Every Kristen Stewart Movie Ranked From Worst To Best
Kristen Stewart is a unique star in Hollywood. After breaking onto the scene in 2002 with a co-starring role opposite Jodie Foster in David Fincher's "Panic Room," she worked in a number of moderately successful films. But her career changed forever when she was cast as Bella in 2008's "Twilight." Just like the vampire romance books they were based on, the "Twilight" movies became a global phenomenon and box office success and made her and her co-stars movie stars overnight.
Perhaps surprisingly, Stewart used this newfound fame to select roles in smaller dramas and genre films, and in doing so, often challenged her public persona. Her work and talent paid off since in 2015, she was the first American to win the César Award for best supporting actress for her role in Olivier Assayas' "Clouds of Sils Maria" (via The Hollywood Reporter). Later in 2019, she was named "Actress of the Decade" by the Hollywood Critics Association (via Dazed Digital).
More recently, she's returned to bigger and more mainstream films with her performances in movies like "Charlie's Angels," "Happiest Season," and "Underwater." But she certainly isn't done with dramas and more obscure genre films. Stewart garnered a number of awards and her first Oscar nomination for her role as Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín's 2021 biopic "Spencer." She can also soon be seen in "Crimes of the Future," David Cronenberg's highly anticipated first horror film of the 21st century.
It's an understatement to say that Stewart has had — and continues to have — an exciting career. So, take a look below as we rank every Kristen Stewart movie (so far) from worst to best.
42. Fierce People
"Fierce People" has an incredibly stacked cast, from the Hollywood royalty of Donald Sutherland and Diane Lane to soon-to-be superstars Kristen Stewart, Chris Evans, and the dearly missed Anton Yelchin. But a great cast doesn't make a great movie.
"Fierce People," based on the book of the same name by screenwriter Dirk Wittenborn, centers on teenager Finn (Yelchin), who gets in trouble with the law. His anthropologist father is not in the picture, so his massage therapist mother Liz (Lane) moves the two of them to the massive estate of her old client Ogden (Sutherland) to try to start over.
There, Finn is introduced to the world of the ultra-rich, and he meets Maya (Stewart), Ogden's granddaughter. The two begin a romance and their relationship is the best aspect of the film by far, as Yelchin and Stewart have great chemistry. But the movie uses Finn's father's anthropological studies as a framing device, which compares and contrasts the indigenous "fierce people" of his father's research with the super rich in an undeniably and disturbingly racist way. That the movie then also veers into a plot about sexual violence after mostly working as a family comedy certainly doesn't help either.
It's one of the few — if not the only — purely bad movies in Stewart's filmography, but at least she's one of the best parts of it.
41. Anesthesia
"Anesthesia," written and directed by beloved character actor Tim Blake Nelson, is an example of "hyperlink cinema:" movies that have a number of seemingly independent stories that are linked in some way. Some of the most celebrated movies of all time are like this, and they can span genres, as the term is more about the way the story is told than its content. Movies like "Pulp Fiction" and "Magnolia" are prime examples of how successful this form of storytelling can be.
But it's difficult to get right. Every interlinking story has to be equally interesting, otherwise we are left impatiently waiting to get back to the narratives that we find more interesting than others. And it's hard to get people invested in a number of stories when each only really has the screen time of a short film, as opposed to a feature.
"Anesthesia" just isn't able to make all — or even most — of its stories interesting, including the one about Stewart as a graduate student struggling with self harm. Ultimately, it fails to make an impact, particularly in the shadow of movies that have done this style of storytelling better.
40. Cold Creek Manor
Like "Fierce People," the cast of "Cold Creek Manor" is promising. Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone play a wealthy couple, who move from New York City to an estate in the country. Stephen Dorff is the property's previous owner, who may or may not be friendly, Juliette Lewis appears as Dorff's girlfriend, and Christopher Plummer plays his aging father. And of course, there's a rather young Stewart as the couple's daughter ... who just so happens to be named Kristen.
Unfortunately, this great cast cannot save the movie, which often feels like it could be an interesting horror film, but instead becomes a rather run-of-the-mill thriller. The movie has some interesting found footage qualities, as Quaid's Cooper Tilson decides to create a documentary about the family that previously owned the titular Cold Creek Manor. And when scary things start to happen — like Kristen's horse being murdered — the movie seems as though it make take a supernatural turn. As fun as it is to see young Kristen Stewart on-screen, even her presence can't save the film from its predictability and lack of tension (or its poor editing and direction).
39. On the Road
An adaptation of the quintessential Beat Generation book of the same name by Jack Kerouac, "On the Road" has some serious pedigree both in front of and behind the camera. The film was produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by Oscar nominee Walter Salles, and has appearances from Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Kirsten Dunst, Steve Buscemi, and Elisabeth Moss. But sometimes there's a reason that classic books haven't already been adapted to film, particularly if they're meandering books about road trips. In fact, in the case of "On the Road," Coppola had been trying and failing for almost thirty years to get a movie made (via The Independent).
"On the Road" is about Sal Paradise (Sam Riley) and his carefree friend, Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund), who embark on a series of adventures driving around the United States. Stewart plays Marylou, Dean's teen wife, and while the film isn't exactly bad, it just doesn't have the same energy as the book. So, instead of a wild and chaotic journey across the United States filled with interesting characters and exciting situations, the movie ends up being a bit of a slog with its more than two-hour runtime, as it moves from one vignette to another. Some of these sequences are more interesting than others, like when Mortensen appears as a version of William S. Burroughs, but overall, the movie feels much more static than the book.
Although Stewart is solid throughout, she doesn't really have enough material to work with to shine. Ultimately, the focus of the film is on Sal and Dean (a fictionalized version of Beat muse Neal Cassady), who brings both Sal and the audience into this free-spirited and lively world.
38. In the Land of Women
"In the Land of Women" centers on erotica writer Carter (Adam Brody), who moves from Los Angeles to Michigan to take care of his ailing grandmother. There, he meets Sarah (Meg Ryan) and her teenage daughter Lucy (Stewart), both of whom he becomes involved with.
