Sydney Sweeney’s Top 15 Movie Roles, Ranked from Worst to Best

Sydney Sweeney has rapidly become one of Hollywood’s most magnetic talents, captivating audiences with her emotional depth and versatility. From indie gems to blockbuster thrillers, she’s proven time and again that even in smaller or flawed productions, her performances shine through. But not every role hits the same – and that’s exactly what we’re here to explore.

In this ranking of Sydney Sweeney’s top 15 movie roles, we’re judging her performances, not the overall quality of the films. That means you’ll see some not-so-great movies placed surprisingly high, simply because Sydney’s acting made them worth watching. Let’s dive into her most memorable roles, from the ones that missed the mark to those that truly defined her career.

15. Americana (2023)

There’s something quietly chaotic about Americana, and Sydney Sweeney dives right into it as Penny Jo Poplin, a small-town waitress with big, messy dreams. The movie doesn’t always know what it wants to be – part western, part noir fever dream – but Sydney’s performance gives it a pulse. She finds depth in a character who could’ve easily felt flat, letting both grit and tenderness peek through. Even when the story meanders, her presence feels deliberate and sharp. It’s not her most polished work, but it’s a daring swing that shows her willingness to experiment.

14. Vikes (2017)

Before she was a household name, Sydney popped up in Vikes, a scrappy high-school comedy that’s more sweet than slick. The movie’s low-budget charm can’t hide its cheesiness, but her charisma breaks through anyway. As Ida, she brings an easy warmth that makes even the silliest dialogue feel genuine. There’s a spark in her eyes here – a glimpse of the confidence that would later define her career. Sure, it’s far from prestige cinema, but every big career starts somewhere, and Vikes proves she could steal a scene long before she was famous.

13. Cassidy Way (2016)

Cassidy Way is one of those small thrillers that wants to punch above its weight, and Sydney Sweeney gives it everything she’s got. As Kelsey Connors, a college student caught in a terrifying situation, she brings real emotional stakes to a script that sometimes forgets them. There’s tension, panic, and just enough vulnerability to make you root for her. The film itself leans heavy on clichés, but her commitment keeps it watchable. You can see her instincts sharpening, even within the chaos. It’s not great cinema – but it’s a great early showcase.

12. Clementine (2019)

There’s a haunting stillness to Clementine, and Sydney Sweeney taps into it beautifully as Lana, a mysterious young woman who keeps everyone guessing. The movie takes its time – sometimes too much – but Sydney’s subtle performance keeps it from drifting away. She doesn’t oversell the emotion, instead letting quiet moments do the work. Every glance feels calculated, yet deeply human. It’s an understated role that shows just how much she can convey without saying a word.

11. Under the Silver Lake (2018)

Under the Silver Lake is weird, cryptic, and endlessly divisive – and somehow, Sydney Sweeney fits right in. Her part isn’t huge, but it’s memorable, adding texture to the film’s dreamlike conspiracy world. Surrounded by surrealism and symbolism, she plays it straight, grounding the madness with small, convincing choices. It’s one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it performances that still lingers after the credits. Not her most demanding role, but definitely one that hinted she could hold her own in any cinematic universe – no matter how bizarre.

10. Madame Web (2024)

This one had all the big-studio bells and whistles: superpowers, premonitions, and a female ensemble that should theoretically hit. But Madame Web often feels like it’s trying too hard to spin a web of mystery without caring enough about the glue holding the plot together. Sydney Sweeney’s role as Julia Cornwall gives her moments to show off, but she’s swimming in special-effects soup and a script that flirts with coherence more than embraces it. Still, there are flashes of commitment – she leans into the spectacle, even when the stakes seem vague or the villainy is unclear. For all its flaws, being part of a Marvel/Columbia Pictures super-verse is a different level of exposure and risk. Her performance doesn’t save the movie, but it doesn’t betray her either.

9. Big Time Adolescence (2019)

High school chaos, questionable life advice, and the usual “growing up sucks” tropes abound in Big Time Adolescence, yet Sydney plays it with enough humor and sincerity to make it more than just another coming-of-age misstep. Her character isn’t the center of the wild energy, but she grounds those moments when the main plot starts tipping into absurdity. Watching her around Pete Davidson and the rest of the cast, you see how she can hold her own even when the spotlight isn’t always on her. The film leans comedic, sometimes sloppy, but she’s consistently believable: awkward, ambitious, a bit messy in the best way. It’s not her most layered work, but it’s charming, and it shows she has range beyond dramatic intensity.

8. Anyone But You (2023)

Rom-coms are risky: sweet, fluffy, and easy to criticize, but Anyone But You benefits a lot from Sydney Sweeney’s likability and timing. She brings chemistry to her Patrick Swayze meets Shakespeare inspired plot, playing Bea with enough wit and desperation to make romantic clichés land. When the script leans hard into misunderstandings or tropes, she mostly offsets them with expressive reactions or just owning the romantic awkwardness. The film isn’t trying to be deep, and it doesn’t need to be – but whenever it flirts with being generic, she tilts it just enough to make you smile instead of roll your eyes. Box-office wise it did well, and her performance is a big reason people stuck around. It’s not a turning point, but definitely a highlight for her lighter side.

