Jennifer Lawrence is only 29-years-old, but she’s already made a name for herself in Hollywood. The talented actress has starred in multiple feature films, from a series of young adult dystopian adventures to multiple installments in a blockbuster superhero franchise. We’re here to look at the most popular films Lawrence has starred in and see how they stack up.
To do this, we’ll be turning to the stats at IMDb. Every film on the popular entertainment website has been assigned a star rating based on registered users' votes on a scale of 1 to 10. We’ll be using these scores to rate each of Lawrence’s movies. Before we dive into things, it’s worth noting that we’ll only be considering the feature films she’s acted in, meaning documentaries (no matter how highly rated) aren't counted.
Updated on October 4th, 2020, by Shawn S. Lealos: Jennifer Lawrence continues to be one of Hollywood's top acting talents. On top of her huge roles in the Hunger Games and X-Men series of movies, she has acted in everything from biographical dramas to sci-fi movies, spy movies, and indie oddities. Along the way, she never once lost what made her an award contending actress from her early days.
Lawrence has now picked up four Oscar nominations for her work, winning one, and four Golden Globe nominations, winning three there. On top of this, she has built a legion of devoted fans waiting for her next big movie role to come along.
The Beaver (2011) - 6.6
The Beaver was a quirky independent film made in 2011, directed by Jodie Foster. The film also marked the return of Mel Gibson, who was previously ostracized from Hollywood for his outlandish behavior in real life. Gibson is Walter Black, a depressed husband who finds a Beaver hand puppet in the trashcan and finds that he can say anything on his mind when talking through it, allowing him to come out of his shell.
Jennifer Lawrence stars as Norah, the love interest of Black's son Porter, played by Anton Yelchin. She asks Porter to write her graduation speech, but then at the end, breaks down and talks about her brother, who died, leading Porter to question his decisions regarding his dad.
Joy (2015) - 6.6
Released in 2015, Joy is a biopic by David O. Russell, who also directed Lawrence in the award-nominated Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper (who also co-stars in this movie). Lawrence takes on the role of Joy Mangano, the self-made millionaire who created her own empire when she invents a self-wringing mop. Lawrence was the film's highlight, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actress and winning the Golden Globes Award for her performance in the movie.
Mother! (2017) - 6.6
Darren Aronofsky often finds his movies critically acclaimed while hated by mainstream audiences. This is due to his art-house sensibilities. That is no more apparent than in his 2017 film, Mother! Lawrence stars here as "Mother," the wife of a poet named Him (Javier Bardem).
Their life is turned upside down when some fans of her husband arrive, and soon her home is overflowing with people, and she has nowhere to go. Lawrence said her character represents mother Earth, and the interlopers are the people tormenting the Earth.
Red Sparrow (2018) - 6.6
In 2018, Jennifer Lawrence took the lead role in the spy thriller, Red Sparrow. In this movie, young girls are taken into the Red Sparrow program and are trained as assassins for the Russian government. Lawrence plays a former ballerina who joins the operation when threatened with death if she refuses. She then meets a CIA operative trying to find a mole and decides to play both sides against each other to gain her freedom.
Like Crazy (2011) - 6.7
Like Crazy is a 2011 romantic drama starring Jennifer Lawrence, Felicity Jones, and Anton Yelchin. Jones plays a British exchange student who falls in love with an American student (Yelchin), but she isn't allowed to return to the United States because her student visa expired.
Lawrence plays Samantha, who the boy develops a new relationship with due to the long-distance relationship strains. The film was unique in that it was an ultra-low budget movie shot for only $250,000, with almost all the dialogue improvised by the actors. The film won the Grandy Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
The Burning Plain (2008) - 6.8
We’re starting things out with the 2008 drama film The Burning Plain. This film, told in a nonlinear format, has Sylvia (Charlize Theron) hiding her self-destructive behavior while she manages a restaurant in the present time. In the past, a teenage Mariana (Jennifer Lawrence) tries to understand why her mom (Kim Basinger) had an affair. Meanwhile, she balances a relationship of her own with the son of her mother’s lover.
