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Early Certified Fresh hits got Emma Stone quickly into the spotlight, starting with a notable secondary role in Superbad, jumping to co-star in Zombieland, and taking the lead in Easy A, which meant A-list. The Amazing Spider-Man franchise may have fizzled after, but since then Stone’s been on the Academy’s invite list. She was Oscar-nominated for Birdman, The Favourite and La La Land, winning for the latter, and she's current collecting accolades for Poor Things. Now, we’re ranking all Emma Stone movies by Tomatometer! Read on to see her best movies, including where you can watch them, and see the entire list at Rotten Tomatoes.
12. Cruella (2021)
Tomatometer: 75%
Audience Score: 97%
Synopsis: Academy Award winner Emma Stone (La La Land) stars in Disney's Cruella, an all-new live-action feature film about the rebellious early days of one of cinemas most notorious - and notoriously fashionable - villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil. Cruella, which is set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, follows a young grifter named Estella, a clever and creative girl 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, a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute, played by two-time Oscar winner Emma Thompson (Howards End, Sense & Sensibility). 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.
Critics Consensus: Cruella can't quite answer the question of why its title character needed an origin story, but this dazzling visual feast is awfully fun to watch whenever its leading ladies lock horns.
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser
Directed By: Craig Gillespie
Directed By: Craig Gillespie
11. The Help (2011)
Tomatometer: 76%
Audience Score: 89%
Synopsis: In 1960s Mississippi, Southern society girl Skeeter (Emma Stone) returns from college with dreams of being a writer. She turns her small town on its ear by choosing to interview the Black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent white families. Only Aibileen (Viola Davis), the housekeeper of Skeeter's best friend, will talk at first. But as the pair continue the collaboration, more women decide to come forward, and as it turns out, they have quite a lot to say.
Critics Consensus: Though it fails to fully engage with its racial themes, The Help rises on the strength of its cast -- particularly Viola Davis, whose performance is powerful enough to carry the film on its own.
Starring: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer
Directed By: Tate Taylor
10. The Croods: A New Age (2020)
Tomatometer: 77%
Audience Score: 94%
Synopsis: 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.
Critics Consensus: Another agreeable outing for the titular prehistoric clan, The Croods: A New Age may be the missing link for parents between more elevated family-friendly fare.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener
Directed By: Joel Crawford
9. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
Tomatometer: 79%
Audience Score: 78%
Synopsis: 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.
Critics Consensus: It never lives up to the first part of its title, but Crazy, Stupid, Love's unabashed sweetness -- and its terrifically talented cast -- more than make up for its flaws.
Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone
Directed By: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
8. Battle of the Sexes (2017)
Tomatometer: 84%
Audience Score: 71%
Synopsis: The 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs became the most watched televised sports event of all time. Trapped in the media glare, King and Riggs were on opposites sides of a binary argument, but off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. With her husband urging her to fight for equal pay, the private King was also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, while Riggs gambled his legacy and reputation in a bid to relive the glories of his past.
Critics Consensus: Battle of the Sexes turns real-life events into a crowd-pleasing, well-acted dramedy that ably entertains while smartly serving up a volley of present-day parallels.
Starring: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Natalie Morales
Directed By: Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
7. Easy A (2010)
Tomatometer: 85%
Audience Score: 77%
Synopsis: Prompted by her popular best friend to spill details of her boring weekend, Olive (Emma Stone), a clean-cut teen, decides to spice things up by telling a little lie about losing her virginity. When the high-school busybody (Amanda Bynes) overhears the conversation and spreads it all over campus, Olive is suddenly notorious but for the wrong reasons.
Critics Consensus: It owes a huge debt to older (and better) teen comedies, but Easy A proves a smart, witty showcase for its irresistibly charming star, Emma Stone.
Starring: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Dan Byrd
Directed By: Will Gluck
6. Superbad (2007)
Tomatometer: 88%
Audience Score: 87%
Synopsis: High school seniors Seth and Evan have high hopes for a graduation party. The co-dependent teens plan to score booze and babes so they can become part of the in-crowd, but separation anxiety and two bored police officers complicate the pair's self-proclaimed mission.
Critics Consensus: Deftly balancing vulgarity and sincerity while placing its protagonists in excessive situations, Superbad is an authentic take on friendship and the overarching awkwardness of the high school experience.
Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader
Directed By: Greg Mottola
5. Zombieland (2009)
Tomatometer: 89%
Audience Score: 86%
Synopsis: After a virus turns most people into zombies, the world's surviving humans remain locked in an ongoing battle against the hungry undead. Four survivors -- Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and his cohorts Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) -- abide by a list of survival rules and zombie-killing strategies as they make their way toward a rumored safe haven in Los Angeles.
Critics Consensus: Wickedly funny and featuring plenty of gore, Zombieland is proof that the zombie subgenre is far from dead.
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Directed By: Ruben Fleischer
4. La La Land (2016)
Tomatometer: 91%
Audience Score: 81%
Synopsis: Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) are drawn together by their common desire to do what they love. 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.
Critics Consensus: La La Land breathes new life into a bygone genre with thrillingly assured direction, powerful performances, and an irresistible excess of heart.
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt
Directed By: Damien Chazelle
3. Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Tomatometer: 91%
Audience Score: 78%
Synopsis: Former cinema superhero Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) is mounting an ambitious Broadway production that he hopes will breathe new life into his stagnant career. It's risky, but he hopes that his creative gamble will prove that he's a real artist and not just a washed-up movie star. As opening night approaches, a castmate is injured, forcing Riggan to hire an actor (Edward Norton) who is guaranteed to shake things up. Meanwhile, Riggan must deal with his girlfriend, daughter and ex-wife.
Critics Consensus: A thrilling leap forward for director Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman is an ambitious technical showcase powered by a layered story and outstanding performances from Michael Keaton and Edward Norton.
Starring: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Norton, Andrea Riseborough
Directed By: Alejandro González Iñárritu
2. The Favourite (2018)
Tomatometer: 93%
Audience Score: 70%
Synopsis: In the early 18th century, England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne, and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne's ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing, and Abigail sees a chance to return to her aristocratic roots.
Critics Consensus: The Favourite sees Yorgos Lanthimos balancing a period setting against rich, timely subtext - and getting roundly stellar performances from his well-chosen stars.
Starring: Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult
Directed By: Yorgos Lanthimos
1. Poor Things (2023)
Tomatometer: 92%
Audience Score: 79%
Synopsis: 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.
Critics Consensus: Wildly imaginative and exhilaratingly over the top, Poor Things is a bizarre, brilliant tour de force for director Yorgos Lanthimos and star Emma Stone.
Starring: Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Christopher Abbott
Directed By: Yorgos Lanthimos
