Brie Larson is one of the finest actors working today. She is a performer who has no problem doing smaller character pieces like Short Term 12 and The Room while also enjoying working on a big blockbuster like Kong: Skull Island or Fast X. She has received various other accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2019, Time magazine ranked her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Larson began her professional acting career at age nine in 1998 with a comedy sketch on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She briefly dabbled with a music career, releasing the album Finally Out of P.E. in 2005. Some of her earliest roles were in beloved cult classics for millennials like 13 Going On 30, Sleepover, and Hoot. Larson's breakthrough leading role was in the acclaimed independent drama Short Term 12.

Larson is now likely best known the world over for her role as Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She first appeared in 2019's Captain Marvel and was seen a couple of months later in Avengers: Endgame. She has since cameoed in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and is now front and center with her own sequel, The Marvels. With that in mind, these are Brie Larson's best movies, ranked.

Update November 10, 2023: In honor of the release of The Marvels, this article has been updated to include even more great Brie Larson movies and where you can stream each title.

9 Digging for Fire (2015)

Digging for Fire - Brie Larson
The Orchard
Sony Pictures Worldwide

In Digging for Fire, Tim (Jake Johson) and Lee (Rosemarie DeWitt) are in a bit of a rut in their marriage. While they’re house-sitting in one of Lee’s clients' houses, Tim finds a gun and a bone in the backyard. When he’s left alone “to work”, he decides to call some friends and keep digging. Meanwhile, Lee is having a crisis of her own as she feels as if she’s just a mother and a wife and nothing else.

What Makes It Great

Larson’s heart has always been in indie films, and she’s had small roles in great movies like Don Jon, Trainwreck, and Greenberg, but this might be the biggest role she’s had in this kind of film. Directed by Joe Swanberg and with a very improvisational style in the mumblecore genre, Larson plays a woman named Max who starts flirting with Tim. She plays her very charmingly and is letting herself be seduced by Tim and having a great time until he stops it and tells her he needs her wife’s dress back. The face Larson makes when she hears this is incredible, as she shows the many, many emotions going through the character’s head.

Stream on fuboTV

8 Just Mercy (2019)

just mercy
Just Mercy
PG-13
Documentary
Release Date
December 25, 2019
Director
Destin Cretton

Just Mercy tells the real-life story of lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his defense of death row inmate Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who didn’t commit the murder he was sentenced for. Here, Larson plays a great supporting role as Eva Ansley, the woman who became Stevenson’s biggest ally and friend, and who created the Equal Justice Initiative that wanted to help more people like McMillian.

What Makes It Great

This was the third collaboration between Larson and director Destin Daniel Cretton (including Short Term 12), and the director knows how to use the actress in the most successful, charismatic, and idealist way. The character is tough, morally incorruptible, and the kind of person you’d always want by your side.

Rent on Apple TV

7 The Marvels (2023)

The Marvels
The Marvels
Adventure
Action
Superhero
Release Date
November 10, 2023
Director
Nia DaCosta
Main Genre
Adventure
Studio
Marvel Studios
Writers
Gene Colan , Roy Thomas
Tagline
Higher. Further. Faster. Together.
Franchise
Marvel

Read Our Review

Brie Larson's latest movie sees her reprise her role as Carol Danvers. The Marvels sees her team up with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani). The movie sees the characters needing to team up after they find their powers are entangled due to the actions of a Kree fanatic who wants revenge on Captain Marvel.

What Makes It Great

Larson gets to develop Carol Danvers as more of a character. Through her interactions with Monica and Kamala, viewers get greater insight into Carol Danvers, the person. She carries a lot of responsibility and is someone who dives into work but also knows when to cut loose and have fun. She can be funny and has a wit to her as well as a caring, compassionate soul that makes her a great mix of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. The Marvels in the film where Carol Danvers truly clicks into place as a character within the MCU, similar to Black Widow and Hulk in The Avengers or Thor in Thor: Ragnarok.

The Marvels is playing in theaters

6 21 Jump Street (2012)

21 jump street
21 Jump Street
R
Action
Comedy
Crime
Release Date
March 14, 2012
Director
Phil Lord , Chris Miller

21 Jump Street is a re-imagination of the TV series as a comedy where Johan Hill and Channing Tatum play Schmidt and Jenko, the police officers who go back to high school as undercover cops, to find who is dealing drugs there. Larson plays Molly, Hill’s love interest.

What Makes It Great

As with the rest of the movie, Larson plays an evolved version of the popular high school girl archetype, as her character has much more motivations, dreams, and personality than these kinds of characters had in the eighties. The actress proves how funny she can be, as she’s able to hang out with professional comedians, keeps up with Hill’s improv, and even has some great jokes of her own.

Rent on Amazon Video

Related
Brie Larson Really Wants to Join the Fast & Furious Franchise: 'I'm Obsessed'
Brie Larson is a big fan of the Fast & Furious movies and says she 'one hundred percent' wants to get involved.

5 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

scott pilgrim vs. the world
scott pilgrim vs. the world
PG-13
Action
Adventure
Comedy
Fantasy
Romance
Release Date
August 12, 2010
Director
Edgar Wright

Critics raved, but no one came to Edgar Wright's 2010 feature, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, unfortunately. Based on the graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley, the adventure thrill ride stars Michael Cera as Scott, a slacker musician who tries to win a competition to get a record deal while also battling the seven evil exes of his newest girlfriend, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Larson plays Envy Adams, one of Scott's evil exes who apparently skyrocketed to fame after dumping him.

