Every Blake Lively Movie Performance, Ranked by Liveliness

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In the somewhat overlooked romantic comedy “Long Shot”, Seth Rogen remarks about Jennifer Aniston, “You being in movies doesn’t make you a movie star.” Indeed, he raises a valid point. Regardless of her numerous studio roles, she is neither a frontrunner for awards nor a guaranteed box office success. Her most recognized character remains the beloved television series character she portrayed as the dream girl.

For a brief moment, let’s imagine that Jen remained married to Brad Pitt. If she had his influence by association, attending red carpets with him and gracing the covers of magazines like Vogue and Elle instead of Us or InTouch, would she be considered an A-list celebrity? Even with her unchanged movie career, would we still refer to her as a movie star?

Is that what Blake Lively is?

The character of Serena van der Woodsen from “Gossip Girl,” played by Blake Lively, continues to cast a lingering shadow that Lively seems unwilling or unable to escape. Her glamorous appearance at the Met Gala and launching a hair product line are typical of what one might expect from someone as charismatic and fashion-forward as Serena.

While Serena may not have a career focus, Eva (Lively) has set her sights on becoming a movie actress. This isn’t an easy path to take, even if you’ve starred in a popular teen show like Glee or Beverly Hills 90210. Michelle Williams is the only one from Dawson’s who still does movies today. Eva had some movie credibility before Gossip Girl, thanks to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Perhaps she could make it! As Gossip Girl ended, Eva capitalized on her fame with a “serious project,” The Town, which garnered mixed reviews and left a bad taste that might have tarnished her reputation for the next decade. Shortly after, she starred in a box office failure, possibly ending any hopes she had of smoothly transitioning from small to big screen roles.

Following the conclusion of “Gossip Girl,” I found myself eagerly awaiting her return to the silver screen, but alas, a three-year hiatus ensued. During this period, she dedicated her time to two significant endeavors off-camera – starting a family with my husband and launching Preserve, a short-lived lifestyle platform. With the hope that the echoes of past missteps had faded away, I embarked on rekindling my movie career in 2015, though in a more modest capacity compared to before. Prior to the pandemic, I averaged one film per year, focusing primarily on projects with substantial concepts and budgets around $25 million. Nothing overly complex, nothing that could invite negative headlines about disappointing box office or even subpar performances.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I’ve always admired Blake Lively’s acting prowess. While her husband’s fame was ascending, she wisely chose to bide her time, carefully selecting suitable roles to establish a more substantial career foundation. After a brief hiatus, she reappeared in the anticipated sequel of the critically acclaimed “A Simple Favor,” and jumped aboard the literary juggernaut of the day’s most celebrated author. The release of “It Ends With Us” brought her the critical acclaim and box office success she had been striving for over almost two decades. Alas, the headlines didn’t stop there!

To analyze the intricacies of a career with occasional pauses, and in anticipation of the upcoming movie “Another Simple Favor“, I’ve chosen to evaluate her performances in leading roles (excluding voice acting) not based on the quality of the films themselves but rather on how effectively they showcase her unique talent for being lively, captivating, and subtly risky. Essentially, this is about Emily Blunt.

18.
The Rhythm Section (2020)

Although you might fault Blake for her spasmodic British accent, it’s not her responsibility that the storyline resembles weak cardboard. Shortly after Stephanie Patrick, an exceptional student at Oxford, loses her family in a tragic plane crash, she descends into drug addiction and prostitution, charging clients $100 per service. However, when an investigative journalist reveals that the crash was no accident but a terrorist act orchestrated by individuals claiming to do it for the glory of their religion, Patrick’s life takes a drastic turn. After running with an ex-spy portrayed by Jude Law, she manages to overcome her heroin addiction and transforms into an assassin, albeit not the glamorous, witty type with a secret weapon concealed under her bra. Instead, she adopts a rough appearance with choppy black hair and an unyielding scowl. As the story unfolds, Patrick engages in intimate moments with Sterling K. Brown (understandable, though the chemistry with Jude was more appealing) and ultimately stabs him with a lethal syringe. At this point, the acting takes a backseat to the plot’s intensity.

