Florence Pugh turns 28, check out these five films that showcase her acting caliber

Florence Pugh began her acting journey in 2014, with The Falling. Iconically, January 3, 2024, marks both her 28th birthday as well as her 10th year in the film industry. However, the actress has been careful of her film choices, experimenting but never getting stuck in stereotypical roles.

With two BAFTA nominations and an Oscar nomination under her belt, and a British Independent Film Award as well as a Cannes Film Festival Trophée Chopard in her arms, Pugh has performed exceptionally multiple times. Here are five films that showcase her acting mettle best.

Lady Macbeth (2016)

This British period drama boasts of a cold and ruthless Pugh who has been stifled by her loveless marriage to a man twice her age. Restricted and constantly monitored, Pugh’s Katherine yearns to break free from her shackles and gets a chance when her husband and father-in-law leave the estate for several business matters. Beginning a torrid affair with one of her husband’s men, Sebastian, the film explores her Lady Macbeth-like descending spiral into ruthlessness, cold rage, selfishness, and eventually, lack of companionship, but with a twist.

The film is available on Prime Video.

Midsommar (2019)

Midsommar is one of Ari Aster’s masterpieces. Starring Florence Pugh in the leading role of Dani, who travels with her nearly estranged boyfriend Christian and his friends to attend a once in a lifetime Midsummer festival in rural Sweden. However, they soon find themselves ensnared by a sinister cult that has gory intentions. Full of unexpected twists and turns, the film’s climax shakes viewers to the core with its vivid portrayal of rituals, stellar performances, and haunting plot.

Also check out: The Florence Pugh Quiz 

The film is available to rent on Apple TV.

A Good Person (2023)

A Good Person, written and directed by Zach Braff, is a feel-good film that focuses on the journey of Allison Johnson (Pugh) as she struggles to attain sobriety and redemption. This happened due to a gruesome accident she caused, causing two casualties and sustaining severe injuries. If all that was not enough, she also lost her fiancé, her desire to create music, as well as an addiction to pain meds and more. An uplifting film about a good person losing their place in life, only to work hard to deserve it again, Pugh is phenomenal and underrated in this addiction drama.

The film is available on Prime Video.

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The Wonder (2022)

This Netflix original is a psychological period drama that explores themes of faith, trauma, and social hypocrisy in a slow burn, stirring drama. The Wonder stars Florence Pugh as a somber, troubled English nurse, who is sent on a special task, along with a nun Sister Michael, to report their findings to a local council. The special matter at hand is a young girl, who claims to be fasting for four months, yet remains in good health. Being a period piece based in 1862 rural Ireland, which is still reeling from the brutal aftermath of the Great Famine, The Wonder’s premise is valid and accurate. Pugh is a powerhouse of performance in the film. 

Also read: Cillian Murphy defends controversial sex scene with Florence Pugh in Oppenheimer: 'Vital to the story' 

The film is available on Netflix.

Little Women (2019)

Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s renowned novel is the seventh of its kind but stands apart because of Gerwig’s style of direction and screenplay as well as solid performances delivered by Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Timothee Chalamet. The film’s premise is simple but appealing, four daughters of a well-respected but currently impoverished March family, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, evolve from innocence to maturity, forging their own paths in life, while forming an inseparable bond with their next-door companion and family friend, Laurie. Pugh as Amy March in the film is stunning, both in her subtle portrayal of developing maturity, from a teenage girl to a confident NYC woman of the 1860s and 1870s.

The film is available for rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.