Marvel’s Thunderbolts releases on May 2, 2025, so you still have some time to catch these 5 best Florence Pugh performances. We had a lot of films to choose from, so it wasn’t easy, but we’ve narrowed it down. And if you need more, I’m sure we can help with that, too.
1. Amy March: “Little Women”
“Little Women” is a classic book beloved by many girls and women, and it has been made into a movie seven times! The latest, in 2019, had Florence Pugh cast as the youngest sister, Amy. Not only did critics give high praise for her performance (and the script), but she also received an Oscar nomination in 2020 for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and a nomination for the BAFTA.
The character of Amy is usually disliked by those who read the book or watch the films. In this take on the story, Greta Gerwig (writer and director) has made some distinct changes to the story and the character to make her more likable. This, along with Pugh’s performance, helped to improve the impression she left on viewers. For instance, instead of being fixated on marrying a wealthy man to achieve that lifestyle, Amy states that it’s unfair that women are expected to marry rich, though it’s something she finds necessary.
“Little Women” is currently available to rent on several streaming services, including Apple TV and Amazon Video. Definitely deserves to be one of the 5 Best Florence Pugh performances.
2. Dani Ardor: “Midsommar”
A dark, psychological horror, “Midsommar” is one film that Florence Pugh said was difficult to recover from. She was quoted as saying, “I definitely felt like I abused myself in the places that I got myself to go.”
The movie tells the story of Dani, who is grieving the deaths of her sister and parents. She travels to Sweden with her boyfriend, who is just biding his time before he breaks up with her. The expected celebrations turn dark among the locals and their ritual-based lives. Vox described Pugh’s performance this way: “In Midsommar, she unloads her guts in paroxysms of grief so primal and violent, they nearly upstage the film’s scariest images.”
Several streaming services have the film available to rent, including Apple TV and Amazon Video.
3. Saraya “Paige” Knight: “Fighting with My Family”
In this comedy, Florence Pugh plays the fictional version of real-life WWE personality Saraya Jade-Bevis, known as Paige by her fans. The LA Times praised Pugh’s performance by saying she uses her “goth-girl accouterments” to “tease out rather than sum up” the character. In the film, Paige is one of the children in a pro-wrestling family. She dreams of getting her break, and that’s exactly what she gets.
Though the plot is said to be predictable, the film has a lot of heart, and you’ll follow along with Paige as she learns life lessons and grows into herself.
“Fighting with My Family” is available to stream for free on Pluto, Hoopla, and The Roku Channel. It is also available on Prime Video and can be rented from Apple TV and Plex.
4. Katherine Lester: “Lady Macbeth”
We’re halfway through the 5 best Florence Pugh performances, and next is “Lady Macbeth,” an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Nikolai Leskov, which was inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The movie takes place in England in the 19th century. Florence Pugh’s character, Katherine, is married to the son of a wealthy mine owner. The father is the one who truly runs things. With her husband and father-in-law away most of the time, she is left alone with the staff. She indulges in vices, including an affair with one of the workers. Of Pugh’s performance, The Guardian states, “all it [is] driven by the sensuality and rage of Pugh’s performance.”
The movie is available to stream on Amazon Prime and can be rented from several streaming services as well.
5. Yelena Belova: “Black Widow”
What would the list of 5 best Florence Pugh performances be without “Black Widow?” Especially since we’re counting down to the release of Thunderbolts. If you haven’t seen Black Widow, you should absolutely remedy that before seeing Thunderbolts. Pugh’s character, Yelena, is the adoptive sister of Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. And she received a lot of praise for the role.
Eric Goldman, the managing editor of Fandom, said, “The cast is all great with Florence Pugh a standout.” And Erik Davis of Fandango said, “Florence Pugh CRUSHES it & is an instant MCU icon. This is like the MCU’s Bond movie with shades of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE & THELMA & LOUISE.”
You can find “Black Widow” on Disney+, and you can rent it from various other streaming services. If you’re watching it on Disney+, you might as well keep going and watch “Hawkeye” too! That way, you’ll have all of the back story on Yelena.
Wrapping it Up
These are just the 5 best Florence Pugh performances we chose. Of course, there are many other films and shows you can see her in. We’d encourage you to fall down that rabbit hole and watch as many as you can before the Thunderbolts release. We’ll be doing the same!
