The Best and Worst of Elizabeth Olsen

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Avengers: Infinity War” star Elizabeth Olsen.

Films starring Elizabeth Olsen that I've seen:
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Oldboy
Godzilla 
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Captain America: Civil War
Wind River
Ingrid Goes West
Kodachrome 

Best Performance: Ingrid Goes West (2017)
I felt that Ingrid Goes West was the best acted film of last year and Olsen's remarkable turn in the co-leading role helped set the tone for the brilliance of the entire ensemble cast. As a Los Angeles-based Instagram "influencer" that ends up befriending her stalker (an equally great Aubrey Plaza), Olsen gives an incredibly nuanced performance that highlights the flavor-of-the-week mentality, phony glamour and crushing loneliness that exists behind an individual that chooses to project a façade of perfection on social media.

Worst Performance: Godzilla (2014)
Olsen's considerable acting gifts are buried by a garbage script that gives her nothing to do besides scream and looked confused for two hours.

Best Film: Wind River (2017)
Up-and-coming screenwriter Taylor Sheridan's (Sicario, Hell or High Water) crazy hot streak followed him behind the camera with Wind River, a riveting mystery thriller which very well could be his finest project to-date. Sheridan, who also penned the script, effortlessly transitions to the director's chair with a film that's full of pulse-pounding tension, excellent character development and a pair of terrific performances from his leads (Jeremy Renner, Olsen).

Worst Film: Godzilla (2014)
If future filmmakers want to learn how to not make a monster movie, Gareth Edwards' Godzilla holds all the answers. Choosing to spend a bulk of the runtime focusing on a group of wooden, underdeveloped human characters while a monster is going around San Francisco and fucking shit up is an infuriating decision by Edwards, who between this and Rogue One has solidified himself as a master of making exciting things boring, that results in a tedious and utterly pointless film that made me yearn for the overwhelming cheesiness of Roland Emmerich's 1998 version.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Overboard” star Anna Faris.