A valuable takeaway for anyone considering casting Ryan Reynolds’ wife: She should portray characters of affluent status. Despite any mistakes in the costume budget and styling during “It Ends With Us“, it was right for her to demand designer clothing, even if the justification seemed implausible. Some actresses have a natural ‘iPhone Face’, but Lively has an innate ‘Wealthy Appearance’.

For anyone considering casting Ryan Reynolds’ wife in future roles, it’s best to cast her as wealthy characters. Despite potential issues with the costumes and styling on “It Ends With Us“, she was right to push for designer clothes, regardless of how contrived the reasoning appeared. Some actresses possess an ‘iPhone Face’, but Lively has a natural ‘Wealthy Image’.

17.
The Town (2010)

“You gotta chase the rabbit if you want the tail.”

In the final episodes of Gossip Girl’s first season, you can witness Serena’s emotional spree fueled by guilt. This performance caught Ben Affleck’s attention, making him believe she was suitable for the role of Krista, the drug-dependent sister of Jeremy Renner’s character in his crime thriller set in Boston. She truly embodied the look, moving seductively through the bar adorned with smoky eyeshadow, hoop earrings, and minimal clothing, exuding an allure akin to unclean silk sheets under the rhythm of Jason Derulo’s “Whatcha Say.

As a movie enthusiast, let me share my experience: Her speech was challenging to follow. The accent was tough to decipher and it made understanding certain words difficult. To be honest, I couldn’t tell if her child was named “Shaye,” “Shoyn,” or “Shy.

In simpler terms, The chemistry between Affleck and the character isn’t there, especially during their dialogue-heavy sex scenes while fully clothed. The actress is portraying a drug-addicted Barbie doll, but conveying emotion through drug-induced haze is challenging and I’ve seen skilled actors struggle with it. Perhaps she was still caught up in her Serena role and forgot how to play an adult. Her performance feels like that of a high school student given the chance to act in mature material for the first time. Maybe if Affleck wasn’t also her co-star, he could have guided her better. However, Jeremy Renner delivers a solid performance in this film.

16.
Simon Says (2006)

According to IMDb, this low-budget slasher follows a group of five high school seniors (three attractive girls), traveling together in a VW van, headed towards a campsite near a forest river. They learn about a boy who allegedly murdered his twin and parents in the same region, but choose to disregard the warning. As it’s not available for streaming in the U.S., we can only imagine the events that unfold.

Instead of eliminating it completely, since it features other vibrant characters from the Lively clan (father Ernie, sisters Lori and Robyn, and brother-in-law Bart Johnson), I decided to include it in this list, arranged by liveliness level, rather than omitting it altogether.

15.
All I See Is You (2017)

Following a tragic accident that claimed her parents’ lives and left her blind, Gina found contentment in Bangkok with her businessman spouse (Jason Clarke). However, a subsequent surgery restores her sight, revealing an uncanny resemblance to Blake Lively. A captivating yet ominous moment unfolds as she binds, blindfolds, and assumes a position astride her husband on a trans-European train overnight. The film offers fleeting glimpses of Lively’s charm, but the overall production – characterized by excessive stylization and inadequate development – is a nerve-wracking ordeal to watch through one’s fingers. Despite Lively’s earnest portrayal of Gina’s transformation from sorrow to paranoia as her vision deteriorates, the characters lack the depth necessary for a fair appraisal of their performances.

14.
Savages (2012)

Characters Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) are exceptionally close friends who cultivate the finest marijuana in the entire globe. Their deep affection for each other is surpassed only by their shared girlfriend, O (Lively). This setup could serve as the foundation for a timelessly hilarious black comedy, under the writing or direction of Martin McDonagh. Regrettably, it’s Oliver Stone who crafts this story into a gritty crime drama, with Lively providing the voiceover: “Chon is constantly trying to resolve his internal war. I have climaxes. He has battle climaxes.

