Emma Stone [1] has starred in some of the biggest movies of the past decade, netting an Oscar, several other awards, and A-list status along the way. Her career has ranged from teen comedies [2] to period dramas to musicals and more, although her earlier career [3] was definitely focussed more on comedy. A few of those early movies, in fact, are available to stream now on Netflix — including Stone's very first feature film! With Stone's next major movie [4], the Disney villain prequel Cruella [5], only a couple of months away, it's the perfect time to take a look back at how it all began. Check out four of Stone's "classic" movies that you can stream on Netflix now!
The Croods
The majority of Stone's film career has had her starring front and centre, but in The Croods, she tackles a different challenge: voice acting! She voices Eep, the teenage daughter of a prehistoric cave family. The family survives a number of disasters by not leaving their cave, so when Eep meets an outsider who teacher her about light and fire, her family is horrified. When disaster strikes again, however, it's up to Eep and her new friend to help guide her family through the scary unknown and into a new life.
Watch The Croods on Netflix [6].
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Stone really established herself as a rom-com leading lady with this 2011 ensemble comedy. She plays Hannah, a law student about to graduate who has her whole life planned out but is starting to chafe at her dull boyfriend and her own strict rules about her life. When she meets Jacob, a charming lothario, she's initially disgusted, but when she finally admits to the attraction between them, both of them learn to let go of the things they've allowed to define them. Jacob, meanwhile, is trying to tutor newly-separated fortysomething dad Cal in the ways of picking up women, but his relationship with Hannah makes him reconsider what's important.
Watch Crazy, Stupid, Love on Netflix [7].
The Help
In the adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's bestselling novel, Stone plays Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, an aspiring writer in 1960s Mississippi. Tired of not fitting in with her status-obsessed, married society friends and devastated about the departure of her beloved childhood maid, Skeeter comes up with the idea of writing a book from the perspective of her city's Black maids. Despite initial resistance, she teams up with two of the maids she knows and enlists their help to convince other maids to be interviewed. (The movie has since been criticized for its centreing of white characters and its depictions of racism and the Civil Rights era — even by its stars [8].)
Watch The Help on Netflix [9].
Superbad
Early in her career, Stone specialised in playing quirky girl-next-door teenage characters. Nothing is a more perfect example of this than Jules, her character in Superbad. After being paired up with nerdy Seth during a class project, Jules invites Seth and his best friend Evan to a party that night. That party invite is what sets the whole plot in motion, and Jules winds up getting pulled into some of Seth and Evan's disastrous antics in their attempt to be cool. Fun fact: this movie is actually Stone's feature film debut!
Watch Superbad on Netflix [10].
Maniac
Need a larger dose of Stone? She teamed up with Superbad costar Jonah Hill [11] for Netflix's 2018 drama, Maniac. The 10-episode miniseries also features Justin Theroux, Sonoya Mizuno, and Sally Field [12]. If you haven't heard about this one, it may be better experienced to go in cold. It's definitely a departure from Stone's typical projects!
Watch Maniac on Netflix [13].