In less than a decade, Sydney Sweeney has transformed from an industrious indie guest star into one of the most powerful, multifaceted leading actors and producers in modern Hollywood.
With double Emmy nominations in the same year—for her gut-wrenching turn as Cassie Howard in Euphoria and her biting deadpan portrayal of Olivia Mossbacher in The White Lotus—Sweeney proved she possessed a generational emotional range. Rather than resting on prestige television accolades, she conquered the global box office by executive producing and starring in the runaway romantic comedy smash Anyone But You, anchored gripping true-crime cinema in Reality, and took terrifying physical risks in psychological horror Immaculate.
Whether you are exploring our breakdown of the 10 best Sydney Sweeney SNL sketches, Ana de Armas’s top films ranked, the greatest classic horror movies of all time, or modern cinema guides, here is the definitive ranking of the 10 best Sydney Sweeney movies and TV shows, complete with official posters, character analyses, and critical ratings.
The 10 Best Sydney Sweeney Projects at a Glance
★ 1. Anyone But You (2023) — Directed by Will Gluck
★ 2. Euphoria (HBO, 2019–present) — Created by Sam Levinson
★ 3. The White Lotus (HBO, 2021) — Created by Mike White
★ 4. Reality (2023) — Directed by Tina Satter
★ 5. Immaculate (2024) — Directed by Michael Mohan
★ 6. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) — Directed by Quentin Tarantino
★ 7. Sharp Objects (HBO, 2018) — Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
★ 8. The Voyeurs (2021) — Directed by Michael Mohan
★ 9. Everything Sucks! (Netflix, 2018) — Created by Ben York Jones
★ 10. Madame Web (2024) — Directed by S.J. Clarkson
1. Anyone But You (2023)
- Role: Bea
- Co-stars: Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Dermot Mulroney
- Director: Will Gluck
- Rotten Tomatoes / Audience Score: 56% / 87%
Loosely inspired by William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Anyone But You single-handedly reignited the theatrically released studio romantic comedy. Sweeney starred as Bea, a disillusioned Boston law student who enters into a fake-dating pact with Glen Powell’s swaggering finance bro Ben during a destination wedding in Sydney, Australia.
Beyond her sparkling, screwball-comedy chemistry with Powell, Sweeney served as executive producer—personally pitching the project to Sony Pictures, hiring director Will Gluck, and driving a guerrilla social media marketing campaign that propelled the modest \$25 million production past \$220 million worldwide. It stands as her most culturally resonant commercial victory.
2. Euphoria (HBO, 2019–present)
- Role: Cassie Howard
- Co-stars: Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie
- Creator: Sam Levinson
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Sweeney’s performance as Cassie Howard in HBO’s flagship teen drama Euphoria earned her an Emmy nomination and established her as a generational dramatic talent. While Season 1 positioned Cassie as an emotionally vulnerable girl trapped by male objectification, Season 2 unleashed a whirlwind of psychological unraveling.
Cassie’s secret, guilt-ridden affair with Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) produced some of the most meme-worthy and devastating television scenes of the decade—from her spiraling bathroom breakdown in an Oklahoma cowgirl dress to her chaotic confrontation on Lexi’s stage. Sweeney delivered raw, unfiltered vulnerability that transformed Cassie into the beating emotional heart of the series.
3. The White Lotus (HBO, Season 1, 2021)
- Role: Olivia Mossbacher
- Co-stars: Brittany O’Grady, Connie Britton, Steve Zahn, Jennifer Coolidge
- Creator: Mike White
- Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
In Mike White’s scathing, Emmy-sweeping HBO social satire The White Lotus, Sweeney earned her second simultaneous Emmy nomination for playing Olivia Mossbacher, a razor-sharp, chronically unimpressed college sophomore vacationing at a luxury Hawaiian resort.
Paired with Brittany O’Grady’s Paula, Sweeney delivered a masterclass in deadpan Gen Z condescension. Her character weaponized post-structuralist philosophy, cynical side-eye glances, and quiet psychological cruelty against her wealthy parents and resort staff alike. Sweeney proved that her comedic timing in subtle, biting satire is just as formidable as her explosive dramatic work.
4. Reality (2023)
- Role: Reality Winner
- Co-stars: Marchánt Davis, Josh Hamilton
- Director: Tina Satter
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Perhaps Sweeney’s most critically revered performance to date, Reality adapts the unedited, verbatim FBI interrogation transcript of NSA whistleblower Reality Winner, who was arrested in 2017 for leaking classified reports on Russian interference in the 2016 US election.
Director Tina Satter creates an unbearable pressure-cooker atmosphere inside an ordinary Georgia home. Stripped of Hollywood glamor, Sweeney captures Winner’s razor-thin balance between nervous composure, quiet intelligence, and mounting dread as two FBI agents close in. It remains a tour-de-force showcase of controlled, minimalist screen acting.
5. Immaculate (2024)
- Role: Sister Cecilia
- Co-stars: Álvaro Morte, Benedetta Porcaroli, Dora Romano
- Director: Michael Mohan
- Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
A passion project Sweeney had auditioned for a decade earlier, Immaculate saw her purchase the rights, hire director Michael Mohan, and produce a terrifying Italian convent horror film that echoes Rosemary’s Baby and classic 1970s Giallo cinema.