It's a melodramatic movie: Sarah discovers a lump in her breast and believes that she has breast cancer, and we learn that Sarah's husband is having an affair. Melodrama can be good and deeply affecting, but "In the Land of Women" also tries to be a comedy, which puts it in an awkward place. Ultimately, it's neither as dramatic nor as funny as it could be. Plus, there's the discomfort of watching Brody start up a relationship with the teenage Stewart. Luckily, the film moves on from that to allow Stewart to meet a more age-appropriate love interest, played by Dustin Milligan (of later "Schitt's Creek" fame).
This 2007 movie is mostly a vehicle for Brody's charm, and Stewart and Ryan are both good in their roles that function solely to help Brody's character grow.
37. The Messengers
Stewart also appeared opposite Dustin Milligan in another film from 2007: "The Messengers," which was the first horror movie of her career, and is somewhat better than "In the Land of Women" (but not much). "The Messengers" follows the Solomon family, who move from Chicago to North Dakota after daughter Jess (Stewart) gets into a drunk driving accident while her little brother Ben (Evan and Theodore Turner) is in the car.
As seems to be the case with most of these types of horror movies, something horrible once happened in this new house, and the ghosts of that violent incident now haunt the home. Some movies use this setup to great effect and with Sam Raimi as producer of "The Messengers," it's easy to believe this movie will deliver. However, although "The Messengers" has some surprisingly interesting and unsettling Japanese horror-inspired ghost effects and sequences, its non-horror sequences are so generic that it's hard to get invested enough in these characters enough to care.
"The Messengers" is an early solo starring role for Stewart in a theatrically released film, so it's partly worth celebrating for that. Plus, it's her first foray into horror, a genre that — aside from the horror-tinged "Twilight" series — she would return to much more successfully more than a decade later (as we'll see).
36. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
A ranking of Kristen Stewart's filmography is a de facto ranking of the "Twilight" franchise, so here we begin that process with "Breaking Dawn – Part 1." Following in the footsteps of "Harry Potter," the "Twilight Saga" split the movie adaptation of the final book in the series into two parts (via Black Girls Create).
But unlike the "Harry Potter" movies, where "Deathly Hallows Part 1" functions well as a standalone movie, "Breaking Dawn – Part 1" largely feels like filler and a lead up to the much more exciting "Breaking Dawn – Part 2." The story of "Breaking Dawn – Part 1" covers the wedding of Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Stewart), which is undeniably affecting for fans of the series. It also showcases their honeymoon and Bella's pregnancy, and it ends with Bella becoming a vampire, which is when things really start to get interesting.
Along with the beautifully realized wedding, "Breaking Dawn – Part 1" includes the most genuinely horrifying sequence of this horror-adjacent franchise when Bella gives birth. The scene channels the body horror genre: Bella writhes in pain, and her body seems to take on a mind of its own, as her half-vampire child seeks to break free of her. However, two good sequences can't save the almost two-hour long movie from largely feeling like a chore that viewers have to sit through just to get to the good stuff in "Breaking Dawn – Part 2."
35. Welcome to the Rileys
"Welcome to the Rileys" offers undeniably powerful performances from its three leads — James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, and Kristen Stewart — but the film's script is so overwrought and, quite frankly, regressive that it's impossible to ever really be swept away by the actors. Gandolfini and Leo play Doug and Lois Riley, a couple whose teenage daughter died years ago, and who have been struggling both individually and in their relationship ever since. To cope, Doug has begun an affair, while Lois has developed severe agoraphobia.
When Doug's mistress dies, he retreats even further from Lois and moves in with young stripper Mallory (Stewart) to nurse his grief. But instead of burgeoning into another affair, their relationship develops into something closer to a father/daughter dynamic. This could be (and the film certainly tries to portray it as) sweet, but it ends up feeling frustrating, as Doug is judgmental of Mallory's choices and is desperate to "fix" her. This project of fixing the young woman only gets worse when Lois, having gathered the courage to finally leave their house, joins Doug and Mallory and begins to police Mallory's language and life.
Although it's interesting to see Stewart play opposite great actors like James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo, the film is ultimately more frustrating than anything in its depiction of people trying to "save" someone else (who didn't ask them to), just because they don't know how to save themselves. It feels like it could be something so much better and unfortunately, even Kristen Stewart can't change that.
34. Seberg
"Seberg" follows in the footsteps of "Welcome to the Rileys" as a movie whose script unfortunately doesn't live up to Stewart's truly captivating central performance as actress Jean Seberg. The film follows the American actress, who lived much of her life in France and became an icon of the French New Wave after starring in Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless" in 1960. Later on in the '60s, she was targeted by the FBI for her involvement and support of the Black Panthers and the Civil Rights Movement.
It's a fascinating and heartbreaking story, as the increasing surveillance and rumor-spreading of the FBI drove Seberg to take her own life (via The LA Times). However, the movie does a very poor job of properly bringing this story to the screen. It's simply not very well-written and ignores a lot of interesting material to focus instead on Seberg's relationship with Jack Solomon (Jack O'Connell), a fictional "good cop" in the FBI. Solomon cannot bring himself to continue surveilling the actress because of the serious consequences it is having on her mental health.
This fictional character robs the movie of making a powerful political statement, which a film about the abuse of a citizen by a federal agency certainly should do. Perhaps even more upsetting is that the movie shifts the emotional focus away from Seberg onto a character who never existed in reality, and in doing so, fails to do justice to the dark truth of Seberg being taken down just for the sake of the FBI's agenda. "Seberg" could have been great, and Stewart certainly is great in it, but unfortunately, its sugar-coated treatment of Seberg's life made it one of the worst movies of 2020.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
33. Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The third movie in the "Twilight Saga," based on the book of the same name, is the first to really up the action. The vampire Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard, who takes over the role from Rachelle Lefevre) seeks revenge for the death of her mate James (Cam Gigandet) at the hands of the Cullens. So, she is amassing an army of newly turned vampires to launch an attack on Bella and Edward. Of course, the film also focuses on the ongoing drama of Bella's difficulty navigating her warring relationships with Edward and Jacob (Taylor Lautner).
The main problem with "Eclipse" is that it doesn't feel like it's a necessary chapter in the saga of Bella and Edward. Or rather, the plot of Victoria's revenge feels like it's tacked on and is just an excuse to have more action, when the story only really needs to be a romantic drama. While Howard is a talented actress, the recasting of Victoria and absence of the menace that Lefevre originally brought to the role negatively affect the film as well. Director David Slade previously made the vampire film "30 Days of Night" and brings his stylish vampire sensibility to the action scenes of "Eclipse," which are fun to watch. In the end though, the focus on Victoria's plot for revenge just feels unnecessary and leaves the movie feeling like an odd duck in the franchise, which does best when it focuses on the love story of Bella and Edward.
