10 Best Hailee Steinfeld Movies & TV Shows, Ranked

In 2010, the world was introduced to a new star who would soon become unavoidable in Hollywood: Hailee Steinfeld. Though she had made her screen debut a year earlier with the short film "She's A Fox," after her breakthrough role in "True Grit" in 2010, she has gone on to become one of the biggest young stars in the entertainment industry across film, television, and music — and she's not even 30 years old. It helps that Steinfeld grew up in Los Angeles, but it wasn't long until her undeniable talent was recognized by her future collaborators.

In the 15 years since her feature-length debut in "True Grit," Steinfeld has gone from an up-and-comer to an established name in the industry, as evidenced by her appearance in Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" as second in billing only to Michael B. Jordan. In that span of time, she's taken on plenty of coveted roles in showbiz, from putting her stamp on Juliet Capulet in Carlo Carlei's "Romeo & Juliet," to becoming one of fans' favorite characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hawkeye's protege, Kate Bishop. 

If you've somehow missed the hype train for Steinfeld and want to learn more about her repertoire, we've rounded up some of the most essential movies and TV shows in her career so far. Whether it's lending her voice to a big franchise or stealing scenes as a supporting player in major motion pictures, there's no doubt that once you've seen Steinfeld act, you won't be able to forget about her. 

Here are the 10 best Hailee Steinfeld movies and TV shows to seek out.

The "Transformers" film franchise has seen its fair share of criticism over the years, but in 2018 even skeptics were surprised by "Bumblebee," a prequel to Michael Bay's original film in which the titular Autobot arrives at Earth seeking refuge during a war against the Decepticons, making unlikely friends with a troubled girl named Charlie, played by Hailee Steinfeld, who she helps free from military containment and reunite with his cybernetic compatriots. Compared to most other installments in the "Transformers" movies, Steinfeld is even more of a draw to this film than the transforming robots themselves, given how much emotional depth she brings to the table. 

Here at /Film, we praised "Bumblebee" for giving the "Transformers" franchise a beating robotic heart, writing, "In a franchise where the humans are little more than interchangeable stock characters, Steinfeld's sulky social outcast is irreplaceable ... she doesn't just teach Bumblebee how to live on Earth, she teaches the audience how to love Transformers again." Other critics drew favorable comparisons to beloved films like "The Iron Giant" and "E.T.," citing the dynamic between Charlie and Bumblebee as what makes the film work more than other "Transformers" flicks. 

While the franchise returned to form with "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" — which despite being the funniest, safest sequel in the series, still suffers from franchise fatigue – the more character-driven and emotional narrative of "Bumblebee" is a diamond in the rough. Plus, Hailee Steinfeld looks pretty rad in her punky '80s outfits throughout the movie. 

"Begin Again" was an early entry in Hailee Steinfeld's quickly-growing filmography, featuring the actress in a more supporting role as Violet, the estranged daughter of Mark Ruffalo's character Dan, an alcoholic music producer who discovers a promising talent from England in singer-songwriter Gretta James, played by Keira Knightley. Some may brush "Begin Again" off as a cheesy rom-com, but there's no romantic sparks between Ruffalo and Knightley's characters, who instead keep their relationship professional whilst becoming better people as a result. 

It's easily one of the best Keira Knightley movies, but audiences might walk away mostly charmed by Steinfeld, whose rebellious relationship with Ruffalo's character turns positive when Knightley's character encourages her to play guitar on her album. In one particular scene where Violet shreds on an electric guitar, it feels like a star-making moment for Steinfeld, even after already having her big break with "True Grit." 

While it would sort of end up being a trope of Steinfeld to play characters like Violet who were young, dissatisfied, and angsty (see the previous slide on "Bumblebee"), "Begin Again" showcases her ability to hold her own with proven talents like Knightley and Ruffalo, particularly the latter, as Violet shares a lot of eerie similarities to her father that Steinfeld nails perfectly. The 2013 film even feels like a prelude to Steinfeld's future musical endeavors both with her role in the "Pitch Perfect" movies and her solo music career, both of which started in 2015. 

When you think of Emily Dickinson's poetry, you don't traditionally think of comedy, unless you're thinking of the Apple TV+ series "Dickinson," which started in 2019. The role was Hailee Steinfeld's television series debut, playing the titular role of a young, closeted poet Emily Dickinson, whose love affair with her best friend Sue Gilbert (Ella Hunt) conflicts with her parents' desire to have her wed their son Austin (Adrian Blake Enscoe). The show's supporting cast is strong as well, including Jane Krakowski as Emily's mother, Wiz Khalifa as the personification of Death, and Ayo Edebiri as the Dickinsons' maid Hattie. 