Initially, Lively acts with an intensity suggesting a hidden threat behind the scenes, such as someone holding a gun to her head off-stage. Later on, O experiences a real-life gunpoint situation. There’s a charged atmosphere between O and the ruthless cartel leader, played by Salma Hayek, who uses O as leverage in negotiations. However, Stone is too timid to allow for any romantic moments between the two women, thus wasting Lively’s emotional investment that had built up for this intense narrative arc.

13.
New York, I Love You (2008)

Poor Blake, it seems unfortunate that out of the 11 directors in this anthology, she was paired with Brett Ratner. He cast her as a ‘Hot Girl’ and only gave her two lines, though he did accurately typecast her for the role of someone who might take an NYU film major to the prom. To his credit (perhaps), that’s precisely the part she appears suited for.

12.
Hick (2011)

This gritty tale featuring a 13-year-old runaway, played by Chloë Grace Moretz, leans heavily on Blake’s signature style: portraying a troubled drug addict with a kind heart who draws admiration from men. Despite being immersed in the muddy waters of this pseudo-deep narrative, she manages to come out relatively unscathed and delivers the most memorable lines such as “Church is for brunettes” and “Dear God, please don’t let the old man die just yet. Best wishes, Glenda.” (Her character’s name is Glenda.)

Note: This is the second film in which someone kisses Lively’s dead body on the lips.

11.
Accepted (2006)

If there was no concept of community college in existence, imagine if Ferris Bueller had intended to create a movie similar to “Old School” but instead produced something akin to “Camp Nowhere”. In this version, Monica plays the Love Interest, with minimal other significant roles. As a child, I watched this film numerous times and even now, I find that it still retains some charm.

10.
Café Society (2016)

In a somewhat unattributed fashion, the film titled “Café Society” is about Bobby (Jesse Eisenberg), moving from being a Hollywood assistant to running a New York club. Despite this, he remains enamored with Veronica (Kristen Stewart), who prefers marriage to his uncle (Steve Carell) over him.

In my perspective as a fan, Bobby, in an attempt to deal with things, finds and marries another radiant, kind, cheerful, and seemingly flawless Veronica (Blake Lively). This woman is so extraordinary that it’s hard not to assume Bobby truly adores the brunette Veronica, even though he’s already married to an ethereal beauty. Additionally, in this movie, Stewart casually remarks that yes, Errol Flynn is a known rapist who prefers young girls, but when you meet him, he’s quite entertaining. In any case…

I must commend the movie, set in the 1930s, for its charming aesthetic, and Blake Lively certainly complements this elegance. Her hairstyle on this film seems to be her best yet, and she skillfully makes the most of the script. If you ever pondered how she might have performed in the role of Daisy in The Great Gatsby, I’d say she likely would have done quite well.

9.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)

Instead of relying on Lively’s natural charisma and spirit in the initial adaptation, they aimed for a genuine portrayal with a straightforward yet impactful storyline. However, by the second installment, Lively developed certain acting habits, which, coupled with a more forced plot (secrets hidden through letters, projecting mother issues onto a skeleton during an archaeological dig) made the entire production feel unpromising. Moreover, her lessons about mental illness in her mother were arguably problematic. Fortunately, the final scenes transported the Sisterhood to Greece for a romantic quest, and we catch glimpses of her initial luster once more.

8.
Green Lantern (2011)

Instead of referring to it as a franchise debut, it was more like the introduction of a powerful duo, where Lively met her future spouse, Mr. Mint Mobile. In retrospect, was their future love story evident? Was their connection magnetic? Were they the equivalent of Bogart and Bacall in today’s era? Well… that remains to be seen.

In this rendition, Carol is portrayed as a dynamic and assertive female lead, who happens to be an accomplished pilot. She finds Hal’s behavior utterly annoying. Under multiple layers of tanning solution, she gives him disapproving looks. She dons an olive-green flight suit exceptionally well in two of her scenes. Remarkably, she ends up passing out twice, the second instance being quite amusing as it occurs mid-air. During one of these instances, a character from the show Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place engages in a confrontation with an inflated Peter Sarsgaard (delivering, without exaggeration, a remarkable performance that deserves recognition).

