9 Brie Larson Movies That Are 10/10, No Notes

Brie Larson is a great actress whose career has been somewhat frustrating. Although it appeared as if she had unlimited potential after winning the Academy Award for Best Actress back in 2016, Larson hasn’t appeared in quite as many independent dramas and arthouse films as she did prior to her mainstream breakout.

Much of the later half of Larson’s career has been spent within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as she debuted as Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel, which grossed over $1 billion globally. However, Larson’s future in the MCU is currently unknown, given that The Marvels was an infamous disaster and she is not yet slated to appear in Avengers: Doomsday or any other upcoming Marvel projects. Hopefully, Larson will make a return to doing the type of impassioned, thoughtful work that she is most certainly capable of. Here are nine Brie Larson films that are absolute perfection.

9 ‘Just Mercy’ (2019)

Just Mercy is a powerful courtroom drama about a Civil Rights lawyer (Michael B. Jordan) who works to liberate a prisoner (Jamie Foxx) who was put on death row for a murder that he swears he did not commit. Larson plays the role of an attorney that assists in the case, despite the fact that the state judicial system is corrupted by racism. That Just Mercy was not a breakout hit is unfortunate, as it had the potential to be an awards contender and inform people about an unreported infraction of justice.

Just Mercy feels like a throwback to the courtroom dramas of the ‘90s, but has a sense of purpose based on the significance of the subject material and its strong moral backbone. It’s impressive that a film with such dark topics can also be so entertaining, which may be a result of the strong direction by Destin Daniel Cretton, who has served as a frequent collaborator with Larson.

8 ‘The Gambler’ (2014)

The Gambler is one of the most underseen gems of the 2010s, even if it could be called both an “underrated cult classic” and “unintentional comedy” at the same time. The narrative and stylistic choices are so strange that it’s hard to tell whether the film is intended to be entirely sincere or slightly satirical, but it’s easy to get wrapped up within this immersive remake of the 1974 classic that starred the great James Caan.

Larson provides a healthy dose of normalcy to the film that is needed when considering that John Goodman and Michael K. Williams are amplifying their performances to be as over-the-top as possible. Although The Gambler feels like the sort of film that Larson only would have appeared in before she won her Oscar, the fact that such a strange experiment exists is a minor miracle.

7 ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’ (2010)

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is one of the most defining cult films of the 2010s, and has quickly emerged from being a box office disappointment to Edgar Wright’s most significant American project. Although the cast is stacked with scene-stealers, as virtually every actor in the film went on to do even more significant things in the aftermath, Larson has a particularly memorable role alongside Brandon Routh that previews the type of unorthodox action that Wright was including.

Larson absolutely understood the heightened, ecstatic tone that Wright was aiming for, and is able to subvert her inherent charisma by playing one of the film’s most unlikable characters. It’s remarkable that she has so much presence given her limited screentime, as the sequence involving her and Routh is by far one of the most entertaining of the film’s many rewatchable action moments.

6 ‘Greenberg’ (2010)

Greenberg is one of the earliest collaborations between Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, who would become both real life partners and co-writers and directors on their next fifteen years of work. Although Ben Stiller stars as the titular character, Larson has a brief, albeit humorous role as his college-aged niece.

Greenberg is a film that examines the process of aging and what it is like to start feeling nostalgic about youth, so it was important to have someone like Larson who could represent the perspective of a younger generation. While Baumbach’s witty, cunning dialogue can often be hard to master because of how complex and loaded it is, Larson does a great job at delivering snappy lines whilst still feeling sincere to the character’s emotional arc. Notably, the female characters in Baumbach’s films began to grow more agency when Gerwig was creatively involved.

5 ‘21 Jump Street’ (2012)

21 Jump Street is one of the most surprisingly great comedies of the last few decades because on paper, it sounded like a completely cynical idea. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller took a premise that was admittedly ridiculous and made fun of it by acknowledging all the plot contrivances and illogic that was inherent to the original show; the film attacks the notion of Hollywood’s lack of creativity by drawing parallels to the police department that is out of ideas.

21 Jump Street has a surprisingly great supporting cast that extends beyond just Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, and Larson has a pivotal role as a high school student mixed up in the drug ring. It’s the type of character that could have easily felt secondary or unnecessary, but the chemistry between Larson and Hill is so good that a touch of romance actually helps 21 Jump Street become more heartfelt than it would have been otherwise.

4 ‘The Spectacular Now’ (2013)

The Spectacular Now is one of the best coming-of-age films of the 2010s because it thoughtfully examines the weight that is placed upon teenagers when they feel as if they have to determine what the next stage of their life will look like. Although the central romance is between the slacker Sutter (Miles Teller) and his shy love interest Aimee (Shailene Woodley), Larson has a key role as his ex-girlfriend.

Teller and Larson are tasked with playing ex-lovers that still care about one another, despite knowing that they weren’t in the right headspace when they were initially dating. The Spectacular Now is a bracing, very affecting film about the realities of mental health issues that many teenagers deal with, yet are uncomfortable talking about; Larson is able to maintain the film’s sensitivity without defying the dramatic stakes needed to make a compelling drama.

3 ‘Short Term 12’ (2013)

Short Term 12 is the film that announced Larson as a major acting talent, as her performance is among the best of the 2010s. The film centers on a group of counselors that look after troubled teenagers who are staying at a live-in facility, with Larson starring as a long-time employee who is considering moving to the next stage of her relationship with her boyfriend (John Gallagher Jr.).

Larson’s performance is absolutely devastating because she identifies how someone who has experienced trauma within their own life might seek to help others as a means of coping. Although Short Term 12 is a film that deals with important topics and sheds light on the lack of resources that adolescents have at their disposal, it never feels preachy because Larson’s performance is one of truth and sincerity. It was a small film that went critically underseen, but should have earned her an Academy Award nomination.

2 ‘Room’ (2015)

Room is the film that won Larson the Oscar for Best Actress, and it’s not a victory that anyone could argue with. Based on a true story, Room stars Larson as a young woman who was abducted when she was a teenager and forced to birth and raise her son (Jacob Tremblay) whilst staying in captivity.

Room is a much more life-affirming and sensitive film than its premise may suggest, as there’s rarely been a depiction of a parent-child relationship that is more moving than what Larson and Tremblay are able to do together. Although the second half of the film includes appearances by more recognizable actors like William H. Macy, there’s never an instance in which Larson is not believable in the role. Room is by no means an easy film to watch, but Larson was tremendously brave to take on a role that would pose such a challenge.

1 ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019)

Avengers: Endgame was the culminating film of the first era of the MCU, and it remains one of the most ambitious and thoughtful entries in the franchise because of the ramifications of “the blip.” While Avengers: Infinity War is a great theatrical experience that really only consists of a lot of fun action, Avengers: Endgame was a surprisingly dense and emotional final chapter that examined the heroes’ grief, sent them into their own pasts, and came full circle with an ending battle for the ages.

Larson’s appearance in the film is somewhat controversial, as the film debuted only two months after Captain Marvel had premiered. While it may have worked better if Captain Marvel had provided a better set up, the chemistry between Larson and Tom Holland as Spider-Man adds the right amount of humor to an otherwise intense final set piece.