The Best Emma Stone Movies, Ranked By Her Undeniable Star Power
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Vote up the films that let Emma Stone really shine, regardless of the size of her role.
The best Emma Stone movies cover a wide range, including action, romance, and drama, proving her versatility as an actor. Her most popular movies have received a lot of awards over the years, and earned millions around the world. From playing high school students in Easy A and Superbad, to an aspiring writer in The Help, to a Disney villain in Cruella, and a woman with a child's brain in Poor Things, Stone has taken on roles that often make a movie better just because she's in it.
Which top Emma Stone films are your favorites, regardless of what critics said or how prominent her role was?
- 1645 VOTESPhoto: Sony Pictures Releasing
What It’s About: Easy A tells the story of high school girl Olive, who pretends to have sex with her best friend so people won't make fun of him for being gay. Soon, she's helping lots of high school boys improve their reputations by letting people believe she had sex with them. Olive becomes popular for all the wrong reasons, but chooses to embrace it.
Her Role: Stone plays Olive, who goes from a girl no one notices at school to the person students can't stop talking about.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Easy A is a charming comedic film that's different from other rom-coms of its time. Sheri Linden wrote for the Los Angeles Times: “[I]t’s Stone’s girlish strength and comic gifts that anchor the film.” In addition to Stone in the starring role, the rest of the stellar cast includes Penn Badgley, Patricia Clarkson, Lisa Kudrow, Thomas Haden Church, Amanda Bynes, and Stanley Tucci.
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- 2520 VOTESPhoto: Sony Pictures Releasing
What It’s About: Zombieland takes place in a world where most humans have been turned into zombies, so the few survivors need to come up with creative ways to survive against the undead as they head toward an area that's believed to be safe from zombies.
Her Role: Emma Stone plays Wichita, whose real name is Krista. Because she's clever and brave, she's great at protecting herself and those she cares about from zombies.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Zombieland is beloved by many because it has elements of many genres, including comedy, action, and romance, as well as an all-star cast. The Guardian called it “a zombie movie so enjoyable you almost want to join the apocalypse.”
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- 3427 VOTESPhoto: Warner Bros. Pictures
What It’s About: Crazy, Stupid, Love is centered on Cal Weaver, whose life is going great until his wife reveals she has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. A young player, Jacob Palmer, decides to help Cal be a hit with the ladies despite everything going on in Cal's life.
Her Role: Stone plays Hannah Weaver, a young woman Jacob Palmer falls in love with. Wooing women is usually easy for him, but Hannah doesn't fall for his charms, which makes him even more enamored with her. Jacob later discovers, however, that Cal is Hannah's father.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Crazy, Stupid, Love is a hilarious movie while still having plenty of sweet moments that will warm your heart. The cast members have great chemistry, which makes their roles in the film even more believable.
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What It’s About: This film takes place in 1960s Mississippi, when it was common for Black women to look after the children of rich white women. Skeeter, an aspiring writer, decides to interview the Black women despite how the other white women feel about it.
Her Role: Stone plays Skeeter, who recently graduated from college and dreams of being a great writer. Her ideas and lifestyle are different from the other white women in town, but she doesn't mind defying expectations if it means she can write a meaningful story.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: This film does a great job showcasing racial discrimination in the 1960s. It's the perfect mix of entertaining and informative with a great cast.
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- 5605 VOTESPhoto: Lionsgate
What It’s About: La La Land is a musical and a romantic drama, showing the love story of an aspiring actress and struggling jazz pianist. However, their ambitious career dreams end up putting a strain on the relationship they've built.
Her Role: Stone plays the female protagonist, Mia, who dreams of being a famous actress. She falls in love with pianist Sebastian, played by Ryan Gosling.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: This film is beloved for its incredible soundtrack, which is emotional and catchy. While the story is sad at times, it depicts a realistic relationship that doesn't sugarcoat the hardships of balancing love and careers. Stone won a best actress Oscar for her role.
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What It’s About: Cruella is the origin story of Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians. It follows the story of a young girl, Estella, who's often mocked for her peculiar black-and-white hair pattern. She grows up as a troublemaker and criminal, but also aspires to a career in fashion.
Her Role: Stone plays the lead role. She's a bold, intelligent, sneaky character who makes viewers see a classic Disney villain in a whole new light.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Cruella tells a unique story that's different from a typical Disney movie, offering a glimpse into the backstory of why Cruella de Vil is so evil. A Guardian review said “Stone is a joy: vampy, sneering, and as eager to please as a Dalmatian.” Plus, the fashions are fabulous.
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- 7366 VOTESPhoto: Sony Pictures Releasing
What It’s About: Two best friends, Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera), spend their last few weeks of high school getting ready for an insane party. They come up with a plan to get plenty of alcohol for the party and have sex with their crushes as a way to prepare for college.
