What are the best Emily Blunt movies? Emily Blunt has come a long way since shining in supporting roles in the likes of The Devil Wears Prada, now an undisputed household name, and currently one of the biggest actors in Hollywood. You can always rely on Blunt to draw in huge box-office numbers, and most importantly, she is always going to deliver a brilliant performance, giving her all to every role she has taken over the years.
Arguably, the key to Blunt’s success is her range and versatility as an actor. She is just as comfortable in a charming Disney movie, as she is getting gritty and grisly in an epic thriller movie, or leading the fight for survival in a horror movie. Whatever the genre, Emily Blunt brings a great screen presence and makes every movie better.
But, what are the absolute best Emily Blunt movies? We dive into her impressive filmography and pick out the best movies featuring one of the best actors working today. They may not all be family-friendly, but we think every one of these movies are supercalifragilistic!
The best Emily Blunt movies:
- Sicario
- Looper
- A Quiet Place
- Mary Poppins Returns
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Edge of Tomorrow
- The Girl on the Train
- My Summer of Love
- Into the Woods
Sicario (2015)
Director Denis Villeneuve may be better known for his more recent venture into the deserts of Arrakis in science fiction movie Dune, but the filmmaker’s incredible run of top-tier movies first caught my attention back in 2015, with the pulsating thriller movie Sicario.
As Kate, an FBI agent who gets tangled up in a hostile war against the Mexican drug cartel, Emily Blunt displays a brilliant versatility, perfectly toeing the line between vulnerability and tenacity. She is joined in an all-star cast by Josh Brolin, Daniel Kaluuya, and Benicio del Toro.
This movie will quite literally leave you breathless on multiple occasions, not least of all with the intense border ambush scene. You can watch Sicario right now on streaming service Netflix.
Looper (2012)
This mind-bending time travel movie was Emily Blunt’s first real foray into more action-packed films, and also showed us that Emily Blunt with a gun makes everything better; something which we have seen many times since. With Looper, Blunt left behind a string of rom-com movies and period dramas, and began her climb to the very top.
Written and directed by Rian Johnson, the filmmaker behind the best Star Wars movie, Looper is a high-concept, thought-provoking science fiction movie and one which is severely underrated. It’s also pretty much the last good film from Bruce Willis, so there’s that, too.
A Quiet Place (2018)
The A Quiet Place universe is rapidly expanding, with two movies in the bag already, a spin-off on the way, and a direct sequel in development. Although A Quiet Place 2 was hugely successful at the box office and allowed the franchise to grow, it’s the original movie from 2018 that for me, is the better movie.
Though John Krasinski has directed films before, this heart-racing alien movie is very much what his talents behind the camera to everyone’s attention. He and his real-life partner, Blunt, lead as parents who have to fight off sound-sensitive creatures who hunt humans in a post-apocalyptic world. Their chemistry on-screen is wonderful to watch, and the fate of the whole Abbott family is truly something audiences care about as a result.
The intense level of peril the family experience throughout this monster movie will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire 90-minute runtime. Speaking of, this perfect runtime is just another reason we love A Quiet Place so much!
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
In the same year as she was battling aliens, Emily Blunt also proved she’s just as comfortable with a magical umbrella as she is a shotgun, taking on the iconic role of Mary Poppins for Disney’s sequel to the classic family movie.
With bundles of charm and effortless likeability, Blunt captures the magic of the titular character and continues the story of the world’s best babysitter in a very natural way, making this sequel a worthwhile chapter in Disney’s huge catalogue of brilliant movies. What’s better, this delightful musical movie is on Disney Plus, placing it right at your fingertips.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
While she may technically be on the periphery of this fashion-fuelled comedy movie, Emily Blunt absolutely steals the show as the hilariously uptight and vindictive assistant to Meryl Streep‘s Miranda Priestly. Indeed, the talented triumvirate of Blunt, Streep, and Anne Hathaway, imbues this 2000s movie with a timelessly entertaining charm.
You only have to search for the memes associated with The Devil Wears Prada to understand its incredible impact on popular culture still to this day. You can find it on Amazon Prime Video with a subscription here.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Emily Blunt has arguably never been more badass than in this epic action movie, which sees the actor team up with stuntman extraordinaire Tom Cruise for a blistering battle against time and alien invaders. She more than holds her own alongside the undisputed king of action movies, and her character, Rita, is easily one of the best roles in Blunt’s astounding filmography.
In a heavily-diluted subgenre, this time travel war movie really does stand out as one of the best of recent years. With a long-awaited sequel reportedly in the works, we just hope that the rumours are true and that Emily Blunt will return to the time loop to kick some more alien ass.
The Girl on the Train (2016)
Proving it’s not always sunshine, smiles, and shotguns, Emily Blunt descends into her most destructive and chaotic role to date, with the twisted, psychological drama movie The Girl on the Train. Although met with mixed reviews upon its release, this gripping Netflix movie certainly allows Blunt to exhibit her range as an actor and was actually fairly successful at the box office.
Usually, when you encounter a movie based on a book, they often fail to live up to the source material, but I would actually argue that this movie excels where the novel falls flat. Coursing with mystery and intrigue, The Girl on the Train is a perfectly entertaining thrill ride.
My Summer of Love (2004)
Blunt’s feature film debut came in the beautiful British romance movie My Summer of Love, from acclaimed Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski. Long before the days of blockbuster hits and horror movie franchises, Blunt showed early promise in this touching tale of lesbian love.
Here, Blunt plays the alluring Tamsin, as she and Mona embark on a secret, passionate love affair over the course of a summer, against the backdrop of religious tensions and familial conflict in the form of Mona’s older brother Phil, played by the exceptional Paddy Considine.
This movie is admittedly quite obscure, so you’d be forgiven for not having seen it, or even heard of it, but if you can track it down, I implore you to give it a watch.
Into the Woods (2014)
Before she donned the famous costume to play Mary Poppins, Blunt turned her hand to another Disney movie in the shape of the Stephen Sondheim adaptation Into the Woods. Paired with James Corden as the Baker’s Wife, Blunt was the absolute star of the fantasy movie.
Sondheim’s musical is a dense beast and not everything about the movie works, but there’s no denying the fun Blunt has as one of the more complex characters in the ensemble cast. When you’re appearing alongside Meryl Streep as a witch and you don’t get upstaged, that’s a sign of quality.
So, there we have it, those are the best Emily Blunt movies. It wasn’t easy to narrow down such an illustrious career, but we think we managed to cater to all tastes with this fine selection of Blunt brilliance.
If you want more movie star guides, why not check out our lists of the best Matt Damon movies, the best Dwayne Johnson movies, the best Denzel Washington movies, the best Michael B Jordan movies, or the best Oscar Isaac movies.
You can also check out our guide to the new movies set to wow audiences in 2023.