Top 10 Best Aubrey Plaza Movies & TV Shows

The role that put her on the map. As April Ludgate, Plaza turned disinterest and sarcasm into an art form. Among all the cheerful goofballs of Pawnee, she was the perfect cynical counterpoint. But what really made April memorable was that Plaza gave her, despite that big mouth, a tiny soft heart underneath. A masterclass in comic timing.

In this visual rollercoaster from Edgar Wright, Plaza plays a supporting role, but she steals every scene she's in. As Julie Powers, she's the embodiment of pure hatred and venom. It's over the top, ferocious, and hilarious. It was already clear here that she could fill an entire screen with pure attitude alone.

Forget the sitcoms; in Legion, Plaza goes all out. As Lenny Busker (and later the villainous Shadow King), she's terrifying, funny, and completely unpredictable. She dances, screams, and manipulates her way through scenes. It's a physical and psychological tour de force that showed she can hold her own in the horror genre too.

As the judgmental lawyer Harper, Plaza plays it more subtly than ever. No big gestures, just loaded glances over the rim of a wine glass. She perfectly captures the discomfort of someone who feels morally superior to her wealthy dinner companions, while slowly starting to crack herself. One of her most human and relatable roles.

In this razor-sharp satire, she plays Ingrid Thorburn, a lonely woman who becomes obsessed with an Instagram influencer (Elizabeth Olsen). Plaza plays the role with a painful mix of humor and deep sadness. You laugh at her awkward actions, but at the same time feel the desperation of someone who just wants to belong. A high point in her filmography.

A recent role showing us a completely different side of Plaza. She plays the older version of the lead character, traveling back in time to give her younger self advice. She brings a certain calm, warmth, and melancholy here that we don't often see from her. It proves she no longer needs that sarcastic defense wall to keep an audience captivated.

In this experimental drama, she plays a filmmaker losing her grip on reality in a remote cabin. The film splits in two halfway through, and Plaza essentially has to play two different versions of the same character. It's intense, confusing, and a fantastic showcase of her dramatic range.

Aubrey Plaza as a swearing nun in medieval times? Yes please. In this absurd comedy, she plays a nun who couldn't care less about convent rules. It's raw, vulgar, and chaotic. Plaza feels right at home in this anarchic setting and dominates the film with her energy.

This was the film that made critics sit up and say, "Hey, Aubrey Plaza can be romantic too." She plays an intern interviewing a man who claims he can time travel. Her performance is disarming and sincere. She lets her cynical armor down here, giving the film an unexpectedly emotional weight.

Plaza is frighteningly realistic as Emily, a woman driven into serious crime by crushing student debt. You feel the stress and pent-up rage in every scene. It's a raw thriller where she proves she can effortlessly carry a film with genuine dramatic weight.

Plaza stars alongside Margaret Qualley and Chris Evans in this black comedy directed by Ethan Coen about a small-town private detective.