Though the film received poor critical reviews, the audience reviews have it tipping toward an overall positive rating.
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) - 6.9
This 2016 X-Men film has the powerful and immortal Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) awakening after thousands of years. While he enlists Magneto (Michael Fassbender) for help in overthrowing the order in the world, Professor X (James McAvoy) and shape-shifting mutant Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) gather the X-Men together to put an end to the sinister plans.
Though the film received mixed to average reviews for feeling exciting but repetitive, Lawrence expertly played her part.
Passengers (2016) - 7.0
Passengers is a 2016 sci-fi romance about a group of travelers who head to a planet far from the Earth in hopes of colonization. The trouble comes after a man (Chris Pratt) awakes from his induced hibernation early, and his loneliness causes him to bring a woman he doesn’t know (Jennifer Lawrence) out of her own sleep.
Some criticized the writing of Pratt's character, who came off like a stalker, the strong performance of the limited cast was praised.
Winter’s Bone (2010) - 7.2
This indie thriller, released in 2010, has Jennifer Lawrence’s Dolly attempting to head a household and care for her siblings... that is, until their criminal father puts their house up for bond. This leads Dolly to embark on a dangerous journey to find her dad and reclaim what is her own.
The film received high praise from critics, who believed Lawrence's performance made her into a star.
American Hustle (2013) - 7.2
Inspired by the FBI Abscam of the ‘70s and ‘80s, American Hustle tells the tale of a set of con artists (Christian Bale and Amy Adams) who are asked to take down a series of politicians including a mayor in New Jersey (Jeremy Renner). While Bradley Cooper plays a corrupt FBI agent, Jennifer Lawrence plays Bale’s reckless wife.
While the ensemble cast was lauded for expertly fading into their roles, the story was praised for containing a load of personality.
The Hunger Games (2012) - 7.2
Jennifer Lawrence garnered tons of attention after starring as Katniss Everdeen in the big-screen adaption of The Hunger Games.
The first film, which took place in a dystopian universe, has Katniss’ sister being selected to take place in a yearly televised fight-to-the-death inside of a dangerous arena. Katniss volunteers in her place and must learn to balance alliances, romances, and enemies as she heads into the game. Book fans were thrilled to see the popular novel be turned into a movie, especially with Lawrence doing the lead heroine justice.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) - 7.5
The sequel to the Hunger Games scored even higher than the first. The film opens with Katniss and Peeta, now victors of the 74th Hunger Games, embarking on a Victory Tour at the request of the Capitol. However, the villainous President Snow isn’t done with them quite yet and soon throws the pair, as well as other past winners of the Hunger Games, into another arena for one more giant battle.
The cinematography was incredible, the story was even more compelling, and the acting of the cast remained top-notch.
X-Men: First Class (2011) - 7.7
The fifth film in the X-Men series, X-Men: First Class, has mutants Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehsherr (Michael Fassbender) bonding together. However, as more mutants come together to fight against the looming nuclear war, their friendship is soon threatened.
This X-Men film introduces Mystique/Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) who quickly joins Xavier’s foster family and later joins in on his big plans. The film was praised for coming off as stylish and containing a load of energy.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) - 7.7
In Silver Linings Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence plays Tiffany Maxwell, a young widow with a mental illness who starts to bond with a man named Pat (Bradley Cooper) soon after he exits the mental health facility for treatment of bipolar disorder. She promises to help Pat grow back together with his wife if, in exchange, he becomes her partner in a dance competition.
The movie received good words from audiences and critics alike, who cited the genuine performances of the film's lead actors.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014) - 8.0
Topping off the list is X-Men: Days of Future Past. This 2014 superhero film has Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) trying to take down the mutants by creating robotic weapons known as Sentinels that will track them out. As the total extinction of mutants becomes a threat, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) travels back in time in order to save the future by stopping Mystique before she could murder Trask.
With all the ideal workings of a blockbuster hit including a strong cast, exciting action, and a compelling story, this one received a whole lot of love.