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So much has been said about Kristen Stewart. Though she has been acting since she was 10 years old, she skyrocketed to international fame in 2008 when she starred as Bella Swan in the wildly popular Twilight series. Following the first film in the franchise, Stewart – both in relation to her acting skills and her public persona – was frequently maligned by critics. From being told she was ungrateful or needed to smile more on red carpets to being criminally undervalued for her skills as an actor, we’re long overdue for a Kstew renaissance. 

Luckily, it appears we are currently in the midst of one, if her recent nomination for Best Actress at the Oscars is any indication. For sapphic fans of her like myself, there’s always been a draw to Stewart’s uniquely queer public persona, whether it be flipping off paparazzi or taking a picture of her (ex) girlfriend while hanging out of a car window. Those of us who have been fans of hers since the Twilight series have always found her to be both a compelling actor and an intriguing person, despite what critics have said. 

Nonetheless, there are still aspects of Stewart’s career that remain under-discussed. At only 31 years old, she already has an extensive filmography, dating all the way back to 2001. I think the best way to evaluate someone’s acting career is to lay out all of their work before you, which is what I’ve done here. Rankings are based on both the quality of the film itself and Stewart’s individual performance. Before you yell at me, this list is totally subjective, but I think any ranking like this is useful in illustrating the breadth of an actor’s career. Buckle up, it’s gonna be a long ride. 

42. Café Society (2016)

I am in charge of this list, so I am going to rank Café Society as the worst film in Kristen Stewart’s filmography. Objectively, it’s definitely not the worst film she’s ever made, but it is a Woody Allen film, and she should have known better than to star in a Woody Allen film in the year 2016. For that reason, the film has to be ranked dead last. 

41. Jumper (2008)

2008’s Jumper stars Hayden Christensen as David Rice, a man who has the ability to teleport himself anywhere he wants to go in an instant. David is on the run from a group of religious zealots who think his existence is blasphemous. The film was almost universally panned by critics, and, even worse, Stewart is barely in it. She only appears near the end of the film as David’s long-lost half-sister. This one’s not worth revisiting any time soon. 

40. What Just Happened (2008)

What Just Happened is a satirical film that’s just not funny at all. Directed by Barry Levinson (who you may know as Euphoria creator Sam Levinson’s dad), the film stars Robert Deniro as a Hollywood movie producer who’s having a very bad week. Filled with cameos from the likes of Sean Penn and Bruce Willis, the film follows Deniro’s Ben as he tries to get his movies completed and reconcile his relationship with his wife and daughter – played by Stewart. This film actually came out the same year Twilight was released, and it’s obvious which was more culturally significant. 

39. Cold Creek Manor (2003)

Cold Creek Manor came out in 2003, when Kristen Stewart was just 13 years old. The movie is about a family who moves from New York City to the countryside and is terrorized by the former owner of their new house. It’s too bad this film isn’t any good, because it has a stacked cast – Stewart’s parents in the film are played by Sharon Stone and Dennis Quaid, and Christopher Plummer and Juliette Lewis also star. The only good things about this movie are that Kristen plays a horse-loving tomboy named Kristen, and that Sharon Stone is present. It’s also another entry in the category of roles where Kristen Stewart’s mom is played by an iconic Hollywood actress (more on that later). 

38. The Messengers (2007)

Oddly enough, 2007’s The Messengers has a very similar plot to Cold Creek Manor. It’s about a family who moves from Chicago to live on a farm in North Dakota, only to be haunted by dark supernatural forces. Stewart plays the teenage daughter, Jess, who is a bad girl that traumatized her brother by driving drunk with him in the car and crashing. Her parents don’t believe her when she tells them about the spooky things happening around the farm because she’s such a hot mess. There is basically nothing memorable about this film apart from Stewart’s presence in it. 

37. Seberg (2019)

We had such high hopes for 2019’s Seberg, but they just did not pan out. Ostensibly a biopic of American actress Jean Seberg, the film looks at Seberg’s role in the FBI’s COINTELPRO program in the 1960s. Oddly enough, however, the film isn’t really about Seberg, despite its title, and it makes the unfathomable decision to depict the FBI agent surveilling her as a nice guy, rather than, you know, the villain. Stewart’s performance despite the muddled script is admirable, but it’s a mess of a movie. 