As /Film wrote of "Dickinson" at the end of its third and final season, "With 'Dickinson,' [creator] Alena Smith and her team have asked us to reimagine the stuffy, depressing literary canon as we know it. They've created an image of Emily that's not one of sorrow, but of pure, unfiltered imagination." That's certainly the energy brought to the series by Steinfeld, whose playful and petulant portrayal of the titular American poet is infused with romance, childlike wonder, and spontaneity that may not always be associated with her.

Additionally, many fans of the show flocked to its queer love story between Emily and Sue, which is beautifully represented on-screen by Steinfeld and Hunt alike. The show is equally as funny as it is romantic, tragic, and poetic, making it one of the Apple TV+ shows that justify a subscription to the streaming service. 

While "Dickinson" was Hailee Steinfeld's first foray into leading a television series, she'd do it again soon after in 2021 with her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, "Hawkeye," which premiered on Disney+. Steinfeld was the top choice by producers and fans to play Kate Bishop, a young Hawkeye fanatic who, inspired by Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), takes up archery as a child and later finds herself stumbling into criminal affairs that require the former Avenger to reluctantly team up with her. 

It's common knowledge by now that the MCU shows on Disney+ can be quite inconsistent, but Steinfeld and Renner are superb in this street-level superhero series, which also features memorable appearances by Alaqua Cox as the stoic Maya Lopez, Florence Pugh as the charismatic Yelena Belova, and in a surprising reveal to all long-time Marvel TV fans, the return of Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, predating his fully-fledged re-emergence into the MCU with "Echo" and "Daredevil: Born Again."

As far as comic book adaptations go, "Hawkeye" is pretty faithful to what readers knew about Kate Bishop before the Disney+ series, as Steinfeld perfectly captures her naive frustration towards Barton and ambition to become an Avenger. Given Steinfeld's reprisal of the role in a mid-credits scene from "The Marvels," we only hope that Steinfeld makes a return to the role in the near future as part of the Young Avengers in the MCU, alongside fellow young heroes like Kamala Khan, Cassie Lang, and Billy Kaplan. 

Some may argue that "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is an overall improvement on its 2018 predecessor, in terms of animation style, scope of narrative, and even Easter eggs. On the other hand, I would make the argument that while it is dizzying and dazzling, it's also an incomplete sequel to the first movie. The 2023 animated film picks up where "Into the Spider-Verse" left off, spending more time with Hailee Steinfeld's stand-out Gwen Stacy from the first movie, exploring her backstory as Spider-Woman and involvement in the Spider-Society, a multiversal legion of Spider-People led by Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac).

Among some of the most stunning animation moments in "Across the Spider-Verse" aren't the well-drawn action sequences, but more low-key character moments, including one mesmerizing scene where Steinfeld's Gwen confronts her father, Captain George Stacy, after he unknowingly hunted her down for the death of her universe's Peter Parker. Steinfeld's devotion to Gwen is proof that despite the role being animated, she puts in just as much work to make her characters feel three-dimensional.

Nevertheless, some who watch this film might feel underwhelmed by its abrupt ending, while others might think the cliffhanger ending of "Across the Spider-Verse" totally works. Maybe we'll be able to look back on this film after "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" comes out in 2027 and rank it higher, but until then, "Across the Spider-Verse" is a lot of movie with not a lot of payoff. 

Who would've thought one of the best Netflix original series would be a spin-off of the "League of Legends" video games? Whether you're a fan of the games or not, "Arcane" is a must-watch, following the story of two orphaned sisters, Violet/"Vi" (Hailee Steinfeld, coincidentally with the same character name as "Begin Again") and Powder/"Jinx" (Ella Purnell), who become entangled in a war between classes on opposite sides. Although there's a lot to love about the artwork on display in "Arcane," the real stars of the show are Steinfeld and Purnell's performances.

As we at /Film wrote about the first season of Netflix's visually stunning animated epic, "The tale of two separated sisters, the elder Vi and the younger and less emotionally stable Jinx, are easily the emotional crux of the show." It certainly helps that Steinfeld also lent her voice to "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," as the two projects were compared by many critics, particularly when praising the actress' work in bringing her respective characters to life. 

Unfortunately, despite its first season being considered one of the best fantasy TV series of all time, some critics had mixed feelings about its highly-anticipated second season, in which some felt the character development was rushed. Either way, there's still a lot to love about this series for both hardcore "League of Legends" fans as well as those who have never even heard of the game, and it's all thanks to the stunning characterization of Vi and Jinx by Steinfeld and Purnell. 

