One of the most staggering career ascents in Hollywood history is how Jennifer Lawrence rose to superstardom. She has shown continuous prominence over the years, appearing in many high-profile movies of various genres. TechTrends, therefore, made a list of the best Jennifer Lawrence movies of all time.
Jennifer Lawrence is among the most talented and most famous actresses of her time. She has been performing professionally since 2006 and her starring role in The Hunger Games franchise has become a turning point for her. Throughout the years, she has appeared in a large number of films with different genres, like superhero stories, thrillers, dramas, and comedies. Her most recent movie, for which she got her fifth Golden Globe nod, was Don’t Look Up. Since she has a wide acting range, she is able to take on challenging roles despite being 31 years old. With her incredible talent, physical prowess, and knack for jokes and humor, Lawrence instantly became a hit with most people.
Her career has seen significant highs, and she won an Academy Award for her amazing performance in the movie Silver Linings Playbook. For a long period of time in the 2010s, she was one of the biggest names in Hollywood. TechTrends decided to make a list of the best Jennifer Lawrence movies of all time.
Best Jennifer Lawrence Movies of All Time
Having made a name for herself in Hollywood, Jennifer Lawrence’s career continues to see incredible highs once again after taking a two-year hiatus from acting. She has most recently performed in the movie Don’t Look Up, getting back on track. Since a renaissance is around the corner for her career, TechTrends made a list of the best must see Jennifer Lawrence performances. Let’s dive into the list, which is in reverse chronological order.
Don’t Look Up 2021
- Genre: Comedy/Disaster
- Director: Adam McKay
- Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothee Chalamet, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Chris Evans, Jonah Hill, Ariana Grande
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 49%, IMDb 7.2
The most recent and one of the best Jennifer Lawrence movies of all time is Don’t Look Up, with many incredible casts also involved in the movie. This movie has a star-studded cast and it is based on a real story. The director has shown a lot of ambition in his ensemble satire, with amazing performances across the board and many big laughs. When a dark comedy is handled well, it can have so much potential. Lawrence performs brilliantly and sympathetically as a pariah no one believes. However, the role is somewhat muted for an actor that has so much unlimited potential. The movie had the chance to be one for the ages with such a stellar cast.
The story is about Lawrence and DiCaprio doing their best to alert the world that there is a comet coming to the Earth. However, no one believes them and doesn’t care about the clock ticking down. Lawrence’s performance is emotionally charged and intelligent. She made a memorable duo alongside co-star DiCaprio.
Read more: Best Johnny Depp Movies of All Time
Red Sparrow 2018
- Genre: Thriller
- Director: Francis Lawrence
- Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 45%, IMDb 6.6
In the movie Red Sparrow, Jennifer Lawrence took a page out of Scarlett Johansson’s playbook and tried to be a Russian spy. The actor re-teams with the director of Hunger Games, Francis Lawrence, and plays the role of Dominika Egorova. She is a renowned ballerina who teams up with a secret Russian intelligence organization when she sustained a career-ending injury. She learns the art of sexual manipulation as a Sparrow, utilizing her body as something she can rely on for spying.
Although the money’s box office was not a bomb, this was one of Jennifer Lawrence’s greatest movie roles. However, many Rotten Tomatoes critics insisted that this was a rare misstep for the actor and she could have done better. Others, on the other hand, believe Lawrence was given a chance to test something different. “I’ve never done a foreign accent before,” she admitted when talking with ET. Moreover, despite being undeniably flawed, in many parts, it is quite entertaining.
Mother 2017
- Genre: Horror/Thriller
- Director: Darren Aronofsky
- Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Harris, Domhnall Gleeson, Kristen Wiig, Emily Hampshire
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 68%, IMDb 6.6
Another one of the best Jennifer Lawrence movies of all time is Mother. Although the audience might have given the movie a negative response, the critics had a fairly strong response. The movie tells the story of a bizarre and nerve-shredding psychological thriller that depicts the dysfunctional life of a married couple. Lawrence walks around in a big farmhouse in Darren Aronofsky’s movie, which is a metaphor for Mother Earth and the Book of Genesis. The movie has killed it at the box office, becoming the most divisive movie of the year. The movie Mother was called a masterpiece by some critics while others had a different opinion.
Aside from it being incredibly fascinating with the metaphors and how Javier Bardem is metaphorically the God, many believed it was disturbing to watch. It is a reckoning of layered religious allegories put into this horror and abstract film. Lawrence’s name is not mentioned in the movie, and she is referred to as ‘mother’. In the movie, she is renovating the farmhouse with her husband. Then, an unknown couple comes to their house, giving a sense of dark energies entering the house.
Aronofsky is indeed capable of escalating set-pieces better than anyone else in the industry. Moreover, the stagey, ostensibly one-take, POV-style choice draws the audience attention.
Read more: Best Angelina Jolie Movies of All Time
Passengers 2016
- Genre: Sci-fi/Romance
- Director: Morten Tyldum
- Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Spaihts, Andy Garcia
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 30%, IMDb 7
Jennifer Lawrence has done many fantasy and sci-fi movies, and in the movie Passengers, she teams up with another amazing and iconic actor, Chris Pratt. The story revolves around the two, who wake up early from their stasis and find out they will die before reaching the destination the ship has. As time goes by, they are drawn to each other, notwithstanding the challenges they encounter.
