When it comes to young performers who have had a continuously growing career over the years, the steady, outstanding performances of American actressKaitlyn Deverare the prime example. Dever began her acting career in television, landing a main role in the 2009 television filmAn American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong. The opportunity would further allow Dever to appear in more television roles, where she landed an early breakthrough role in the FX seriesJustified.
Dever’s career would continue to steadily grow before her massive breakthrough in 2019, where she landed leading roles in the miniseriesUnbelievableand the feature filmBooksmart. From then on, Dever’s leading status would earn her more recognized works, such as 2019’sDopesick— which became an award-winning role for Dever.
Dever’s career is continuing to grow with the recent success ofNo One Will Save Youand the upcoming release of Taika Waititi’sNext Goal Wins. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of her best performances in film and television, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
10Beautiful Boy (2018) - 68%
Before Kaitlyn Dever took on a lead role in the similarly premisedDopesick, she tackled the hardships of drug addiction in Felix van Groeningen’sBeautiful Boyin 2018. Based on the 2008 memoirBeautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction, the film follows David Sheff (Steve Carell) as he navigates his strained relationship with his son, Nic (Timothée Chalamet), due to his drug addiction.
The film explores acomplexfather-son relationship as well as the struggles of overcoming drug addiction and use. Dever stars as Lauren, a former friend who is also struggling with drug addiction, who becomes Nic’s girlfriend. Throughout the film, the duo undergoes significant changes as they struggle to find their place in the world against the tough nature of addiction. It is a powerful supporting performance by Dever that is increasingly enhanced by the outstanding performances throughoutBeautiful Boy.
9Rosaline (2022) - 74%
The Karen Maine-directedRosalinepremiered on Hulu in 2022 and starred Kaitlyn Dever in a leading role. The film is a comedic retelling of William Shakespeare’sRomeo and Juliettold from the point of view of Rosaline (Dever), Romeo’s ex and first love.Rosaline’s screenplay pulls inspiration from Rebecca Serle’s 2012 novelWhen You Were Mineand offers a sarcastic approach to one of literature’s most influential pieces.
During the film’s opening release week on Hulu,Rosalinebecame the sixth-most-viewed project. It was a modest critical success as well, earning a 74% on Rotten Tomatoes and praise for Dever’s heartwarming and clever portrayal of a witty ex.
8Detroit (2017) - 82%
Kaitlyn Dever’s involvement with crime films and miniseries dates back to her early career in FX’sJustifiedand continued strong once she was cast in 2017’sDetroit. Directed by Academy Award winner Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal,Detroitis a period crime drama that centers on the events of the Algiers Motel incident during the 12th Street Riot in 1967. The incident resulted in the deaths of three Black teenagers, while nine others were wounded after an ambush by a riot task force at the Algiers Motel. The film explores the aftermath and early events before the incident.
The emotionally intense film was praised by critics upon release, despite it becoming a box office failure. Dever’s supporting role in the film was always adored and became known as one of herbest performances.
7No One Will Save You (2023) - 83%
The most recent addition to Kaitlyn Dever’s expansive acting portfolio comes from the talented mind of Brian Dufffield, an American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and co-produced the 2023 science fiction filmNo One Will Save You. Unlike many other films in this list,No One Will Save Youbecame widely known for its lack of extensive dialogue throughout the film. The film instead opts to increase the tension and anxiety throughout its 93-minute runtime in aquiet but memorableperformance from Dever. She stars as Brynn, a tailor whose home is invaded by extraterrestrial creatures.
No One Will Save Youbecame an instant hit among horror and science fiction fans and received critical acclaim on various review sites, such as Rotten Tomatoes, with a strong 83% score.
6Dopesick (2021) - 89%
When it comes to deciding what is a career-defining performance in Kaitlyn Dever’s line of work, it is easy to name her outstanding performance in Hulu’sDopesickas the prime candidate.
Based on Beth Macy’sDopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America, the 2021 miniseries explores the United States' opioid epidemic by highlighting the struggles affecting many individuals throughout the country. Dever stars as Betsy Mallum, a former mine worker who is forced to stop working after suffering a back injury due to an explosion in the mines. As a result of her pain, she is prescribed medication that evolves into an addiction to Oxycontin.
