Best Zoey Deutch Movie Performances
Zoey Deutch has been in the industry for around a decade now and has since starred in multiple projects. Much like many actors, however, Deutch also started her career with having to play minor roles in different shows such as The Suite Life on Deck and The Amazing Spider-Man. But through the years, the actress has been making impressive strides in Hollywood and is still continuing to climb up the ladder, proving her passion to her craft.
This 2022, Deutch starred in a satirical drama film Not Okay as Danni alongside Dylan O'Brien and Mia Isaac, and in the crime drama The Outfit in which she plays Mable. Both these films received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising her performances, and it's no surprise why. To take a better look at her career, here are just some of Zoey Deutch's most notable performances that showcase her range as a young, promising actress.
Beverly in Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
Everybody Wants Some!! is a 2016 comedy film that is written and directed by Richard Linklater who's known for the Before trilogy. Set in the 1980s, the film follows the life of young baseball players who are in college. The cast includes Blake Jenner, Ryan Guzman, Wyatt Russell, Glen Powell, and Zoey Deutch among others. Here, Deutch plays Beverly, a performing arts student who takes a liking to Jenner's character. Beverly is a very charismatic young woman who is also incredibly kind and smart, and it's not long before her and Jake (Jenner) made a wonderful connection.
Deutch is already familiar with the industry, having booked different roles in certain TV shows and films—plus the fact that she comes from a family of artist, with her parents being Lea Thompson and Howard Deutch. This film, however, can be seen as her breakthrough performance that pushed her name into the spotlight, and it's not long before her years get booked and busy.
Stephanie in Why Him? (2016)
Written and directed by John Hamburg, this rom-com film is about a father Ned (Bryan Cranston) who tries to like his daughter Stephanie's (Deutch) eccentric and wealthy boyfriend named Laird (James Franco). Ned tries befriending Laird despite his wild personality but, in typical father vs. daughter's boyfriend fashion, they get into many—and sometimes silly—arguments about whether Laird is actually a great fit for Stephanie.
Comedies are not a new territory for Deutch, and Why Him? further proves that the actress can pull off comedic chops if needed. Deutch has a natural charm to her that makes Stephanie a beloved character, despite the film being met with low ratings from critics.
Samantha in Before I Fall (2017)
Before I Fall is a 2017 teen drama film based on Laurel Oliver's 2010 novel of the same name. The adaptation follows Sam (Deutch) who, after leaving a party and driving back home, seemingly dies when the car they are in crashes into something. Sam wakes up, but realizes that it's the same day as the accident, and after many times, she eventually comes to terms that she is in a time loop. Now, Sam must find a way how to stop it and go back to normal before everything falls.
This one is a heavy film that tackles themes like suicide and bullying, and making these types of films are not that easy as you have to make sure that it's discussed clearly and well. Being the main character, Deutch is given automatic pressure to do her role justice, especially since it's an adaptation of a novel that's quite known. However, her strong performance was received well in the end.
Harper in Set It Up (2018)
Deutch has starred in previous rom-coms, but this one, in particular, made a lot of people consider her as one of Hollywood's newest and most promising actresses in the beloved genre. Set It Up is a 2018 Netflix rom-com film directed by Claire Scanlon which follows two assistants, Harper (Deutch) and Charlie (Powell) who are clearly overworked by their respective bosses Kirsten Stevens (Lucy Liu) and Rick Otis (Taye Diggs). Tired of having little to no time for their personal lives, Harper and Charlie hatch a plan to set their bosses up on a date so that they can take a breather from work here and then. Along the way, Harper and Charlie spend time together and eventually catch feelings, despite adamantly denying it.
Most rom-coms follow the same template, and Set It Up is no different. However, the film manages to be more than just a simple will-they-won't-they chase as it successfully offers heartfelt substance while still being funny. Moreover, its success is also thanks to Deutch and Powell's hilarious, undeniable, and electric chemistry.