32. Jumper
"Jumper" is based on the book of the same name by Steven Gould and features a small cameo by Kristen Stewart. The film came out earlier in the same year as the first "Twilight" movie, so it feels like a missed opportunity to only briefly see Stewart in one scene at the end, which serves as an epilogue to the adventure of the rest of "Jumper."
Unfortunately, it's a pretty mediocre adventure. David Rice (Hayden Christensen) is a "jumper," who can teleport wherever he wants. He's used this ability to rob banks and make a nice life for himself. But jumpers are hunted by "Paladins," a society of religious zealots, who believe the jumpers' ability to teleport is evil. The Paladins are led by Roland Cox (Samuel L. Jackson), which at least gives the movie a fun re-teaming of Christensen and Jackson after their work together in a galaxy far, far away. Stewart plays Sophie, David's half-sister that he never knew, and only appears at the end, when David discovers some secrets about his family.
While some of the action sequences are fun, the story is predictable and rote: David's love interest is made into a damsel in distress, and he struggles with whether or not to kill Cox, all of which we've seen before. The movie just feels forgettable and perhaps that's why people hardly remember Stewart's part in it.
31. What Just Happened
Stewart has worked with a lot of great actors throughout her career, but it's still exciting to see her work with a living legend like Robert De Niro in "What Just Happened." Sadly, the movie doesn't quite live up to the potential of this collaboration. The film centers around Ben (De Niro), a movie producer, who's struggling to keep his personal and professional lives afloat. Stewart's role is small, as she plays Ben's daughter, Zoe, who's also dealing with ups and downs in her own life.
It's a decent comedy about Hollywood, and includes fun cameos from Sean Penn and Bruce Willis, but it never really emotionally pulls the audience into its world. In fact, it may keep viewers at length if they aren't already familiar with the ins and outs of the film industry. De Niro's charm carries the movie, and there are a few funny moments, including one between De Niro and Stewart at a funeral. But even Robert De Niro can't save "What Just Happened" from being a movie that's too interested in the work of making movies to be interesting to anyone outside the industry.
30. The Yellow Handkerchief
The 2008 American movie "The Yellow Handkerchief" is a remake of a 1977 Japanese film of the same name. That Japanese movie was inspired by Dawn & Tony Orlando's song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree," which was itself inspired by a column that Peter Hamill wrote for The New York Post in 1971. Still with us? Clearly, there's a lot of history that the 2008 version of "The Yellow Handkerchief" brings to the screen, and that's part of the problem.
Hamill's original story is about a man released from prison, who is unsure whether his wife will want him back in her life. So, he writes to her to place a yellow ribbon around a tree, as a symbol that he is welcome to return to her life. If she does so, he'll come back. Of course, that simple story isn't enough for a feature film, so the narrative is expanded out to include a pair of young misfits, who offer to take the ex-con (played by William Hurt) home. Stewart plays Martine, a teen on the run from her family, and Eddie Redmayne is Gordy, an awkward young man, who struggles to feel accepted.
Unfortunately, "The Yellow Handkerchief" ends up feeling predictable and repetitive, particularly in comparison to more effective road movies about self-discovery and coming-of-age tales like "Y tu mamá también" and "Little Miss Sunshine." Perhaps these themes were more novel when the Japanese version of "The Yellow Handkerchief" was released in 1977, but by 2008, this was well-worn territory, even in the hands of rising young stars like Kristen Stewart and Eddie Redmayne.
29. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
The final film in the "Twilight Saga" franchise presents the second half of the final book of Stephanie Meyers' series, and it is certainly the largest scale of all the movies, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the best. Bella turns into a vampire after giving birth to her and Edward's half-vampire, half-human daughter Renesmee. This joyful occasion takes a turn when Bella, Edward, and Renesmee become targets of the Volturi, the authority of vampires tasked with keeping things in line, because vampire children are forbidden (since they can't be controlled).
The movie then turns into a "putting the team together" film, as the Cullen clan gathers "witnesses" to confirm that Renesmee is not in fact a vampire child, but is a hybrid. It's interesting and fun to meet the variety of vampires from different locales across the world, who gather together before a finale that throws them into the biggest (and best) action scene in the series.
What makes "Breaking Dawn – Part 2" land so low on this list is the fact that, like its predecessor, much of the movie feels like filler. For the entire first hour, it just feels like we are waiting for the more interesting stuff to happen and while it's exciting to see Bella in her new vampire form, it's not exciting enough to warrant a nearly two-hour runtime.
28. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
"Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk," based on the novel of the same name by Ben Fountain, is a solid drama about the reality that many army veterans face: returning home from war, where they're celebrated for their bravery, but at the same time, they can't let go of the horrors that they experienced in the name of that bravery. It's a complex story, yet the most interesting thing about this movie is director Ang Lee's choice to film it in an ultra high frame rate.
The story centers on the titular Billy Lynn (Joe Alwyn), who was filmed moving a wounded comrade to safety in the midst of a firefight, and so has become something of a national hero. The movie focuses on Billy and his squad's appearance at a halftime show, with flashbacks to their time in Iraq and Billy's life before joining the military. It's mostly in these flashbacks that we see Kristen Stewart, who plays Billy's sister Kathryn with the same sensitivity and fire that she brings to many of her roles. The film certainly has some emotional moments and all of the actors bring great performances to the screen, but the content of the film isn't interesting enough to bring the focus away from its technical form.
"Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" uses a frame rate of 120 frames per second (FPS) as opposed to the standard 24 FPS, which Lee combines with 3D and 4K resolution to create an immersive, hyper-realistic experience (via Deadline). This achievement is perhaps the most significant reason to check out the film, although sadly, it's difficult to find a way to experience this "whole shebang," as Lee calls it, without a screen that can handle all of these elements.
27. The Cake Eaters
Like a number of films on this list, "The Cake Eaters" is an independent ensemble drama that is entirely serviceable. It's certainly not a bad movie, but it's also not a great one, and similarly to "In the Land of Women," it includes an uncomfortable relationship between Stewart's teenaged character and an adult man. Ultimately, what puts it a bit higher in our ranking is Stewart's performance.