36. In The Land of Women (2007)

In The Land of Women came out in 2007 and stars Adam Brody, which tells you basically everything you need to know about the movie. Brody plays a writer living in LA who returns to Michigan to care for his ailing grandmother (played by the one and only Olympia Dukakis). While there, he gets to know his neighbors, Sarah (Meg Ryan), and her daughter, Lucy (Stewart). (If you’re keeping track, so far Kristen Stewart has played the daughter of Meg Ryan and Sharon Stone.) There is nothing particularly memorable about the film and it’s filled with cliches, but teenage Kristen Stewart is always charming. 

35. Anesthesia (2015) 

Anesthesia is an ensemble film led by Sam Waterston. Waterston plays a popular philosophy professor at Columbia who is randomly attacked one evening by a mugger. The attack, as well as the events leading up to it, have a ripple effect on the lives of several seemingly unconnected individuals whose lives are all shaped by tragedy. Stewart plays a despondent grad student who struggles with self-harm. Anesthesia is one of those films you watch and then immediately forget about. Stewart is typically great in the role, but it's a haphazardly put-together melodrama that doesn’t do its impressive cast any favors. 

34. The Cake Eaters (2007)

The Cake Eaters is another ensemble Kstew drama that’s just not very good. The film takes place following the death of the matriarch of the Kimbrough family. The widower, Easy (Bruce Dern), tries to reconnect with his old girlfriend, Marg (Elizabeth Ashley), while Easy’s son, Beagle (Aaron Stanford) develops a relationship with Marg’s granddaughter, Georgia (Stewart), a teenager who is chronically ill. 

It’s a poorly developed family drama that unsurprisingly, doesn’t treat Stewart’s chronic illness very well. (Par for the course in Hollywood dramas.) The only interesting element of the film is that it was directed by Mary Stuart Masterson, who readers of this newsletter might know from her role as Idgie in Fried Green Tomatoes. I would recommend re-watching that film instead of watching The Cake Eaters – it’s just not worth it. 

33. Lizzie (2018)

Lizzie is another film that many of us had high hopes for. The film follows famous killer Lizzie Borden (played by Chloë Sevigny), and looks at her life leading up to the infamous 1892 murders. Sevigny had been trying to get the film made for years, and has openly admitted that she was disappointed in the final product. Sevigny had wanted the film to be a new take on Lizzie and her story that would reveal why she did what she did, but as Sheila O’Malley puts it in Roger Ebert, “The story is so top-loaded with "motivation" it buckles under its own weight.” 

Stewart plays Bridget, the new maid in the Borden household who develops a romantic relationship with Lizzie. It’s long been suspected that Bridget had something to do with the murders and perhaps was Lizzie’s lover, and the film takes that assumption as fact. Stewart’s performance in the film is probably the most riveting of them all, but the film’s message – which Sevigny was initially so passionate about conveying – becomes confused and muddled by the end. 

32. JT LeRoy (2018)

The most interesting thing about the film JT LeRoy is the real-life story behind it. The film follows the story of author Laura Albert (Laura Dern), who asks her sibling-in-law, Savannah Knoop (Stewart) to become her fictional literary persona, JT LeRoy. This performance goes on for six years before they are found out. Unfortunately, the film isn’t as interesting as the real-life story, though Dern and Stewart give entertaining performances. 

31. Fierce People (2005)

Fierce People stars the late Anton Yelchin as a teenager named Finn who lives with his drug-addicted mother (Diane Lane). Instead of spending the summer studying an indigenous tribe in South America, Finn and his mother move into the guest house of billionaire Ogden C. Osbourne (Donald Sutherland). Finn is fascinated by the family and falls in love with Ogden’s daughter, Maya (Stewart).

The self-satisfied premise of the film – Finn studies the rich people as if they were a “tribe” – is quite annoying and the analogy is beat to death by the film’s conclusion. It spirals into something extremely dark and violent by the end, and Stewart and Yelchin’s considerable talent doesn’t even come close to saving it. Go watch Parasite instead. 

30. On The Road (2012)

If you’ve ever read Jack Kerouac's famous beat generation novel On The Road, then you know the female characters aren’t very well developed. It’s much the same in the film adaptation, which stars Garrett Hedlund and Sam Riley as Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise, respectively. Stewart plays Marylou, the only woman who joins Dean and Sal on their road trip for an extended period of time. 

