Few child actors have made the jump from early stardom into further success as well as the Australian Emily Browning. Although she started off with numerous bit-part roles in her native land, she’s now hit international success both in terms of being a box-office draw and from a critical perspective, appearing in expensive, epic productions as well as indie hits that rack up awards. Her range has never been in doubt, but with such a sparkling resume, it’s hard to list her best work. However, we’re up for giving it a go, so read ahead for the WGTC guide to the best Emily Browning movies and TV shows!
10. Monica
This tender, nuanced film follows the titular character, a trans woman who returns home to care for her dying mother, who kicked her out of the house years ago and is suffering from such a severe illness that she doesn’t recognize her daughter anymore. We see Monica confronting her fractured familial history and all the trauma that entails, and it’s absolutely captivating. A simple script that’s buoyed by some truly astounding performances, Browning plays Laura, Monica’s sister-in-law who she’s never met. While she doesn’t have the biggest role in the story, she’s a vital part of what makes this complex but absolutely stunning film tick. Packed full of emotion and heartbreak, don’t expect to come out of Monica laughing and uplifted, but you’ll certainly feel fulfilled. A powerhouse of a movie.
9. Legend
This film focuses on the Kray twins, a pair of brothers who became two of the most infamous crime lords in London before they were imprisoned for all their gruesome acts. Browning is incredible as Frances, the long-suffering partner and eventual wife of Reggie Kray (Tom Hardy), and you can practically feel the emotion oozing through the screen while she’s performing. Her character meets a truly tragic end after some seriously heartbreaking sequences, and even though she’s missing for the last part of the movie, her performance is so good, you can feel her shadow cast over the final sequences — an accomplishment that’s all the more impressive considering she’s not even the main character. A solid watch overall, but Browning is brilliant.
8. Class of ’07
Australian comedy is hitting a bit of a high note recently, with series like Colin From Accounts garnering international acclaim, and this eight-episode series starring Browning is another example of how sitcoms from down under are leading the way. She plays Zoe, a woman who is embarrassed on national television and retreats to her father’s remote property. However, a freak weather accident means large swatches of Australia become flooded, and as she seeks higher ground, she ends up at her high school’s ten-year reunion, where she and her fellow former classmates become stuck, leading to a rehash of plenty of old drama and lots of hilarity. Genuinely hilarious, this Prime Video series will leave you in stitches, even with its ridiculous premise — in large parts thanks to Browning’s brilliance.
7. The Affair
Browning only joined this American drama series in its fourth and fifth seasons as a character named Sierra, but she was a welcome addition to an already stellar cast. The show explores how an extramarital affair between two characters ripples through their lives and community and has been noted for its creative method of storytelling, as well as the way it plays with time. While Browning’s screentime isn’t massive during her two seasons on the show, she’s always magnetic when being filmed, and shows a great range of emotion despite the limited nature of her role. A fantastic and intriguing watch.
6. Golden Exits
Another entry on this list that’s more subtle than blockbuster, Golden Exits is a wonderful portrayal of relationships of all kinds, delving into the nuances of how we connect and how new people can affect our lives. Browning stars as Naomi, an Australian intern who arrives in Brooklyn and gets entangled in the lives of two families that live there thanks to her pre-existing connections to both. As Naomi acts like a kind of whirlwind in the lives of these families, making them examine how they exist around each other, she also spirals in her own intriguing ways, ending up as both an instigator and victim of drama. Browning is truly exceptional in the role, giving a memorable performance that will leave you craving more.
5. God Help the Girl
Charming, beautifully shot, and helped massively by some great performances, God Help the Girl is a musical romance film that will certainly bring out the tears. Browning stars as Eve, a woman who escapes a psychiatric hospital where she’s being treated for an eating disorder, before making her way to Glasgow in an attempt to start a musical career. There, she meets James, Cassie, and Anton, the latter of whom she begins a relationship with. Soon, Eve and Cassie start a band named God Help the Girl. They gain some local success, leading to her and Anton breaking up, and Eve having a mini breakdown, after which she ends up back in the hospital. Once released, Eve and Cassie play one last concert and a local radio station plays their song. The next day, she heads back down south to London so she can attend music college. Browning is brilliant, turning what could be a twee script into something well worthy of watching.
4. Sleeping Beauty
This erotic drama will definitely confuse Disney fans and could have been an intriguing watch, but aside from Browning’s absolutely incredible performance in the main role, it falls flat. She stars as Lucy, a poor university student who takes on a mysterious but high-paying job in which she is voluntarily sedated and male clients lie next to her, although they don’t have sex with her. There are a lot of interesting themes that could have been more successfully explored by a different director or a rejigged script, but as it is, the film falls into cliche, and really, Browning is one of the only highlights. With that said, she is truly exceptional in the role and makes the movie worth watching.
3. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
This adaptation of the dark and twisted series of kids’ books stars Browning as Violet Baudelaire, a precocious teen inventor who, alongside her two siblings, is sent to live with Count Olaf after their parents are killed in a mysterious fire. Although she was only a teen at the time of filming, her talent still shines through, and she’s one of the best performers in a cast that includes Meryl Streep and Jim Carrey. Fans of the book series and those who’ve never heard of it will both love this film version, and rightfully so: It’s darkly funny and incredibly watchable, and Browning is excellent in it.
2. Sucker Punch
Let’s be honest: This Zack Snyder film isn’t great, no matter how much Snyder stans will try to convince everyone otherwise. However, Browning is brilliant in the main role and she’s pretty much the only good thing about this mess of a movie. Despite the strange script and some odd filming choices, she’s captivating as Babydoll, a young girl who’s forcibly institutionalized by her evil stepfather so he can take her dead mother’s fortune. She battles through the asylum and enters a variety of fantasy worlds while trying to collect all the items needed to escape, although eventually meets a gruesome end as she realizes she isn’t actually the main character in the story. Confusing and a bit of a “shock for shock’s sake” watch, Browning saves Sucker Punch from being a complete write-off by being the only believable thing in it.
1. American Gods
Browning co-stars as Laura Moon in this adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s epic fantasy novel. Although the series begins with her husband Shadow (Ricky Whittle) discovering her character has been killed, thanks to the show’s multi-world setting, she plays a highly prominent role throughout the series and is almost always the best character onscreen. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gaiman said of Browning:
“I’ve been fascinated by Emily Browning since A Series of Unfortunate Events. She has a challenge ahead of her: Laura is a tricky character, and the Laura on the screen is even trickier and more dangerous than the one on the page. She’s going to have a wonderful time bringing Laura to life.”
Frankly, she lives up to that hype and more — and is one of the best things about a show that has captivated critics and regular watchers alike.