According to the acclaimed filmmaker Howard Hawks, a great movie consists of three outstanding sequences and no weak ones. _The Green Lantern_ may not be a good film overall, but it does contain one scene that stands out, or at least left me in stitches. After saving Carol, Sir Lantern drops by her workplace (mansion?) for a visit. She expresses gratitude to her super-rescuer and then recognizes who he is. “Hal? Hal? HAL? Oh my — oh my God. Oh my God, Hal!” she exclaims. “I’ve known you my whole life, I’ve seen you naked, you don’t think I would recognize you because I can’t see your cheekbones? What is this? Why is your skin green? Why are you glowing? What on earth is that mask?” she asks.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=lP8EYYjPEmc

I’m quite excited about the prospect of seeing Blake and Ryan act together again. Ideally, this could happen in the “last great american dynasty” film, but it seems increasingly unlikely as the days go by. Still, I firmly believe that such a collaboration would be successful.

7.
Elvis and Annabelle (2007)

As a passionate film enthusiast, I find myself drawn into the captivating world of Elvis (Max Minghella), the son of a hunchbacked, intellectually-challenged mortician (Joe Mantegna). His heart yearns to craft crime fiction, but his life takes an unexpected turn following his mother’s tragic suicide. Now, I’m left with the grim responsibility of embalming bodies, a task that my father claims as his own, since I’m yet to earn the necessary license.

On the other hand, Annabelle (Lively) is a small-town beauty queen, her charm and grace illuminating the stage. However, her life is overshadowed by an overbearing mother (Mary Steenburgen) and a stepfather who’s perhaps too friendly for comfort (Keith Carradine). In the midst of her triumphant moment at the pageant, her bulimia-weakened heart succumbed to failure, leaving her lifeless. Rest in Peace, Annabelle. At least her Texas drawl was a treat to my northern ears.

Except! As Elvis preps Annabelle’s body for embalming, he has to stop when she … wakes up!

The most appealing aspect of this Southern Neo-Gothic fairy tale (or perhaps it could have been an alternative plotline for “Six Feet Under”) lies in its heartwarming love story. However, the representation of disability by Mantegna leaves much to be desired. The film is somewhat peculiar and may not have been the ideal platform for young Blake to showcase his talent. Yet, no one portrays a crippled beautiful bird quite like Lively does.

Note: This is the first film in which someone kisses Lively’s DEAD BODY ON THE LIPS.

6.
It Ends With Us (2023)

As a cinephile, I’ve been following Lily Bloom’s journey on-screen for years, having silently witnessed her father’s mistreatment of her mother. Yet, what captivates me most is not just the quiet, accommodating Lily that we see today, but rather the sparkling vitality that the talented Blake Lively can effortlessly bring to life. This subdued portrayal perfectly suits her character, yet it sometimes casts a somber tone over the film, which, as emphasized during the press tour, is intended to be a story of resilience, not a melodrama focusing on domestic violence – although, in truth, it does explore this sensitive topic.

Certain actresses skillfully transform a character’s most difficult moments, such as being abused by their partner, into emotionally charged and dynamic scenes. However, some actresses can unintentionally turn these moments into melodramatic ones. Lively’s portrayal is more in the middle, sincere yet somehow lackluster. Watching Lily, I didn’t experience any strong emotions, but rather felt deeply saddened for her.

In simpler terms, it seems Lively isn’t incapable of delivering powerful dramatic performances, as shown in the scene where she requests a divorce while cradling her newborn (a delicate and nuanced act). However, I have an idea that her ambition to be recognized seriously may conflict with her inherent zest for enjoying life. In other words, when we consider those high-profile interviews kindly, it appears Lively genuinely wanted us to gather our friends and enjoy the beauty of nature because she’s generally a positive person who seeks joy and looks at life through rose-tinted glasses, finding brightness amidst potential tragedy. For instance, observe her happily making a Key lime pie while chatting animatedly to herself, and you’ll understand my point. The more a role lets her express her love for fun, the more she thrives.