The road trip scenes between Dean and Sal get tedious, and it’s only actresses like Stewart that give the film any joy. One scene sees Stewart and Amy Adam’s characters’ give a sex talk to Elizabeth Moss, which is more notable for the caliber of actors it depicts than its relation to the rest of the film. Overall, it doesn’t enliven the source material in any meaningful way, and wastes the talents of its female stars (which also includes Kirsten Dunst and Alice Braga). 

29. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016)

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is directed by Ang Lee and stars Joe Alwyn of being-Taylor-Swift’s-boyfriend fame. Alwyn plays the titular character, a 19-year old soldier who has just returned from a tour in Iraq. Lynn and his squad are hailed as heroes and sent on a victory tour upon returning to the states, culminating in a halftime show at the Thanksgiving Day football game. 

Stewart plays Lynn’s older sister Kathryn, and she performs her heart out, as usual. The film itself is less than memorable, and co-star Garrett Hedlund tends to outperform Alwyn (who I do think has talent!) It’s mostly a miss, apart from the fact that they decide to include Destiny’s Child as the halftime show performer. 

28. Equals (2015)

Equals is yet another film in Stewart’s filmography that really doesn’t deserve her talent. IndieWire critic David Ehrlich puts it like this: “Unfolding like a narcotized, hyper-literal remake of “Pleasantville” that looks as though it were shot on the monochromatic set of Drake’s “Hotline Bling” video, Drake Doremus’ “Equals” is a painfully inert sci-fi romance that commits the gravest possible sin of modern cinema: It (almost) wastes Kristen Stewart.” 

Stewart plays Nia, a woman who lives in a futuristic society where human emotions have been genetically eliminated. Despite this, Nia begins developing feelings for her coworker, Silas (Nicholas Hoult), which puts them in a dangerous position with their colleagues. Like the dull, emotionless characters it depicts, the film is average in every way and never becomes more than the sum of its parts. Without Kristen Stewart’s searing performance, the film would be emotionless as well. 

27. The Safety of Objects (2001)

The ensemble film The Safety of Objects is about a bunch of suburban people who are very unhappy. Directed by lesbian filmmaker Rose Troche (who made the incredible Go Fish), the film is, unfortunately, not a lesbian movie. The sad people in the film are played by the likes of Glenn Close, Joshua Jackson, Dermot Mulroney, and Patricia Clarkson, who plays the mother of Kristen Stewart’s character. (I hope you’re still keeping track of all the famous actresses who have played her mother.) 

The most significant thing about the film for our purposes is that it was Kristen Stewart’s first credited role. It’s kind of incredible to see just how good Stewart was from such a young age (she was around 10 when the movie was shot), and this film is no exception. Stewart also smokes cigarettes in the film and has an incredibly powerful lesbian energy, so that’s definitely an extra point in the plus column. 

26. Happiest Season (2020)

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I will state my case anyway: I think Happiest Season is bad. On paper, it has all the ingredients to make a good movie. Directed by lesbian icon Clea DuVall, starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis, and featuring an excellent supporting cast including Aubrey Plaza, Mary Steenburgen, and Dan Levy, this gay Christmas rom-com sounds like a dream come true. 

Unfortunately, both the romance and the comedy leave something to be desired. The main problem is with our two leads. Stewart and Davis – two formidable actors – don’t have any palpable chemistry, and Davis’ character is so unlikeable it’s difficult to root for them as a couple. If a significant portion of the audience is rooting for Stewart to be with Plaza by the end of the film instead of Davis, then something has clearly gone wrong. The recipe just didn’t come out right for this one, which is a shame. 

25. Snow White and The Huntsman (2012)

Here’s the thing: I don’t think Snow White and the Huntsman is actually as bad as people remember it to be. For one thing, it stars Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart, so it can’t be totally worthless. I’m sure I don’t need to explain the plot of this movie to you, but just in case you’ve forgotten – Charlize Theron plays Queen Raveena, an evil queen who hires a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to kill Snow White, who also happens to be her stepdaughter (mom alert!). Because she’s Kristen Stewart and she’s a super cool lesbian, the huntsman decides to protect Snow White instead of killing her. 

Yes, the film is not great, but consider this: it includes Charlize Theron bathing in a vat of milk and Kristen Stewart riding a horse and wielding a sword. It also gave us the memorable press tour where Charlize constantly flirted with Kristen and freaked her out, so it definitely added something significant to the culture. (Strangely enough, Stewart wasn’t in the sequel to the film because of a highly publicized scandal involving the director. Hello, sexism!)