Stewart plays Georgia, a teen with terminal Friedreich's ataxia, a neurodegenerative disease. Stewart's acting is strong here, as she lends a depth of feeling to Georgia, who wants to fall in love before she dies. In spite of Stewart's sensitive portrayal of Georgia, it is worth noting that the practice of casting able-bodied actors as disabled characters has been fairly and rightfully criticized.
The film follows a handful of characters, whose lives intersect in a small town. There's Beagle (Aaron Stanford), the 20-year-old aspiring artist that Georgia becomes romantically involved with, Georgia's grandmother Marg (Elizabeth Ashley), Beagle's father and Marg's lover Easy (Bruce Dern), and Easy's son Guy, whose return to town after a long absence catalyzes the movie's events.
26. The Safety of Objects
"The Safety of Objects" is an independent ensemble drama that's based on a collection of short stories of the same name by A.M. Homes. Centered around various lives in the suburbs, the film weaves together some of the stories by creating a similar hyperlink narrative style as "Anesthesia." But unlike that film, most of these stories are interesting, either in their strangeness or surprising darkness.
One thread focuses on tween Jake (Alex House), who is romantically and sexually obsessed with a doll that belongs to his younger sister. Another follows tomboy Sam (Kristen Stewart), as she is kidnapped by Randy (Timothy Olyphant), who is struggling with the loss of his younger brother. Randy forces Sam to pretend to be a boy and take up the role of his brother, but eventually lets Sam go, once he confronts his grief head-on.
It's still not an amazing example of this kind of inter-connected filmmaking, but "The Safety of Objects" is still often impossible to look away from, even if not all of the stories are equally gripping. What makes it really stand out on this list is that it's the first significant role that Stewart had, and she manages to hold her own against an established and award-winning actor like Timothy Olyphant.
25. Equals
"Equals" follows in the footsteps of movies like "THX 1138" and "Equilibrium," as it is set in a future where emotions have been outlawed. Given that there are other examples of this premise, "Equals" is not breaking any new ground. However, where "THX 1138" and "Equilibrium" are more focused on socio-political commentaries and action respectively, "Equals" shifts its gaze to a romance between Kristen Stewart's Nia and Nicholas Hoult's Silas.
But given that the world of "Equals" is so averse to emotions, it becomes somewhat tedious to watch these two lovers necessarily hide their feelings in a one-note society that is otherwise wholly uninteresting. Stewart and Hoult do their best to make the inner lives of their characters palpable for the audience. And since they're both talented actors, they do succeed to a certain degree.
Ultimately, the film's strength is in its impressive production design. It's beautifully lit throughout, which makes every shot almost like a screensaver. It just seems that, despite how beautiful the movie often is, the story of "Equals" might have been better served as a book, which could deliver more of the characters' internal monologues and keep audiences more emotionally invested.
24. Café Society
"Café Society" is a late-career Woody Allen movie, which means it's a bit predictable, as it has the same concerns Allen has returned to over and over again, including the uncomfortable focus on relationships between older men and younger women. However, the film is charming enough. And it's certainly helped by a great cast that includes Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg (who Stewart has been paired with three times to date), Blake Lively, Steve Carrell, and Parker Posey.
The film follows Bobby (Eisenberg), who moves from New York to Hollywood in the 1930s to work as an errand boy for his uncle Phil (Carrell). Phil tasks his secretary Veronica (Stewart) with showing Bobby around town. Bobby quickly falls for her, but she rejects his advances because she's already involved with someone else ... his uncle Phil. And that's just the start of the drama that takes twists and turns, bringing us from coast to coast, as the characters try to figure out what it is they really want.
It's a good-looking movie that brings the period to life in a fun way. All of the actors are adept at moving between the more comic and dramatic moments of the story, but it's also something we've seen many times before, often with greater success.
23. Catch that Kid
2004 was a very good year for the young Kristen Stewart, who appeared in three movies, all of which showed she could lead a movie and deliver strong performances. We'll get to the other two films higher up on this list, but we'll start here with "Catch that Kid," a remake of the 2002 Danish film "Klatretøsen." "Catch that Kid" gave Stewart her first lead role (as opposed to co-lead) in a theatrically released movie. She more than manages to make the audience feel invested in her character and the story.
The movie centers on young teen Maddy (Stewart), whose father Tom (Sam Robards) needs money for surgery, but their family can't afford it. So, Maddy decides to rob the bank where her mom Molly (Jennifer Beals) works as a security consultant. It's an undeniably silly premise and the movie never takes itself too seriously, as Maddy and her friends Austin (Corbin Bleu) and Gus (Max Thieriot), a gifted hacker and mechanic respectively, plan and then successfully execute a heist. Some of the comedy won't be funny to anyone over the age of ten, but the heist and the subsequent chase during which the kids escape using go karts are surprisingly riveting, and what is fun is seeing Stewart's future star shine in this first lead role.
22. Into the Wild
"Into the Wild" is an undeniably well-made movie, as its many nominations and awards can attest. Part of its power comes from the fact that all of the performances, including Kristen Stewart as teen Tracy, are strong. What lands it lower on our list is that its story drags at a bloated runtime of 148 minutes, and it — consciously or not — romanticizes a truly dangerous way of life.
The film, based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Jon Krakauer, recounts the life of Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch), who graduates from college and decides to abandon his pre-determined life to take a trip across the United States and live in the wilderness. Chris is determined to get to Alaska, where he will live totally alone in nature. However, once there, he realizes that he is unprepared to live off the land in the way he'd fantasized. After mistaking poisonous plants for edible ones, he dies alone in the abandoned bus he has been using as a home.
Over the course of Chris' journey, he meets a variety of different people, including Tracy, who falls for his wandering spirit. The two of them do share a connection, but ultimately, Chris keeps his distance because Tracy is a minor. Plus, he's committed to living outside of the material world, so he leaves Tracy behind. Stewart plays Tracy's infatuation and heartbreak beautifully, and fans will be happy to see her showcase her singing talents with her rendition of John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery."
21. Snow White and The Huntsman
2012 saw Kristen Stewart's last major foray into multiple big-budget films, as both "Breaking Dawn – Part 2" and "Snow White and the Huntsman" came out. Although "Snow White and the Huntsman" did get a 2016 sequel with "The Huntsman: Winter's War," Stewart wasn't involved.
