Top 5 Must-See Films Starring Dakota Johnson

Smooth Sailing (2022) is a beloved indie film from Sundance 2022. It's gentle, romantic, and truthful, leaving viewers emotionally stirred as they attempt to strip away something from reality, only to be brutally pushed back.

Smooth Sailing glides effortlessly There's no simple structure to it; the film moves forward and is guided by emotion, as if it's only a few minutes long and has to pause for a few minutes to assess and compare everything to the present. And this also corresponds to most of the characters' emotional arc in the film. They struggle with what they fantasize about, with what truly becomes reality by normal standards.

Smooth Sailing has no villains; the focus is on the emotions trapped, negative, and frightening that everyone experiences when they have to accept some things to grow up.

Both main characters, Andrew and Domino, in Smooth Sailing Everyone feels happier when they decide to help others, foregoing their own happiness, Domino (Dakota Johnson), who has abandoned herself, caring for her daughter and fearful, preparing for her second marriage. She satisfies viewers in how she portrays depth, life experience, and struggles with the character's life.

IMDb Rating: 7.4
Tomatometer Score: 85%
Audience Rating: 61%

Discovery by the Seaside (2021) is based on the novel of the same name by Italian author Elena Ferrante. The story revolves around middle-aged literature professor Leda (portrayed by Olivia Colman), living and working in Cambridge, near Boston (i.e., Harvard University). During summer break, she travels alone to the seaside in Greece in search of tranquility and meets Nina (played by Dakota Johnson), a young woman with her three-year-old daughter Elena. One day, amidst an argument with her husband, Nina loses track of her daughter. Leda helps her find Elena but secretly steals the girl's doll and hides it in her hotel room.

In the following days, Nina's family goes to great lengths to retrieve the toy, aiming to cheer up Elena. Meanwhile, Leda psychologically observes and uncovers many private secrets of the locals. The professor's vacation gradually becomes her ideological struggle, as she reflects on her decision to leave her husband and children to live freely on her own terms.

Dakota Johnson focuses on portraying Nina as a young woman overwhelmed by early motherhood. The character appears vibrant yet constantly exhausted and hopeless. Johnson also succeeds in depicting the tenderness, calmness towards her mischievous, rebellious young daughter, despite the character undergoing inner turmoil. The film includes numerous symbolic, allegorical details and dialogues, all purposefully inserted, appearing in crucial segments.

IMDb Rating: 6.7
Tomatometer Score: 94%
Audience Rating: 51%

The Lost Daughter (2021) is based on the novel of the same name by Italian author Elena Ferrante. The story revolves around middle-aged literature professor Leda (portrayed by Olivia Colman), living and working in Cambridge, near Boston (i.e., Harvard University). During summer break, she travels alone to the seaside in Greece in search of tranquility and meets Nina (played by Dakota Johnson), a young woman with her three-year-old daughter Elena. One day, amidst an argument with her husband, Nina loses track of her daughter. Leda helps her find Elena but secretly steals the girl's doll and hides it in her hotel room.

In the following days, Nina's family goes to great lengths to retrieve the toy, aiming to cheer up Elena. Meanwhile, Leda psychologically observes and uncovers many private secrets of the locals. The professor's vacation gradually becomes her ideological struggle, as she reflects on her decision to leave her husband and children to live freely on her own terms.

Dakota Johnson focuses on portraying Nina as a young woman overwhelmed by early motherhood. The character appears vibrant yet constantly exhausted and hopeless. Johnson also succeeds in depicting the tenderness, calmness towards her mischievous, rebellious young daughter, despite the character undergoing inner turmoil. The film includes numerous symbolic, allegorical details and dialogues, all purposefully inserted, appearing in crucial segments.

IMDb Rating: 6.7
Tomatometer Score: 94%
Audience Rating: 51%

Fans of horror movies surely recognize Suspiria (2018) by Dario Argento, hailed as a classic. This Italian masterpiece leaves a profound impact through its meticulously crafted setting, use of color, sound, architecture, and editing techniques that are both unique and hard to replicate.

The storyline revolves around Suzy, an American ballet student determined to study at the distant Tanz Dance Academy in Germany. Little did she know, the prestigious facade of this institution conceals dark and terrifying secrets...

The film's lead actress Dakota Johnson has revealed she underwent therapy after participating in the movie.

IMDb Rating: 6.7

Tomatometer Score: 65%

Audience Rating: 66%

Our Friend (2019) depicts a man enjoying a blissful life with his beautiful wife Nicole (Dakota Johnson) and two adorable princesses, Matthew Teague (Casey Affleck), suddenly silenced upon hearing the doctor's announcement that his lifelong love is now battling stage 4 cancer. Furthermore, as malignant cells begin to metastasize throughout her body, he urgently rushes Nicole to chemotherapy and spends most of his time at the hospital. Unable to watch his two closest friends collapse, Dane Faucheux (Jason Segel) decides to move in to lift Matthew's spirits. He also steps in to care for the children.

Despite the film's modest production budget, independent works still hold their own against blockbuster films thanks to their distinctive direction and deeply personal storytelling from the production team. Although Dakota Johnson is known to the public for the 'Fifty Shades' films, she has also been recognized as an actress adept at challenging roles in artistic cinema. And in this film, she once again delivers a stellar performance. Johnson's acting has been praised for effectively conveying the pain that a person must endure in such circumstances.

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Tomatometer Score: 85%
Audience Rating: 95%