These Are The 30 Greatest Performances of Meryl Streep’s Iconic Career

28. The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

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On paper, this film looks like a can’t-miss. But the film itself is hardly monumental. Corporations, not commies, are the sinister force behind Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme’s The Manchurian Candidate. Alongside Denzel Washington, Streep plays Sen. Eleanor Shaw — a stage mother from hell who pushes her son Raymond (Liev Schreiber) into the vice presidency. Eventually, a timely assassination will make him president. Raymond has a chip implanted in his skull which will allow Manchurian to control him. Though Streep is as evil as Angela Lansbury’s 1962 version, she’s just not as captivating here as she’s been in other villainous roles.