Aubrey Plaza Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Aubrey Plaza-whose latest project "Emily the Criminal" arrives in theaters tomorrow.

Aubrey Plaza's Filmography Ranked:

19.The Little Hours (D)

18.Playing It Cool (C)

17.Joshy (C)

16.The To Do List (C)

15.About Alex (B-)

14.Charlie Countryman (B-)

13.Mystery Team (B-)

12.Dirty Grandpa (B)

11.Monsters University (B)

10.Happiest Season (B) 

9.Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (B)

8.Safety Not Guaranteed (B)

7.Funny People (B)

6.Life After Beth (B+)

5.An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn (B+)

4.Child's Play (B+)

3.Black Bear (B+)

2.Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (A-)

1.Ingrid Goes West (A)

Top Dog: Ingrid Goes West (2017)

Ingrid Goes West is a perfect piece of satire that has only gotten better as social media celebrities have become more prevalent in the cultural landscape in the 5 years since it was released. It's a film that understands the careful cultivation of the luxurious facade that influencer's put into the world and how they use social media to mask the problems with their own lives as well as the desperation of the lonely people who seek to live in that facade with biting dark humor and a really depressing degree of honesty.

Bottom Feeder: The Little Hours (2017)

As the above list illustrates, Jeff Baena's movies are kind of all over the place to me. However, The Little Hours is in a special camp as it's the only one that I've seen that I really hate. Despite having a great cast (Alison Brie, Plaza, Kate Micucci, Dave Franco, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Fred Armisen, Nick Offerman) and an admirably weird premise involving the members of a convent in 1340's Italy who break their vow to God and begin indulging in all sorts of sin, The Little Hours only manages to be shockingly dull and unfunny for the duration of its 90-minute runtime  

Most Underrated: Ingrid Goes West (2017)

All of the gushing above is just a small sample of the love I have for this movie. The script is relentlessly clever, every member of the ensemble cast (Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy Magnussen, Pom Klementieff) delivers an unreal performance that perfectly serves the story and the ending is a haunting gut punch that holds a mirror up to a lot of the awful shit social media exposes about humanity. When people look back the cinema of the 2010's, I really hope many of them stumble upon this unheralded gem and understand what a horrifying encapsulation of the time period it truly is. 

Most Overrated: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Multiple viewings over a 10-year span and a love for both Edgar Wright's work and its future superstar-filled cast that has grown significantly since the film was initially released in August 2010 hasn't done much to change my view on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Its Mountain Dew and Taco Bell energy gives it a uniquely busy style that suits its video game meets graphic novel style well, but I don't think it's nearly as clever, amusing or compelling as the rest of Wright's movies.

Most Underrated Slasher Remake/Reboot Possibly Ever: Child's Play (2019)

Watching a remake actually try (and succeed) at doing something new is exceptionally refreshing. By retooling the origins of Chucky to make him a robot doll that slowly become a killer by being exposed to violence and viewing himself as the fierce protector of his owner Andy (Gabriel Bateman), the new Child's Play is able to establish its own fascinating creative identity while also serving up some inspired dark comedy and creative, gory kills that pays homage to the original series.

Top Aubrey Plaza Movie That Only I Seem to Love: Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)

A deep ensemble of funny people (Adam Devine, Zac Efron, Plaza, Anna Kendrick, Sam Richardson, Sugar Lyn Beard, Alice Wetterlund, Stephen Root, Kumail Nanjiani) playing colorful characters that got into increasingly absurd situations made Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates one of the funniest movies of the 2010's. Bring back R-rated studio comedies ASAP!!!!!