Let's start with the movie that put Emma Stone in the category of Oscar winners. La La Land is a delicate and beautiful musical about a couple who love each other and connect through music. In addition to Ryan Gosling's excellent performance and Damien Chazelle's vibrant direction, the movie reaches its peak with Stone's beautiful acting, which includes some of the best scenes of her career, such as the audition in the theater.
Another highly acclaimed film that earned Emma Stone her first Oscar nomination is Alejandro G. Iñárritu's production. Here, Emma Stone plays the daughter and assistant to the protagonist, portrayed by Michael Keaton, who has just come out of rehab. Despite having fewer scenes, she shines in her limited sequences as a young woman struggling with her own health, memory, and behavior.
Continuing in the realm of Emma Stone's award-winning films, we have The Favourite, which is perhaps her second most challenging role on screen - her most challenging role comes next. Director Yorgos Lanthimos tells the story of the rivalry between Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) and Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) as they vie for influence with Queen Anne (Olivia Colman). Colman owns the movie, but Emma Stone also shines in the role of another somewhat unhinged woman. It's no surprise that she was also nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
This is the most challenging role of Emma Stone's career. Also directed by Lanthimos, who also directed The Favourite, this feature film is striking in its portrayal of a woman (Stone) who behaves like a child in every way. In addition to the challenge of portraying someone who is discovering the world anew, Stone also shares tense (and intense) on-screen moments with Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe, delivering a performance unlike anything seen from her before.
This is a lighter movie for Emma Stone, but it's worth mentioning. Directed by Woody Allen, it follows the story of a magician (Colin Firth) hired to debunk a medium (Emma Stone). The twist? He ends up falling for her. It's not Allen's or Stone's best film, but it does show a more playful side of the actress, who seems to be having fun playing a character without a clearly defined moral compass.