24. American Ultra (2015)

American Ultra is a violent stoner comedy and adventure film. It follows Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg), a stoner who spends his days writing a graphic novel. Unbeknownst to him, Mike has been trained by the CIA to be a dangerous assassin. His former handler activates his skills when the CIA decides his time is up, and he must use his new abilities to protect himself and his girlfriend (Stewart). 

The premise of the film is decidedly silly, and really the only reason it works at all is because of the strength of its two leads. If you can handle the pretty extreme violence, it is legitimately fun and it's nice to see Stewart utilize her acting chops in more lighthearted fare. 

23. The Yellow Handkerchief (2008)

Released after both Twilight and New Moon had premiered, The Yellow Handkerchief emerged at a time when Stewart was at the height of her fame. Choosing to do something completely different from the franchise that made her famous, The Yellow Handkerchief is a road movie about three strangers who come together and take a road trip to post–Katrina New Orleans. William Hurt plays Brett Hanson, a formerly incarcerated man who is hoping to reconnect with his ex-wife (Maria Bello). Stewart plays Martine, a troubled teen who is on the run. Martine agrees to join the trip with Gordy (Eddie Redmayne), an awkward teenager who has a crush on her.

It’s a pretty classic road movie, and it features compelling performances from all its leads. While it’s not the best independent film Stewart has made, it’s an interesting and relatively successful example of the indie direction she went in during her post-Twilight years. 

22. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is undoubtedly the worst film in the Twilight franchise. Most of this has to do with the plot. If you’re familiar with the series, you can probably recall what happens in the other films. Twilight is about Bella and Edward meeting and falling in love, New Moon is about Bella being extremely depressed, and Breaking Dawn (parts 1 and 2) are about Bella and Edward getting married, having a child, and assembling a vampire army (in that order). Does anyone even remember what happens in Eclipse? No. 

Because I am in charge of writing this, I suppose I will enlighten you. In Eclipse, Victoria (who has been re-cast by this film and is now played by knock-off Jessica Chastain, aka Bryce Dallas Howard), is super pissed at Edward for killing her lover, James, so she is assembling a newborn vampire army to take him and his family down. Meanwhile, Bella is still somehow deciding between Edward and Jacob, even though she has clearly already chosen Edward. It makes no sense that the love triangle is still a thing by this point, and the movie (and book) suffers for it. The only good part of the film is when they are all in a tent together and warm wolfboy Jacob snuggles up to Bella to keep her warm while cold-to-the-touch Edward sits in the corner and glares. That is cinema. 

21. Underwater (2020)

2020’s Underwater is a submarine horror film, and, to be honest, it doesn’t bring much new to the table. What it does have, however, is Kristen Stewart. Stewart plays Norah Price, a researcher working on a drilling station more than six miles below the surface of the ocean. When there is a breach in the station, the crew must walk across the ocean floor to safety, but they soon realize they are not alone in the deep sea. 

You can probably guess how the plot of this one goes, and it’s not bringing anything new to the deep sea/space horror genre. Stewart is great in the role, however, and it’s a treat to see her bust out her life-and-death acting chops. Stewart also sports a blonde buzzcut and runs around in a sports bra for much of the film, so that’s something we can celebrate. Now that I’m thinking about it, that’s really all there is to celebrate about this film. 

20. Catch That Kid (2004)

Despite acting since the age of 10, Stewart has only really been in two kid-oriented films in her career. Luckily, they both rock. The first of these films is 2004’s Catch That Kid, which premiered when Stewart was 14 years old. A classic heist movie but with middle schoolers, Stewart plays Maddy, an athletic 12-year old who loves rock climbing. When her father – also a climber – suffers a spinal injury, the family can’t afford the money for surgery, so Maddy decides it’s up to her to come up with the cash. Along with the help of her two nerdy friends, (played by Max Thieriot and Corbin Bleu), Maddy plans to rob a high-security bank to get the money. 

