At the peak of her career in the 2000s, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single soul who didn’t know the name Sandra Bullock.
The actress burst onto the scene in her first major role alongside Sylvester Stallone in the 1993 American science fiction action film Demolition Man. She portrayed Lenina Huxley, the primary love interest of Stallone’s character John Spartan. However, Demolition Man received mixed reviews and was only a moderate success at the box office.
Sylvester Stallone as John Spartan and Sandra Bullock as Lt. Lenina Huxley in the 1993 science fiction action film Demolition Man (Credit: Warner Bros.)
Sandra Bullock’s journey to becoming a household name really began the following year when she starred alongside Keanu Reeves in Speed (1994), which was a major box-office hit. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about its sequel, Speed 2: Cruise Control.
Since then, Bullock has enjoyed a very successful career, and some highlights include her being the highest-paid actress in the years 2010 and 2014.
Keanu Reeves as Jack Traven and Sandra Bullock as Annie Porter in the 1994 action film Speed (Credit: 20th Century Fox)
Sandra Bullock’s Decision to Step Back from Acting
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2022, Sandra Bullock announced that she was “stepping back” from acting, citing feelings of being “burnt out.” She chose to leave the spotlight to focus on her family, particularly to care for her children and her longtime partner, Bryan Randall, who was battling ALS.
Unfortunately, Bryan Randall passed away in August 2023, and since then, Bullock has spent time away from the public eye, grieving and supporting her children. When asked about returning from this self-imposed hiatus, Bullock responded, “I really don’t know.”
Despite this news, Bullock did appear in one film in 2022, the Brad Pitt-led action film Bullet Train. However, Bullock’s role as Maria Beetle was primarily vocal. She served as the handler for Brad Pitt’s character, mostly communicating over the phone. Her physical appearance in the film is limited to a single scene.
Sandra Bullock has lived many different lives by starring in a multitude of films enjoyed by millions of viewers worldwide before deciding to take a break from acting because of feelings of being “burnt out” (Credit: John Rainford / Cover Images / INSTARimages)
To celebrate Sandra Bullock’s status as a Hollywood superstar, we’ll be ranking some of her last films before her sudden and unexpected retirement by reviewing their scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
We love Sandra Bullock, and we hope that her retirement doesn’t last for too long!
5. The Unforgivable (2021): Sandra Bullock’s Powerful Performance Amid a Mixed Reception
It’s somewhat of a shame that Bullock’s strong performance gets wasted on a relatively weak story in The Unforgivable.
Based on an acclaimed 2009 British miniseries, Angelina Jolie was initially tapped to play the role of Ruth Slater, the character that Bullock would eventually star as.
Sandra Bullock as Ruth Slater in the 2021 drama film The Unforgivable (Credit: Netflix)
The Unforgivable centers around Ruth as she is released from a 20-year stint in prison following the murder of a sheriff sent to evict her and her younger sister. Upon being released, Ruth begins to search for her sister, and the story unfolds.
Directed by Nora Fingscheidt, this film was an international co-production between the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
When initially planning the production of the film, American director Christopher McQuarrie (of Top Gun: Maverick fame) was set to direct, but he was tied to other projects.
Sandra Bullock as Ruth Slater in the 2021 drama film The Unforgivable (Credit: Netflix)
The Unforgivable received a mixed critical reception, with critics praising Bullock’s performance but criticizing the overall thin plot. However, it seems to be a hit with audiences, judging by the disparity between the critics and the audience’s scores.
4. Bullet Train (2022): A Star-Studded, High-Octane Adventure With Bullock in a Pivotal Role
Sandra Bullock’s last film since announcing her retirement was Bullet Train. It’s an American comedy film based on an installment of a successful series of Japanese action novels.
Promotional art for the 2022 action-comedy film Bullet Train (Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)
Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an assassin hired to steal a briefcase on a Japanese bullet train. While the job seems like an easy one, things become complicated when Ladybug realizes the train is filled with other guns-for-hire, each with a mission of their own to complete.
In this movie, Bullock plays the role of Maria Beetle, Ladybug’s handler and boss. It’s mainly a vocal role, with Maria Beetle giving instructions and guidance to Ladybug throughout the film. Bullock herself only appears in one scene of the movie.
Brad Pitt as Ladybug and Sandra Bullock as Maria Beetle in the 2022 action-comedy film Bullet Train (Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)
Bullet Train received somewhat of a mixed reception due to its uneven tone and the fact that it “isn’t terribly fresh…” (as Eric Francisco of Inverse put it). However, this was another one that managed to win over more audience members than it did critics.
