Emily Browning in Sleeping Beauty (Image via Paramount Pictures)

5 best movies of Emily Browning

Modified Dec 23, 2024 15:48 GMT

Emily Browning has spent years building a career that’s hard to ignore. Born in Melbourne, Australia, she started acting young and quickly proved herself to be a great child star. Her breakout role as Violet Baudelaire in A Series of Unfortunate Events put her in the spotlight, but she wasn't about to stop there. Browning took on riskier roles and played complicated and flawed characters that made people pay attention.

In Sucker Punch she led an action-packed fantasy that showed her ability to balance vulnerability and strength. Then came Sleeping Beauty, which was a dark and unsettling drama that pushed limits and proved she was not afraid to take risks. Her work often leans toward stories that make audiences think and that is part of what sets her apart.

Disclaimer: The article contains the author's opinion.

5 of the best movies of Emily Browning

1) Sucker Punch (2011)

Emily Browning in Sucker Punch (Image via Warner Bros.)

In Sucker Punch (2011), Emily Browning plays Baby Doll, a young woman committed to a mental institution by her abusive stepfather. She faces the threat of a lobotomy and escapes into a fantasy world to protect herself. In this imagined world, Baby Doll becomes a determined fighter and assembles a group of women to help her find tools to escape.

Browning’s character shows innocence and desperation. She is fragile but refuses to give up. The movie moves between her real-life struggles and fantasy sequences. In these scenes, Baby Doll battles enemies like robots and dragons. The action reflects her fight to survive.

Through Baby Doll, Browning plays a character who uses imagination as a shield and a weapon and she pushes herself to keep fighting even when the odds are against her.

2) Sleeping Beauty (2011)

In Sleeping Beauty (2011), Emily Browning plays Lucy who is a college student and she takes on unusual and disturbing work to support herself. She is hired by a secretive service where clients pay to spend time with her while she is in a drugged and unconscious state. Lucy has very little idea what happens during these encounters and the job pulls her into a strange and unsettling world.

Browning’s character is detached but curious. She drifts through life without much connection to anyone. She seems numb to the risks of her work but small moments show her vulnerability and quiet desperation for control.

3) A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Emily Browning in A Series of Unfortunate Events (Image via Paramount Pictures)

In A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Emily Browning plays Violet Baudelaire who is the oldest of three siblings who lose their parents in a house fire. So, Violet happens to be clever and creative, often using her skills to invent gadgets that help protect her brother Klaus and baby sister Sunny.

She takes charge early on, stepping into a leadership role as the children face one dangerous situation after another. Browning’s character stays focused and protective, especially when Count Olaf, a manipulative man obsessed with stealing their fortune, targets them. Violet’s ability to think fast and come up with solutions helps the siblings escape his traps more than once.

4) The Uninvited (2009)

Emily Browning in The Uninvited (Image via Paramount Pictures)

In The Uninvited (2009) Emily Browning plays Anna who is a teenager trying to get her life back on track after spending time in a psychiatric hospital. Her mom died in a fire and she is still dealing with the fallout when she comes home to find her dad has moved on with a new girlfriend named Rachel. Right away something about Rachel feels off and Anna cannot shake the feeling that there is more to her story. With her sister Alex she starts digging into Rachel’s past and trying to figure out what really happened the night their mom died.

Browning plays Anna as someone who is clearly fragile but refuses to back down. She is carrying a lot of guilt and grief but she is also determined to get to the bottom of things.

5) Plush (2013)

Emily Browning in Plush (Image via Blumhouse Productions)

In Plush (2013) Emily Browning plays Hayley who is a rising rock singer trying to rebuild her life and career after losing her bandmate and brother. She is dealing with grief and the pressure to keep creating music when she meets Enzo who is the band’s new guitarist. Their connection starts with music but it does not take long for it to turn personal. As their relationship grows it slowly takes a darker and more obsessive turn.

Browning’s character is caught between her love for music and the chaos taking over her personal life. She pushes forward even as the lines between inspiration and obsession start to blur. Her journey shows someone fighting to keep control of her career while being pulled into something she may not be able to escape.

Browning starred in Monica (2022) where she plays a character named Laura. The film centers on Monica, who is a trans woman who returns home to care for her ailing mother after a long absence.