5.
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)

Blake Lively is truly put to good use in the film TPLOPL, directed by Rebecca Miller. Despite its inconsistencies in tone and storytelling, it offers a compelling character study. In this role, Lively portrays a younger version of Robin Wright. She navigates her struggles with a drug-addicted mother, becomes entangled in psychosexual lesbian photoshoots, and journeys through the ’80s downtown art scene before falling for an older man (Alan Arkin).

This is her moment akin to Penny Lane in Almost Famous, and she’s captivating even amidst the soap operas. It sparked in me a deep longing for her to don her high heels once more and spin through the clubs again. Despite her well-known abstinence from alcohol, she portrays an exceptional troubled woman. Given her apparent aversion to romantic comedies and big-budget films, I implore those in power to secure for her the rights to Sarah Hoover’s The Motherload and Cat Marnell’s How to Murder Your Life. Let your imagination run wild with the potential roles she could play.

4.
The Age of Adaline (2015)

As a movie enthusiast, “The Age of Adaline,” often referred to as the one where Blake Lively mysteriously stops aging, is far from what the science jargon like “Von Lehman’s principle of Electron Compression in deoxyribonucleic acid, which will be discovered in 2035” might mislead you into expecting. Contrary to the intellectual depth suggested by her eating madeleines while reminiscing, akin to Proust, the film maintains a mature fairy tale vibe, with only minor stumbles when it comes to dialogue that feels overly dramatic, such as “I’ve done nothing wrong. I’m a good American. How dare you bother me at my workplace?

As a movie enthusiast, I must admit that in the initial stages of “The Age of Adaline,” I found myself somewhat adrift amidst the ambiguous narrative threads. However, this disorientation is purposeful; the protagonist, Adaline, embodies an anachronism, maintaining her ’40s coiffure even in modern times. The director’s touch could have been more assured to instill confidence that this intricate puzzle is indeed unfolding. Unfortunately, the scenes progress one after another without a strong sense of direction or momentum until the halfway mark, when Harrison Ford graces the screen as Adaline’s boyfriend’s father, who was also her lover half a century ago.

Could you imagine if I said that not only is Harrison confined within the storyline, and not only does he and Lively have an intriguing lost-love dynamic, but the entire plot somehow manages to avoid being unsettling? And that’s just the start. The real surprise lies in the actor they found for the flashback scenes.

Permit me a brief deviation from the main topic. On two separate occasions, Hollywood has attempted, yet failed, to convince us that a young actor possesses the charisma and presence similar to Harrison Ford’s. Shia LaBeouf, with his physical resemblance to Indiana Jones, might have inherited half of his genetic material from the iconic character, but his discomfort in his roles makes it hard for me to believe it at all. As for Alden Ehrenreich, tasked with portraying a young Han Solo, not only is this an impossible endeavor, but it becomes awkward when compared to Donald Glover, who flawlessly embodies the role of young Lando Calrissian. To sum up, Anthony Ingruber, who plays the younger version of Harrison’s character, truly excels in his portrayal.

It helps that he literally does a Harrison Ford impression …

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=bba_wPdLxp4

As a film enthusiast, I believe it was his captivating performance in the Solo video that may have opened the door for him, even if it wasn’t the role itself. He possesses a unique voice, is charmingly endearing, and manages to underplay his acting, which gives the flashback scenes an ethereal, somewhat forgotten feel that lets Harrison Ford carry the emotional load. In this film, just as he doesn’t land real planes effortlessly, Ford masterfully brings the story to a satisfying conclusion.

Tangent over. This movie is weirdly comforting, bye.

3.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

Indeed, that’s the location where Lively found her significant other(s). Frankly, I find this film overly sentimental, yet the lasting camaraderie among the principal actresses strikes a chord with my generation, making it endearing.

After his wife’s suicide, Bridget’s (Lively) father finds it difficult to handle his daughter’s emotional state, following yet another loss of a parent in her life. To provide her with a change of environment and distraction from romantic entanglements, he enrolls her at an all-girls soccer camp. However, despite the lack of appropriate attention, Bridget becomes infatuated with one of the coaches. In her search for connection, she pursues him physically, but soon realizes that sex does not bring the fulfillment she sought.