3. Bird Box (2018): Sandra Bullock’s Gripping Return to the Screen in a Post-Apocalyptic Thriller
Somewhat of a return to form for Sandra Bullock at this stage of her career, Bird Box was adapted from a successful 2014 science fiction novel of the same name.
Apparently, Bullock initially hesitated to appear in the film, citing a dislike of horror movies.
Sandra Bullock as Malorie Hayes in the 2018 post-apocalyptic horror thriller film Bird Box (Credit: Netflix)
The film is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where humanity experiences waves of mass suicides due to unexplained occurrences of humans seeing inexplicable entities.
Its story follows Malorie Hayes (Sandra Bullock) and two unnamed children as they journey through the apocalyptic world and try to survive the current predicament it is in, all while constantly wearing blindfolds.
Bird Box was released by Netflix and was a massive success for the streaming service. It was the most-watched film in the first 28 days of its release and was viewed in 89 million households worldwide.
Sandra Bullock as Malorie Hayes with Vivien Lyra Blair as Girl/Olympia and Julian Edwards as Boy/Tom (Credit: Netflix)
The film received mostly positive reviews, with many critics praising the performances of Bullock and her co-star, John Malkovich.
However, a handful of critics also derided the film for its “fictional world that’s thinly and lazily conceived,” according to New Yorker film critic Richard Brody.
2. Ocean’s 8 (2018): Leading a Stellar All-Female Ensemble in a Stylish Heist
The fourth installment of the wildly successful Ocean’s series, Ocean’s 8 follows a similar style of heist action that typified the original Steven Soderbergh trilogy, released from 2001 to 2007.
In this Gary Ross-directed installment, however, the film follows an all-female cast determined to steal a $150 million Cartier necklace during the Met Gala.
Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean in the heist comedy film Ocean’s 8 (Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Sandra Bullock plays the role of Debbie Ocean, the sister of George Clooney’s Danny Ocean from the original trilogy of films.
She’s surrounded by an ensemble cast of women, including Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Awkwafina, and Rihanna.
Although the film did receive positive reviews, the general consensus from film critics and audience members was that it failed to reach the heights established by the previous installments in the series.
However, many of the film’s stars blamed the mixed critical reception on the dominance of male film critics in the industry, with star Mindy Kaling scathingly saying in an interview with Yahoo Movies: “If I had to base my career on what white men wanted, I would be very unsuccessful…”
Promotional art for the heist comedy film Ocean’s 8 (Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences seemed to have similar lukewarm receptions to the film.
The original cast was so beloved and the first three movies were thoroughly enjoyed by many that the high expectations certainly didn’t help the series’s latest installment.
1. The Lost City (2022): Bullock’s Last Major Role, A Perfect Blend of Comedy and Adventure
The Lost City is the last major film that Sandra Bullock starred in before announcing her retirement, and she certainly went out with a bang. Along with starring in the lead role as Loretta Sage, a best-selling romance novelist, Bullock also acts as a producer for the film.
Joining her in the cast is Channing Tatum, who plays Alan Caprison, her hunky cover model. He finds himself wrapped up in an Indiana Jones-inspired adventure, when Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), a crazed billionaire, kidnaps the pair and forces them to seek out a lost city similar to the ones described in Loretta Sage’s books.
Brad Pitt as Jack Trainer, Sandra Bullock as Loretta Sage, and Channing Tatum as Alan Caprison in the 2022 action-adventure comedy film The Lost City (Credit: Paramount Pictures)
Brad Pitt also features as Jack Trainer, a human tracker, in a memorable cameo role.
The film drew comparisons to Romancing the Stone, a popular 1980s film with a similar premise. Written and directed by the Nee brothers, Sandra Bullock was reported initially to have passed on the film, feeling that the storyline was “outdated” because it was in production hell for seven years.
Sandra Bullock as Loretta Sage in the 2022 action-adventure comedy film The Lost City (Credit: Paramount Pictures)
However, once Elizabeth Raposo (former President of Production for Paramount Pictures) assured her that she would have the freedom to do what she wanted with the role, Bullock accepted.
The Lost City was quite successful with critics and general audiences, with most of them commending the performances of Sandra Bullock and Daniel Radcliffe.
Film critic Wenlei Ma declared that the film “is exactly the kind of throwback rom-com adventure that is elevated from fine to riotous thanks to the presence of Bullock.” Audiences seem to agree, with a strong score on Rotten Tomatoes from those who have watched the film.
Sandra Bullock may be stepping away from acting for an indefinite period of time, but she sure left us with a plethora of films to enjoy until she decides to return (Credit: Jeffrey Mayer / JTMPhotos / Media Punch / INSTARimages)
We hope Sandra Bullock will be able to return from retirement. Until then, we’ll eagerly await whatever project her name is attached to next!