While this film may not be critically acclaimed (the opposite, in fact), it is extremely important to those of us who were gay elementary schoolers at the time. First of all, Stewart plays an athletic tomboy (gay) who uses her powers of seduction to convince her friends to rob a bank with her (feminist and iconic). Perhaps most importantly, Jennifer Beals – of The L Word fame – plays Stewart’s mom in the film, adding another file to Stewart’s Rolodex of iconic moms. This film was made for 10-year-olds, and I can confirm (as a former 10-year-old myself) that it totally hits the mark if you’re not a boring adult who can no longer experience joy. 

19. Undertow (2004)

Kristen Stewart is, unfortunately, not the lead of the 2004 film Undertow. The film follows two brothers, the teenage Chris (Jamie Bell) and his younger brother Tim (Devon Allen), who live in rural Georgia with their father. After their angry and violent uncle (Josh Lucas) arrives on the scene looking for revenge and money, the two brothers are forced to go on the run. Chris and Tim meet a number of interesting individuals on their journey, including young teen Lila (Stewart). 

Directed by David Gordon Green (who also directed both Pineapple Express and the two most recent Halloween films), the film is a modern re-telling of The Night of the Hunter filmed in a Southern Gothic style. If you want to see Kristen Stewart do a very strong Southern accent, this is the film for you. 

18. Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)

Released the year after Catch That Kid, Zathura: A Space Adventure is even more fun than its predecessor. The film follows two brothers, Walter (Josh Hutcherson), and Danny (Jonah Bobo), who are left at home for the day while their dad is at work. Their teenage sister, Lisa (Stewart), is put in charge of looking after them. Walter and Danny and shocked to discover that their favorite board game, Zathura, has magical powers, launching their entire house into space. 

Stewart plays a classic older sister character in the film, and one of her more notable plot points is that she seems to have, shall we say, inappropriate feelings for an aged-up version of her own brother (don’t ask). It’s definitely a kooky plot for a kids’ film, but it’s a total classic and really fun and imaginative in a way contemporary live-action movies for kids don’t seem to be anymore. I’m still waiting for the sequel. 

17. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011)

Though Breaking Dawn - Part 2 is a decidedly bonkers film, Breaking Dawn – Part 1 may just be the most unhinged film in the franchise. The tonal shift in this movie is incredibly jarring. The first half is a sweet romance and follows Bella and Edward as they have their Pinterest-esque boutique wedding soundtracked by Iron & Wine. The second half rather alarmingly devolves into vampire BDSM and then becomes some type of gothic horror movie when Bella discovers she’s pregnant with Edward’s vampire baby. It’s bananas!

Despite all of this, Stewart and Pattinson (but especially Stewart) act their butts off in this, and it wouldn’t be as entertaining as it is if everyone in the film wasn’t playing their parts so earnestly. You’ve got to give the producers of this film credit for really deciding to go there with it. There really hasn’t been another film like Breaking Dawn – Part 1 made, and I doubt there ever will be. 

16. Into The Wild (2007)

Based on the biographical book of the same name, Into The Wild follows Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a college graduate who is disenchanted with his life and decides to get rid of all his belongings and live in the wilderness. Along the way, he meets a number of interesting individuals, including a teenager named Tracy (Stewart), who takes an interest in him. It’s a powerful film, buoyed by Hirsch’s affecting performance. Stewart isn’t in it for very long, but it is enough to illustrate, once again, how good she is at giving so much without a lot to work with. 

15. Charlie’s Angels (2019)

Is the 2019 reboot of Charlie’s Angels a great film? No, it is not, but consider this: it stars Kristen Stewart. A playful take on the original, director Elizabeth Banks plays Bosley, and, along with Stewart, the Angels are played by Ella Balinksa and Naomi Scott. The plot of the film is not really worth mentioning – the Angels have to retrieve a powerful piece of technology before it falls into the wrong hands – but there are plenty of fun sequences that make it enjoyable to watch. 

If I’m being honest, Balinska and Scott don’t really have the charm to be able to pull off a classic Angels role, but Stewart most certainly does. She just oozes coolness and charisma in the film, and it’s too bad she didn’t have more charismatic actors to play off of. (Banks notwithstanding). While it doesn’t reach the heightened levels of mania of the original film series, which is really too bad, Stewart absolutely proves herself as a Hollywood superstar – as if we didn’t already know that already. 

14. Camp X-Ray (2014) 

One of the most interesting things about the film Camp X-Ray is that it was the first film Stewart starred in after the Twilight series concluded in 2012. While the series ended in a decidedly bonkers fashion (more on that later), it was still very squarely a mainstream, blockbuster film. 2014’s Camp X-Ray is an independent film that takes its subject matter very seriously, but also uses a lot of restraint. 

