From 'Don't Look Up' to 'Red Sparrow': Best Jennifer Lawrence Performances, Ranked
From a young widow to a Russian spy, Lawrence's filmography is packed with strong performances and memorable characters
Few actresses have as impressive a filmography in as small a window of time as Jennifer Lawrence. The Oscar-winner began her career with a string of guest appearances on television series such as Monk, Cold Case, and Medium before going on to have a featured recurring role on The Bill Engvall Show. She quickly made the jump to the big screen with parts in indie dramas like The Poker House and The Burning Plain, but it wasn't until she gained critical acclaim with her honest, raw, and emotionally gutting performance as the tenacious, poverty-stricken Ree Dolly in 2010's Winter's Bone that the film world begin to take notice of her considerable acting chops.
Lawrence's career began to skyrocket soon after when she was cast as Katniss Everdeen, the fiery and determined protagonist of The Hunger Games series, in 2011. Her emotionally sincere and full commitment as Katniss caused her to be more well-known than ever, leading to her becoming the once highest-paid actress in the world in addition to working with critically lauded and Oscar-nominated directors like David O. Russell, Darren Aronofsky, and Adam McKay.
Throughout her impressive filmography, Lawrence has accepted numerous interesting roles in horror films, period pieces, spy thrillers, and beyond. No matter the genre, she continues to turn in great performances that cement her as an actress who is unafraid to make bold choices and take on new challenges. From poignant character studies in indie dramas to flashy roles in big budget blockbusters, here are seven of Jennifer Lawrence's best film performances, ranked.
7. Elissa Cassidy in House at the End of the Street (2012)
House at the End of the Street seems to have slipped through the cracks of Jennifer Lawrence's filmography since its release in 2012. While the film did fairly well at the box office, it wasn't given much love by critics. It's a shame because it's the kind of incredibly taut psychological thriller that we just don't get anymore. It's also a lot of fun.
As the teenaged Elissa who uncovers the truth behind the murders that took place in her neighborhood, Lawrence shines. She's completely committed to the role and elevates the material. In addition to portraying a believable dynamic with her on-screen mother played by Elisabeth Shue, she also does a bang-up job convincingly showing Elissa's growing uncertainty and horror that comes from her dark discoveries throughout the film. Her role becomes quite physical in its latter half, with Lawrence being both credible and compelling as a fighter rather than choosing to play the role as a helpless damsel in distress. With a lesser actress, the role could've easily been reduced to a corny horror movie cliché.
6. Kate Dibiasky in Don't Look Up (2021)
Kate DiBiasky isn't one of Lawrence's more flashy roles, but it's one that she imbues with her trademark honesty and vibrancy. Her character's dialogue is well written and Lawrence is able to bring it to vivid life on the screen as she successfully communicates Kate's fears, mounting frustrations, and unchecked rage when society, along with members of the government and media, choose to downplay her horrifying discovery that a planet-destroying comet is heading toward Earth.
Despite her role as an intellectual professional, Lawrence makes Kate feel incredibly human and down-to-earth through her passion, perseverance, and relatable exasperation with those that disregard scientific fact. As she goes from terror and determination to defeat and a kind of blissful resignation, it's Kate's arc and Lawrence's performance that gives the film a much-needed burst of humanity.
5. Dominika Egorova in Red Sparrow (2018)
Red Sparrow is a solid spy thriller but Lawrence's performance as ballerina-turned-Russian-spy is what makes the film extra special. She brings the meek-turned-fierce Dominika to life with her trademark ability to expertly slip into the mind and body of her characters. Jennifer manages to exude Dominika's humbleness, uncertainty, and anxieties, not to mention her initial horror after being sent to State School 4 — a special school for young Russian operatives "Sparrows" who are trained to seduce their targets in order to get the information they seek.
It's within this setting that Lawrence's performance really shines. She brings depth and emotional honesty to the choices that Dominika faces, making each scene (and Dominika's character as a whole) feel incredibly sincere as she grows from an innocent ballerina into a clever and capable Russian operative.
4. Rosalyn Rosenfeld in American Hustle (2013)
With Rosalyn Rosenfeld, Lawrence continues her streak of successfully portraying strong women with big personalities. Perhaps none are bigger than that of Rosalyn, the bold and manipulative wife of con artist Irving Rosenfeld played by Christian Bale. But rather than playing Rosalyn as a plain 70s-era housewife, Lawrence transforms her into a fully realized character who is allowed to have real emotions, desires, and dreams.
She's also given some of the film's best and funniest lines and her delivery and comedic timing is pitch-perfect. A scene of her lip-synching to The Beatles' "Live and Let Die" while rage cleaning her living room is one of the film's stand-outs. American Hustle is packed with larger-than-life characters but Lawrence's dialed-to-11 portrayal of Rosalyn's manic episodes, unpredictability, and fearlessness in going toe-to-toe with the powerful men in her life make her one of the most transfixing. Lawrence's peers seemed to agree, with Lawrence earning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for the role.
3. Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games series
The character of Katniss Everdeen is a compelling one within the pages of Suzanne Collins' bestselling The Hunger Games series, and Lawrence brings her to full, three-dimensional life in the film adapations. She pours every ounce of herself into the role so that it transcends a mere Young Adult character, becoming one that is as emotive and developed as the adult characters surrounding her. It's also a joy to watch her deepen Katniss over the course of the series' four films. The recurring role allows Lawrence to show her full range as she infuses the character with a well of emotional authenticity.
Whether in her fierce protectiveness and determination in The Hunger Games, her simmering rage in Catching Fire, or her grit and depression in both Mockingjay installments, Katniss sizzles on the screen thanks to Lawrence's commitment to making the details of Katniss' relationships, decisions, and actions ring true. It also helps that Lawrence has an incredibly expressive face (and arguably one of the greatest and most gutting screams of all time), making each of Katniss' successes and loses that much more emotionally affecting.
2. Ree Dolly in Winter's Bone (2010)
The role that made the film industry take notice of Jennifer Lawrence's considerable acting chops is also one of her best. As the poor 17-year-old Ree Dolly struggling to survive in the rural Ozarks, Lawrence takes a character with incredibly bleak and unfortunate circumstances and imbues her with a bright humanity. Ree's status as a courageous and determined teenager saddled with adult responsibilities is both genuine and deeply affecting, and it's a testament to Lawrence's honest, wiser-than-her-years performance that the character feels so three-dimensional.
In the hands of a lesser actress, the unimaginable horrors that Ree faces might not hit home as hard. But because Lawrence sinks so deeply into Ree and gives so much of herself to the role, Ree's circumstances, reactions, and emotional catharsis ring completely true. Her impressive performance led to critical acclaim as well as Lawrence receiving her first of 3 Oscar nominations for Best Actress, the second-youngest nominee in the category at the time.
1. Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook is another example of a good film that's hugely elevated by Lawrence's performance. Tiffany Maxwell is a grieving young widow who is secretly pining for the attention of her brother-in-law's best friend, Pat played by Bradley Cooper. Lawrence plays Tiffany with an assuredness and intensity that is beyond her years (Lawrence was 21 at the time of filming) that makes the character sizzle. She infuses Tiffany with both ferocity and longing, anger and despair. It's an emotional, demanding role but she proves that she is more than up to the challenge.
Whether in intense moments where she and Pat argue, touching scenes where she bonds with Pat over their mental illnesses, or their joyous dance scenes, Lawrence shines and solidifies Tiffany Maxwell as her best (and Best Actress-winning) performance thus far.
