Of all the actors and actresses to make their mark on the world of film within the past couple of decades,Emma Stoneis undeniably among the best and most celebrated. She rose to prominence mainly through starring in a series of comedies (notably,Superbad,Zombieland, andEasy A), but then, if you look at the sorts of movies that got her Oscar attention some years on from her earlier roles, they’re kind of comedies, too. Admittedly, they’re more definable as dramedies, or they mix in comedy with some other less expected genres, but it’s interesting how many of her acclaimed roles contain at least some humor.
To focus on those Academy Award-related performances, Stone has received four nominations to date, and all within a pretty narrow period (for films released between 2014 and 2023). And, of those four nominations, there have already been two wins, which is impressive to do in a lifetime, but extra impressive in Emma Stone’s case, considering both those wins came well before the age of 40.Such a ranking can probably only be a work in progress, should Stone keep taking on the sorts of roles she’s gravitated toward in the past decade, but for now, there are four. They all vary in quality from good to great, and are judged below based partly on how strong Emma Stone’s performance is, and partly on how solid the films overall are.
Emma Stone
4’The Favourite' (2018)
Nominated for Best Supporting Actress
Hey, look at that,The Favouriteis not the favorite here, but it still has a good deal to offer as a movie, and Emma Stone is undeniably memorable in it. She andRachel Weiszare solid in supporting roles, butThe Favouriteis, more or less,Olivia Colman’s movie, since her character is at the center of things and it’s probably the showiest/biggest role. The story here takes place in the early 1700s, with Colman playing the unstableQueen Anne, and the narrative mostly concerns two women competing to be, you know, “The Favourite” companion of the queen. And those two women are played by Weisz and Stone, with everything getting inevitably messy, surreal, and uncomfortable.
Thatdiscomfort is courtesy ofYorgos Lanthimos, who has a style you’re able to either get behind or simply find off-putting, with his sense of humor being particularly odd.The Favouritedoes work as an absurd comedy of sorts, butit’s alsoa somewhat trippy historical drama, and maybe even a little bit of a psychological thriller. It’s a lot of things at once, while also being pretty distinct from most other things out there (maybePeter Greenaway’sThe Draughtsman’s Contractis the closest thing to compare it to, but even then, it’s far from one to one). It’s a messy film, and maybe less than the sum of its parts in the end, but it has a lot of parts to offer, and when you have three talented actresses cutting loose and all getting opportunities to chew some scenery, it’s hard not to have something of a good time.
The Favourite
3’Poor Things' (2023)
Won for Best Actress (and was nominated for Best Picture)
Though herthird collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimosdid not net any love from the Academy Awards (Kinds of Kindnesswas, in all likelihood, just a bit too out there), her second,Poor Things, was fruitful on the award ceremony front, given it got 11 nominations, and won four of those. Emma Stone was technically nominated twice for it: once for her performance, and the other time for Best Picture, since she was one of the producers. The film didn’t win Best Picture, but Stone did win Best Actress… and, even if you don’t exactly likePoor Thingsor its strange energy, you would have to admit Stone does a lot, as an actress, here.
With Stone’s other nominated movies… there’s a little more by way of balancing comedy and drama, but Poor Things is pretty clearly a comedic romp for most of its runtime.
She’s in almost every scene, playing a woman who’s brought back to life, but with a different brain, forcing her to essentially come of age again, all the while going on a very unusual, comic, and sometimes feverish odyssey throughout a surreal depiction of Victorian-era London.Poor Thingsmanages to be bothbeautiful and kind of gross in equal measure, and also feels noteworthy for being so broadly comedic and successful at the Oscars. With Stone’s other nominated movies, for example, there’s a little more by way of balancing comedy and drama, butPoor Thingsis pretty clearly a comedic romp for most of its runtime.Like withThe Favourite, things may get a little exhausting at a point, but there’s a lot offered here on a technical front, and the movie does contain what would have to be Emma Stone’s gutsiest performance to date.
Poor Things
2’Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)' (2014)
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)is the onlyBest Picture winner Emma Stone has starred in, as of 2025, and was also the film that saw her nominated for the first time. She, like everyone in this who isn’tMichael Keaton, has a supporting role, withBirdmanreally being all about him in the same wayPoor Thingswas all about Stone’s character. Much of the movie unfolds like it’s being filmed in one shot, which adds immensely to a sense of unease, following Keaton’s character, an actor best known for playing a superhero, trying to make a comeback on Broadway, desperate to be taken seriously for pursuing his craft in a less mass-appeal sort of way.
There’s agood deal of uncomfortable comedy here, butBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)also works as something that takes a lot of shots at the film industry, pretentious actors, and (even more) pretentious film critics. It works as both afunny movie and a dramatic/intense one, and Emma Stone plays a key part in making it work, playing the daughter of Keaton’s character and helping infuse the movie with a bit by way of extra heart, since her character seems like one of the more good-natured people in the film.Even though it was a movie about acting, and three cast members got Oscar-nominated (Stone, Keaton, and Edward Norton),Birdmandidn’t win anything in the acting categories… though it was successful elsewhere, winning four other Academy Awards, including – as mentioned before – Best Picture.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
1’La La Land' (2016)
Won for Best Actress
Emma Stone’s first win, as an actress, was forLa La Land, and it’s not hard to see why. She brought a good deal of humanity to what was, on paper, a very simple role in a movie that risked coming pretty close to feeling too straightforward. But that bluntness is sort of the point, sinceLa La Landwants to work as a throwback to more carefree andartificial (in a charming way) musicals of old, albeit with a modern spin and some more realism as far as the ending is concerned. As for what makesLa La Landso straightforward? It’s just about two people falling in love, and having their relationship put in jeopardy because both want to explore their individual artistic passions.
Stone andRyan Gosling(who was also Oscar-nominated)are a great match here, but people were well aware of that before 2016, thanks to the two also starring inCrazy Stupid Love. Admittedly, they were also also inGangster Squad, but that one wasn’t so memorable. But anyway,La La Land… it’s great. It’s easily one of the best musicals of the past couple of decades, andmaybe even one of the best of all time. It’s breezy,heartfelt, visually dazzling, romantic, and bittersweet, all in a rather effortless manner, too. you may be the sort of person who might not ordinarily like typical musicals and still (probably) find things to like here.