Stewart plays Amy, a young soldier who is stationed as a guard at Guantanamo Bay. Despite her superiors’ advice to not treat the detainees there like people, she forms a bond with one man (Payman Maadi), a chatterbox who speaks English. While some of the choices the films make are slightly obvious, Stewart’s understated, visceral performance carries the film and saves it from cliche. 

13. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

New Moon may be by far the slowest and most depressing entry in the Twilight franchise, but it’s also the most honest. If there’s one positive thing we can say about the series, it’s that it lets its teenage characters have their big, messy, dramatic feelings, and doesn’t judge them for it. The basic plot of New Moon is that Bella is depressed after Edward leaves because he decides they can’t be together. Bella spends this time staring out the window, occasionally hanging out with shirtless Jacob, and at one point, taking a semi-suicidal dip in the freezing ocean. 

Like every film in the Twilight series, New Moon features an incredible soundtrack – one of the series’ best, actually. This one features the likes of Lykki Li, Death Cab for Cutie, and a great track from Bon Iver and St. Vincent. While there were a couple of action sequences added by screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg to make the film slightly more exciting – namely the fight with the Volturi at the end of the film – it maintains the haze of depression Bella finds herself in for nearly the entire book. For all the discussion of the toxicity of Bella and Edward’s relationship, it’s actually refreshing to get to see Bella let it all out in this film. 

12. Welcome to the Rileys (2010)

Welcome to the Rileys is a bit of a sappy melodrama that is saved by the strong performances of its leads. The film stars James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo as Doug and Lois, a married couple who are reeling from the loss of their 15-year-old daughter. While Lois has become agoraphobic, Doug travels to New Orleans where he meets a 16-year-old stripper named Mallory (Stewart). Doug eventually develops a fondness for Mallory, and so does Lois when she comes to town. 

Though the screenplay is cliched at times, Stewart and her co-leads bring a lot to the script and give the film a lot of charm. This was one of the films that, following Stewart’s turn in the first (much-maligned) Twilight film, proved to some critics that she was a talent worth taking seriously. 

11. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012)

Breaking Dawn – Part 2 may be slightly less unhinged than its predecessor, Breaking Dawn – Part 1, but that’s not saying much.  This film’s placement on this list surely reflects my own preferences and biases, and I make no claim about being impartial, but I also think it’s something of a marvel. For one, the second part of the book is when the mythology of the series really expands into something more comprehensive, and I do truly think it's some of Meyers’ most interesting storytelling work. 

The film follows Bella as she wakes up a newborn vampire and finds that her daughter, Renesmee, a vampire/human hybrid, is growing at a highly accelerated rate. When the Volturi find out about Renesmee – mistakenly believing she is an “immortal child” (aka a baby vampire) – they descend on Forks to settle the matter. Fearing war, the Cullens assemble an army of vampires from around the world who are willing to stand with them, all with unique skills and abilities. The 10-minute long fake-out fight in the film (which turned out to just be one of Alice’s visions) was a truly shocking moment in the franchise, and it really is a perfect way to conclude a series that never shied away from being entirely off the rails. 

10. Adventureland (2009)

And now for something completely different. Released the same year as New Moon, Adventureland is a coming-of-age drama/comedy set in the 1980s. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg as James, a recent college graduate who is planning a trip to Europe. When his hopes of a grand adventure are dashed when his parents announce they can’t afford to finance his trip, he is forced to take a job at a local amusement park instead. Expecting it to be a terrible summer, he instead finds love in unexpected places when he meets an enchanting co-worker, Em (Stewart).

While it’s not treading any new ground, it is a refreshingly earnest film that succeeds in capturing the nostalgia of youthful summers. Stewart is obviously great as James’ charming love interest, but hopefully, no one is surprised by that at this point. A surprisingly sweet, small-scale film for Stewart during her mid-Twilight career, it’s definitely worth revisiting. 

9. Still Alice (2014)

Still Alice is probably one of the saddest films in Kristen Stewart’s filmography. It’s not Stewart’s film, per say, but her presence in it is significant. The film stars Julianne Moore as a middle-aged linguistics professor who develops early-onset Alzheimer’s. As she begins losing her sense of language, time, and space, she struggles to hang on to who she is. Her three children, one of whom is played by Stewart, are devastated to watch their mother lose her sense of self. 

