10 Best Movies Starring Emma Stone, Ranked

by Dara Morgan

10 Best Movies Starring Emma Stone, Ranked

6 Nov 2024

Why do we adore Emma Stone? Maybe it is her blend of offbeat humour, magnetic charm, and undeniable talent. Or is it the way she bonds with Ryan Gosling? Well, honestly it is because she gives her all in every role, from a witty law-school grad to a zombie-busting survivor. Whether she is stealing scenes or headlining, Emma’s talent shines through each of these films. So, pop the popcorn, because here is the ultimate guide to her best roles

10. Zombieland (2009)

A Hollywood star is born — even if she is sharing the screen with, well, a lot of zombies.

In Zombieland, Emma Stone holds her own amidst Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and the ever-iconic Bill Murray. Stone plays Wichita, a badass survivor navigating the post-apocalyptic chaos with her signature no-nonsense style. It is a supporting role, yes, but she brings her witty, brash energy to make Wichita a standout. Stone manages to elevate Zombieland into something warm and even soulful, proving she is no mere scream queen — she is a star on the rise.

9. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

The Stone-Gosling chemistry: iconic, even when they are not the main attraction.

Crazy, Stupid, Love is, on the surface, about Steve Carell’s sad-sack romantic woes. But let us be honest: it is all about Emma and Ryan. Stone shines as Hannah, a law-school grad who is tired of her safe choices and decides to take a chance on Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a serial womanizer with abs sent from the gods. Their Dirty Dancing lift is unforgettable — light-hearted, appealing, and ridiculously fun.

8. Cruella (2021)

Forget the plot — what was it again? Stone’s Cruella is the only thing you will remember.

Playing a punk-inspired villainess in 1970s London, Emma Stone rocks the British accent, struts through the chaos, and charms her way into the role of a lifetime. The movie itself might be a bit plain, but Stone’s performance is pure fun. She makes Estella’s journey to becoming Cruella de Vil as glamorous as it is twisted, and you can practically see her winking at the audience. Emma Stone in leather and black eyeliner? Say no more.

7. Battle of the Sexes (2017)

Move over, Gosling; Steve Carell might just be Emma Stone’s best on-screen partner.

In this sports biopic, Stone embodies tennis icon Billie Jean King, a powerhouse on the court and in the fight for gender equality. Playing opposite Carell’s showboating Bobby Riggs, Stone finds both the humour and the emotional depth in Billie Jean’s struggles, including her secret romance with a hairdresser (Andrea Riseborough). This film marks a turning point for Stone, showing her range beyond her adorable, quirky roles. It is a poignant, grown-up performance that gives this feminist story a powerful heart.

6. Kinds of Kindness (2024)

Emma Stone in her Yorgos Lanthimos era is everything we never knew we needed.

In her latest collaboration with the director, Stone explores surreal and absurdist storytelling with three wildly different performances across three shorts. Her roles — a wife who is maybe not herself, a cult member, and more — are darkly hilarious and, somehow, genuinely moving. Stone’s genius lies in her fearless dive into Lanthimos’s weird universe, and each performance here is like nothing we’ve seen from her. If you thought The Favourite was daring, Kinds of Kindness will delight you.

5. Birdman (2014)

Oscar nomination alert! Stone goes dark, edgy, and downright dangerous.

In Birdman, Stone plays Sam, a recovering addict who is both charmingly volatile and heartbreakingly vulnerable. Her scenes opposite Michael Keaton (who plays her self-destructive father) and Edward Norton (a flirtatious co-star) are electric, showcasing a Stone we had never seen before. In a film full of dizzying camerawork and big personalities, Stone is a secret weapon, quietly devastating in every scene.

4. La La Land (2016)

La La Land — love it or hate it, you have to admit Stone is sensational.

As Mia, a struggling actress in Los Angeles, Stone takes us on a rollercoaster of heartbreak and hope alongside Gosling’s jazz musician. In a sea of musicals, Stone manages to bring a grounded realism to her character’s dreamy pursuit of fame, and her teary, hopeful “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” scene is an Oscar moment for the ages. If ever there was a performance that made us all root for Emma, it is this one.

3. Easy A (2010)

The film that put Stone front and centre — and thank goodness for that.

As Olive, the high schooler who becomes "famous" for her fake promiscuity, Stone turns a raunchy teen comedy into something genuinely affecting. Easy A is clever, fun, and surprisingly touching, largely because of Stone’s magnetic, spiky-sweet performance. Olive is funny, whip-smart, and completely relatable — a true teen icon.

2. Favourite (2018)

A toxic, hilarious, award-worthy performance in the best possible period setting.

In Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite, Stone stars as Abigail, a scheming servant who plays power games with her cousin (Rachel Weisz) and the unstable Queen Anne (Olivia Colman). Abigail’s manipulative charm and darker motives allow Stone to stretch her abilities in every direction, bringing humour and intensity to this razor-sharp role. In this film, Stone proved she could master both the comic and the tragic, often in the same scene.

1. Poor Things (2023)

The masterpiece that solidifies Stone’s place among the greats.

In Poor Things, directed by Lanthimos once again, Stone gives her most ambitious and awe-inspiring performance to date. She plays Bella, a reanimated Victorian woman rediscovering herself — and the world — with a childlike innocence that slowly morphs into empowered agency. Stone’s comedic timing is sharp, her emotional depth is stunning, and her commitment to the bizarre is absolute. Winning her second Oscar for this role, Stone knocks it out of the park. It is a career-defining performance in a film that’s as bold and strange as she is.

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by Dara Morgan