There are so many recognizable actresses who have graced movie and TV screens, but one who's been a consistent force for years now is Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Starting her time in Hollywood in the early 2000s, the actress has only continued to show just how gifted she is on a yearly basis.
From some of her best films to her latest hits, here are the best Mary Elizabeth Winstead movies and TV shows, and where you can watch them right now.
Sky High (2005)
First up on this list is Sky High, a film that is, honestly, vastly underrated. It's all about a group of teenagers who happen to have superpowers, so what do they do to deal with them and learn how to be heroes or sidekicks? They go to Sky High, of course, a superhero high school.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Gwen, a senior at the school who starts to hang out with the main character, a freshman named Will, a lot. I won’t reveal much about her character because there’s so that unfolds as the movie goes on, but just know that Winstead killed it in this role – and this was one of her first movie appearances ever. The whole Sky High cast is incredibly talented, so it’s worth a watch just for them.
Stream Sky High on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Sky High on Amazon.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)
When people think of Winstead, I'd say that it’s arguably her role in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World that they remember. The film is based on the graphic novel of the same name, and follows Scott, a musician who finds out he has to fight the deadly exes of Ramona Flowers in order to date her.
I watched Scott Pilgrim vs. The World for the first time, and boy did I have thoughts.
Winstead plays Ramona, and man, I genuinely can’t think of someone better to play this character. The entire Scott Pilgrim vs. The World cast has done so much since, but I can’t help but love them in this movie, and her as Ramona.
She perfectly captures that mysterious, beautiful girl with a hint of comedic flair, and I, for one, can’t wait for when she reprises the role in Scott Pilgrim The Anime on Netflix. There'll be nothing quite like it.
Stream Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on Apple TV+.
Final Destination 3 (2006)
What if you knew the time, place and how you were going to die? That’s what this movie explores. Final Destination 3, part of the Final Destination movies franchise, takes place many years after the first film, and this time follows a young woman who foresees that she and her classmates will be derailed on a rollercoaster and die. When she is able to warn them and survive, Death slowly comes for each and every one of them.
Honestly, I think Winstead should be in more horror films, because she was great here. I just watched it for the first time recently and I loved her – even as an amusement park junkie who loves roller coasters. The whole entire franchise can tend to get a bit graphic with its kills, so be wary of that, but otherwise, it’s a good time for a scary night.
Stream Final Destination 3 on Pluto TV.
Rent/Buy Final Destination 3 on Amazon.
Smashed (2012)
For a time, Winstead spent a good amount of time appearing in smaller independent films that earned her a lot of critical acclaim, and Smashed was one of them. She stars alongside Aaron Paul, and the film follows a married couple who happen to both be alcoholics, but the young woman, portrayed by Winstead, decides that she wants to change her life and get sober.
I would describe it as a tragic romantic comedy that leads with an excellent performance from her, as well as a great one from Paul. The two of them have a great amount of chemistry and provide some funny moments, but also show just how much addiction can ruin your life, and the changes you have to make in order to heal yourself. It’s a great sit-down-and-talk-about-it-afterwards movie.
The Returned (2015)
The talent started her career in television, and returned to the small screen with The Returned in 2015. This supernatural drama series follows an interesting premise – an American town is suddenly disrupted when people who have been dead for many years start to reappear, with everyone questioning how they're alive again.
The series only ran for one season, but received good reviews and plenty of praise from critics. Some of that was due to the story itself, and some was for the actors, such as Mary Elizabeth Winstead. She’s great in horror, so this was the perfect pick to get back into the world of television.
The Spectacular Now (2013)
The Spectacular Now is a coming of age film that mainly stars Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley as two high school students who end up falling for each other and sharing a beautiful love story.
Winstead portrays Holly Keely, the sister of Miles’ character, Sutter, and while she doesn’t have many scenes, her presence is still very much felt, and when we do see her they are some of the best moments of the film. This is a perfect summer movie, so I would suggest checking it out when the weather is nice and warm.
