10 Florence Pugh movies you shouldn’t miss

Florence Pugh is not only a new star, she's a bona fide movie star who's remaking the map of what it means to be an actress today. Whether she's leading an independent drama or standing tall alongside a blockbuster franchise, Pugh infuses each performance with a raw vulnerability and emotional depth. Ever since her breakout role in Lady Macbeth, she's constructed a filmography that's as daring and unconventional as it is consistent, always playing characters that defy social norms, test emotional limits, or require physical transformation. From slow-burning horror to historical epics, she refuses to be pigeonholed, always leaving us wanting more.

What distinguishes her is not only her skill, but her courage in choosing parts that tend to reside in gray areas, moral, emotional, and psychological. Even if the scripts are polarizing or the tales atypical, Pugh can manage to bring gravity to the work and demand attention. At a time when other actors play it safe, playing to the masses, Pugh is a revelation, willing to go dark.

So, if you're ready to check out her best work so far, here are 10 Florence Pugh films you simply cannot miss, each one a tribute to her ever-growing brilliance on screen.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Florence Pugh movies you shouldn’t miss

1) Midsommar (2019)

Ari Aster's Midsommar is not only a horror movie but also a psychological spiral that Florence Pugh directs with annihilating force. She plays Dani through grief, betrayal and bizarre rituals with an acting that remains hauntingly genuine. What works in Pugh's favor this time is that she grows from vulnerability to an eerie kind of empowerment without giving up the viewer's sympathy. The jaw-dropping imagery of the movie and the slow-build suspense only reinforce her performance. Since it came out, it's prompted endless think-pieces and fan theories, with Pugh's last smile becoming a meme and moment of cinema in its own right.

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2) Little Women (2019)

Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Little Women provided Florence Pugh the chance to reinterpret Amy March and she totally owned it. Historically one of the most unpopular characters in the book, Amy under Pugh's skill becomes someone determined, self-knowledgeable, and wonderfully human. Her Oscar-worthy emotional monologue on marriage as an economic arrangement? (And it netted her a nomination.). The nonlinear narrative of the film enables Pugh to essay both the innocence of young Amy and the measured ambition of older Amy seamlessly. Her rapport with Timothée Chalamet lends depth to a frequently underrated love story, making Amy one to remember.

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3) Fighting with My Family (2019)

Florence Pugh astonishes in this sentimental sports drama, inspired by the life of WWE wrestler Paige. Pugh did not merely play the role; she trained as a wrestler for months, diving headfirst into the culture of professional wrestling. Dwayne Johnson's production placed the film on the radar, but it's Pugh's captivating presence on screen that keeps it going. Her capacity to merge comedy and emotional struggle as a self-described outsider cracking into a difficult field is truly admirable. It's an underdog tale made that much stronger by her convincingly indomitable spirit.

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4) Lady Macbeth (2016)

Prior to Hollywood calling, Lady Macbeth hailed Florence Pugh as a force talent. Here, in this gothic period drama, she's Katherine, a woman stuck in a suffocating marriage and taking brutal reins of her own destiny. Pugh's deliberate performance transmits eerie calm even as she perpetuates heinous acts, dragging the audience in on her own downward spiral morally. It's a chillingly quietly explosive turn that won her the BIFA for Best Actress. Worth mentioning, of course, is that this was her breakout role years before Midsommar or Black Widow and many critics still mention it as her most brazen performance to date.

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5) The Falling (2014)

One of Florence Pugh's very first roles, The Falling, was her film debut, and even so, she displayed great potential. As Abbie, the confident and bohemian best friend to Maisie Williams' character, Pugh injected an air of maturity and magnetic appeal into the screen. The movie follows a strange epidemic of fainting at a British girls' school, shrouded in teen angst and surreal dreaminess. Though it didn't get big box office hype, Pugh's understated presence was noticed by critics. It's interesting to see now, observing her early screen instincts prior to stardom. A secret gem for those interested in seeing where she came from.

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6) Outlaw King (2018)

Though secondary to the starring role, Florence Pugh lends depth to historical epic Outlaw King, wherein she appears as Elizabeth de Burgh, the wife of Chris Pine's Robert the Bruce. Her strength of silence is countered by the viciousness of war, and her limited scenes are emotionally resonant, particularly with her imprisonment and reunion. The film was filmed on location in Scotland and boasts sweeping landscapes, but it's Pugh that grounds the emotional gravity of sacrifice and loyalty. Surprisingly, she was cast before her Fighting with My Family breakthrough, showing that even in group efforts, she is able to make an impact.

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7) Black Widow (2021)

In Marvel's Black Widow, Florence Pugh effortlessly steals the show as Yelena Belova, the feisty and sarcastic sister of Natasha Romanoff. Her deadpan, her sharp reflexes, and her unexpected vulnerability instantly made her a fan favorite. Her "poser" joke made her a legend in the hearts of MCU fans, and her chemistry with Scarlett Johansson is sisterly and natural. She added a breath of fresh air and emotional depth to a superhero movie usually overshadowed by spectacle. Since then, Pugh's Yelena has popped up in Hawkeye and will appear in Thunderbolts*, solidifying herself as a series regular in the future of Marvel.

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8) The Wonder (2022)

In this stunning 19th-century Irish psychological drama, Florence Pugh stars as an English nurse probing a young girl who says she lived without eating for months. The Wonder embraces slow-burning tension and moral complexity, and Pugh fills every frame with measured poise. She is a skeptic but an empath, and introduces modern-day tension to the period setting. The movie examines the clash between science, religion, and trauma, and Pugh navigates its complexity with intelligence and restraint. Her skill in raising a spare plot to emotional depth was applauded by critics.

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9) A Good Person (2023)

Directed and written by Zach Braff, A Good Person is a very personal and emotional role for Florence Pugh. She stars as Allison, a woman struggling with addiction and guilt following a devastating accident. What makes this performance so remarkable is its vulnerability. Pugh not only stars but also co-wrote some of the film's original songs, demonstrating her musical ability. Her chemistry with Morgan Freeman on screen is also incredibly strong, and their scenes are charged with emotion and grace. Although mixed reviews greeted the film, Pugh's uncooked performance was cross-continental in its appreciation.

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10) Don't Worry Darling (2022)

Even with all the off-screen drama surrounding its release, Don't Worry Darling is still a visually beautiful psychological thriller, and Florence Pugh is its magnetic center. As Alice, a 1950s housewife who's begun to question her too-perfect existence, she weighs glamour and terror with precision. Pugh's performance was so overwhelming that critics tended to remark that the film's flaws disappeared whenever she appeared on screen. Her capacity for eerie tranquility and unraveling chaos within the same sentence is captivating. Though the movie polarized, Pugh's dedication to the role demonstrated that she could overshadow even a media spectacle.