Blake Livelyis one of the most recognized actresses today. A big part of her fame can be attributed to her iconic role as Serena van der Woodsen inGossip Girl, which not only launched her career but also cemented her as one of her generation’s biggest fashion icons, a reputation her constant appearances on the red carpet have solidified. But Lively has proven again and again that her success and fame aren’t only a result of her being on a very popular TV show or being an on-demand fashionista but also her talent.
Throughout her career, audiences have watched Lively as she grew and improved as an actress, from her very early role inThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsto her more grown-up and visceral roles, such as her latest release,It Ends With Us. Lively has acted in action, thriller, romance, and drama movies, and she has excelled in all these genres.These are Blake Lively’s best movies so far, projects that prove her versatility and charisma on screen.
10’Café Society' (2016)
Directed by Woody Allen
Café Societytells the story of Bobby (Jesse Eisenberg) as he moves to Hollywood to work with his uncle, Phil (Steve Carell). There, Bobby falls in love with Vonnie (Kristen Stewart) and is heartbroken when he learns she has an affair with his uncle. Bobby moves back to New York City to open and manage a nightclub, meeting and marrying Veronica (Lively), even if his old love won’t stop haunting him.
Lively’s role here is small, but she excels as a love interest for Bobby. She is charismatic and graceful,standing out with her performance in an ensemble of talented actors. However,Café Societyis a predictable film that is far too simple. Also, the chemistry between Lively and Eisenberg is not convincing at times, but this can be an artistic choice considering the plot. Overall,Café Societyis far from a must-watch, but Lively is a strong reason to tune into it.
Café Society
9’Savages' (2012)
Directed by Oliver Stone
Savagesrevolves around Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who run a very successful weed business. Lively plays Ophelia Sage, the girlfriend of both Chon and Ben. The polyamorous couple lives peacefully until a Mexican cartel threatens them with murder if they don’t corroborate with them. Chon and Ben plan on escaping to Indonesia, but their plans stall when the cartel kidnaps Ophelia. Now, they have to come up with a plan to save their girlfriend.
Lively’s Ophelia is a very central character in the story. Both Chon and Ben are very loyal to her, and are very ready to do whatever to save her, or so she says. The movie starts with Lively’s narration, and the whole movie revolves around her boyfriends saving her. However, despite Lively doing her most, the script doesn’t give her much to work with and reduces her toa typical damsel in distress. Still,Lively’s performance and a strong supporting cast rescueSavagesand make it sing, even if only for a bit.
8’It Ends With Us' (2024)
Directed by Justin Baldoni
It Ends With Usis Lively’s latest film and one of her greatest successes. The film follows florist Lily Bloom (Lively), who falls in love with neurosurgeon Ryle (Justin Baldoni) after she moves to Boston. However, the marriage quickly turns sour when Ryle starts abusing Lily, who grew up witnessing domestic abuse at home. The movie also explores the teenage relationship between Lily and Atlas (Brandon Sklenar) and the stark difference between both dynamics.
Blake Lively dominatesIt Ends With Us, and Lily Bloom is one of her most complicated characters.The movie improves on the source materialin some aspects, especially relating to domestic violence and Ryle’s character, as the movie romanticizes neither of them, unlike the novel. However,It Ends With Ushas its shortcomings, too, and only a little can be done to improve a less-than-mediocre source material.
It Ends With Us
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7’The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2' (2008)
Directed by Sanaa Hamri
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2follows Carmen (America Ferrera), Lena (Alexis Bledel), Tibby (Amber Tamblyn), and Bridget (Lively) after they finish their first year of college. The friend group embarks on different self-discovery journeys while they try to stay close and in touch. Bridget is having an existential crisis as she tries to make sense of a tragedy that struck her family at the same time as participating in an archaeological dig in Turkey.
Lively portrays the heartbroken Bridget with so much ease; she is convincing and very complex, easily playing on her intrigue mixed with confusion that you really believe she has been through a massive tragedy. Lively’s chemistry with the central group of friends is great, as if they have been best friends for a long time in real life too.The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2is a very underrated feel-good movie, largely thanks to Lively and the great company she keeps.
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6’The Private Lives of Pippa Lee' (2009)
Directed by Rebecca Miller
Lively plays a younger version of the titular character, Pippa Lee, inThe Private Lives of Pippa Lee.The movie tells the story of Pippa Lee (Robin Wright), from her birth to a mother addicted to bills, through a complicated life as a young adult, and to the present. Pippa starts reflecting on her life after she moves into a retirement committee with her much older husband, unhappy with how her life turned out. The movie plays Pippa’s life in flashbacks that explain how she got to where she is.
