifting here, and Cody's dialogue has never sounded better. It's no surprise that Theron earned Golden Globe nods for this film and Tully seven years later. She just has a way with Cody's words, and Reitman earns points for not shooting her like a screen goddess, but rather, a human being struggling with her place in the world, just like the rest of us.

2. Mad Max: Fury Road

My thoughts on Fury Road are complicated, but one thing that's inarguable and undeniable is that Charlize Theron is amazing in this movie. The actress shaved her head to play Imperator Furiosa, and her fearless performance will be remembered for decades to come, such is her intensity and physicality in the role. Furiosa is one of Immortan Joe's lieutenants, but she betrays him and flees with his five wives, one of whom is pregnant. And with that, the feminist chase movie to end all chase movies is on.

Tom Hardy's Mad Max may get the title treatment here, but Furiosa is the film's true protagonist. A female road warrior, she's the one who leads the revolt against Joe and nearly sacrifices her life to kill the bad guy, and it's high time we acknowledge her as the real hero of Fury Road. Furiosa is one of the toughest characters -- male or female -- to ever kick ass on the big screen, and while I'm not surprised that director George Miller wants to make another movie about her, I am a bit surprised that he'd abandon Theron in favor of a prequel focused on Furiosa's early years. The actress who brought Furiosa to life is why that character is so special. To think otherwise would be to act a "fool."

1. Monster

Sure, this 2003 crime movie from writer-director Patty Jenkins was only seen by a fraction of the folks who flocked to Fury Road, but it won Theron her first and only Oscar, so yeah... mic drop. Furiosa may be Theron's definitive role as a movie star, but it was Monster that cemented her reputation as a top-tier actress. Theron disappears into the role of serial killer Aileen Wuornos and there's not a trace of vanity in her performance. She's completely unrecognizable here, having reportedly gained 30 pounds for the role, in addition to shaving her eyebrows and wearing prosthetic teeth. Wuornos was a former street prostitute who killed seven men between 1989 and 1990, and Theron does an impressive job exploring her damaged psyche. This woman was truly a monster, but she wasn't born that way -- she had a hard life that made her that way, and Theron allows us to sympathize with this lost soul.

While Monster is thought of, first and foremost, as a serial killer movie because that's what Wuornos was, there's a surprisingly soft, romantic side to this movie that is rarely discussed. Christina Ricci plays Wuornos' semi-fictionalized lover, Selby Wall, and she brings out the good in Aileen, even if that goodness isn't "out" for long. Still, their first kiss at a roller skating rink is one of the best moments in this movie, and while it will be remembered for Theron's ghastly transformation and her ferocious performance, a little romance goes a long way here. There's a reason Roger Ebert wrote that Theron gives "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema" and named Monster the third-best film of the decade. As tough as it is to watch, let alone rewatch, it's a remarkable film that represents the best work of Theron's 25-year career. She's so good being bad that we can't bring ourselves to look away.