The bestNicole Kidmanmovies and TV shows feature decades' worth of great releases that showcase the Australian actress' talents. After getting her start in smaller Australian films in the ’80s, Kidman picked up her first major crossover role in the 1989 psychological thrillerDead Calmand this won her the attention of Hollywood, where her first big break came in the 1990 Tom Cruise action movieDays of Thunder. That led her on the path to becoming one of Hollywood’s top leading ladies.
Throughout her decades-long career,Nicole Kidman has won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Primetime Emmy Award, and several Golden Globes Awards. She was also the first Australian actor to ever earn the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2024. She has taken on roles in just about every genre imaginable, from comedies and biopics to action movies, superhero fare, and even musicals.Kidman has also worked with famed directors Stanley Kubrick, Tony Scott, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Robert Eggers.
Hollandis a 2025 movie that will be released as an Amazon Prime Video exclusive. In the film, Nicole Kidman plays Nancy Vandergroot, a teacher who believes that her husband, Fred (Matthew Macfadyen), is living a double life. However, when she investigates her suspicions, she realizes that the truth is much worse than she believed.The film then puts the viewers in Nancy’s mind, and as she begins to wonder if things are really bad or if it’s all in her imagination,Hollandkeeps the viewers off-track as well.
Hollandreceived mostly negative reviews and is certified rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. However, even the critics who hated the movie praised Kidman for her performance as the wife whose life is turned upside down. While bad reviews claim the story doesn’t have as much of an impact as the mystery might suggest, they also state that Kidman is the MVP of the film, giving her enough personality to verify the viewer won’t forget her.
Nicole Kidman appeared in the firstAquamanmovie toward the end but didn’t have much to do in that story.It was Kidman’s second role in DC Comics movies(following her role as Chase Meridian inBatman Forever), and she finally got a chance to work as an actual hero inAquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In this sequel, Black Manta is back for revenge after Aquaman let his dad die in the last movie, and he has a new power source that could allow him to destroy Atlantis and bring down Aquaman.
Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom Cast & DC Character Guide
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the final DCEU film ahead of the imminent DCU reboot, features a large cast of both new and returning characters.
After defeating him in the last movie, Aquaman has to seek help from his brother Orm. He also goes to his mother, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), for advice, and she proves to be a great ally in battle when the war comes to their front door. The secondAquamanmovie is a slight letdown from the first. However, many of the complaints were because the DCU had already announced they were rebooting everything after the film, so many fans didn’t think what happened here mattered.
In 2023, the current king of television, Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Tulsa King) created the spy thrillerLioness. The series stars Zoe Saldaña as Joe McNamara, a CIA senior case officer in charge of the Lioness program in the field.This program enlists women operatives (known as Lionesses) to go undercoverand battle the war on terror. In the series, she recruits a young Marine named Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira) to go undercover to stop a criminal drug lord.
Nicole Kidman has a smaller role, but her character is an extremely important part of the story. Kidman plays Kaitlyn Meade, a CIA supervisor, and Joe’s boss. Since she is Joe’s superior, she is not in the field with her people and instead delivers orders from the capital. However, she often has to make tough decisions that could result in a life-or-death situation for the people under her watch. The series received mixed reviews, although the second season had a much higher 89% fresh rating.
Bombshellis a biographical drama that retells the true-life story of how three women at Fox News exposed CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. The three women included Megyn Kelly (played by Charlize Theron), Gretchen Carlson (played by Nicole Kidman), and a composite character played by Margot Robbie. John Lithgow plays CEO Roger Ailes.Kidman’s Carlson was the co-anchor removed fromFox & Friendsafter receiving sexist comments by Ailes, and the woman who started the ball rolling.
Bombshellhas mixed critical reviews, sitting at 68% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics claimed that the film had a great cast and a good subject but never really went deep enough into the story to match up with similar #MeToo movies of the time likeShe Said(about the Harvey Weinstein investigation). However, it did receive awards attention, with Theron and Robbie picking up Oscar nominations and Kidman receiving an AACTA Awards nomination.
Nicole Kidman returned to the realm of erotic thrillers in 2024 withBabygirl. In the film, Kidman plays Romy Mathis, the CEO of a robotic process automation company in New York City. She is unfulfilled in her sex life with her husband (Antonio Banderas)and begins an affair with a much younger man(Harris Dickinson) who interns for her company. Kidman,who is almost 30 years older than Dickinson, is at her sexiest in the movie as she begins to spiral deeper into her adulterous affair.
Babygirl Cast & Character Guide: Who Stars Alongside Nicole Kidman In Erotic Thriller
Directed by Halina Reijn, Babygirl’s incredible cast of characters is led by Nicole Kidman, who plays high-powered CEO Romy in the erotic thriller.
Critics gave the movie positive reviews at 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews praised Kidman and Dickinson’s chemistry as well as the direction, with Halina Reijn keeping the camera in a provocative position during the affair rather than a more exploitative one. The film also landed on many critics' top 10 lists of the year. Kidman won awards at the Venice International Film Festival and the National Board of Review Awards and received a Golden Globes nomination.
Being the Ricardos
Cast
Being the Ricardos is an Amazon original movie starring Nicole Kidman as I Love Lucy star Lucille Ball. The film focuses on Ball’s relationship with Desi Arnaz, played by Javier Bardem, and is told from three different perspectives. Directed by Aaron Sorkin, Being the Ricardos was nominated for three Academy Awards and also won a Golden Globe for Kidman’s performance.