Peg in Buffaloed (2019)
Directed by Tanya Wexler, Buffaloed is a comedy film that follows an ambitious hustler who is determined to leave her hometown and her poor financial state. Deutch—who co-produced the film—plays Peg Dahl, a young woman who is desperate to earn money to get herself to a good college. Peg tried several tactics but was often caught and arrested by authorities. Eventually, she starts her own debt collection firm which resulted in a chaotic rollercoaster between her and her former employer.
Despite performing poorly at the box office, Buffaloed was met positively by critics, specifically pointing out how Deutch carries the film with her on-point comedic timing and overall performance.
Madison in Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
Zombieland: Double Tap is the sequel to the hit 2009 zombie comedy film that sees the main cast back on the big screen together, namely Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin. For the sequel, they introduced a new set of characters that provided a fresh take on the beloved comedy which includes impressive names like Luke Wilson, Rosario Dawson, Avan Jogia, and Zoey Deutch. Double Tap is set ten years after the first film, and it follows the iconic group who, after killing thousands of zombies by this point, are becoming smarter regarding survival. While resuming their journey, they meet a couple of new people such as Madison, a "dumb blonde" who later joins the party on their adventure.
Making a sequel a decade later for a highly beloved film can be accompanied by heavy pressure, yet this film's managed to pass the expectations of many, saying that while it gave people new stuff, it still preserved the very core of the original. There are also reviews praising Deutch's performance as Madison, who has elevated the overall film with her wit and charm.
Infinity Jackson in The Politician (2019-2020)
Created by Ryan Murphy — who helmed popular shows like Glee and American Horror Story—this American comedy-drama show on Netflix follows wealthy student Payton (Ben Platt) who is running for the presidency at his school. To gain more support from students, he decides to appoint Infinity Jackson (Deutch) as his running mate, knowing that it might garner sympathy votes considering that Infinity is suffering from cancer. However, when Infinity and the whole school know that she's not actually sick, everything Payton planned turns sour.
Deutch plays Infinity, a hopeful student who is suffering from cancer. But things don't go the way it's supposed to when she realizes that she was never sick, and is actually just being manipulated by her grandmother Dusty. But after all the chaos, Infinity backs down as Payton's running mate and becomes an environmental activist instead. The role seems challenging to play, but Deutch has impressed many people once more with this one.
Mable in The Outfit (2022)
Apart from comedies, Deutch is also tackling films that are more serious in nature. For instance, she's recently starred in the crime drama film The Outfit alongside a star-studded cast that includes Mark Rylance, Simon Russell Beale, Johnny Flynn, Dylan O'Brien, and Nikki Amuka-Bird. The story follows Leonard Burling, an English tailor whose customers are mostly infamous gangsters.
Deutch plays Mable, the receptionist of Leo's store and is also the girlfriend of Ritchie (O'Brien), who works for Irish Mob boss Roy Boyle. Later on, it is revealed that Mable is an FBI informant who wants to take down the infamous crime gang. The Outfit mostly garnered good reviews because of the story and the performances.
Danni in Not Okay (2022)
Last on the list is Deutch's most recent film Not Okay. Written and directed by Quinn Shephard, this satirical comedy-drama film follows the chaotic life of a young woman who is desperate to be noticed online. This film opened in theaters last July 29 and has already received praise for its sharp direction as well as the incredible performance from Deutch. Here, Deutch plays Danni Sanders, an aspiring writer. Having trouble making new friends, she lies about going to Paris with one of her co-workers, Colin (O'Brien). To make the lie believable, she edits a couple of pictures of herself in Paris and posts them on her Instagram, and as result gained followers. Suddenly, there's a bombing at the place where Danni is seemingly at just minutes before it happened. With people sympathizing Danni, she has no choice but to keep up with the huge lie.
Deutch is undeniably magnetic in this film, despite her character not being well-liked, understandably so. It is difficult to make an unlikable protagonist that will make audiences keep watching, but Deutch portrayed Danni incredibly well that while the character's not a saint, her story is still interesting to follow. Deutch's performance was sharp, witty, and ironically comical, making her the perfect casting for the film.
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