Her Role: Stone plays Jules, Seth's love interest. She invites Seth to the party, and he quickly offers to buy alcohol, hoping he can get her drunk enough to sleep with him.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Superbad is a hilarious film that puts the characters in ridiculous situations and leaves viewers both laughing out loud and wondering what will happen next.
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- 8445 VOTESPhoto: Sony Pictures Releasing
What It’s About: The Amazing Spider-Man is the first Spider-Man film with Andrew Garfield in the title role. In this film, Peter Parker was abandoned by his parents and raised by his aunt and uncle, but he's determined to solve the mystery of his parents' disappearance.
Her Role: Stone plays Gwen Stacy, a classmate and crush of Peter's. Throughout the film, the two form a romantic relationship.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The Amazing Spider-Man is a fresh take on the classic superhero's story. Many people adore the romantic chemistry between Gwen and Peter in this film. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times wrote that Garfield and Stone “are by far the movie’s greatest assets and when they’re together on screen, they add warmth and a believable closeness to the industrial mix.”
- Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures
What It’s About: Riggan Thompson, a former film superhero, takes on a challenging Broadway Production to prove he still has a solid career. However, unexpected obstacles keep occurring, such as a major role needing to be recast.
Her Role: Stone plays Sam, a recovering drug addict and Riggan's daughter. Riggan is trying to reconnect with her while also balancing his career.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The directing, acting, and cinematography is all unique and fascinating. The plot may not be fast-paced, but it's realistic and keeps viewers interested from start to finish. Stone received a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for her role.
- 10101 VOTESPhoto: Searchlight Pictures
What It’s About: Surgeon Godwin Baxter replaces the brain of a dead pregnant woman with the brain of her unborn child, creating Bella, an adult woman with a childlike mind. Bella's intelligence quickly develops, making her very curious about the world around her.
Her Role: Stone plays the lead role of Bella Baxter, a woman with a child's brain. Due to her unusual circumstances, she has lots to learn and discover.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Despite being a bizarre concept, this film is really well done. It's imaginative and leaves viewers never knowing what twists and turns the story will take. Stone won her second Oscar for best actress in the role. Davis Sexton of The New Statesmen called her performance “a bravura piece of physical theatre.”
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- 11280 VOTESPhoto: Sony Pictures Releasing
What It’s About: When Shelley Darlingson (Anna Faris) turns 27, she's told she's too old to be a Playboy Bunny and is kicked out of the luxurious mansion. She ends up at a sorority full of geeky girls and teaches them how to attract men.
Her Role: Stone plays Natalie Sandler, one of the nerds at the sorority. She's open to trying new things, which is why she lets Shelley help her be attractive.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The House Bunny is a lighthearted, comedic film. Plus, it has a good message about inner beauty.
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- 12148 VOTESPhoto: Fox Searchlight Pictures
What It’s About: The Favourite takes place in England in the early 18th century. The story follows the unique relationship between Queen Anne's close friend, Lady Sarah, and her quirky cousin, Abigail.
Her Role: Stone plays Abigail Hill, the impoverished younger cousin of Lady Sarah. Abigail quickly becomes close with Queen Anne, causing a bigger rift between her and her cousin.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: This film isn't your typical period piece. It's comedic with plenty of crude jokes, and the actors do an excellent job portraying their characters. Stone earned an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.
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What It’s About: Jamie, an executive recruiter, and Dylan, an art director, become close friends when Dylan first moves to New York. However, their relationship becomes more complicated when they decide to become sexual partners, too.
Her Role: Stone plays Kayla, Dylan's ex-girlfriend. She broke up with him because she thought he was too invested in work to focus on their relationship. The last straw for Kayla was when he was late for a John Mayer concert.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Even though this is a very common romance trope, this film does it well. The two protagonists have amazing on-screen chemistry, and there are plenty of sweet and silly moments.
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- 14215 VOTESPhoto: Warner Bros. Pictures
What It’s About: Sergeants John O'Mara and Jerry Wooters create a secret crew to take down a ruthless mobster. No one has ever been brave enough to target Mickey Cohen, but these members of the Los Angeles Police Department aren't afraid of a challenge.
Her Role: Stone plays Grace Faraday, the etiquette tutor for mobster Cohen. She ends up falling in love with Wooters, causing her to later betray Cohen.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Gangster Squad is a mix of a thriller, action, and drama movie, full of violence and suspense - a great film for viewers who want to be on the end of their seats from start to finish.
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What It’s About: British man illusionist Stanley Crawford disguises himself as his magician stage persona, Wei Ling Soo. He's an arrogant man who plans to expose a young medium, Sophie, until he discovers her gifts might be the real deal.