What Makes It Great

Larson displays a rare gift for comedic timing in this scene-stealing role, which she doesn't always get to showcase. "You are corrigible," she tells her new boyfriend Todd (Brandon Routh) in the film. "I don't know the meaning of the word," he replies, hilariously highlighting one of the many funny beats involving Larson, who also sings in the picture. Larson also shows an incredible singing voice, as her version of "Black Sheep" is a highlight of the movie.

Rent on Apple TV

4 The Spectacular Now (2013)

The Spectacular Now
The Spectacular Now
R
Comedy
Documentary
Drama
Romance

The 2013 American coming-of-age film The Spectacular Now is based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Tim Tharp. It stars Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, with Brie Larson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Bob Odenkirk, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Kyle Chandler rounding out the all-star cast. The main story focuses on Sutter Keely (Teller), a high school senior and budding alcoholic; he's never far from his supersized, whiskey-fortified thirst-master cup. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Sutter gets drunk and wakes up on a lawn with Aimee Finecky (Woodley) hovering over him. She's different: the "nice girl" who reads science fiction and doesn't have a boyfriend. While Aimee has dreams of a future, Sutter lives in the impressive delusion of a spectacular now, yet somehow, they're drawn together.

What Makes It Great

Larson plays Sutter's ex, and her teen years chemistry with Teller showed signs of a true future A-lister. Although it's not the biggest of roles, Larson blooms in the naturalistic style the movie is shot in while creating a character that knows Sutter is not the man for her while still liking having him in his life as a friend. She might be one of the best ex-girlfriends with whom the lead stays friends ever shown on film. The film garnered critical acclaim and even received two nominations at the 29th Independent Spirit Awards.

Stream on Max

3 Captain Marvel (2019)

captain marvel
Captain Marvel
PG-13
Superhero
Action
Adventure
Sci-Fi

It's hard to believe that Captain Marvel was already the 21st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Set in 1995, the story follows Danvers as she becomes Captain Marvel after Earth is caught in the center of a galactic conflict between two alien civilizations. Several actors reprise their roles from previous MCU films in Captain Marvel, including Samuel L. Jackson, who were digitally de-aged in post-production to reflect the film's 1990s setting. It set the record as the first woman-led superhero film to pass the billion-dollar mark, despite some of the film's mixed reviews. Her new adventure, The Marvels, has just been released.

What Makes It Great

Brie Larson plays the titular role with a leading confidence that matches, if not surpasses, the male superhero turns as of late. The actress perfectly plays the difference between Vers, the alien with no memory, and Carol Danvers, the woman she was before she got her powers, making it two different sides of the same coin and proving that once she has her memories back, she's a much more entertaining and powerful character. While some criticized Larson before the movie came out, she more than proved herself worthy of being a hero who stands alongside Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor.

Stream on Disney+

2 Short Term 12 (2013)

Short Term 12
Short Term 12
R
Drama
Documentary
Release Date
August 23, 2013
Director
Destin Cretton

A 20-something supervising staff member of a residential treatment facility navigates the troubled waters of that world alongside her co-worker and longtime boyfriend. Short Term 12 is adapted from Destin Daniel Cretton's short film of the same name. He reportedly based Short Term 12 on his own experience working in a group facility for teenagers. Critics praised the feature film's realism and intimacy, and the film is considered one of the best of 2013, appearing on several critics' year-end lists.

What Makes It Great

Brie Larson plays supervising staff member Grace in her debut lead turn in a feature film. It's a star-making performance, with powerful nuances such as her character's recurring tick in the film where she nervously digs at her thumb cuticle. Some of us can certainly relate to bad habits like this. The actress is the heart and soul of the film, and without her and her chemistry with Kaitlyn Dever, the movie wouldn't work. This, coupled with the release of The Spectacular Now in the same year, proved that Larson was one of the greatest performers working in Hollywood and she would soon find herself on the road to an Academy Award.

Stream on Peacock and fuboTV

1 Room (2015)

Room
Room
R
Drama
Documentary
Thriller
Release Date
October 16, 2015
Director
Lenny Abrahamson
Cast
Brie Larson , Megan Park , William H. Macy , Joan Allen , Amanda Brugel , Sean Bridgers

Held captive for seven years in an enclosed space, a woman and her young son finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time. Room was written by Emma Donoghue, based on her captivating 2010 novel of the same name. The film also stars Joan Allen, Sean Bridgers, and William H. Macy. Brie Larson plays the mom in an emotionally powerful performance that solidified her A-lister status in Hollywood.

What Makes It Great

"The moments that I feel a huge sense of accomplishment are actually the smaller moments, not really the bigger ones, the televised ones," Larson once told Deadline. "The times that I’ve gotten to speak with people after the screening, and seeing people’s reaction and hearing how the movie has moved them and being reminded how important something is and what a power it holds, and how incredible it is to be part of a film that’s getting people in touch with another part of themselves." This is the role that earned Brie Larson an Academy Award for Best Actress and she deserved in for one of the most powerful performances of the 2010s.

Stream on Max