Aubrey Plaza’s most iconic role, and the one she remains best known for, was that of April Ludgate inParks and Recreationfrom 2009 to 2015. Her character was a fan favorite of the workplace comedy, known for her mean attitude, witty comebacks, insults, and sarcastic sense of humor. Her second most iconic role was Julie Powers inScott Pilgrim VS the Worldalongside Michael Cera.
Since her time on the sitcom, Plaza has starred in many other films, most notably comedies, and horror flicks. Fans of the actress definitely have a lot to watch, and for those who want to catch up with Plaza’s work, these movies are the best ones so far.
Updated June 02, 2025, by Kath Leroy:Over a relatively short period of time, Aubrey Plaza has managed to build a varied and diverse acting career that many other actresses could be envious of, older and younger ones alike. Her talent and general demeanor has won her the love of the audiences both on TV and on the big screen.
Aubrey Plaza proved her acting chops by appearing movies and TV shows of various genres, even though most people continue to associate her with comedy as it provided Plaza with her big break. Plaza has been working steadily during the past few years, and it would be a mistake for all of her fans to miss out on her best-rated movies and series.
13Life After Beth (2014)
This horror-comedy stars Aubrey Plaza in the role of Beth Slocum, alongside Dane Dehaan as Zach Orfman. The story of this film follows Zach as he discovers that his recently deceased girlfriend, Beth, is back from the dead. Although she appears to be herself, she actually changes into someone or something else entirely throughout the movie. Will Zach accept her as she is, or will he break things off?
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Fans of the zombie genrewould enjoy this light comedy full of laughable moments. In particular, those who enjoyedShaun of the Deadwill appreciate this film’s style of comedy.
12Child’s Play (2019)
This remake ofthe classic horror moviefollows the same formula as the first Chucky film. A mother, played by Aubrey, gives her son (Gabriel Batmen) a Buddi doll after moving into their new home in the city. Then the doll comes to life and starts terrorizing the town, killing innocent people.
While some Chucky fans prefer the classic to the remake, this movie is certainly worth watching. Plaza plays her role perfectly, and the film provides fans with many scary and gory moments.
11The To Do List (2013)
This comedy centers on Brandy Klark (played by Aubrey Plaza), a high school valedictorian with a mission. The year is 1993, and Brandy is tired of being viewed as an uptight person. She embarks on a mission to change that before heading into college by writing a list of activities.
These activities are focused on things that Brandy believes she should have done while she studied high school, like losing her virginity. This coming-of-age film is fun and will get a few laughs from fans who enjoyed similarfilms likeAmerican Pie.
10Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)
Mike (Adam DeVine) andDave (Zac Efron)are brothers known for partying a little too hard at family events. When their sister Jeanie (Sugar Lyn Beard) plans a wedding in Hawaii, she invites them on the condition they bring dates and be on their best behavior.
The guys desperately post an ad on Craigslist for dates. Two sisters, Tatiana (Aubrey Plaza) and Alice (Anna Kendrick), respond and are invited to the wedding. However, the sisters are not who they seem and may ruin the special event. This comedy is well-written and full of laughs, sexual innuendos, and fun moments.
9Best Sellers (2021)
A lot of people love books, but the events behind publishing books are often even more dramatic than the stories themselves. Such is the case in the drama movieBest Sellers. Aubrey Plaza stars as Lucy, a publisher who’s determined to save her family business.
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The only problem is that to do that, she’ll have to make a cranky old author Harris (Michael Caine) work with her, which is no easy task. Lucy and Harris have an intriguing dynamic, and the movie not only provides a closer view into the book publishing industry but also functions as aless usual road trip movieof sorts.
8Funny People (2009)
Comedian George Simmons (Adam Sandler)learns that he has a fatal disease. As he re-evaluates his life, he sees a struggling stand-up comedian, Ira (Seth Rogen), and decides to help him achieve his dreams by becoming his mentor. Meanwhile, George’s old love (Leslie Mann) comes back into his life.
In this dark comedy, Aubrey plays the role of Daisy Danby, a secondary character. This movie has a well-written story full of drama, rich characters, and hilarious moments. It explores themes of regret and second chances.
7Black Bear (2020)
Inthis psychological thriller, Allison (Aubrey Plaza) is a filmmaker that struggles to find inspiration for her next movie. With a little luck, she gets invited over to stay over at a couple’s lake house in the Adirondack Mountains. Unaware of Allison’s true intentions, the couple quickly finds themselves in a dire situation where they constantly get manipulated. Their desire and jealousy get tested as well.
Black Bearis a dramatic movie with a mind-bending experience. It is provocative and full of clever moments that are definitely worth watching.
6Happiest Season (2020)
Romantic movies tend to portray Christmas as a peaceful time when people are nice to each other under all circumstances.Happiest Seasonchanges the established recipe and comes across as a breath of fresh air.Kristen Stewart plays Abby, a young woman who travels to spend the holidays with her girlfriend Abby’s family…only to realize Abby isn’t out of the closet yet and doesn’t seem to plan to change it anytime soon.
Naturally, that drives a wedge between the couple. One of those wedges is Aubrey Plaza’s character Riley, Abby’s ex-girlfriend. Even though she has a smaller part in the movie, Plaza easily draws attention to herself and Riley comes across as more sympathetic than Abby.
5Ingrid Goes West (2017)
Ingrid Thorburn (played by Plaza) feels lost after the death her mother. She finds solace by escaping into the world of Instagram when she findsTaylor Sloane (played by Elizabeth Olsen from WandaVision), a Los Angeles socialite. Obsessed with her, she moved to the West, and she does everything in her power to befriend her.
This comedy is dramatic at times and can serve as a rude awakening for fans of social media, as they never know who might be watching them. Although this movie has funny moments, the story teaches fans a lesson they will never forget.
4Operation Fortune (2023)
The most recent movie starring Aubrey Plaza is another work of the popular director Guy Ritchie. In Ritchie’s style, it connects to action and an attractive setting. In this case, that setting is world of movies. The film centers on a special agent who works with a movie star to save the world.
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The fast-paced and entertaining movie scored an above-average rating on IMDb, and it stars well-known names, such as Jason Statham and Hugh Grant. Aubrey Plaza plays one of the leading parts, Sarah Fidel, who works with Statham’s agent Orson Fortune.Operation Fortunecombines action and comedywith ease, making it one of the must-watch movies of 2023.