It’s a tragic film, and it’s also incredibly difficult to watch. On the bright side, Kristen Stewart is 100% playing a lesbian in this film, so at least we have that. The performances (especially Moore’s) are stunning, but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. 

8. Twilight (2008)

I am of the opinion that films should be considered in the terms of what they are, or what they’re trying to be, rather than what the viewer wants them to be. That is why the first Twilight film clinches a spot so high up on this list. Before the film franchise, Twilight was just a really popular book series that studios were hoping could be turned into a lucrative product for them. Filmmaker Catherine Hardwick, who had only previously done indie films like Thirteen (starring Twilight alum Nikki Reed), was hired to helm the first film in the series, and screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg came on as the film’s writer.

What transpired was probably the best possible outcome to arise from Meyer’s melodramatic source material. Instead of shooting the film like it was a blockbuster franchise (which of course, it wasn't yet), Hardwicke shot it like it was an indie film. The occasional shaky camera, the tilted frames, that atmospheric blue filter that overlays much of the film – all of these elements make the film unique, and it’s a shame that Hardwicke wasn’t brought on for the following films. (At the time, Twilight broke the record for the most successful film directed by a woman. The following films were all directed by men with big-budget pedigrees, with Hardwicke essentially being fired after being labeled “difficult.”)

The performances in the film, including Stewart's, are charmingly endearing. Though the dialogue is sometimes hokey, it’s also downright hilarious, a credit to Rosenberg’s zany screenwriting capabilities. The indie-cum-blockbuster character of the film is unique, and it remains the most grounded, charming, and focused of all the films in the series. 

7. Speak (2004)

Kristen Stewart’s role in the 2004 film Speak remains one of the best performances of her career, despite the fact she was only 13 years old when the film was shot. The film follows 14-year-old Melinda Sordino, who has been unable to speak since she was raped at a party the previous summer. Shunned by her peers and ignored by her parents, Melinda regrows her confidence with the help of her art teacher, Mr. Freeman (Steve Zahn).

It’s a powerful and very upsetting film, and it’s astounding how good Stewart is in the role. She puts so much into the performance, and it’s all done without uttering a single word. It’s definitely difficult to watch at times, but worth it if you’re interested in seeing just how talented Stewart has always been. 

6. Certain Women (2016)

You’ve probably realized by now that Stewart has been in a wide breadth of independent films, both in her pre and post-Twilight years. One film that represents the type of understated, quiet film Stewart excels in is Kelly Reichardt’s Certain Women. Reichardt is known for making slow-paced, minimalist films that are often set in rural areas of the Pacific Northwest. Adapted from three short stories, Certain Women follows three women in Montana, played by Laura Dern, Lily Gladstone, and Michelle Williams. Dern plays a lawyer dealing with an unruly client, Williams an unhappy wife and mother, and Gladstone a lonely ranch hand who forms a bond with a young lawyer (Stewart) when she stumbles upon one of her night classes. 

It’s a very slow movie and it’s definitely not for everyone, but Reichardt’s deliberate, restrained style gives the performers, and the landscapes they reside in, a chance to shine. For some, it might be a little too understated, but it does portray a certain type of loneliness that is rarely seen in film. 

5. The Runaways (2010)

It would be difficult to argue that 2010’s The Runaways is the best film in Kristen Stewart’s filmography, but it does mark an extremely important moment in her career. Stewart plays Joan Jett in the film, one of the most iconic women rock stars in American history, and her performance was given the blessing of Joan Jett herself. Stewart stars opposite Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie, Jett’s Runaways bandmate and sometimes-lover. 

While certain aspects of the plot could have certainly used some unpacking, it’s successful both as a biopic and a star vehicle for Stewart (and for Fanning). The costuming and performances are thrilling, and it’s undoubtedly a fun story that needed to be told. It makes total sense that Stewart – who has often been perceived as a rebel despite the fact she’s been a part of the industry from a young age – would be cast in this role, and it’s a great example of both her talent as a performer and a timely solidification of her star persona. 

4. Panic Room (2002)

I think it’s fair to say that Kristen Stewart was already oozing charisma and star power from a young age. If you need more evidence, look no further than Panic Room, David Fincher’s smart thriller starring Jodie Foster. Foster and Stewart play a mother and daughter who have just moved into a four-story brownstone on the Upper West Side. When three burglars break in one night, Foster and Stewart hide in the home’s highly secure “panic room,” which turns out to be a mistake because what the thieves are looking for is inside that very room.

