The year of Anne Hathaway is upon us.

The genial A-lister stars in no fewer than five movies in 2026, including the rip-roaring dino thriller “The End of Oak Street” (in theaters Aug. 14), bringing startling pathos to a fiercely creative, rifle-toting matriarch who’s just trying to save her children and her marriage.

Hathaway, 43, is underrated when it comes to her chameleonic ability to slip in and out of genres: delivering a heart-tugging monologue in heady space epic “Interstellar,” just as handily as she plays a smoldering, sapphic bombshell in “Eileen.”

As impossible a task as it may seem, we did our very best to rank the greatest of Hathaway’s performances:

12. ‘Ella Enchanted’ (2004)

A recent rewatch of “Ella Enchanted” proved that it’s not quite as, well, enchanting as we remember as kids. But the quirky Cinderella riff is still top-tier Hathaway, showcasing her knack for physical comedy as a young woman who quite literally must do everything she’s told. If nothing else, the movie also gifted us her unbelievable cover of Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” performed to a room of ‒ who else? ‒ wonderstruck giants.

11. ‘Les Misérables’ (2012)

Listen, we have a lot of hot takes about the “Les Mis” movie. (Amanda Seyfried is actually the film’s MVP, and Russell Crowe genuinely gives a better leading man performance than Hugh Jackman.) But we can all universally agree that Hathaway’s Oscar-winning take on dying mother Fantine is stunning, and her soul-baring “I Dreamed a Dream” is the only time that director Tom Hooper’s claustrophobic close-ups are justified.

10. ‘Mother Mary’ (2026)

Hathaway is a proud theater kid and sneaky triple threat, and in David Lowery’s “Mother Mary,” she gets to showcase her vocal and dancing abilities as a troubled pop star, whose music marries Taylor Swift-style hooks with the Gothic theatricality of FKA twigs. But more impressive is what Hathaway accomplishes off stage, as her dejected Mary hashes out her differences with long-estranged designer friend Sam (Michaela Coel). Hathaway achingly captures the deep longing and remorse of a melancholic megastar, and the actress bravely holds nothing back when the movie takes a sharp turn for the supernatural.

9. ‘Serenity’ (2019)

Hathaway is often the best part of mediocre movies (see: her inspired turn as a self-absorbed actress in “Ocean’s 8”). But “Serenity” is perhaps the finest example of how she can elevate laughably bad material, playing a bleach-fried Southern belle who seeks out her ex-husband (Matthew McConaughey) to kill her abusive new husband (Jason Clarke). Hathaway makes a meal of every moment, dialing her performance up to an 11 as the pulpy, erotic thriller goes deliriously off the rails. 

8. ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)

Hathaway won her hard-fought Oscar for “Les Mis,” but we genuinely believe this was her more awards-worthy performance that year. No actress this century has been able to match Hathaway’s slinky, shifty take on small-time thief Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman. As adept at throwing punches as she is at cracking one-liners, Hathaway masterfully switches between personas on a dime. (Her mere delivery of the word “oops” is still better than anything in a Marvel or DC movie since.) 

7. ‘Armageddon Time’ (2022)

Don’t let the treacly trailer fool you: “Armageddon Time” is as intelligent as it is challenging, with a sneakily powerful performance from Hathaway that avoids easy judgment. Playing the matter-of-fact Esther Graff, Hathaway warmly conveys tough love as she pushes her young son (Banks Repeta) to dream bigger and succeed better than his parents. But she also stands by as racism and violent outbursts threaten to sever their close-knit family, and Hathaway hauntingly portrays Esther’s complicity. 

6. ‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2005)

A year after “The Princess Diaries 2,” Hathaway proved her dramatic acting bona fides in Ang Lee’s gay cowboy romance, playing the wife of Jake Gyllenhaal’s starry-eyed sheepherder. Hathaway makes the most of her limited screen time as Lureen, whose simmering denial about her husband’s sexuality always threatens to boil over. Her tearful, climactic phone call with Heath Ledger’s character is absolutely devastating. 

5. ‘The Odyssey’ (2026)

Penelope could easily be a passive, one-note character waiting for her husband, Odysseus (Matt Damon), to make his long journey home. But Hathaway imbues the Homeric queen with so much love, resentment and anguish that you can feel her presence even in the long stretches that she’s not on screen. It’s a wisely understated performance, making it that much more potent when Penelope finally spews her venom over being underestimated by men.

4. ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ (2006) and ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (2026)

Yes, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt are the obvious scene-stealers of this flawless fashion franchise, about an aspiring journalist named Andy Sachs (Hathaway) who lands a sought-after magazine job under ice queen editor Miranda Priestly (Streep). But Hathaway is the glue that holds both movies together, expertly charting Andy’s journey from reluctant assistant to ruthless ladder climber to crusading editor. And her emotional one-on-ones with Streep are among the films’ very best, as Miranda fleetingly lets her guard down and Andy discovers a kindred spirit. 

3. ‘Rachel Getting Married’ (2008)

The Jonathan Demme drama is about one screaming match away from careening into tragedy porn, as a recovering addict named Kym (Hathaway) gets a temporary leave from rehab to attend the wedding of her older sister (Rosemarie DeWitt). But what ultimately saves the film is Hathaway’s remarkable restraint in conveying Kym’s deep pain and remorse over an unimaginable family tragedy. It’s a fiery yet fragile performance that netted Hathaway her well-deserved first Oscar nomination for best actress. 

2. ‘The Princess Diaries’ (2001)

“Princess Diaries” is responsible for introducing the world to Hathaway, and 25 years later, the Disney comedy remains as endlessly watchable and quotable as ever. That’s thanks in large part to Hathaway’s winning turn as Mia Thermopolis, a gawky teenager who discovers that her estranged grandmother (Julie Andrews) is actually the queen of a small country. Hathaway hilariously portrays the growing pains of trying to learn royal etiquette while navigating dreamy boys and high-school bullies. But she also beautifully captures Mia’s transformation from frustrated girl to mature young woman, as Mia gracefully accepts her duty as a future princess. 

1. ‘The Intern’ (2015)

“The Intern” is not only a sorely underrated gem in Nancy Meyers’ stellar filmography, but it’s also a wonderful encapsulation of everything Hathaway does best. The cozy comedy follows a widower named Ben (Robert De Niro) who lands a position at a booming fashion startup as part of their senior internship program. Hathaway plays Jules, the company’s eager-to-please founder who knows she’s in over her head, but fears being seen as weak in the rarified space of female CEOs.

Hathaway is achingly vulnerable and captivating, as Jules and Ben gradually find comfort in each others’ friendship. But the film also works on a brilliantly meta level, coming on the heels of the “Hathahate” that followed the actress’ exceedingly earnest Oscar campaign for “Les Mis.”  

Jules is frequently perceived as being too ambitious and overbearing by those around her – criticisms that have similarly been lobbed at Hathaway. It’s the perfect marriage of an actress and character, and a gentle reminder of just how extraordinary she can be.