Vera Farmiga has been nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and two Emmys for her work in film and television. She's a versatile actress who has starred in every genre - from horror and comedy to action and drama - and she is always a fan favorite.
In preparation for Fermiga's role in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, her 10 best films are ranked here, using review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes. From traveling with George Clooney to hunting ghosts with Patrick Wilson, here are Vera Farmiga's 10 best movies, according to the critics.
The Manchurian Candidate (2004) - 80%
Easily the precursor to the popular Showtime series, Homeland, The Manchurian Candidate centers around Raymond Shaw, a Vice Presidential candidate who may be trying to take down America from within the White House.
The only man who can stop him is a soldier who fought in the Middle East (Denzel Washington) and thinks he may have been brainwashed to believe that Shaw is a war hero, when in reality, he's out to destroy the nation. In the film, Farmiga plays the wife of a powerful senator who is Shaw's opponent.
Never Forever (2007) - 90%
Never Forever was a Korean-American co-production and starred Vera Farmiga, the wife of a Korean-American man. However, her husband is infertile and so they can't have children, leading him to attempt suicide.
Out of desperation, Farmiga begins secretly paying a Korean immigrant for sex, hoping to get pregnant and save her husband. However, a love triangle begins, and her perfect plan seems destined for destruction.
Higher Ground (2011) - 81%
Higher Ground is based on the memoir of Carolyn S. Briggs, who became a self-described "Jesus freak" after surviving a traumatic car crash. She and her family ended up in the world of radicalized Christianity, but the problems of everyday life still existed for them - sex, drugs, jealousy, and anger.
Ultimately, the movie is about finding yourself and what you truly believe, despite the pressures of society, your family, and the church.
The Conjuring 2 (2016) - 81%
It's rare for a horror film to be loved by critics. It's even rarer for a horror sequel to be critically acclaimed. But The Conjuring franchise, based on the life of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, has turned out to not only be a box-office success but a critical one, as well.
The sequel focuses on the Enfield poltergeist incident, which took place on the outskirts of London in the late 70s. Chairs moved on their own, children levitated, and a strange voice could be heard throughout the home.
Nothing But The Truth (2008) - 82%
The film Nothing But the Truth was inspired by reporter Judith Miller, who was charged with contempt of court after refusing to testify in the Valerie Plame case.
Plame was a secret CIA agent who was outed by an unnamed source. Miller was called to testify but refused. Though the movie is fictionalized, it was heavily based on the real case, and the director even hired Miller's attorney as a consultant during production.
The Conjuring (2013) - 85%
After Paranormal Activity was released in 2008, the world of horror turned to found footage. By 2013, the genre was experiencing a downturn, as audiences were getting fatigued of the same old formula.
The Conjuring would completely revamp the horror genre and pave the way for the paranormal era of the 2010s. The movie centered around Ed and Lorraine's famous haunting of a rural Rhode Island farmhouse where a family was being tormented by an evil spirit.
The Departed (2006) - 91%
best movies of the 2000s and was nominated for five Oscars, winning four, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
The film was inspired by the Irish mob in Boston, with mobster Whitey Bulger and corrupt agent John Connolly serving as inspiration for the main characters. The movie went on to gross nearly $300 million at the box office, becoming one of the highest-grossing movies of the year.
Up In The Air (2009) - 91%
Up in the Air was a cultural phenomenon when it was released. Not only was it nominated for five Oscars (as well as five Golden Globes), but it launched Anna Kendrick to stardom, and even created a boom in airline mileage programs.
Suddenly, everyone wanted to be a jet setting businessman, like George Clooney. Despite the movie glorifying the world of travel, it's actually about a businessman who is about to lose his job due to technological advances, and the changes the Great Recession brought to America.
Source Code (2011) - 92%
It's rare for a Source Code managed to provide lots of action, as well as a very real story full of humanity and drama. In the film, Jake Gyllenhaal has to enter a virtual world in order to track down a serial bomber who committed attacks around the Chicago area.
Farmiga plays the Army Captain running the experiment, who is forced to question whether or not her practices are ethical, and what the longterm ramifications of a virtual world may be.
Down To The Bone (2004) - 94%
Down to the Bone is a gritty drama about a single mother (Vera Farmiga) struggling to her two children while harboring a secret cocaine addiction. The movie examines life as a drug addict, the people it hurts, and the desperation of being unable to quit an addiction.
Farmiga's performance was universally hailed by critics after the movie premiered at Sundance and she went on to receive numerous awards. Rolling Stone even went as far as to say, "If there were an ounce of taste left in Hollywood, the magnificent Vera Farmiga would be a front-runner for the Best Actress Oscar."
