For more than a decade, Jennifer Lawrence has been one of Hollywood’s most talented actors. An Oscar winner and four-time Academy Award nominee, Lawrence hardly needs an introduction, and her outstanding filmography contains tons of memorable performances. Having starred in dramas like Joy, thrillers such as Red Sparrow, and comedies including No Hard Feelings and Don’t Look Up, Lawrence has shown a great deal of range throughout her career. Few actors have achieved such consistent success and relevance in the industry for so long. Even 10 years after last stepping into her most iconic role, Lawrence remains a top-notch performer who can transform any film into a masterpiece.
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Lawrence’s seven best movie roles can be found in major franchises and amazing standalone films, with genres spanning from sci-fi to romance. These performances are endlessly complex, and they epitomize Lawrence’s status as a distinguished actress.
7) Lynsey in Causeway
Causeway remains one of Lawrence’s most underrated movies, and her lead performance is among her most overlooked roles. She plays Lynsey, a United States soldier who returns home after suffering a traumatic brain injury in Afghanistan. Managing the fallout of the event proves a massive challenge for Lynsey, who endures memory problems and lasting trauma while adjusting to civilian life. Lawrence’s portrayal thoroughly outlines the character’s physical and emotional pain as she grapples with her depression and her desire to redeploy. Causeway is a slow-burning story that relies heavily on Lawrence’s subtle acting to convey Lynsey’s feelings. Thanks to Lawrence’s organic emotional depth in the role, the film succeeds as an engrossing tale about mental health and healing.
6) Mystique in the X-Men Movies
Lawrence’s only superhero movie role isn’t her greatest performance, but it still stands out on her résumé. Making her debut as Raven/Mystique in X-Men: First Class (2011), Lawrence went on to appear in three more Marvel X-Men films. A shapeshifting mutant who initially detests her differences from humans, Mystique is an incredibly interesting character.
Lawrence proves a great fit for the part, expertly chronicling Mystique’s conflict between the more passive mutant camp led by her adoptive brother Charles Xavier/Professor X (James McAvoy) and the more radical side commanded by Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender). Across her four movies, Lawrence effectively interprets Mystique’s inner strife and battle to survive as an oppressed mutant on Earth. Giving a fantastic performance of Mystique’s charismatic demeanor and poignant self-discovery journey, Lawrence is a standout in the X-Men movies.
5) Ree Dolly in Winter’s Bone
Widely considered Lawrence’s breakout role, Winter’s Bone (2010) is fueled by the star’s exceptional performance. Lawrence plays Ree Dolly, an impoverished teenager in search of her missing father, who’s wanted for drug-dealing crimes in rural Missouri. Encountering dangerous gangs and the possibility of losing her home, Ree fights to keep her family afloat. In her first lead role, Lawrence produces a layered and authentic performance. Painstakingly serious and gritty, Winter’s Bone allows Lawrence to craft an image of an embattled yet determined young girl giving her all to protect what little she has. Lawrence’s ability to communicate all of Ree’s inner thoughts and outward anguish is a remarkable feat of acting.
4) Grace in Die My Love
Lawrence’s newest movie features one of her best-ever acting performances. In Die My Love, the actress portrays Grace, who becomes increasingly unstable while staying in a remote house shortly after giving birth to her and her partner’s first child. An intricate and earnest representation of postpartum depression, Grace’s downward spiral is harrowing to watch, but so superbly executed by Lawrence. The character’s persistent loneliness and frequent mood swings are accompanied by numerous unexpected incidents, and Lawrence aptly handles Grace’s development throughout the story. Lawrence’s convincing portrayal of mental suffering in Die My Love is truly hard to forget.
3) Mother in Mother!
The main character of Mother! (2017) reluctantly finds herself in the middle of a chaotic house party, where unruly guests push her to her breaking point. Designed as an allegory for humanity’s brutal treatment of Mother Earth, the movie grants Lawrence a giant spotlight to shine as a tormented woman losing her grip on reality. Lawrence’s portrayal of Mother fully leans into the film’s absurdity and paints a compelling portrait of madness and destruction. Mother’s desperation heightens as the mayhem escalates, leading to an intense series of events that Lawrence impressively commands. Whether through subtle emotional cues or powerful outbursts, Lawrence delivers the perfect unnerving and impactful performance that a movie as unique as Mother! requires.
2) Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook
Lawrence brilliantly displays her knack for romance and comedy in Silver Linings Playbook (2012). Her character, Tiffany Maxwell, meets and later falls in love with Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) as they train for a dance competition. Silver Linings Playbook is a hilarious yet heartwarming story about two deeply flawed individuals who form a deep connection. As Tiffany, Lawrence deftly portrays the struggle her character faces as a young widow. During her budding relationship with Pat, Tiffany embarks on her own journey of healing. Lawrence’s performance makes Tiffany a wonderfully fleshed-out human that viewers can easily relate to. Never fumbling a humorous or heartfelt moment, Lawrence exhibits impressive range in Silver Linings Playbook. Thus, the actress’s first and only Oscar win was well deserved.
1) Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games Movies
Lawrence’s career-defining role is the one that made her a household name. The star plays Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games movies, adapting Suzanne Collins’s book series of the same name. From her first appearance in The Hunger Games (2012) to her fourth and final outing as Katniss in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015), Lawrence excels as the fascinating District 12 tribute. Katniss’s evolution as a revolutionary leader after volunteering for the 74th Hunger Games is made even more captivating by Lawrence, who skillfully captures the character’s internal monologues from the novels.
A dynamic blend of bravery and vulnerability, Lawrence’s Katniss is a delight to watch in each Hunger Games film. The actress nails every scene by grounding her portrayal of Katniss in raw emotion and sincerity. As a result, the human side of Katniss that book readers know so well feels completely authentic in the movies. Bringing a beloved literary character to the big screen was always going to be a challenge, but Lawrence exceeded most people’s expectations in the role of Katniss, cementing herself as one of the top actors of her generation at a young age.
What do you think are Jennifer Lawrence’s best roles? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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