Angelina Jolie’s performance in Maria eases her return to the award nomination lineup, demonstrating the actress never lost her hypnotizing craft despite her participation in less demanding movies. Coming back to bring opera singer, Maria Callas, to the screen, Jolie delivers a portrayal as exquisite as the artist’s immortal voice recordings, making her a leading contender for the best actress category of the Oscars 2025. Having recently played charismatic characters in Eternals, Maleficent, and the Kung Fu Panda franchise, some viewers might have forgotten Jolie’s outstanding past performances, but Maria is far from being her first Oscar-worthy execution.

The actress is no stranger to great biopic movies, as her characterization of Mariane Pearl in A Mighty Heart garnered her a Critics Choice Award nomination. Additionally, she knows the role of a tortured celebrity all too well, having won a Golden Globe for her embodiment of real-life supermodel, Gia Carangi.