Johnny Depp has had a very interesting career throughout the last few decades. He started as a heartthrob on television before rejecting that image and seeking out smaller, more unusual projects. He found superstardom with Pirates of the Caribbean and became one of the biggest stars in the world. However, the last decade has not been as successful for Depp.
The 2010s saw Depp’s star fading with some suggesting his roles all felt the same. The quality of his projects declined though there were a few memorable films to be found. Though they are not the best reviews of Depp’s career, some of these films were able to find some critical love. Here are Johnny Depp’s best films of the decade, according to Metacritic.
Tusk (55/100)
Kevin Smith has certainly embraced his weirder side in recent years, producing some very odd work. Tusk is possibly his strangest project to date as it focuses on a podcaster who is kidnapped by a madman and turned into a human walrus. Depp plays a French-Canadian detective who helps search for the missing man and unravels the odd mystery.
The grotesque story was clearly not for everyone and Depp’s performance (which either made or broke the movie for some) was sighted as particularly cartoonish. However, a fun performance from Michael Parks and some interesting dark humor won some people over.
Dark Shadows (56/100)
Obviously, the most significant collaborator in Depp’s career has been director Tim Burton. The two men rose to fame together, making several high-profile movies together. To date, Dark Shadows marks their last film together. In this revival of an old TV show from the 60s, Depp plays an imprisoned vampire who is set free in the 70s by his descendants.
Critics acknowledged that this was far from the best of Depp and Burton’s collaboration. The odd mix of tones didn’t sit well with all of them, but the visuals, costumes, and look of the film did entertain some viewers.
The Rum Diary (56/100)
Depp famously helped bring the work of Hunter S. Thompson to the big screen in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Though that was one of Depp’s more iconic films, his other Thompson project was not as well-received.
The Rum Diary was based on Thompson’s novel about a journalist (Depp) who takes a job at a newspaper in Puerto Rico in the 60s. The movie was criticized for failing to reign in the rambling nature of the source material, but Depp received some praise for his colorful performance which won over some critics.
Lucky Them (65/100)
Despite his high-profile status in Hollywood, Depp occasionally pops up in smaller roles. Lucky Them is one of his smallest part in a relatively small film. The comedy-drama stars Toni Collette as a struggling journalist who is tasked with tracking down her missing rock star ex for a story. Depp plays the mystery man.
Toni Collette received much of the praise for this film. Its intriguing story offered some fine moments as well as some melodrama, but Collette’s powerful performance keeps things interesting.
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (66/100)
Though Depp doesn’t pop up in many franchises these days, he was invited to join the Harry Potter universe in this prequel series. Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is set long before Harry and his friends arrive at Hogwarts and explores the adventures of a young wizard attempting to keep the secrets of his magic community from getting out.
The prequel did not capture the same magic as the best of the previous Harry Potterfilms, however, most of the critics who reviewed it found it to be a welcome return to the beloved wizarding world.
Black Mass (68/100)
Depp has played real-life characters in the past, but perhaps none as evil as Whitey Bulger in Black Mass. Bulger was an Irish mobster working in Boston in the 1970s who worked as an FBI informant while killing, stealing and bribing his way to the top of the underworld.
Depp’s performance earned much of the praise and critics called it one of his best roles in years. The fact-based story was also compelling for many critics even if it did feel familiar to other better mob movies.
Into The Woods (69/100)
Depp’s singing voice has been on display in a number of movies, including a couple of adaptions of Broadway musicals. Into the Woods is the star-studded adaptation of the popular musical which plays with the well-known fairy tale stories. Depp plays the film’s villain, the Big Bad Wolf.
Critics were not blown away by the big-screen version though they pointed to some memorable songs and wonderful performances as enough to recommend it. However, the darker aspects of the film seemed out of place.
21 Jump Street (69/100)
The idea of remaking the cheesy and dated 80s cop series, 21 Jump Street seemed like a pretty bad idea for many people. Luckily, they embraced the ridiculousness of the story and made a wild comedy starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as cops who go undercover as high school students. Depp reprises his role from the original series in a hilarious and shocking cameo.
The movie was called a hilarious action-comedy which cleverly lampooned the buddy cop genre. Critics also enjoyed the clever commentary on the new era of high school kids and how culture has changed since the 80s.
Funny Or Die Presents: Donald Trump’s The Art Of The Deal: The Movie (75/100)
This might be the strangest project Depp has done in recent years (which is saying something) but it is also clearly one of the most well-received. Along with Funny or Die, Depp made a secret movie in which he starred as Donald Trump in the making of a movie based on his book, The Art of the Deal.
Though the movie was purposely a cheap and messy project, critics thought it was an effectively funny satire. Depp himself received most of the accolades for his surprisingly dead-on performance as Trump.
Rango (75/100)
Depp partnered with his Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski for this strange and wild animated Western. Depp stars as Rango, an anxious chameleon who stumbles onto an outlaw town and accidentally becomes the hero to the eccentric townspeople.
Critics praised the film as a creative and often surreal adventure, not like the usual kid movies. The animation was also pointed at as a highlight of the film while Depp’s voice performance made for an entertaining and unique character to root for.