"Snow White and the Huntsman" is a retelling of the classic "Snow White" story. But instead of leaning on cute dwarves and singing animals, "Snow White and the Huntsman" draws on the darker tone of the original fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, the epic fantasy of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Chronicles of Narnia," and even the true horror story of Countess Elizabeth Báthory (whose influence can be seen in this film's version of Queen Ravenna). Snow White (Stewart) teams up with Eric the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to evade and then battle the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron), who's determined to eat Snow White's heart to stay youthful and immortal (of course).
The film delivers on the action in Snow White and the Huntsman's adventures, and on a larger scale in its epic final battle. The movie is also a visual thrill, as Charlize Theron's queen Ravenna is often adorned with gold, and the forest of the film's setting genuinely looks evil. Truth be told, this is really Theron's movie, as her performance is wonderfully over-the-top, but Stewart and Hemsworth hold their own too and balance Theron's dark magic.
"Snow White and the Huntsman" is a beautiful movie, and it's exciting to see Stewart's more serious, androgynous take on Snow White, whom we finally get to see wield a weapon or two. It's not a perfect fantasy film, but it is a lot of fun and it's notable as the only epic fantasy movie Stewart has starred in (thus far at least).
20. JT LeRoy
We move from the world of fantasy back to the real world, although it's one that's still filled with fantasy. "JT LeRoy" is based on the memoir "Girl Boy Girl: How I Became JT LeRoy" by Savannah Knoop. It tells the story of how Knoop (Kristen Stewart) embodied the fictional author JT LeRoy, who was created by author Laura Albert (Laura Dern) as a pseudonym from 1999 to 2005. It's a fascinating story of identity and celebrity, as LeRoy and Albert skyrocket to literary fame after the release of LeRoy's first book, which leads them to a number of in-person events, where Knoop must perform as LeRoy.
Ultimately, the movie functions primarily as a vehicle for both Stewart and Dern. They are both magnetic in their roles, especially Stewart, who must act as both Knoop, and as Knoop pretending to be LeRoy. The film transcends the usual biopic pitfalls by virtue of being such a strange story, and one that's itself about stories and storytelling. It's a movie that's more interesting than it is entertaining, since for a story this wild, the approach is rather restrained.
19. Zathura: A Space Adventure
"Zathura: A Space Adventure," based on the book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, is a semi-sequel to 1995's "Jumanji." It is based on a book by the same author and takes place in the same fictional universe, but there are no explicit references to "Jumanji" in the movie, which works more as a stand-alone film. Even without that obvious connection, it's still easy to see that the stories are related, as "Zathura" follows brothers Walter (Josh Hutcherson) and Danny (Jonah Bobo), who play a game that transports them and their home into outer space. The brothers inadvertently drag their sister Lisa (Kristen Stewart) into the farthest reaches of space with them.
Much like in "Jumanji," the siblings must then play the game, and go on a "space adventure," as the subtitle of the movie indicates. Their journey takes them through a number of trials that force the siblings — who generally don't get along — to work together. While it's set in space, the movie's setting within the home (that's traveling through the cosmos) makes it feel oddly cozy. It's fun to see Stewart play a typically put-upon teenage girl, who's stuck with her annoying brothers. "Zathura" is a family film that can please the whole family with its perfect balance of excitement and comfort.
18. Twilight Saga: New Moon
The second "Twilight" movie largely feels like the first one, as Bella is introduced to a new and supernatural world that exists just beyond the one she's always known. But instead of encountering Edward's world of "vegetarian" vampires, this time she discovers Jacob's life as a werewolf.
"Twilight" ends with Edward and Bella happy and together, as they go to prom. "New Moon" picks up from here and everything seems to be going well, until Bella attends a party at the Cullen home, where she gets a cut and bleeds. Cullen family member Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) can't stop himself from attacking her, so Edward decides that he cannot be with Bella. For her safety, he puts distance between her, him, and his family. This leads Bella into a deep depression, which she slowly begins to recover from thanks to her friendship with Jacob, who is struggling with his growing werewolf powers.
The start and end of the movie involve some of the series' biggest moments of melodrama centered around Edward. However, the story of "New Moon" really does just feel like a retread of the first "Twilight" movie with werewolves standing in for vampires. Strangely, that's not a bad thing here because of Stewart and Lautnery's easy chemistry, which makes most of the movie feel like a surprisingly fun hangout flick and lands it higher than some other "Twilight" movies on our list.
17. Charlie's Angels
2019's "Charlie's Angels" marked Stewart's return to a big-budget franchise after a seven-year absence, following her turns in "Breaking Dawn Part 2" and "Snow White and the Huntsman." And though "Charlie's Angels" wasn't a financial success upon release, it's a wonderfully earnest girl power adventure that's both fun and funny, even if it's not anything new.
While the movie centers on a trio of angels — played by Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska — it's really Stewart's movie, as she is by far the most charismatic of the leads, and gets the best action scenes and lines. The movie would still be a good time without her, but her performance as Sabina makes the movie one of the best easy-viewing action comedies of recent years. It's also just fun to see her display a wide variety of outfits through the course of her spy work, which includes some beautiful dresses, but more excitingly, a leopard print onesie, a maid outfit, and a jockey uniform.
If nothing else, "Charlie's Angels" shows that Stewart has great comic chops, and can even be the funniest part of a comedy. It's a genre she had been in before but "Charlie's Angels" is the first to really let her shine in this space.
16. Undertow
"Undertow" is another 2004 film that features Kristen Stewart, but it's the only one of the three that year in which she doesn't star. In fact, she only makes a brief appearance, but this is still one of the better movies in her filmography.
The film is an early effort from David Gordon Green, who would later become known for movies like "Pineapple Express" and as the helmer of the new "Halloween" films. "Undertow" follows brothers Chris (Jamie Bell) and Tim (Devon Alan), who are on the run from their murderous uncle Deel (Josh Lucas). The story begins when Deel visits the boys and their father John (Durmot Mulroney). He demands a stash of gold that his and John's father left behind, but John refuses. So, Deel kills John, which leads the boys to flee.
