Jennifer Lawrence in an American actress who is well known for her roles in The Hunger Games series. Like many, I fell in love with her because of her performance in Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and have watched her journey ever since.

While she may be one of the best actresses in her age group, there are some films that just miss the mark. Jennifer’s abilities come out to shine in lower-budget, indie flicks but can sometimes be overshadowed by who she is in bigger, box office films. Having said that, I don’t think she has even given a terrible performance; some films are just better than others. Here’s a look at some of the best and worst of Jennifer Lawrence.

The Poker House (2008)

While not everyone enjoys this movie, the film highlights Jennifer’s abilities early on. The Poker House is Lori Petty’s directional debut and is a story based on her own life. The story follows Jennifer’s character, whose mother is strung out on drugs and is generally struggling to find her place in the world. This movie is an essential for Jennifer Lawrence fans.

House at the End of the Street (2012)

This film came out just before Jennifer’s career exploded. There is not much to say except that this is a typical, teenage horror flick. Jennifer’s character and her mum move to a rural town for a fresh start when strange things begin to happen. With choppy editing and poor timing, this film is one that you just don’t have to see (unless bad horror films are your thing).

The Hunger Games (2012)

This film is incredibly enjoyable to watch, and gives a great nod to the book series. Jennifer’s character Katniss volunteers as tribute when her sister is selected to fight in the Hunger Games. A child from each district in this post-apocalyptic world is selected to fight each other to the death, to stop people from getting any ideas about rebelling. In the first two Hunger Games films, it doesn’t feel like you are watching Jennifer Lawrence and it is easy to slide into the fantasy world (with some very real political undertones) that is presented in this film.

Serena (2015)

The second film to be released with Bradly Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence after Silver Linings is Serena. The film is set in the 1920’s and follows the romantic relationship between Jennifer’s and Bradly’s characters. The story becomes twisted upon a series of unfortunate events and the ending isn’t pleasant for everyone. Serena is incredibly frustrating to watch as it has the bones to be a good movie, but it just doesn’t make it. The editing is bizarre at times and the plots can be very unusual in parts. As much as I love Jennifer and Bradley together, this movie isn’t a must-see.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

I couldn’t finish this article without giving mention to Silver Linings Playbook. This is one of my favourite movies of all time and has all of the perfect ingredients. The supporting characters are strong, each camera movement helps tell the story and the performances from everybody are astounding. The best part about Jennifer’s performance in this film is that it doesn’t feel like you are watching Jennifer. It feels like you are watching the character Tiffany who is recovering from the death of her husband and living with mental illness. If you haven’t seen this flick already, I would highly recommend it.

Special mention: Winter’s Bone (2010 – pictured above), another great, early performance from Jennifer in a dark, must-see film for fans.

Check out our review for Jennifer Lawrence’s latest film Mother! – one of the few films starring the actress that has audiences divided.