'Little Women' to 'Oppenheimer': Florence Pugh's best performances
In a short career of less than a decade, Florence Pugh has established herself as one of the best actors of her generation by starring in a wide range of roles in a variety of genres. From period dramas like Lady Macbeth and Little Women to superhero films like Black Widow and the latest Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, here are Pugh's best acts.
'Lady Macbeth' (2016)
William Oldroyd's 2016 period drama film Lady Macbeth, based on Nikolai Leskov's novella Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, is Pugh's breakthrough role that put her on the map. She portrays Katherine, a character who defies societal norms in 19th-century England, with remarkable depth and intensity. Pugh's portrayal is both magnetic and chilling as she delves into the complexities of desire and power.
'Little Women' (2019)
Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, the coming-of-age period drama film Little Women stars Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, and Timothée Chalamet, among others. Pugh shines as Amy March, the youngest of the March sisters. Pugh's portrayal is a standout, capturing Amy's transformation from a petulant child to a complex, determined woman.
'Midsommar' (2019)
Pugh's performance in Ari Aster's 2019 folk horror film Midsommar is hauntingly captivating. She portrays Dani, a grieving girlfriend who joins her boyfriend on a trip to a Swedish village's unsettling midsummer festival in Northern Europe. From grief and vulnerability to fear and ultimately catharsis, Pugh's ability to convey a range of emotions is both powerful and deeply unsettling.
'Black Widow' (2021)
In the 2021 Marvel film Black Widow, Pugh plays the role of Yelena Belova, sister of the titular superhero aka Natasha Romanoff, played by Scarlett Johansson. The two were taken to the Red Room (the secret Soviet training program led by General Dreykov) to train them as Widows. Besides her standout performance that left a lasting impression, Pugh's chemistry with Johansson was electric.
'Oppenheimer' (2023)
Nolan's latest epic historical biographical film Oppenheimer stars Cillian Murphy as the titular character, scientist J Robert Oppenheimer and Pugh as Jean Tatlock, a psychiatrist involved in a long-term affair with Oppenheimer. Despite not having as much screen time as compared to her peers, Pugh delivered a brilliant performance as she captured Tatlock's ideologies, vulnerability, and heartbreaking story.
