The 7 best Jennifer Lawrence movies

Screen OD staff

Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most sought after names in Hollywood acting, having not only performed in huge franchise hits like The Hunger Games and X-Men, but won an Oscar and many other awards for her brilliant dramatic performances in some seriously good films.

But what is the best movie that Jennifer Lawrence has been in? Well, that’s what we aim to find out as we count down seven of the best movies from one of the youngest people ever to win an Academy Award for Best Actress.

As is customary here at Screen OD, we want to offer you the chance to either watch the video version of the countdown (below) or read it. You know what, you’re welcome to do both if you really want!

So, without further ado, let us begin our journey down cinematic memory lane as we decide what the best Jennifer Lawrence movie really is…

7. Red Sparrow

In this 2018 spy movie, Lawrence plays Dominika Egorova, a Russian ballerina whose career is ended by an injury and quickly finds herself drawn into working for the Russian governments secret military services. She attends Sparrow School and becomes one of the most formidable agents. But the plot thickens even further when she is approached by a CIA agent who wants her to believe she can trust no one else. An action packed and thrilling adventure with a great versatile performance in the lead role from Lawrence.

6. Passengers

Everyone loves a sci-fi romance story, right? Oh, well, if the answer is not you probably should skip to the next entry as Passengers certainly has both elements. An intriguing story, the movie sees Chris Pratt on board a transporter spaceship filled with thousands of people frozen in time, due to be awoken after 90 years. However, an asteroid collision has woken him 90 years too early, and after running out of things to keep himself sane, he chooses to awaken another passenger, Lawrence’s Aurora Lane. An intriguing tale of ethics and relationships plays out in this excellent movie.

5. X Men- Days of Future Past

There are some movie fans who don’t take superhero films particularly seriously, but the times as they say are a changing, and Jennifer Lawrence’s central part in this complex and well executed part has quite rightfully won her a lot of praise. Her portrayal of Raven / Mystique in the movie is a highlight of the movie which sees her play opposite a very strong cast including Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Halle Berry and Elliot Page to name but a few.

4. The Hunger Games

The first instalment of the movie series that would go on to make an international superstar of Jennifer Lawrence, this dystopian film released in 2012 is based on Suzanne Collin’s novel of the same name. Set in a post-apocalyptic future in the fictional nation of Panem, the often grim story is based around the female and male competitors forced to compete in an elaborate televised fight to the death called The Hunger Games. When Katniss Everdeen’s (Lawrence) younger sister is called to take part in the deadly contest, Katniss takes her place. The birth of an epic and well-loved film series, this is a hugely impressive performance from a young Lawrence.

3. Winter’s Bone

A 2010 coming of age story starring Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly, a poverty stricken young woman in the Ozarks in Missouri who is on a mission to locate her missing father and save her family from being evicted. Based on a novel from 2006 of the same name by Daniel Woodrell, this is a powerful story that sees Lawrence rise to the challenge of a complex character trying to survive in a murky world of drugs, double-dealing and family politics. Her performance won Lawrence a nomination for Best Actress at the Oscars, the second youngest person to receive a nod at that time.

2. American Hustle

Lawrence won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for her performance in David O. Russell’s 2013 black comedy which tells the tale of the late 1970s and early 1980s FBI operation known as Abscam which saw members of Congress investigated on corruption and bribery charges. The film features a very impressive ensemble cast led by Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner and sees Lawrence excel in the role of Rosalyn Rosenfeld, the unpredictable wife of Christian Bale’s Irving Rosenfeld. A classy performance in a very good film.

1. Silver Linings Playbook

Another David O. Russell movie with another exceptional cast, Silver Linings Playbook is based on Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel and stars  Bradley Cooper opposite Lawrence with Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker and Julia Stiles also in the film. It tells the story of a man (played by Cooper) who has bipolar and is released from a psychiatric institution to live with his parents. He meets a young widow (played by Lawrence) and she begins to help him get his life back on track. The beautiful and complicated relationship develops as they train for a dance competition and get to know one another further. The performance won Lawrence an Oscar, making her the second youngest Best Actress in the history of the Awards.