While the film may initially come off as a run-of-the-mill early 2000s thriller, it slyly reveals itself to be a stylish, tightly-constructed piece of filmmaking. Along with some pretty slick shots, Foster and Stewart have incredible chemistry as a mother/daughter duo and their interactions are totally believable. (Not to mention the fact that the gay mother/gay daughter energy is iconic. Are you still keeping track of all of Kristen Stewart’s fictional moms?) 

It’s a deeply satisfying and well-constructed movie that deftly illustrates both the charisma of its leads and the skills of its director. It’s hard to think of too many actors who were performing at this level in big films like this from such a young age, and it’s nice to know Stewart has finally begun getting the recognition she deserves after all this time.

3. Spencer (2021)

There’s no doubt in my mind that Kristen Stewart deserved the Oscar nomination for her performance as Princess Diana in the Pablo Larraín “biopic” Spencer. I put biopic in quotation marks because while it does depict the life of a real person, it doesn't take factual events or anecdotes as the cornerstone of its narrative. Instead, it endeavors to illustrate some type of emotional truth about Lady Di, whether such a characterization is true to her actual lived experiences or not. 

Stewart plays the role the only way it could have been played in a film like this – with a theatrical, at times even campy sensibility, all the while never losing sight of what was most important to Diana – her children. Indeed, the most compelling, grounded moments of the film are the ones Stewart has with young William and Harry. Here, the trauma of her life and her incessant need to rebel and free herself from the constraints of the royal family are entirely absent. Both these modes – the ravenous defiance and these moments of peace with her children – are equally important to the role, and to the film itself. While in my opinion, Spencer is the second-best of Larraín’s biopics (first place would have to go to Jackie), it’s worth watching for Stewart’s performance alone. 

2. Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)

Olivier Assayas’ Clouds of Sils Maria may very well be the best film Stewart has ever starred in, but I can’t rightly say that it is a Kristen Stewart film, which is why it doesn’t clinch the top spot on this list. Though Stewart’s part in the film is significant, Juliette Binoche was clearly Assayas’ muse for this one (as is true for several of his films). 

Clouds of Sils Maria follows a seasoned actress, Maria Enders (Binoche), who has agreed to be a part of a revival of a play that she starred in 20 years earlier. The play follows a lesbian relationship between a young woman and an older one, with Maria now playing the older woman opposite a young new actress (Chloë Grace Moretz). Traveling to Switzerland with her American assistant, Valentine (Stewart), Maria must confront some uncomfortable truths about herself. 

It’s a beautiful film that’s full of psychosexual lesbian undertones and feels very much indebted to a film like All About Eve. Maria and Valentine’s relationship is complicated, and the boundaries between fiction and reality at times begin to blur, especially when Valentine starts reading lines with Maria. Stewart’s sarcastic, deadpan performance in the film is wonderful, and it compliments Binoche’s very French neurosis perfectly. A must-see for anyone interested in exploring the Stewart canon. 

1. Personal Shopper (2016)

I’m not the only one who thought Kristen Stewart was great in Clouds of Sils Maria. Director Olivier Assayas thought the same thing, which is why he wrote an entire film specifically for her to star in. 2016’s Personal Shopper stars Stewart as Maureen, a personal shopper for a supermodel in Paris. Maureen’s twin brother – a medium, like herself – has just died three months earlier from a genetic heart abnormality, and she is determined to find his presence in the house where he lived with his girlfriend. After being unable to do so, she begins getting mysterious texts from an unknown number. 

Personal Shopper is a very atmospheric, understated thriller, and none of what is haunting about it is actually something you can see. Even more compelling is Stewart’s performance. There are almost no other characters in the film apart from Maureen – her employer never appears on screen – so Stewart does almost the entire performance on her own. The most captivating sequence in the movie takes place on a train when the text messages Maureen is receiving become increasingly frequent and ominous. All Stewart does for most of the scene is glance at (and away from) her phone screen, and yet it is the most anxiety-inducing and suspenseful sequence in the film. It’s truly a performance for the ages, and it’s a blessing that directors like Assayas are finally able to see Stewart for what she is – a captivating, unique talent. 

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