The Top Ten Jennifer Lawrence Films
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Today is Academy Award Winner Jennifer Lawrence's 33rd birthday, and to mark the occasion, we are reflecting on some of her iconic roles since she burst onto the scene in 2010.
Though, honestly, an impossible task - because everything she touches turns to gold - here are her top 10 films and where you can find them so you, too, can be dazzled by the unstoppable JLaw.
10. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
Where to watch:
Free with Ads - YouTube
Subscription - Amazon Prime Video
VOD - Google, Apple TV, Redbox, Vudu
The final instalment in the series that catapulted her to fame features JLaw as Katniss Everdeen in what is to be the final battle of the uprising. The film earned Lawrence a Critic Choice Award nomination for Best Actress in an Action Movie, where she lost out to Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road.
9. Winter's Bone
Where to watch:
Premium Subscription - Hulu, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video
VOD - YouTube, Google, Apple TV, Redbox, Vudu
Debuting at Sundance in 2010, Winter's Bone earned JLaw her first Oscar nom. The sophomore feature from director Debra Granik follows Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact. Granik also earned an Oscar nomination for her writing in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.
8. No Hard Feelings
Where to watch:
VOD - Vudu, Google, Amazon Prime Video
Perhaps a surprise entry for some, but Jennifer Lawrence let loose in a raunchy comedy is what the world needed and bless Gene Stupnitsky for bringing it to us. Though many of her previous roles also required Lawrence to exercise her comedic chops, here we get to see her in full hilarious glory. Starring as Maddie Barker, a woman on the brink of losing her home, she takes up the role of 19-year-old Percy's girlfriend when she sees his parents post a job listing looking for someone to "date" their son. What begins as a gig to get a free car blossoms into a life-altering lesson, and Jennifer Lawrence gets to use her full range as an actor.
7. Mother!
Where to watch:
Free - Pluto
VOD - Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google, Apple TV, Redbox, Vudu
Darren Aronofsky is known for pushing the line, but Mother! took it to new heights when tales came out from theater-goers globally who left mid-film because it was "too much". Dividing critics and audiences - scoring a 68% critic score and a 51% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes - the film features Jennifer Lawrence as "Mother" and Javier Bardier as "Him" as the couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home. Truly wild from start to finish, JLaw was the beating heart doing the most, and we can only congratulate her for rolling with Aronofsky's punches.
6. Causeway
Where to watch:
Subscription - Apple TV
Another recent addition to her filmography, Causeway, is the first film from Jennifer Lawrence's production company Excellent Cadaver. Premiering at Toronto International Film Festival in 2022, Lawrence also stars as Lynsey, who returns home to New Orleans after suffering a traumatic brain injury while serving in the army. Brian Tyree Henry stars opposite Lawrence as James, a car engineer dealing with his own trauma. Henry's stunning performance earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2023 Oscars. The first film from playwright Lila Neugebauer Causeway is a quiet rumination on trauma and connection, seeing Jennifer Lawrence return to her roots.
5. The Hunger Games
Where to watch:
Free with Ads - YouTube
Subscription - Amazon Prime Video
VOD - Redbox, Google, Apple TV, Vudu
For many teens in the 2010s, Jennifer Lawrence was the shining light, and we followed her wherever she went. Katniss Everdeen was a breakout character for young girls globally who had been aching for a franchise led by a woman. Enter Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. Her fantastic work had girls feeling represented on screen, empowering a generation and igniting an inextinguishable flame.
4. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Where to watch:
Free with Ads - YouTube
Subscription - Amazon Prime Video
VOD - Google, Apple TV, Redbox, Vudu
Widely regarded as the best of the franchise by fans, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was another masterclass from JLaw. Taking place during the 75th Annual Hunger Games, Peeta and Katniss are forced back into the arena after believing they would spend a lifetime safe from the horrors they faced. A near-perfect adaptation, the film features immaculate production design with stellar performances from the entire cast, including Josh Hutcherson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Amanda Plummer, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin and Jena Malone.
3. American Hustle
Where to watch:
Subscription - Netflix
VOD - Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google, Apple TV, Vudu
Starring Christian Bale as Irving Rosenfeld, Amy Adams as Sydney Prosser, Bradley Cooper as Richie DiMaso, Jeremy Renner and Carmine Polito, and Jennifer Lawrence as Rosalyn Rosenfeld, American Hustle follows Irving, a con man since childhood, who is forced into collaboration with the FBI. The sexy, stylish homage to the seventies is stacked with great performances, a dazzling screenplay, an outstanding soundtrack and an unforgettable lip-sync performance from Jennifer Lawrence. The film earned Lawrence her third Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, and rightfully so.
2. Joy
Where to watch:
VOD - YouTube, Google, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu
A hot take, but Joy is one of Lawrence's best films. Based on the story of Joy Mangano, we follow Joy in pursuit of her lifelong dream of becoming an inventor. We watch her go from feeling like she's drowning to clinging to her dreams with full force. Jennifer Lawrence elevates everything, but the narrative arc from fear to fulfilment is deeply compelling. Described as a gangster movie by director David O. Russell, we see JLaw embrace every aspect of that sentiment. When it's time to decide whether she can face losing her dream forever, she transforms from one performance to an entirely new level.
1. Silver Linings Playbook
Where to watch:
Subscription - Stars, Amazon Prime Video
Primetime Subscription - YouTube
Premium Subscription - Hulu, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, Philo
VOD - Google, Apple TV, Redbox, Vudu
Of course, the film that won JLaw her first Oscar will sit in top place for many. Starring opposite Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence was just 21 years old when she filmed Silver Linings Playbook, the adaptation of Matthew Quick's novel. Following Pat and Tiffany, Silver Linings explores mental health, generational cycles and the intricacies of letting other people in. Lawrence announced herself as a force to be reckoned with when both The Hunger Games and Silver Linings Playbook hit theaters in 2012, kickstarting a fruitful and exciting career.
