She hadn't been on a screen in years. Not really. Sure, there was Marvel's Eternals in 2021, but that felt more like a guest appearance in a gold bodysuit than a return to form. Then, Pablo Larraín’s Maria happened. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and the room didn't just clap. They stood for eight minutes. Angelina Jolie cried. Honestly, I think the audience did too.
Most people see a biopic and think it’s just a history lesson with a famous face. They’re wrong. Maria is less about the "greatest opera singer of all time" and more about the ghost of a woman trying to find her voice before the lights go out for good.
Why Everyone is Obsessed with Maria Callas Right Now
If you haven't been keeping up, Maria follows the legendary Maria Callas during her final week in 1977 Paris. She was 53. She was lonely. Her voice, that once-in-a-generation instrument, was basically gone. Larraín—the guy who did Jackie and Spencer—doesn't do "normal" biopics. He does psychological fever dreams.
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Jolie didn't just show up and lip-sync. She trained for seven months to sing opera. Seven months. That's a lot of time to spend vibrating your vocal cords in a way they weren't designed for. The film uses a mix of the real Callas's recordings and Jolie’s actual voice. It’s haunting because you can hear the cracks. You can hear the struggle of a woman who defined herself by a talent that is currently betraying her.
The Netflix Factor and the 2025 Buzz
The movie hit select theaters in late 2024 and then dropped on Netflix in December. By now, in early 2026, it’s basically mandatory viewing for anyone who cares about the Oscars or just great acting. There's this one scene where she’s wandering through Paris, oversized glasses on, demanding to be recognized but also hating the attention. It’s a weird, meta moment. You’re watching one of the most famous women in the world play... one of the most famous women in the world.
The supporting cast is solid, but let's be real, they're just there to hold the mirror. Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher play her staff, and they’re great, but this is a one-woman show. It's a "lioness in winter" situation.
What’s Next for Angelina Jolie in 2026?
If you thought she was going back into hiding after the awards circuit, think again. 2026 is actually looking busier than her last five years combined.
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- Coutures (February 2026): This is the big one coming up next month. Directed by Alice Winocour, it’s set during Paris Fashion Week. Jolie plays a filmmaker named Maxine Walker. It’s supposed to be a "fashion drama," but knowing Winocour, it’ll probably be much grittier than a runway show.
- Sunny: She’s heading back to her action roots. She plays a gangster mother protecting her kids from a drug kingpin. It’s being described as a "tour de force" of violence and survival.
- Every Note Played: Another music-centric drama, this time with Christoph Waltz. It’s based on the Lisa Genova novel about ALS and a concert pianist. It sounds like a total tear-jerker.
The Truth About the Performance
Some critics said the movie was too "cold" or "bloodless." I get that. It’s not a cozy movie. It’s claustrophobic. It feels like you’re trapped in a very expensive, very beautiful apartment while a woman slowly fades away. But that’s the point. Callas’s life was an opera. Operas are loud, tragic, and usually end with someone dying in a gorgeous dress.
The movie doesn't try to explain her whole life. It doesn't give you a Wikipedia timeline. Instead, it gives you the Mandrax-fueled hallucinations of a diva. You see her affair with Aristotle Onassis (played by Haluk Bilginer) and her run-ins with JFK. It’s messy. It’s fragmented. It's kinda perfect for a woman who was constantly being pulled apart by the public and her own expectations.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re just sitting down to watch it on Netflix now, don't expect Tomb Raider.
- Watch the eyes. Jolie does a lot of work behind those massive glasses.
- Listen for the blend. Try to figure out when it’s the real Callas and when it’s Jolie. It’s hard to tell, which is a testament to the sound design.
- Notice the colors. The cinematography by Edward Lachman is insane. It looks like a painting from the 70s that hasn't quite dried yet.
Actionable Steps for the Jolie Fan
If you want to actually "get" why this performance matters, don't just stop at the movie.
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- Listen to the "Tosca" recording from 1953. It’s widely considered Callas's peak. Comparing that to the "cracked" voice in the movie makes the tragedy hit way harder.
- Check out "Maria by Callas" (2017). It’s a documentary told in her own words. It provides the factual backbone that Larraín’s film intentionally leaves out.
- Mark February 18th on your calendar. That’s when Coutures is slated to hit theaters. It’s the next chapter in what people are calling the "Jolie-ssance."
Angelina Jolie didn't just make a movie about an opera singer. She made a movie about the cost of being a legend. Whether you love opera or hate it, the "recent movie with Angelina Jolie" is less about the singing and more about the survival. It’s about what happens when the world stops clapping and you’re left alone with the silence.