Their journey takes on a strange, slightly fantastical atmosphere, as the boys get farther and farther from home. And over the course of their journey, they meet a variety of people, including Stewart's Lila, who has a brief romance with Chris. Stewart's screen time is short, but either way, it's a thrilling and interesting movie that clearly owes a lot to "The Night of the Hunter," but smartly avoids simply retelling the same story as that classic film.
15. Happiest Season
The comedic talent that Kristen Stewart displays in "Charlie's Angels" gets put to use in the romantic comedy "Happiest Season" (which is a Christmas romantic comedy, no less). "Happiest Season" follows Abby (Stewart) and her girlfriend Harper (Mackenzie Davis) on a Christmas visit to Harper's family, who Abby is meeting for the first time. But before they get there, Harper tells Abby that she hasn't yet come out to her family because her father is a politician, who's currently in the middle of a mayoral race. She doesn't want to hurt his campaign, so she asks Abby to go back into the closet and pretend to be her straight roommate.
Stewart is effortlessly charming in the film, and captures the conflicting emotions of being in love with someone, who's keeping you small at the same time. The film has lovely moments and an absolutely stellar cast that includes Aubrey Plaza (who steals every scene she is in), Dan Levy, Allison Brie, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenburgen.
Much drama unfolds over the course of the movie, some of it in the vein of standard romantic comedy hijinks and some of it rather controversial. It's that controversy that keeps "Happiest Season" from landing higher up on our ranking. Ultimately, the finale makes this a complicated and uncomfortable movie, as characters are outed against their will and the ending leaves much to be desired for many viewers, who feel that Abby deserved better (or at the very least, to end up with Aubrey Plaza's Riley). "Happiest Season" is valuable as a conversation starter about the LGBTQ+ experience, but in the end, it fails to deliver as a romantic comedy.
14. Camp X-Ray
"Camp X-Ray" is a film that perhaps should be more complicated and uncomfortable than it is. The story follows Army Private first class Amy Cole (Kristen Stewart) in her first year as a guard at Guantanamo Bay. She struggles to maintain emotional distance from her work, which becomes more and more difficult, as she engages with a chatty detainee named Ali (Payman Maadi). It's a fairly simple story, and it's well-told with occasional moments that are genuinely disturbing. However, it ends up feeling a bit too neat, as the audience can tell where the narrative is going from the start.
What makes "Camp X-Ray" land rather high on this list though is that the film is a two-hander that centers on the relationship between Amy and Ali, which is beautifully performed by both Stewart and Maadi. Stewart's performance allows the audience to see an entire world of pained emotions beneath Amy's attempts to remain cold and distant during her rounds. Meanwhile, Maadi plays Ali with such desperation for the acknowledgment of his humanity that the audience immediately cares for him. It's the performances that make "Camp X-Ray" a movie worth watching for fans of Kristen Stewart and great acting in general, even if the story itself is somewhat too clean for something as complex as the horrors of Guantanamo.
13. Certain Women
"Certain Women" is an anthology film that tells three different vignettes, each based on a short story by Maile Meloy from her collections "Half in Love" and "Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It." The stories focus on lawyer Laura (Laura Dern), who must negotiate with a disgruntled client during a hostage situation; Gina (Michelle Williams), who is struggling in her marriage to Ryan (James LeGross), as they attempt to build a new home together; and rancher Jamie (Lily Gladstone), who falls for young lawyer Beth (Stewart) after meeting at a night school class that Beth teaches.
Some of the stories are more interesting than others, as is inevitably the case with anthology films. The film subverts expectations in its final story about Jamie, since the previous two sections are led by recognizable movie stars like Dern and Williams, while Jamie is wonderfully played by relative newcomer Lily Gladstone. It's a very slow movie, one that lets the audience sit with its characters and their feelings more than action or plot. That's not to say that it's boring, as "Certain Women" is filled with captivating performances from all of the leads. Its supporting cast shines too, as Stewart proves to be so lovely in her few scenes that we fall in love with her character right along with Jamie.
12. Lizzie
"Lizzie" tells a new version of the Lizzie Borden story by introducing a lesbian romance between the titular axe-wielding killer (played with brilliant stoicism by Chloë Sevigny) and live-in maid Bridget (Kristen Stewart). It's a slow-burn film that begins when Bridget arrives as the new maid for the Borden household, which leads to the development of her and Lizzie's romantic relationship over the course of a few months. As the two of them get closer, they also experience various wrongs at the hands of Lizzie's father Andrew (Jamey Sheridan).
It's a much more atmospheric and subdued movie than the premise of a "lesbian version of the Lizzie Borden story" might lead viewers to believe. But the more deliberate pacing and somewhat detached approach makes its shocking climax all the more visceral and disturbing. "Lizzie" is a remarkable movie, not just for its suffocating atmosphere, thrilling climax, or even its introduction of a queer Lizzie Borden, but most of all, because it is so firmly on Lizzie and Bridget's side throughout. It is a testament to the powerful performances of both Sevigny and Stewart, whose chemistry and sometimes quiet, sometimes explosive rage will impress viewers long after the film is over.
11. Twilight
It can sometimes be impossible to separate a film from its context, and that is certainly the case with "Twilight," which began a phenomenon that persists today (albeit after a slight dip in the late 2010s). The 2008 movie, based on the book of the same name by Stephenie Meyer, launched Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson into movie star status overnight, and its massive success ensured that the rest of the books would all be brought to screen as well.
The financial success of a film and its cultural impact are not necessarily markers of quality, but that impact of "Twilight" has to be a part of its consideration in a list like this. After all, it introduced what may still be Stewart's most iconic performance as Bella Swan, and set her up to make the bold choices that have made her such an interesting actor since the release of this movie. However much Stewart has played against type in the years since "Twilight," it's also hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Bella.
Of course, we have to consider the movie itself, which lands higher than any other entry in the franchise on our list, both for being the first and also for being the best. It certainly has some problems, from an abrupt tonal shift in the final third act to Edward's gaslighting of Bella before she discovers he's a vampire. But overall, "Twilight" is a fast-moving and fun teen romance, with the added dash of the supernatural that's brought to the screen with a unique visual style by director Catherine Hardwicke.
