In this column, we judge whether a pop culture subject is overrated or underrated.
Forget the obituaries for the “movie star.” As the icons of the ’90s and 2000s fade, a new generation—Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler—rises. But every era has its misunderstood talent. Today, that’s Dakota Johnson.
While peers thrive in praise, Johnson is dismissed—mocked for her acting, maligned as a “nepo baby,” and saddled with Razzie Awards for Fifty Shades of Grey and Madame Web. But she’s not a bad actor—she’s a great one with terrible luck in picking roles. Her career is stained by flops, but even in weak scripts, she shines through with charm, subtlety, and commitment.
Johnson’s real strength lies in nuance: a raised eyebrow, a knowing pause, a cracked smile that says more than dialogue. In Suspiria, she holds her own against Tilda Swinton; in The Lost Daughter, Olivia Colman. She’s funny and vulnerable in Am I Ok?, Cha Cha Real Smooth, and Materialists—her latest hit, where she carries the film with grace and gravity.
Her off-screen persona is equally captivating—deadpan, oddball, viral. From viral interviews to iconic clapbacks, she’s become a cultural fixture.
Dakota Johnson is a movie star. With fewer Madame Webs and more Materialists, it’s time her reputation caught up.