Scream queen, star of atypical dramedies – Maika Monroe has many labels attached to her because of her talent for being versatile. And this list only emphasizes that.

In July, Nick Cage's new film The Surfer hits theaters, where he is joined by Maika Monroe, a charming actress with an impressive filmography of smart, often auteur cinema. To celebrate, we take a look at her career and highlight her 5 best roles to date. You can argue or agree with us in the comments below.

“Watcher” (2022)

In this old-school film about an American couple in Romania for work, Maika Monroe once again plays a damsel in distress, a role that has followed her through much of her filmography. And as usual, she handles it effortlessly, though she adds new nuances to her performance.

Roman Kovalev

Hitchcock Would Approve: About the Film 'Watcher'

'Watcher' resembles most variations of Hitchcock's 'Rear Window'. But unlike them, it doesn't become a secondary empty shell; instead, it cleverly uses genre clichés to tell a story

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Thanks to the director, the perspective in this story of being followed by a stranger constantly shifts. So in the viewer's eyes, Monroe sometimes seems like an obvious victim, and then suddenly finds herself on the other side of stalking. And since the entire focus of the story is on Maika's character, watching her artistry is like adding an olive to a delicious cocktail, making it perfect.

“The Last Ones on Earth” (2017)

A couple in love travels to Iceland, but their happy adventure quickly turns into a mood of decline—apparently, only these two are left in the world. But is it so easy to live knowing no one else is around? How to deal with growing melancholy? And how to react to this situation when you have different worldviews?

Bokeh (the original title, of course, more poetic) is perhaps the most dramatic and psychologically complex project in Maika Monroe's career. Here she shows her usual vulnerability, but seems to go beyond the usual boundaries, fully surrendering to the emotions dictated by the script. After watching the film, it's hard to shake off for a while, and that's largely due to the acting.

“It Follows” (2014)

Maika Monroe's name rang out loudest with the release of the clever horror film 'It Follows'. Not the one with Pennywise the clown, but with an invisible, and therefore more terrifying and metaphorical evil. The plot follows a group of teenagers who encounter a phenomenon where one after another is pursued by frightening visions, invariably leading to tragic events. And this curse is transmitted... ahem... sexually.

It Follows became a modern horror classic, and the actress herself was called the ideal 'final girl', the new 'scream queen', and the hope of auteur cinema. It's a chilling exploration of teenage sexuality, using classic horror tropes in a fresh and unusual way, creating an overwhelming sense of horror from the mundane and even the banal.

“After Everything” (2018)

In 2018, a modest romantic drama starring Maika Monroe and Jeremy Allen White (already Lip from 'Shameless', but not yet...) was released. They played a couple in love whose relationship goes through a difficult stage after one of them is diagnosed with a terrible disease.

Nadezhda Vasilyeva

Chicago, Sandwiches, and Rock 'n' Roll: How the Series 'The Bear' About a Chef Became a Hit

Cooking became one of the favorite themes in cinema in 2022. Projects about conflicts of taste such as 'Boiling Point' (an hour and a half shot in one take) and the satirical 'The Menu' were released.

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This film cleverly plays on the saying 'love is a disease', as a real illness is woven into the romantic relationship. It turned out touching and emotional, but without excessive lyricism and the gloss of a typical 'A Walk to Remember'. Here, as in most of Monroe's films, everything is much more mundane, making it close and understandable to the viewer.

“God Is a Bullet” (2023)

Maika Monroe is not one of those actresses who undergoes radical visual transformations from role to role, preferring to focus on the nuances of her characters rather than their appearance. However, for the film 'God Is a Bullet', she made an exception, taking on the role of a drug addict, a former victim, and then a member of a gang engaged in decidedly non-Christian activities.

Although the film itself by Nick Cassavetes turned out to be controversial, even somewhat unsuccessful, there can be no questions about Monroe's performance. She was given a complex role, not only because of the abundance of tattoos and strange hairstyle, but also due to the depth of character development. Her Case Hardin is a confused girl who ended up in the criminal world against her will, but did not lose her soul.

Which Maika Monroe roles do you remember most? Perhaps her role in the sci-fi horror 'Tau'? Or the more recent double feature in 'The Second Half'? Share in the comments.