During that period, her fellow actors were already well-established from shows like “Gilmore Girls”, “Real Women Have Curves”, and “Joan of Arcadia”; however, Lively herself was relatively unknown. This was her debut role, and she slipped into the character so effortlessly that it seemed more like she wasn’t acting at all. If this character were in “Sex and the City”, she would be Samantha. If we’re talking about “Girls”, she would resemble Jessa. The narrator describes Bridget as both “wild” and “unstoppable,” garnering attention almost instinctively, all while feigning a reckless joy to hide her profound sorrow.

In this case, “Lively” becomes her preferred or habitual setting, a place where she feels at ease; despite not necessarily being the most effective use of her abilities, she is reliable in delivering consistent results.

2.
The Shallows (2016)

In the survival stories like Castaway, Gravity, The Revenant, and 127 Hours, the leading characters, portrayed by Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Leonardo DiCaprio, and James Franco respectively, have essential duties: maintain an unkempt yet attractive appearance (it’s a movie), converse convincingly without co-stars, respond realistically to their surroundings despite filming conditions, and creatively express distress. To put it simply, Anne Hathaway nailed the intense survival acting!

On a solitary Mexican beach where her late mother once vacationed (and now it seems all Blake Lively’s parents are deceased), a young woman named Chase, Georgie, or Mia finds herself in a perilous situation after being attacked by a shark. Stranded on a rock, she must fight to survive until help arrives or the shark departs. Her only companionship comes from “Steven Seagull,” and in an extraordinary act, she manages to staple her injured leg together using her jewelry. Unfortunately, her attempt to eat a crab during the 60 minutes of an 86-minute film that follows the shark attack is unsuccessful.

Let me clarify, this might come off as slightly indirect, but it’s not meant to be: Lively doesn’t necessarily benefit from having an exceptional co-star to interact with. Instead, she thrives when her peers meet her on the same level. If they don’t, she sometimes struggles to adapt. She excels more in a leading role than a supporting one, and in The Shallows, given the entire screen to herself, she truly shines. I can assure you, during my theater experience, we were cheering with enthusiasm. Watching it again at home, I was still cheering. The way she (spoiler) takes down that shark in a bikini is incredibly gratifying! Are you not enthralled by this spectacle?

As a movie enthusiast, it’s astounding to see how successful “The Shallows” was that they decided to release a film starring Mandy Moore against a shark in cinemas instead of Video On Demand. If that doesn’t scream ‘movie-star potential’, I don’t know what does!

1.
A Simple Favor (2018)

Among all the lively movies I frequently rewatch, none compares to “Gone Girl,” and “The Talented Mr. Ripley” is a more glamorous version of it, suitable for less experienced viewers (complimentary). This film is exceptional. Emily, played by Blake Lively, exhibits a chilling coldness reminiscent of Sharon Stone. As the sociopathic fashionista Emily, she skillfully deceives and manipulates Anna Kendrick’s character, Stephanie, a supermom with perky optimism. Lively pulls off glamorous villainess mannerisms that would overpower other stars. I find it convincing when she takes 30 minutes to mix a martini, and her detached suit cuffs add to her aura of sophistication. Indeed, she can play the role of a “bitch” effectively.

In a casual yet assertive manner, Director Paul Feig recognizes that Lively’s knack for captivating her scene partners serves as a powerful asset, and allows her to casually kiss Kendrick (“You’re okay. Do you want to order pizza?”). This action can be seen as an understated display of dominance, the logical culmination of their girl talk, and a subtle release for Emily’s barely concealed anger that she hardly bothers to mask.

Instead of other actresses making the role too dramatic or obvious, Lively makes it seem effortless – almost as if she’s bored with the part. This leaves you questioning whether she’s just a pretty face, a Hitchcock blonde with a touch of humor but lacking depth. However, when you realize this, she has already ensnared you. She’s like a caged tiger subtly circling her suburban enclosure. I eagerly await the sequel to see if it will finally set this tiger free.

*Apparently it’s “Shine.” OK.
Chon!

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2025-05-01 18:59