Her Role: Stone plays Sophie Baker, a young woman with supernatural powers. Stanley is skeptical at first, but as he becomes intrigued by her skills, the two develop feelings for each other.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: This film is a mix between comedy and romance, making it a great lighthearted watch. The two main characters have great chemistry, creating a believable love story.
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What It’s About: Connor Mead doesn't like to settle down with just one woman, so he's often dating several people at once. However, the night before his brother's wedding, the spirits of his past lovers visit him to find out if he'll ever be able to find true love.
Her Role: Stone plays Connor's first lover, Allison. She visits him to show him moments from his past relationships.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past follows the same theme as A Christmas Carol, but in a fresh and humorous way. It's a lighthearted film that encourages the protagonist to replace greed with love.
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What It’s About: Paper Man follows the journey of a struggling author who regularly interacts with his imaginary friend, Captain Excellent. However, he finds himself not needing his fictional superhero friend as much once he forms a unique friendship with a teenager, Abby.
Her Role: Stone plays 17-year-old Abby. Richard, the author with an imaginary friend, becomes fascinated by her and hires her to be his babysitter, even though he has no children.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Paper Man is a clever, quirky movie that moves at a good pace to ensure the viewer is never bored or confused. Both the main characters are well-portrayed and grow when faced with challenges.
- 18122 VOTESPhoto: 20th Century Fox
What It’s About: Robert “Fish” Fishman is living his best life in an '80s rock band, but his bandmates kick him out, changing his life drastically. He doesn’t get a second chance at music until his nephew's band hires him two decades later.
Her Role: Stone plays Amelia Stone, one of the members of Fish's nephew's alternative rock band. She later forms a relationship with one of the other band members, Curtis.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: The Rocker is a hilarious film with great acting and likable characters. Many viewers love it for the music as well.
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- 19118 VOTESPhoto: 20th Century Fox
What It’s About: Marmaduke is a massive Great Dane who moves to a new home in Orange County, CA, with his family. To fit in with the local dogs, he wants to be popular.
Her Role: Stone is the voice actor for Mazie, an Australian shepherd mix who befriends Marmaduke when he first visits the local dog park. Mazie ends up developing feelings for Marmaduke as she helps him win over the most popular female dog at the park. Once Marmaduke realizes how Mazie feels, she becomes his new love interest.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: It's got lovable talking dogs! Written like a teen comedy/drama, but with dogs at the dog park instead of kids in high school, the film delivers the always-welcome message of staying true to yourself instead of lying to impress others.
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- 2088 VOTESPhoto: Sony Pictures Classics
What It’s About: Irrational Man is a dramatic mystery about a college professor going through a midlife crisis. However, once he stars having feelings for a student, his entire demeanor changes.
Her Role: Stone plays Jill, the college student who builds a close relationship with her professor. As she gets more involved in her professor's life, she realizes something isn't quite right with him.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: This film is suspenseful with lots of unique characters who are both flawed and likable. Viewers will likely be unsure where the story is headed as they watch it.
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What It’s About: Battle of the Sexes is based on the true story of tennis players Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, who famously played a match against each other in 1973. At the time, women tennis players were paid less than male ones, and the film shows Billie trying to fight against the sexism of the tennis industry while she and Bobby both deal with struggles in their personal lives.
Her Role: Stone plays King, who is known for advocating for gender equality. She famously won a “Battle of the Sexes” match against the real-life Riggs.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: This film creates a comedic twist on real-life events of these famous tennis players. In the process, the film also explores social and cultural situations that occurred at the time.
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- 22139 VOTESPhoto: Sony Pictures Releasing
What It’s About: Aloha follows the story of Brian Gilcrest, a military contractor who's in Oahu, HI, for an assignment. While on the island, he runs into his ex, Tracy, while also getting to know Allison Ng, a feisty fighter pilot.
Her Role: Stone plays Allison, the fighter pilot Brian meets on his assignment. She's deeply fascinated by space, which reminds Brian of his younger self.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: This film provides great character development, making each person in the story both realistic and likable. There's also plenty of fun, quirky dialogue.
- 23122 VOTESPhoto: Relativity Media
What It’s About: Movie 43 is a collection of ridiculous spoofs and stories categorized as comedies and thrillers, with a different director for each sketch, including Steven Brill, Peter Farrelly, Elizabeth Banks, and Bob Odenkirk.
Her Role: Stone plays Veronica in a skit directed by Griffin Dunne. She starts arguing with her ex, Neil, while he's working at a grocery store, but their conversation quickly become explicit.
Why It’s Worth A Watch: Despite receiving terrible reviews, including just a 5% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the all-star cast of all these skits is impressive. Along with Stone, just some of the actors involved include Elizabeth Banks, Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, Chloë Grace Moretz, Chris Pratt, Liev Schreiber, Jason Sudeikis, Uma Thurman, Naomi Watts, and Kate Winslet.
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