When Lively plays Pippa, she is a teenager with a mother who is more interested in her looks than anything. Later on, she is an isolated young adult forced to work as an exotic dancer due to her circumstances,leading to drug indulgence.Lively’s performance is convincing and encourages the audience to empathize with her character throughout all her hardships. Chaotic and surprisingly quirky,The Private Lives of Pippa Leeis a compelling character studyand a showcase for both Wright and Lively.
5’The Shallows' (2016)
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
The Shallowsfollows medical student Nancy Adam (Lively), who goes on a vacation to Mexico after the death of her mother. Finding a secluded beach, Nancy goes surfing alone, seeking solitude in the water. Everything is going well until a dead whale attracts a great white shark who attacks and injures her. Nancy swims to a nearby rock 200 yards away from the beach but becomes trapped when the shark keeps circling the rock.
The Shallowshinges solely on Lively’s performance. For most of the movie, the audience is trapped on the rock with Nancy, who has nobody to talk to. But this isn’t a problem for Lively, who delivers all of her character’s feelings using facial expressions and body language. The audience believes Nancy is afraid for her life, and after everything she has been through, they root for her survival.The Shallowsis one ofthe best shark movies in recent years, and Lively’s performance is a big reason why. It’s also one of herbiggest box-office successesand further proof that she is a bankable star capable of carrying a movie on her shoulders.
The Shallows
4’The Age of Adaline' (2015)
Directed by Lee Toland Krieger
InThe Age of Adaline, Lively plays Adaline Bowman, a woman who stays at the age of 29 years old for nearly 80 years. Adaline was born in 1908 and aged normally until she crashed her car in 1937 and almost died before a lightning strike revived her. From there forward, Adaline stops aging and lives on the run, changing her identity every decade. But when Adaline runs into a man from her past, her life is flipped upside down.
Lively’s performance inThe Age of Adalineis one of the highlights of her career, portraying the character’s melancholy as an immortal woman who has to leave everybody and everything she loves again and again. Lively shows the complexity of Adaline, especially when she is falling in love and has the right chemistry with every other cast member.The Age of Adalinehas its shortcomings; for example, it isa movie about immortalitythat barely discusses immortality. However, Lively’s star turn is so strong that she single-handedly keeps the film afloat and often makes it soar.
The Age of Adaline
3’The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' (2005)
Directed by Ken Kwapis
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsfollows Carmen (Ferrera), Lena (Bledel), Tibby (Tamblyn), and Bridget (Lively) on their first-ever summer apart. Before they set off to their different destinations, the friend group finds a secondhand pair of pants that magically fits all of them despite their different body types. To stay connected, the group decides to share these pants all summer, alongside notes detailing their time apart.
Bridget is one of Lively’s very early roles. In the film, Bridget goes to a soccer camp in Baja California, Mexico, where she develops a crush on her coach (Mike Vogel). Bridget is a character who has been through the trauma of losing her mother to suicide, and throughout the movie and the sequel, she fears she will meet the same fate.Lively portrays Bridget’s fears and traumaand how they impact her life with so much authenticity. Luckily,the cast ofThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsremains close, so perhaps a third movie might eventually happen.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
2’A Simple Favor' (2018)
Directed by Paul Feig
A Simple Favoris another career highlight for Lively, as it painted her in a new light. The movie follows widowed single mother Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), who befriends an upper-class businesswoman and fellow mother Emily Nelson (Lively). When Emily drops her son at Stephanie’s and goes missing, Stephanie is sucked into the search for her, utilizing her vlogging channel to spread the word without knowing the dark secrets Emily hides.
Emily is a very convoluted character with a dark and unexpected past. The cast ofA Simple Favorhas been praised for their performances, butLively is still a stand-out in an excellent cast. She skillfully portrays her mysterious character and keeps the audience engaged with her, trying to crack her code. Simply, if anybody else had been cast as Emily, they wouldn’t have had the same impact Lively had. Fortunately,a sequel toA Simple Favorhas been green-lit,with Lively reprising what is arguably the best role of her career.
A Simple Favor
1’The Town' (2010)
Directed by Ben Affleck
On the surface,The Townis a heist story, but it is a movie that goes into its characters' personalities, the reasons why they became criminals, and the consequences of this choice on their lives. The movie follows a group of thieves who rob a bank and hold an assistant manager hostage, only for one of them to fall in love with her. Doug (Ben Affleck) dreams of getting out of town to finally be with the assistant manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall).
Lively plays Krista, the sister of one of the thieves and a woman with whom Doug has a casual sexual relationship. Her role is significantly smaller than others in her filmography, but it proves she doesn’t need a lot of screen time to deliver a great performance. Despite being cast as the all-good, beautiful woman character type beforeThe Town, Livelydelivers a performance that would suggest that this is the type of role she was born for. Indeed,she received a few nominationsfor her performance, cementingThe Townas one of her greatest on-screen efforts.
NEXT:10 Movies To Watch If You Like ‘It Ends With Us’