10. Underwater
Although "Crimes of the Future" may soon unseat it, for now "Underwater" holds the distinction of being the best horror movie that Kristen Stewart has starred in. The film follows a group of crew members working on the Kepler 822 research and drilling facility, which is on the bottom of the ocean ... seven miles below the surface. The facility is struck by a destructive earthquake, which unleashes far more than the crew has bargained for. "Underwater" follows in the footsteps of horror greats like "The Descent" and "Alien," as it's a film that's set in an already horrifying place: so deep underwater that a human will implode from the pressure, unless they're wearing an exosuit. Of course, it's all made more deadly by the introduction of terrifying sea monsters.
"Underwater" has a very straightforward story, and one that we've certainly seen before. But the film has a distinct look, from its beautifully blue hues to the steampunk-inspired exosuits that the crew need to wear before stepping outside the facility, which make viewers feel like they're underwater too. Plus, there are the fantastically designed creatures that appear as the film's main antagonists, which give the movie an even creepier layer. Stewart plays Norah, a mechanical engineer, and capably leads the audience along with her, as she tries to stay rational and calm in the face of terrifying things that defy all logic. Her performance is bolstered by the rest of the strong cast, which includes Vincent Cassell, John Gallagher Jr., and rising star Mamoudou Athie.
In the end, "Underwater" seriously delivers on the tension and scares that are the measure of any good horror film, and it's definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of Stewart or just horror in general.
9. Speak
"Speak" is the last of the three movies that featured Stewart in 2004, and despite the fact that it did not receive theatrical distribution and instead was aired on Showtime, it's the best of all three (already good) movies. "Speak," based on a novel of the same name by Laurie Halse Anderson, is one of the most emotionally taxing films in Stewart's filmography.
"Speak" centers on young teen Melinda (Stewart), who calls the police to a house party, after she is raped by older student Andy (Eric Lively). However, she can't bring herself to name him or reveal the crime to the police. This makes her an outcast at school, and in the aftermath of her assault, she turns inward and doesn't talk much at all. Other students taunt her, and teachers become frustrated, all of which worsens Melinda's PTSD. Over the course of the film, Melinda regains her confidence with the help of her friend Dave (Michael Angarano) and art teacher Mr. Freeman (Steve Zahn), who encourages her to express herself through art rather than speech. Ultimately, she is able to name Andy and his crime, and begin her road to healing.
"Speak" is a difficult film to watch, but it's a rewarding one, as director Jessica Sharzer and Stewart bring the audience into Melinda's headspace through voiceover and Stewart's emotional performance. The film allows us to understand and empathize with Melinda's struggle to speak out, which makes this a powerful film about the reality of sexual assault that many face.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
8. Adventureland
"Adventureland" is the first film that Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg starred in together and it's easy to see why they worked together again afterwards. They have great chemistry together both in the movie's comedic moments, where they banter with ease and perfect timing, and in the more heartfelt moments, such as the film's beautiful final scene.
"Adventureland" centers around James (Eisenberg), who has just graduated college in the late 1980s. He and his friends have plans to visit Europe together, but his family's financial situation changes, and instead of getting money from mom and dad to travel around Europe, James learns that he'll have to spend the summer working. He gets a job at the titular "Adventureland," a small amusement park near his home, and the film follows the romances and friendships he builds during this fateful summer. Stewart plays Emily, Jesse's love interest, who is caught in a triangle between her feelings for her new friend Jesse and her married coworker Connell (Ryan Reynolds).
The movie, written and directed by "Superbad" director Greg Mottola, is a small scale coming-of-age tale that perfectly balances its comedy and drama elements. "Adventureland" is often laugh-out-loud funny (perhaps not surprising from a cast that boasts Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Martin Starr in supporting roles) and also manages to hit some more serious moments with real pathos. The time period and setting provide a super fun '80s pop soundtrack that is sure to get at least one song stuck in your head, and it's a great film for any fan of Kristen Stewart or a sweet, fun, nostalgic time.
7. American Ultra
Six years after "Adventureland," Eisenberg and Stewart teamed up again for "American Ultra," where they play a couple, who have been together for some time. Mike (Eisenberg) and Phoebe (Stewart) live in West Virginia, where Mike works as a convenience store clerk to finance his true passions of drawing comics and smoking weed. But their idyllic lives are suddenly interrupted when Mike — a dormant CIA operative – is activated by Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton), who wants to save him from being eliminated by her rival.
It's a silly premise, but "American Ultra" plays both its comedy and action beats with equal commitment, which leads to a super fun back-and-forth between thrilling action scenes and uproarious comedy. Sometimes, it mixes the two to great effect. Stewart and Eisenberg once again bring their remarkable chemistry to the film, and the fun they have is supported by a stellar cast: John Leguizamo, Tony Hale, and Topher Grace, who all bring their comedy A game.
"American Ultra" remains the best action-comedy of Stewart's career thus far, and given how much fun this movie is, it's hard to see it being beaten out by anything she does in the future. Unless, of course, she teams up with Jesse Eisenberg again.
6. Panic Room
Stewart's breakout movie is also one of her best, which may not be a surprise when you consider that it's a David Fincher film, in which she stars opposite Jodie Foster. In 2002's "Panic Room," Foster and Stewart play mother Meg and daughter Sarah, who move into a beautiful four-story brownstone in New York. On their first night there, they are terrorized by a group of men, who break into the home seeking the previous owner's bearer bonds. Meg and Sarah lock themselves inside the house's fail-safe panic room to protect themselves and figure out how to escape.
While the movie centers around Meg and Sarah, it also focuses on the thieves, and creates a dual narrative that makes it all the more interesting. Burnham (Forest Whitaker) is an employee of the security company that armed the house, who is now struggling with the unexpected complication of a woman and child in this home that was supposed to be empty. Not only that, but Meg and Sarah have also locked themselves in the room that actually holds the bonds that the thieves want. As the men become more and more desperate to get this money, tensions grow between Burnham and his colleagues (played by Jared Leto and Dwight Yoakam), who are more willing to enact violence to achieve their goal.
"Panic Room" is a small-scale story that becomes even smaller once Meg and Sarah lock themselves in the titular panic room. But Fincher wrings the narrative for all the tension it can deliver, and Stewart and Foster portray the desperation and fear of the mother and daughter so honestly and believably that we are riveted for every moment. It's not hard to see why this film launched Stewart's career and is a favorite among her fans.
