20 Best Emma Stone Movies
From 'Aloha' to 'Zombieland,' Moviefone counts down the 25 best films of Emma Stone's career.
Emma Stone in 'Poor Things.' Photo by Atsushi Nishijima. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
Emma Stone is on a roll having won Best Actress trophies at both the recent Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards for her performance in 'Poor Things,' not to mention recently receiving an Oscar nomination at the upcoming 96th Academy Awards.
The actress who won an Oscar for her work in 'La La Land,' is best known for roles in films like 'Superbad,' 'Easy A,' 'The Help,' 'Birdman,' 'Crazy, Stupid, Love.,''Cruella,' and 'The Favourite,' as well as the 'Zombieland' and 'Amazing Spider-Man' series.
In honor of her acclaimed work in 'Poor Things,' Moviefone is counting down the 20 best movies of Emma Stones impressive career.
Let's begin!
20. 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' (2014)
Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker / Spider-Man in 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2.' Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
For Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy. Between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen Stacy (Stone), high school graduation cannot come quickly enough. Peter has not forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away, but that is a promise he cannot keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past.
19. 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' (2009)
When notorious womanizer Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) attends his brother Paul's wedding, he is forced to re-evaluate his behavior as he comes face-to-face with the ghosts of girlfriends past (Stone), present (Noureen DeWulf), and future (Olga Maliouk), along with his deceased uncle (Michael Douglas). The experience changes his attitude and allows him to reconnect with his first and only love, Jenny (Jennifer Garner).
18. 'The Croods: A New Age' (2020)
Searching for a safer habitat, the prehistoric Crood family discovers an idyllic, walled-in paradise that meets all of its needs. Unfortunately, they must also learn to live with the Bettermans -- a family that's a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. As tensions between the new neighbors start to rise, a new threat soon propels both clans on an epic adventure that forces them to embrace their differences, draw strength from one another, and survive together.
The Croods: A New Age
17. 'Paper Man' (2009)
A coming-of-middle-age comedy that chronicles the unlikely friendship between failed author Richard Dunne (Jeff Daniels) and a Long Island teen (Stone) who teaches him a thing or two about growing up, all under the disapproving eye of his long-suffering wife (Lisa Kudrow) and his imaginary Superhero friend (Ryan Reynolds).
16. 'Zombieland: Double Tap' (2019)
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.
15. 'Gangster Squad' (2013)
(L to R) Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in 'Gangster Squad.' Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and — if he has his way — every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop… except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
14. 'Battle of the Sexes' (2017)
The true story of the 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King (Stone) and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell).
13. 'The House Bunny' (2008)
Shelley (Anna Faris) is living a carefree life until a rival gets her tossed out of the Playboy Mansion. With nowhere to go, fate delivers her to the sorority girls from Zeta Alpha Zeta. Unless they can sign a new pledge class, the seven socially clueless women will lose their house to the scheming girls of Phi Iota Mu. In order to accomplish their goal, they need Shelley to teach them the ways of makeup and men; at the same time, Shelley needs some of what the Zetas have - a sense of individuality. The combination leads all the girls to learn how to stop pretending and start being themselves.
The House Bunny
12. 'The Croods' (2013)
The prehistoric Croods family live in a particularly dangerous moment in time. Patriarch Grug (Nicolas Cage), his mate Ugga (Catherine Keener), teenage daughter Eep (Stone), son Thunk (Clark Duke), and feisty Gran (Cloris Leachman) gather food by day and huddle together in a cave at night. When a more evolved caveman named Guy (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene, Grug is distrustful, but it soon becomes apparent that Guy is correct about the impending destruction of their world.
11. 'Cruella' (2021)
In 1970s London, amidst the punk rock revolution, a young grifter named Estella (Stone), a clever and creative girl, is determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets. One day, Estella's flair for fashion catches the eye of the Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute. But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella.
10. 'Poor Things' (2023)
Emma Stone in 'Poor Things.' Photo by Yorgos Lanthimos. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
9. 'The Amazing Spider-Man' (2012)
Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is an outcast high schooler abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
8. 'The Help' (2011)
Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) is a middle-aged African-American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son; Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) is an African-American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family's struggles with money and her desperate need for jobs; and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Stone) is a young white woman who has recently moved back home after graduating college to find out her childhood maid has mysteriously disappeared. These three stories intertwine to explain how life in Jackson, Mississippi revolves around "the help"; yet they are always kept at a certain distance because of racial lines.
7. 'The Favourite' (2018)
England, early 18th century. The close relationship between Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) and Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) is threatened by the arrival of Sarah's cousin, Abigail Hill (Stone), resulting in a bitter rivalry between the two cousins to be the Queen's favourite.
6. 'Crazy, Stupid, Love.' (2011)
Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily (Julianne Moore). Cal's seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.
Crazy, Stupid, Love.
5. 'Easy A' (2010)
Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast in "Easy A.' Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Olive (Stone), an average high school student, sees her below-the-radar existence turn around overnight once she decides to use the school's gossip grapevine to advance her social standing. Now her classmates are turning against her and the school board is becoming concerned, including her favorite teacher and the distracted guidance counselor. With the support of her hilariously idiosyncratic parents (Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson) and a little help from a long-time crush (Penn Badgley), Olive attempts to take on her notorious new identity and crush the rumor mill once and for all.
4. 'Superbad' (2007)
Two co-dependent high school seniors (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.
3.'Zombieland' (2009)
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) doesn't have fears. If he did, he'd kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they're about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other.
2. 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)' (2014)
A fading actor (Michael Keaton) best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
1. 'La La Land' (2016)
(L to R) Ryan Gosling as Sebastian "Seb" Wilder and Emma Stone as Amelia “Mia” Dolan in 'La La Land.' Photo: Lionsgate.
Mia (Stone), an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