Stream The Spectacular Now on Max.
Rent/Buy The Spectacular Now on Amazon.
Mercy Street (2016 - 2017)
If you’re looking for a historical medical drama, then Mercy Street is the one for you, where Winstead actually played a real person, Mary Phinney. The television show is set during the Civil War and follows nurses who work for a local hospital and aid soldiers and visitors, but also support Union and Confederate troops.
If I’m being truthful, Winstead is part of a large ensemble cast here, so sometimes it can be hard to single her out amongst the many great performances that are delivered throughout the drama. But, when she is on screen, you can’t look away. She portrays Phinney expertly and really shows just how skilled of an actress she is. I would gladly watch her in another TV such as this one.
Fargo (2017)
There are several great anthology series nowadays, and Fargo is one of the best. There are four seasons, each following a different cast of characters as they are involved in a local crime that turns their worlds upside down, from murders to gang activity.
Winstead stars in the third season alongside Ewan McGregor, and God, I want to see more of them together. I freaking loved them as the main stars; their chemistry is so good and they really made Season 3 such a great one. These episodes followed a probation officer and his girlfriend (McGregor and Winstead), who stole a valuable vintage stamp in order to live a better life, but eventually, they get tangled up in a murder case.
Swiss Army Man (2016)
Ever wonder what it would be like to travel with a corpse that seems to have some strange powers? That’s what Swiss Army Man is all about, where a young man who is stranded on an island is suddenly saved when a corpse washes up on his beach – and seems to have the ability to fart itself in a specific direction.
That’s just the beginning of how weird this movie gets, but in a good way. Daniel Radcliffe stars as the corpse, Paul Dano is Hank, the main character, and Winstead is Sarah, a young woman that the corpse later falls in love with and – you know what, I can’t say anything else. This movie is so strange but so good and please, check it out if you need a good laugh. Winstead is great, and so is the whole cast.
Stream Swiss Army Man on Max.
Rent/Buy Swiss Army Man on Amazon.
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
When Cloverfield originally came out, no one ever expected a prequel film, but then 10 Cloverfield Lane released in 2016, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead. The main story follows Winstead’s character, Michelle, who wakes up in a bunker after a car crash, but instead of being released, the men who found her insist that something has changed the world forever – and that she can’t leave.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again – Winstead is killer in horror movies and this proves it. Granted, 10 Cloverfield Lane is more of a sci-fi horror but she is able to show fear so well I am almost jealous of it. She and John Goodman play well off of each other and create a pretty compelling story. I would watch again.
Stream 10 Cloverfield Lane on Pluto TV.
Rent/Buy 10 Cloverfield Lane on Amazon.
Faults (2014)
Another independent film that Winstead did was Faults, where she starred alongside Leland Orser. The film primarily follows a couple who decide to hire a cult expert to help with their daughter – who seems to have joined a cult called “Faults.”
The movie was well-received by critics and scored a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and critics said that it teaches bold themes about the realities of cults and how they come to be, while also keeping a comedic tone throughout, and that Winstead’s performance was one of the highlights of the film.
Stream Faults on Tubi.
Rent/Buy Faults on Amazon.
Birds Of Prey (2020)
Last but not least, we need to talk about Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). The film follows Harley after she ends things with the Joker, and decides to make her own squad of badass killer ladies in order save Cassandra Cain, when they're threatened by a local crime lord.
Man, I wish Birds of Prey came out at any other time besides 2020, because I have a feeling this movie would have done so much better if given more time in theaters. It was only out for a month before the world basically shut down, but I still love it. It's great, the cast is awesome, and Winstead kills it as the Huntress and I would let her hunt me down any day, please and thank you.
Stream Birds of Prey on Max.
Rent/Buy Birds of Prey on Amazon.
There are many awesome films/shows from Winstead, but these are her best. We can wait to see what she does next – but I think I need to watch Scott Pilgrim vs. The World again.