In 2021, Nicole Kidman took on a tough role because she played someone who is a recognizable figure to most audiences.Kidman played Lucille Ball inBeing the Ricardos, a film that details the love story between Lucy and Desi Arnaz. The two shared a combustible marriage while also starring as wife and husband on the hit sitcomI Love Lucy, easily the most beloved series of early television history. Javier Bardem played Dezi Arnaz intheBeing the Ricardoscast.
Being The Ricardos True Story: What The Movie Changed & Left Out
Here’s everything left out or changed about Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and I Love Lucy in Being the Ricardos, starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem.
Being the Ricardosended up only getting a limited theatrical release since director Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) made the biopic with Amazon, meaning its main launch was on Prime Video. Despite this, the movie received a lot of critical notice, with Kidman and Bardem both receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress, and even J.K. Simmons was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The film also earned five Golden Globe nominations, including one for Kidman.
The Northman
The Northman is a historical epic released in 2022 that follows Viking Prince Amleth on his quest for vengeance. After witnessing his father’s murder and his mother’s abduction by his uncle, Amleth dedicates his life to rescuing his mother and avenging these betrayals.
Robert Eggers remains one of the top up-and-coming directors in Hollywood today, thanks to his indie sensibilities. After he released his first movie,The Witch, in 2015, cinephiles were to see what was next. He hasn’t dropped the ball yet, releasingThe Lighthouse,The Northman, and the 2024 horror remakeNosferatu. ForThe Northman, Eggers told his epic historical film about the Viking people.Nicole Kidman signed on as Queen Gudrún, the mother of Amleth(Alexander Skarsgård).
The story follows Amleth, who was a young man when his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) pulled off a coup and beheaded King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke). Amleth then goes into hiding and plans his revenge to retake his father’s clan. Kidman’s role is very important as she was the one who planned the coup and had her husband murdered, and she has no love for her son, as he was born as a result of rape. In a rare villainous role, Kidman delivered an impressive performance in this universally acclaimed film.
The Beguiled
The Beguiled (2017) is a Southern Gothic drama directed by Sofia Coppola. Set during the American Civil War, the narrative unfolds in a Virginia girls' school where the arrival of a wounded Union soldier disrupts the equilibrium of the female inhabitants. The film stars Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Colin Farrell, intertwining themes of desire, jealousy, and betrayal in a confined setting.
In 2017, Nicole Kidman joined forces with director Sofia Coppola for the Southern Gothic thrillerThe Beguiled. The story takes place during the American Civil War at a boarding school where only the headmistress, five students, and one teacher remain. While the youngest student, Amy (Oona Laurence), is out in the woods, she finds an injured Union Army corporal named John (Colin Farrell) and brings him back to the school.Nicole Kidman plays the role of Miss Farnsworth, the headmistress.
Farrell was the only major male character in the cast, which also included Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning. WhileThe Beguiledonly received a limited release, critics mostly praised the film, with Coppola’s restrained direction that allowed the cast to shine. Coppola won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival, with the cast taking home the Best Ensemble Performance at the International Online Cinema Awards.
The Others
Alejandro Amenábar wrote and directed this cult-classic 2001 Horror film starring Nicole Kidman and Fionnula Flanagan. The premise follows a mother and her two young photosensitive children as they attempt to deal with a mysterious and possibly sinister presence in their New Jersey home.
In 2001, Nicole Kidman worked with director Alejandro Amenábar on the gothic horror movieThe Others. The film takes place in 1945, withGrace Stewart living in a remote country house on the island of Jersey. She lives there with her two young children, Anne and Nicholas, and struggles to keep them healthy as they have light sensitivity issues. After Grace hires three new employees as her housekeeper, gardener, and maid, she soon comes to believe that her home might be haunted by spirits and fights to keep her kids safe.
The Others Ending, Explained
The Others is a haunting and memorable horror movie about the Stewart family, and its ending includes a twist that answers many questions.
The Othershas a twist that has been spoofed and referenced in many haunted house movies since this was released, but it was done masterfully here. Kidman is perfect as the mother who slowly realizes the truth about her life and home and has to come to grips with what she did and what the future holds. Kidman earned a Saturn Award for her performance with nominations at the BAFTA Awards, Goya Awards, and Satellite Awards.
Rabbit Hole
Rabbit Hole, released in 2010, stars Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as a couple grappling with the aftermath of their young son’s tragic accident. The film explores themes of grief, family dynamics, and healing as they navigate their altered lives and relationships.
In 2010, Nicole Kidman took on a role in the drama movieRabbit Hole. Directed by Hohn Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) and based on the stage play by David Lindsay-Abaire, the movie is one of Kidman’s deepest. She playsBecca, who, along with her husband Howie (Aaron Eckhart), ismourning the death of their four-year-old child. Joining them in the cast was an all-star group of actors, including Dianne Wiest, Giancarlo Esposito, and Miles Teller in his film debut.
Rabbit Holereceived critical acclaim after its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. Kidman was especially credited for her performance in the movie as a grieving mother. The role earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She also earned nominations at the Golden Globes, Independent Spirit, Satellite, and SAG Awards.