The movie had only a few characters; therefore, both actors had the chance to shine and they did. Aurora’s character in the movie Passengers is more of a sympathetic one as she sees herself in an unwelcome situation due to Jim’s actions. Lawrence is able to capture both her intelligence and despair with her amazing acting. This is one of the best Jennifer Lawrence movies of all time.
Joy 2015
- Genre: Drama/Comedy
- Director: David O. Russell
- Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Isabella Rossellini, Edgar Ramírez
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 60%, IMDb 6.6
Following two awards-showered movies she did with director David O. Russell, Jennifer Lawrence paired again with the esteemed director and took front and center in the movie Joy. Lawrence is able to bring humor to the character since she can literally make pretty much anything work. However, the writing is not remarkable, and the pace is also not impressive. However, Lawrence was able to get her fourth Oscar nod for her pragmatic performance in the movie Joy. She became the youngest actor to get four Oscar nominations in history. Joy is one of the best Jennifer Lawrence movies of all time.
One unfortunate yet funny fact about shooting this movie, according to Lawrence, was her stomach virus while on set. She had to puke a lot when shooting a romantic scene. “The poor guy, I had to make out with somebody. I’d start puking, and then I’d do mouthwash and be like, ‘Are you ready?'” That was taking one for the team, indeed.
Read more: Best Tom Cruise Movies of All Time
The Hunger Games Series 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
- Genre: Sci-fi/Adventure
- Director: Gary Ross, Francis Lawrence
- Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Sam Claflin
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 84%, IMDb 7.2 / Rotten Tomatoes 90%, IMDb 7.5 / Rotten Tomatoes 69%, IMDb 6.6 / Rotten Tomatoes 70%, IMDb 6.5
The Hunger Games 2012
The movie The Hunger Games broke the spring record of the box office when it was released, becoming one of the biggest box office hits of the decade. Despite making a name for herself on the “Big Engall Show”, Jennifer Lawrence’s breakthrough came out in The Hunger Games in 2012. She played the role of a spunky survivor from District 12, bringing Katniss Everdeen to life from the novel by Suzanne Collins. She protected her sister when she decided to volunteer instead of her for the deadly Hunger Games. Therefore, this is one of the best Jennifer Lawrence movies of all time, and the genre has attracted a lot of attention.
This movie has brought Lawrence fame and worldwide recognition as she was able to portray the brave Katniss amazingly. If it was not for her amazing performance, the movie might not have gotten three sequels.
The Hunger Games 2013
Lawrence’s amazing performance as Katniss Everdeen resulted in a sequel coming out the next year. The movie continues in its predecessor’s footsteps and shows Katniss as someone determined to survive. Following her and Peeta’s victory, they have to go back to the Arena and fight to survive once again. However, there is a big surprise for everyone. Not only does Lawrence convince the audience to engage and root for the character Katniss but she also makes them understand where she is coming from and what danger all her loved ones are in. This is another one of the best Jennifer Lawrence films of all time.
The Hunger Games 2014
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 is where Jennifer Lawrence grows into her role as Everdeen in the Panem revolution while grappling with the responsibilities of being a symbolic figure. Her most self-indulgent display in the series has perhaps come in this movie. She was able to show both the face of a ruthless rebellion and being a confusing young love triangle victim. This was yet another one of the best Jennifer Lawrence films ever.
The Hunger Games 2015
Although many sequels do not have a successful ending, The Hunger Game series did not fall in that category. As she was playing in her final movie of the series, she made sure she left it all in the best way she should. She further proved how fit she was for the character Katniss as she inhabited the role as effortlessly as breathing. This is due to the fact that star players like her try to insert a version of their real self in the character. The second part was also one of the best Jennifer Lawrence movies ever.
Read more: Best Leonardo DiCaprio Movies of All Time
American Hustle 2013
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: David O. Russell
- Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Robert De Niro
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 92%, IMDb 7.2
American Hustle is also one of the best Jennifer Lawrence movies of all time, where she plays the role of Rosalyn Rosenfeld. She features as Irving’s wife, played by Christian Bale, who is one of the central conmen in an FBI investigation. The amazing actor was able to bring a comedic sensibility to the genre of a crime thriller. She becomes drunk and ruins Irving’s meetings or nearly causes fire when she puts metal in a microwave. You don’t want to miss this movie; this is one of the best must see Jennifer Lawrence performances.
Silver Linings Playbook 2012
- Genre: Romance/Drama
- Director: David O. Russell
- Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Chris Tucker,
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 92%, IMDb 7.7
At the age of 21, Jennifer Lawrence appeared in the movie Silver Linings Playbook and pulled off phenomenal performance. When the movie came out, she received a Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She then became the second-youngest Best Actress winner at the age of 22. This is one of the best Jennifer Lawrence movies of all time. She portrays the role of Tiffany, who is a young widow trying to help Bradley Cooper’s Pat get his life together following his stay at a psychiatric hospital. The two try to get their lives back on track and participate in a dance competition. Despite Pat being the main character, Lawrence was able to steal some scenes for herself with her charm.