When you have geniuses like Phil Lord & Christopher Miller producing your "Spider-Man" movie, you know it's gonna be good. Even so, expectations were high leading up to the release of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," with the trailers promising gorgeous visuals, a smattering of iconic "Spider-Man" characters, and to top it all off, the feature film debut of comic book fan favorite Miles Morales. The end result was what many, including us at /Film, called the best superhero movie of 2018 and the best "Spider-Man" movie ever. 

Of course, it's not just the Miles Morales show, as the supporting cast also features incredible, new Spider-People, including the introduction of Hailee Steinfeld's Gwen Stacy, Miles' love interest and a snazzy web-slinger in her own right. While it wouldn't be until "Across the Spider-Verse" that Gwen's story was made just as important as Miles, Steinfeld's lovable and confident performance as Gwen made her a stand-out of the film, even when put up against the likes of Nicolas Cage's Spider-Noir and John Mulaney's Spider-Ham.

Steinfeld aside, "Into the Spider-Verse" isn't just a good Spider-Man movie, but undoubtedly one of the best and most influential animated films of the past decade. Lots of future animated films, from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" to "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish," have "Into the Spider-Verse" to thank for furthering the medium of animation. Mark that down as two ground-breaking animated projects that Hailee Steinfeld has been a part of, alongside "Arcane."

If you've ever had doubts about Hailee Steinfeld's screen presence, this one will prove them wrong. "Sinners" hails from Ryan Coogler, the director behind the "Black Panther" movies and "Creed." Michael B. Jordan stars in dual roles as Smoke and Stack, twin brothers who open up a juke joint in their Mississippi hometown, only for their party at night to be derailed when a group of vampires crashes their party, lured by the sound of blues music from inside (which, by the way, is one of 2025's greatest movie scenes). 

In a film chockfull of great performers from Delroy Lindo to newcomer Miles Caton, Steinfeld is alluring as Mary, the white-passing ex of Stack who crashes their juke joint and, after being turned by vampires, lures her former lover to the side of evil. Her performance in Coogler's bloody vampire masterclass is as seductive as it is chilling, though if there's any reason this film doesn't rank higher in this list, it's that the movie isn't Steinfeld's to steal; it's Jordan's. 

Hopefully, more people flock to the movies to see "Sinners" while it's still in theaters, as it may very well be the best film we get all year. It's got enough violence and horror to satisfy those who want a classic monster movie, and enough social commentary and devotion to the culture of African-American music to make it a certified crowd-pleaser, which is slowly becoming Coogler's specialty as a director. 

Although she'd made her feature film debut a few years earlier, it was 2016's "The Edge of Seventeen" that cemented Hailee Steinfeld as one of the greatest young actors of the 2010s. The coming-of-age dramedy stars Steinfeld as Nadine, an angsty high schooler whose difficult upbringing is complicated when her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) starts dating her combative older brother Darian (Blake Jenner). The only solace she finds is her teacher, Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson), whose banter with Nadine levels up the movie on all accounts.

It's obvious to anyone who watches "The Edge of Seventeen," but as director Kelly Fremon Craig told /Film, "If [Hailee Steinfeld] didn't exist, the movie wouldn't exist ... It was awe-inspiring and I felt that way throughout the entire making of the film. She got who this person was so much that she could just play." That's what so marvelous about her performance; it feels so real. 

While it's only been nearly a decade since "The Edge of Seventeen" came out, it's already one of the essential movies about high school you need to see. Unlike most that release nowadays, it's relatable, awkward, and at times quite morbid about how terrible it feels to grow up. It's hard to say it better than the director herself, but there is no "The Edge of Seventeen" without Steinfeld, and there's probably no Steinfeld without "The Edge of Seventeen," ... if it wasn't for one other movie she was in. 

Hailee Steinfeld was 13 when she was cast in her first feature film in the role of Mattie in "True Grit." It's an intimidating challenge, having to act alongside greats like Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon for your first film, which is also directed by the Coen Brothers of all directors, but not only did Steinfeld steal the entire movie, she made Oscar history as one of the youngest nominees for Best Supporting Actress after its release in 2010. 

Although Steinfeld's name didn't even make the poster for "True Grit," the film centers on her character, as the Coens wanted to make a more faithful adaptation of the 1968 book by Charles Portis, which follows a farm girl who hires a U.S. Marshal to hunt down the man who killed her father. While some critics felt it was a departure from the more likable absurdity of the Coen Brothers' previous work, it's hard for even the most prestigious movie critics, like Roger Ebert, to deny the star power on display from Steinfeld. 

It's been 15 years since "True Grit" came out, and many still consider it one of the best Coen Brothers movies, as we at /Film wrote, "Though the Coens have waxed classical in their genre stylings from time to time, nowhere do they achieve those ambitions so effortlessly as they do in 'True Grit.'" Above all else, it's the film that gave us Hailee Steinfeld, and we have to rank it this high out of respect.