5. The Runaways
"The Runaways" was Stewart's first significant foray into the world of biopics, which she has returned to repeatedly over the course of her career. Unlike some of these other movies, like "Into the Wild," here Stewart is the co-lead, alongside Dakota Fanning's Cherie Currie. And here, of course, she plays the iconic rock musician, Joan Jett.
"The Runaways," which draws significantly from Currie's autobiography "Neon Angel," follows the titular all girl punk band, from its formation to Curie's departure. The film charts their rise from somewhat of a novelty act formed by producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) to world-touring superstars. Not surprisingly, there are consequences of such fame and success on these young musicians. Writer and director Floria Sigismondi does a tremendous job of bringing the punk energy of the band and music culture to the screen with the help of her lead performers, who manage to blend the drug-fueled chaos and ambition of their characters with real emotion. It's not the only time Stewart and Fanning have appeared in a film together (Fanning is in the "Twilight franchise as well), but it's definitely the best, as the two have thrilling and palpable chemistry.
It's one of the best movies in Stewart's filmography no matter your knowledge or interest in the band. Whether you've never heard of "The Runaways," or you're Joan Jett herself, the movie is a joy to behold.
4. Spencer
From punk royalty to British royalty, "Spencer" sees Stewart take on another real-life icon in the form of Princess Diana. And she fully disappears into the role, so much so that without knowing that Stewart is the actor, it's possible that viewers might not even recognize her. It's this total transformation that earned Stewart her first Oscar nomination, along with slew of other nominations and awards. And while the film may take significant poetic license with events and other characters, Stewart's performance is so captivating and empathetic that we are never taken out of the reality of Princess Diana's emotional world.
The story of the film takes place over three days of a Christmas holiday at the royals' Sandringham estate. Over these few days, Diana struggles with the constant surveillance of the royal family, and their desire to dictate her every action, move, and article of clothing. While there are moments of joy, "Spencer" is not a fun movie, as Stewart — along with the bold script by award-winning screenwriter Steven Knight and the direction of Pablo Larraín — places us so firmly within Diana's anxious headspace. But it is an incredibly impressive film that is always engaging, thanks in part to this stellar central performance by Stewart. Additionally, its powerful visual language makes a royal estate feel like a prison, which is only enhanced by the unnerving score by Radiohead guitarist (and Paul Thomas Anderson collaborator) Johnny Greenwood.
3. Still Alice
We move from one movie that's not very fun but is entirely captivating to another that's in the same vein. "Still Alice," based on a novel of the same name by Lisa Genova, tells the story of Alice Howland (Julianne Moore), a linguistics professor at Columbia, who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. The movie follows Alice and her family's responses to the diagnosis, which can be genetically transmitted. "Still Alice" doesn't shy away from the range of emotions that a diagnosis like this can create, both in Alice and in her family, as they struggle with sadness of course, but also frustration and anger.
It's an emotionally devastating movie, and one that is so powerful because it is so good. Moore is incredible in the lead performance, and the supporting cast includes Stewart as her younger daughter Lydia, and Alec Baldwin as her husband John, all of whom bring to life the many emotions that accompany loving someone struggling with Alzheimer's.
Stewart in particular is wonderful, as she essentially becomes the second lead of the film. She is the only family member emotionally capable of being around her mother, who doesn't always remember who she or others are, and she and Moore have moving chemistry as a daughter and mother trying to hold onto their relationship that's slipping away.
2. Personal Shopper
Stewart has worked with a number of big name directors over the course of her career, including David Fincher on "Panic Room," Ang Lee on "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" and indie darling Kelly Reichardt on "Certain Women." But perhaps the most exciting directorial collaborator of Stewart's career at this point is French filmmaker Olivier Assayas. Assayas is the only director that Stewart has worked with on two different and separate projects (we're not including Bill Condon, who did direct both parts of "Breaking Dawn," but they were filmed at the same time).
"Personal Shopper" is Stewart and Assayas' second collaboration, which he specifically wrote for her. The film centers on Maureen (Stewart), who works as a personal shopper for a supermodel, and is grieving the death of her twin brother, Lewis. But Maureen's grief is unique, as she does not believe she has fully lost her brother. Instead, she is waiting for a sign from him because they had agreed that whichever of them died first would send a sign from the beyond. The movie then develops into a thriller, when Maureen encounters a malevolent presence in Lewis' home and begins to receive text messages from a mysterious source that may be her brother.
The movie largely succeeds due to its atmosphere, which manages to be somehow equally soothing and spooky, and Stewart's performance, much of which involves her simply reacting and thinking of how to respond to text messages. Even so, she manages to be engaging. It also helps that as a movie about a personal shopper, the film includes beautiful clothing and shoes, and some scenes of Stewart trying things on for her employer that essentially function as a fashion show for the audience.
1. Clouds of Sils Maria
Before her lead role in "Personal Shopper," Stewart co-starred with Juliette Binoche in Oliver Assayas' "Clouds of Sils Maria," which draws heavy inspiration from Ingmar Bergman's classic film "Persona." "Clouds of Sils Maria" follows middle-aged actress Maria Enders (Binoche) and her relationship with her personal assistant Valentine (Stewart), as Maria prepares for a role in a new production of the play that made her a star.
The play, titled "Maloja Snake," centers on a romance between an older woman named Helena and Sigrid, a younger woman, who is taking advantage of her. As a younger actress, Maria originated the role of Sigrid, but now, 20 years later, a producer wants her to play Helena, which unleashes a flood of insecurities. Valentine does her best to assuage Maria's anxieties, and helps her prepare for the play by running lines with her. But as they rehearse together, the lines between reality and fiction begin to blur, and a real sexual tension develops between Valentine and Maria.
The scenes between Stewart and Binoche preparing for the play would be enough to make the film the best in Stewart's filmography (and they were certainly enough to win her the César Award for Best Supporting Actress). But "Clouds of Sils Maria" explores more than the fascinating reality-blurring relationship between these two incredibly talented actresses. Besides the lead pair, Chloë Grace Moretz also makes a brief but impactful appearance as the young actress taking on the role of Sigrid in the new production.
Along with the relationship between art and reality, the film also considers the complicated relationships between age, fame, and the timelessness of art in a world that is constantly reevaluating these things within its culture of 24-hour news cycles and social media. For all of these reasons and more, we think "Clouds of Sils Maria" is the best film of Kristen Stewart's career so far.