Whether playing the lead or a supporting role, Mary Elizabeth Winstead has appeared in some of the most well-received movies of the past decade or so. The talented North Carolina native can currently be seen opposite Margot Robbie in Birds of Prey, the number one box-office movie of this past weekend. Think the movie will repeat the feat this weekend?
Given the critical success of the movie, the chances are quite high. But how high does Birds of Prey rank among the most critically acclaimed movies of Winstead’s career thus far? We shall see below when we present Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s 10 best movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes!
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Sky High (73%)
After cutting her teeth on television as a teenager, Winstead went on to star in a number of horror-movie sequels and remakes. However, her fourth feature film, Sky High, still ranks among her top 10!
The PG-rated family-adventure film centers on Will Stronghold, the child of two superheroes. Unsure if he has powers of his unknown, Will’s world is changed forever when he attends Sky High, a school in the clouds for gifted kids with special powers. Winstead plays dual roles as both Gwen Grayson and her alter-ego, Royal Pain.
Kill The Messenger (77%)
Based on the true story of the CIA’s nefarious plot to funnel crack cocaine through black neighborhoods in the 1980s, Kill The Messenger afforded Winstead a chance to portray a real person.
The film primarily focuses on journalist Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner), the man responsible for uncovering the U.S. government conspiracy to infect the African-American community with the crack epidemic. Winstead plays Anna Simons, a key figure in bringing the plot to a halt.
Birds Of Prey (79%)
Currently enjoying the top box-office perch in North America, Birds of Prey marks the first DC or Marvel superhero movie Winstead has appeared in.
The Harley Quinn-centric movie follows the manic clown-woman after she disbands from the Joker and joins the wicked trio of Black Canary, The Huntress, and Renee Montoya on a new reign of terror. Winstead plays Helena Bertinelli, aka The Huntress, a badass fighter prone to excessive violence.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (81%)
Winstead has never been better as the cool and laconic Ramona Flowers, the sexy subject of affection for Scott way-out-of-his-league Pilgrim!
Edgar wright’s quasi-videogame movie about a lovelorn suitor tasked with defeating his new girlfriend’s seven evil exes is beloved by critics and fans alike. Winstead stands out as the hair-color altering hipster who can’t quite commit to a serious romantic relationship. Her exes are all majorly bad dudes who Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) must save Ramona from.
Live Free Or Die Hard (82%)
One of Winstead’s first big-budget blockbusters came via Live Free or Die Hard, the fourth film in the multi-decade John McClane action franchise.
Winstead plays McClane’s daughter Lucy in the film, the emotional core of whom comes into play when a gaggle of hackers and terrorists attempt to hunt and shoot her father down. Without Lucy, we’d likely fail to realize the stakes that would result in McClane’s death. It turns out the gruff, take-no-guff cop has a lot to live for after all!
Smashed (83%)
After aptly assuming the lead in The Thing remake, Winstead bowled audiences over with her searing dramatic turn as a woman under the influence of alcoholism in Smashed.
Kate (Winstead) and Charlie (Aaron Paul) have a rocky marriage due to their mutual dependence on booze. When Kate decides to get sober, however, even more difficulties arise, as she can’t quite figure out how to heal herself and begin to grow while staying faithful to her husband and his self-destructive ways. A great lead performance by Winstead!
All About Nina (86%)
Winstead gives another stellar turn of nuanced complexity in the 2018 film All About Nina, a dramedy about a fledgling stand-up comedian in the City of Angels.
Winstead plays Nina Geld, an acerbic and witty stand-up who decides to shake up her life by traveling cross-country to Los Angeles to make it big. As she begins to acclimate to her new surroundings, Nina finds an unlikely match in Rafe (Common), an ostensible playboy with a hidden soft side. Hilarious, heartfelt, and as human as it gets!
10 Cloverfield Lane (90%)
As the best in the series, 10 Cloverfield Lane seemingly came out of nowhere. When it landed, one of the first things critics talked about was the gnarly ending and the excellent performances led by Winstead.
Winstead plays Michelle in the film, the key figure around which the entire plot revolves. After suffering a car accident, Michelle is quarantined with two men, Emmet (John Gallagher) and Howard (John Goodman), who claim the planet has been besieged with biochemical weapons. Intense, mystifying, and highly unpredictable!
The Spectacular Now (91%)
After their successful collaboration in Smashed, director James Ponsoldt brought Winstead back for his follow-up film, The Spectacular Now!
This time, however, Winstead takes a supporting backseat to Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller in a tale of unlikely love between two diametrically opposed teenagers. Winstead plays Holly Keely, the older sister of Teller’s character, Sutter. Based on the Tim Tharp novel, critics and audiences both fell in love with the movie when it came out in the fall of 2013.
Faults (91%)
For cinephiles, the name Riley Stearns is one to watch out for. Not only is his feature debut, Faults, good enough to land atop the best movies of Winstead’s career thus far, but his sophomore effort The Art of Self Defense is equally good!
As for Faults, Winstead plays a cult-brainwashed woman named Claire. When her parents hire a cult “deprogrammer” to help clear Claire’s warped mind, a whirlwind of unintended consequences ensues. The movie has a brilliantly balanced tone between humor and drama that keeps audiences guessing throughout.