Playing Sister Cecilia, an American novice who discovers herself pregnant by virgin birth at an isolated Tuscan nunnery, Sweeney commits entirely to visceral horror. The film’s final, single-take close-up climax—featuring Sweeney screaming through blood and labor—is already celebrated as one of modern horror’s most audacious finales.
6. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
- Role: Snake (Dianne Lake)
- Co-stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Margaret Qualley
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
In Quentin Tarantino’s sun-drenched love letter to late-1960s Los Angeles, Sweeney joined an elite ensemble as “Snake,” one of the Manson Family members living on the dusty, ominous Spahn Ranch.
While her screen time was relatively brief, Sweeney’s eerie, wide-eyed presence in the Manson commune scenes helped build the unsettling tension before Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth arrives on the ranch. Sharing sets with DiCaprio and Pitt cemented her status as an ascendant Hollywood presence.
7. Sharp Objects (HBO, 2018)
- Role: Alice
- Co-stars: Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, Eliza Scanlen
- Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
- Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Before Euphoria made her a household name, Sweeney broke hearts in Jean-Marc Vallée’s gothic Southern noir masterpiece Sharp Objects. Playing Alice, the troubled psychiatric facility roommate of Amy Adams’ self-harming journalist Camille Preaker, Sweeney brought haunting, tragic innocence to the screen.
Her brief arc served as the primary emotional catalyst for Camille’s psychological trauma, highlighting Sweeney’s capacity to leave an indelible impression even in limited supporting roles.
8. The Voyeurs (2021)
- Role: Pippa
- Co-stars: Justice Smith, Ben Hardy, Natasha Liu Bordizzo
- Director: Michael Mohan
- Rotten Tomatoes: 73% (Audience)
Revisiting the glossy 1990s erotic thriller tradition popularized by Rear Window and Body Double, The Voyeurs stars Sweeney and Justice Smith as a young Montreal couple who become dangerously obsessed with spying on the couple across the street.
Sweeney brings manic curiosity and moral ambiguity to Pippa, driving the film through unpredictable twists, art-world betrayal, and sensual psychological intrigue. The film cemented her creative partnership with director Michael Mohan.
9. Everything Sucks! (Netflix, 2018)
- Role: Emaline Addario
- Co-stars: Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Peyton Kennedy, Patch Darragh
- Creator: Ben York Jones & Michael Mohan
- Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Set in the real town of Boring, Oregon in 1996, this nostalgic high school comedy-drama gave Sweeney one of her earliest breakout leading roles as Emaline Addario, an eccentric, dramatic junior in the school’s drama club.
Sweeney navigated a poignant coming-of-age queer romance alongside co-star Peyton Kennedy, blending 90s alternative rock aesthetics with genuine teenage angst. Though canceled after one season, the series developed a passionate cult following.
10. Madame Web (2024)
- Role: Julia Cornwall / Spider-Woman
- Co-stars: Dakota Johnson, Celeste O’Connor, Isabela Merced
- Director: S.J. Clarkson
- Rotten Tomatoes: 11%
While Sony’s superhero spin-off Madame Web was panned by critics, Sweeney’s portrayal of awkward teen Julia Cornwall (destined to become Spider-Woman) stood out as a charming highlight alongside Dakota Johnson.
More importantly, Sweeney used the superhero blockbuster experience with extreme career shrewdness—admitting that taking the role allowed her to build vital relationships with Sony executives that directly financed Anyone But You. Even in a troubled studio tentpole, Sweeney turned the opportunity into pure Hollywood leverage.
Sydney Sweeney Career Comparison Table
| Rank | Title | Year | Format / Platform | Sweeney’s Character | RT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anyone But You | 2023 | Feature Film (Sony) | Bea | 87% (Aud) |
| 2 | Euphoria | 2019– | HBO Drama Series | Cassie Howard | 88% |
| 3 | The White Lotus | 2021 | HBO Satire Series | Olivia Mossbacher | 89% |
| 4 | Reality | 2023 | Feature Film (HBO) | Reality Winner | 93% |
| 5 | Immaculate | 2024 | Feature Film (Neon) | Sister Cecilia | 71% |
| 6 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | 2019 | Feature Film (Sony) | Snake (Manson Family) | 86% |
| 7 | Sharp Objects | 2018 | HBO Miniseries | Alice | 92% |
| 8 | The Voyeurs | 2021 | Feature Film (Prime) | Pippa | 73% (Aud) |
| 9 | Everything Sucks! | 2018 | Netflix Series | Emaline Addario | 72% |
| 10 | Madame Web | 2024 | Feature Film (Sony) | Julia Cornwall | 11% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sydney Sweeney’s highest-rated movie or TV show?
Critically, Tina Satter’s 2023 docudrama Reality is Sydney Sweeney’s highest-rated film at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, followed closely by HBO’s Sharp Objects (92%) and The White Lotus (89%).
Did Sydney Sweeney produce Anyone But You and Immaculate?
Yes! Sydney Sweeney runs her own production company, Fifty-Fifty Films. She served as executive producer on Anyone But You and was the lead producer on Immaculate, actively securing financing, casting, and distribution for both projects.
What role did Sydney Sweeney play in Euphoria?
Sweeney plays Cassie Howard, the sweet, emotionally fragile high schooler whose tumultuous personal life and controversial relationship with Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Is Sydney Sweeney appearing in Euphoria Season 3?
Yes, HBO confirmed that Sydney Sweeney will reprise her career-defining role as Cassie Howard for Euphoria Season 3.