7. Reality (2023)

Here’s where Sydney Sweeney stretches herself: Reality is based on real FBI transcripts, minimal staging, almost no glitz. As Reality Winner, she must not only speak the words she didn’t write but embody a person under enormous pressure, which she does with startling restraint. Tension doesn’t come from melodrama so much as from what isn’t said, and Sweeney carries that weight: every misstep, every hesitance feels authentic. The movie asks less “What happens next?” and more “What’s it like to be this person, right now?” Which can be uncomfortable – but that’s the point. Critics loved it; her performance in Reality almost demands respect. It’s one of her most powerful turns so far.

6. Nocturne (2020)

Supernatural horror meets classical music rivalry in Nocturne, and Sydney steps into this creepy, atmospheric story with both grace and intensity. Her character, an overworked pianist trying to outdo her twin, gets pulled into hallucinatory descent, and Sweeney handles the dark, psychological turns well – sometimes better than the movie around her. There are scenes where the horror seems thin, or where the pacing lags, but her emotional shifts – jealousy, ambition, brokenness – feel real. She doesn’t rely on jump scares; she lets the fear come from the cracks in her performance, which is riskier and more effective. While Nocturne isn’t flawless, it’s fun to see her exploring a genre that asks for more than just charm. It’s one of those roles where even if the film’s wings wobble, her flight feels earned.

5. The Voyeurs (2021)

Sneaky thrills meet suburban desires in The Voyeurs, and though Sydney isn’t always the one pulling the strings, her character is woven tightly into the voyeuristic mess in a way that makes you squirm a bit. The film flirts with sensual tension, obsession, and the ethics of watching – and even when the plot stretches credulity, Sydney grounds things by being believable, sultry, and uneasy all at once. It’s one of those roles where she gets to lean into both seduction and fear, which not every actor pulls off. The movie isn’t exactly high art, but her performance adds just enough nuance that you keep caring despite the dubious turns. Watching her in this film, you sense she’s comfortable playing in darker shades, not just the “nice girl” vibe.

4. Immaculate (2024)

Set in a convent with serious atmosphere and creep factor, Immaculate gives Sydney Sweeney one of her more ambitious roles in the horror realm. She’s not just reacting to jump scares – and thank goodness for that – she’s navigating guilt, ritual, faith, and fear, which demands more than just good screams. Even when the visual style leans heavy (nuns, shadows, religious iconography, betrayal), she keeps hold of the character’s inner life: doubt, terror, possibly some twisted conviction. Some scenes feel over-designed, but her performance refuses to be swallowed by them. It’s a role that says: I want to scare you, but I also want you to feel something afterwards.

3. Echo Valley (2025)

Tension and silence go hand-in-hand in Echo Valley, and Sydney plays the troubled daughter in a way that digs under the skin: not all her truths are spoken, but the ones she doesn’t say loom large. Mother-daughter politics, isolation, guilt, and creeping danger form the atmosphere, and Sweeney holds the viewer’s attention even when the plot slows into shadows and suspicion. She has to be both vulnerable and volatile, burdened by what she’s done (or what she’s accused of), and that duality is not easy. Some beats feel predictable in a thriller sense, but Sydney’s emotional core feels raw enough to lift the film above many genre clichés. It’s one of her more recent performances that shows how far she’s come in blending complexity with audience pull.

2. Eden (2024)

When you see Eden, you’re struck by how much weight is carried by the silence between the characters, and Sydney Sweeney matches that stillness with subtle shifts – look in her eyes, the way she holds herself, moments that linger. The film tasks her with reacting to extremes: idealism, dread, community breakdown, and survival on a remote island, and she doesn’t shy away from the brutality or the beauty. Ron Howard pulls a large canvas, but it’s on the performers that the emotional stakes depend, and in scenes where Eden tips into chaos, she keeps you anchored. Some of the pacing is rough and some narrative decisions feel heavy-handed, but her journey here is gripping. This might be one of her most demanding roles to date – physically, psychologically – and she mostly earns all the parts.

1. Christy (2025)

Hands down, Christy might be Sydney Sweeney’s most transformative performance so far. She steps into the life of Christy Martin – not just the boxer, but the woman behind the gloves, bruised, determined, and complicated – and you feel every punch, every sacrifice. It’s more than physical training (which she absolutely did); it’s the emotional weight, the personal losses, the public glare, the violence off-stage, that she makes palpable. The film doesn’t sugarcoat Christy’s struggles, and neither does Sydney: there are moments of desperation and anger and triumph all piled up, and she lets them land. Some scenes are graphic, some hard to watch – but that’s part of what makes this kind of role a “top.” Watching Christy, you realize how far she’s stretched her range, not just in action or drama, but in sheer authenticity and presence.