Dever’s heart-shattering portrayal of Betsy throughout the season was heavily regarded as her best performance to date. The performance led to her solely amassing numerous accolades during awards season. She earned three supporting actress nominations, including a Prime-time Emmy nomination, and won one supporting actress award from the Hollywood Critics Association.
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5The Spectacular Now (2013) - 91%
Known as avery relatable high school film,The Spectacular Nowis a coming-of-age romance film directed by James Ponsoldt. The film, which is based on a 2008 novel of the same name, follows the growing romantic relationship between Sutter (Miles Teller) and Aimee (Shailene Woodley) while tackling the complexities of high school. Kaitlyn Dever stars in a minor role in the film, playing Krystal, who is Aimee’s best friend. She offers Sutter advice and guidance to protect the good nature of her friend.
4Outside In (2017) - 96%
The 2017 Lynn Shelton directed and co-written feature filmOutside Instars Kaitlyn Dever, alongside Jay Duplass, Edie Falco, and Ben Schwartz.Outside Incenters on an ex-convict, Chris (Duplass), who forms a lifelong relationship with his former high school teacher, Carol Beasly (Falco), who advocated for his early release because he did not commit the crime he was in jail for. Chris also struggles to accumulate back in society, receiving the help of other individuals along the way.
The relatively underrated film sees Dever portraying Hildy Beasly, the daughter of Carol, who forms a close connection with Chris. The performance is subtle but allows Dever’s charming personality to showcase itself as viewers are able to witness the emerging connection between the two characters.
3Booksmart (2019) - 96%
2019 proved to be a pivotal year for Dever’s breakthrough in film and television, and Olivia Wilde’s coming-of-age masterpieceBooksmartplayed a huge part in Dever’s success. In a shift from more dramatic roles to along overduecomedic role, Dever co-led Wilde’s indie dramedy alongside Beanie Feldstein.
The film centers on Amy (Dever) and Molly (Feldstein), two high school seniors who are destined to attend Ivy League schools. However, the duo makes a pact to attend a party and become rule breakers during their last few days as high schoolers, resulting in chaos.
The South by Southwest premiere ofBooksmartbecame a hit upon its release, grossing $25 million at the box office against a $6 million budget, and earning a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film also earned various accolades, including two nominations and one Hollywood Critics Choice Awards win for Dever.
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2Short Term 12 (2013) - 98%
Short Term 12is an independent drama film directed and written by Japanese-American filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton. The film is adapted from Cretton’s short film of the same name, as well as his own experiences of social work, and follows Grace Howard (Brie Larson) as she supervises a California group home for at-risk young adults and teens. After a short period of counseling, Grace soon discovers that her calm composure can be difficult to maintain after outside influences negatively affect her wellbeing.
Equal parts a love story and a presentation on the difficulties of social work,Short Term 12is an excellent, critically acclaimed film that highlights thefound family trope. In the film, Kaitlyn Dever plays Jayden, a new teenager who enters the facility under Grace’s watch. She starts the film as a typical rebellious yet artistic teenager, but once she allows Grace’s support to guide her, she becomes a more mature individual, which is emphasized through Dever’s effortless performance.
1Unbelievable (2019) - 98%
Kaitlyn Dever’s most acclaimed and emotional role to date is arguably her moving performance as Marie Adler in the 2019 Netflix true crime miniseriesUnbelievable. The series depicts the fictionalized telling of the serial rape cases that occurred between 2008 and 2011 in Washington and Colorado by Marc Patrick O’Leary.Unbelievableadapts the writings of Ken Armstrong and T. Christian Miller in their 2015 news article, “An Unbelievable Story of Rape,” as well as their 2018 novel,A False Report.
The series received massive acclaim upon release, earning a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was watched by over 35 million households a month after its release. Dever’s powerful performance was lauded by critics and even earned her Critics' Choice Awards, Golden Globes, and TCA Awards nominations.
