I find myself both surprised and disappointed that I feel I have to ask if Kaitlyn Dever is considered a household name yet? If not, I think that is a sign of a major fracture in the Hollywood hierarchy because her stunningly talented and versatile actor -- who has been cast in The Last of Us Season 2 as Abby -- deserves all the recognition she can get. You will surely understand what I mean after taking a look at these picks for the best Kaitlyn Dever movies and TV shows (with a tip on how to watch them) now — starting with one of more recent leading roles.
No One Will Save You (2023)
A young woman’s (Dever) safe, isolated existence is interrupted by otherworldly creatures encroaching on her property and her life.
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: For the first time, Dever shows she has what it takes to be an action star in No One Will Save You — a uniquely crafted, thoroughly terrifying take on the alien invasion genre from writer and director Brian Duffield.
Last Man Standing (2011-2021)
A married sporting goods store marketing director (former Home Improvement cast lead Tim Allen) with three daughters struggles to maintain his manhood at home.
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: Dever made a breakthrough when she was cast on Last Man Standing as the tomboyish Eve Baxter, which became a recurring part after the first six seasons of the long-running sitcom.
Justified (2011-2015)
A no-nonsense U.S. Marshall (Emmy nominee Timothy Olyphant) is relocated from Miami to his hometown in Kentucky, where he cleans things up with his old-fashioned approach to crimefighting.
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: Another one of Dever’s first and most acclaimed TV roles was a recurring part in the Justified cast as Loretta McReady — a troubled youth who finds a father figure in Olyphant’s Raylan Givens after her real dad’s murder on the hit Neo-Western TV show from FX.
Bad Teacher (2011)
A sleazy middle school teacher (Cameron Diaz) begins to step up her game in hopes of winning the heart of a committed, handsome new staff member (Justin Timberlake).
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: At the same time she was making waves on the small screen, Dever made her big screen debut in Bad Teacher — director Jake Kasdan’s raunchy take on the school movie genre from the point of view of a reluctant educator.
The Spectacular Now (2013)
A debaucherous, aimless high school senior (Miles Teller) is inspired to clean up his act when he meets and falls for an astute young woman (Shailene Woodley).
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: Dever has a small role as Krystal — whom she described as “annoying… pushy… [and] bossy” to Shine On Media — in director James Ponsoldt’s acclaimed, romantic coming-of-age drama, The Spectacular Now.
- Stream The Spectacular Now on Netflix
- Rent or buy The Spectacular Now on Amazon
- Buy The Spectacular Now on Blu-ray on Amazon
Short Term 12 (2013)
A young woman (Academy Award winner Brie Larson) struggles to balance her career as a residential facility employee with her relationship with her co-worker and longtime boyfriend (John Gallagher Jr.).
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: For her second collaboration with Larson after The Spectacular Now, Dever gave a stunning performance in writer and director Destin Daniel Cretton’s powerful drama Short Term 12 as a girl with a troubling past named Jayden.
- Stream Short Term 12 on Amazon Prime
- Stream Short Term 12 on Tubi
- Stream Short Term 12 on Peacock
- Stream Short Term 12 on Pluto TV
- Buy Short Term 12 on Blu-ray on Amazon
Detroit (2017)
In 1967, a deadly police raid on innocent Black people at the Algiers Motel became the inciting incident leading to a historical race riot.
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: In director Kathryn Bigelow’s historical drama, Detroit, Dever is terrific as a young woman named Karen Malloy -- a first-hand witness of the killings alongside Julie Delaney, who was involved with the production and recalled her side of the film’s shocking true events to the Detroit Free Press in 2017.
The Front Runner (2018)
A married family man and U.S. Senator from Colorado (Hugh Jackman, in one of his best roles outside of Wolverine) leads a very promising presidential campaign that descends into a downward spiral after the media catches wind of his affair with a young woman (Sara Paxton).
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: Just a year after starring in Detroit, Dever played yet another real-life person named Andrea Hart — the daughter of U.S. Senator, Gary Hart — in director Jason Reitman’s scandalous political docudrama, The Front Runner.
- Stream The Front Runner on Starz
- Rent or buy The Front Runner on Amazon
- Buy The Front Runner on Blu-ray on Amazon
Beautiful Boy (2018)
A newly separated father (Academy Award nominee Steve Carell) tries to help his teenage son (Academy Award nominee Timothée Chalamet) overcome his drug addiction.
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: Dever is mesmerizing in her otherwise brief, but pivotal, part as Lauren — a fellow young addict with a romantic connection to Chalamet’s role — in Beautiful Boy, Amazon’s heartbreaking adaptation of the memoirs by Nic Sheff and his son, David.
Booksmart (2019)
A pair of introverted best friends (Dever and Beanie Feldstein) decide to take their one and only chance to make an impression on their high school’s social scene before graduation.
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: For her first cinematic leading role, Dever absolutely kills it in director Olivia Wilde's instant party movie classic Booksmart with pitch-perfect comedic timing and impeccable chemistry with Feldstein.
Unbelievable (2020)
After a teenage girl (Dever) is accused of falsifying an attack against her, two FBI agents (Toni Collette and Merritt Wever) search for an elusive rapist to find evidence that uncovers the truth.
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: Dever gives one of the most acclaimed performances of her career so far (and her first to earn a Golden Globe nomination) as real-life sexual assault victim, Marie Adler, in Unbelievable — a shocking, Netflix original true crime miniseries from showrunner Susannah Grant.
Monsterland (2020)
A socially challenged teen experiences a strange unwelcome encounter, a restaurant server at a dire crossroads, a grief-stricken married couple desperate for some form of solace, and more bizarre, thought-provoking tales of redemption make up this anthology series based on Nathan Ballingrud's book of short stories, North American Lake Monsters.
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: In the same year she earned raves for Netflix’s Unbelievable, Dever switched streaming platforms to star in Monsterland — a Hulu-exclusive horror TV show in which she appears in three episodes (more than any other cast member) as a server named Toni.
Dopesick (2021)
The lives of a trusted medical doctor (Michael Keaton), a pharmaceutical rep (Will Poulter), two U.S. attorneys (Peter Sarsgaard, John Hoogenakker), a committed DEA agent (Rosario Dawson), and others intersect over the distribution of a powerful narcotic called Oxycontin.
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: Dever earned her first Emmy nomination for her astonishingly authentic performance in the Dopesick cast as a fictionalized victim of America’s real-life opioid crisis in this eye-opening miniseries.
Ticket To Paradise (2022)
After learning their daughter (Dever) is suddenly engaged in Bali, a divorced couple (George Clooney and Julia Roberts) agree to work together to prevent her from repeating their own mistake.
Why it is one of Kaitlyn Dever’s best: In addition to reuniting with her Booksmart co-star and friend, Billie Lourd, the fun rom-com Ticket to Paradise sees Dever holding her own alongside two Hollywood legends in the role of their onscreen daughter.
- Stream Ticket to Paradise on Starz
- Rent or buy Ticket To Paradise on Amazon
- Buy Ticket to Paradise on Blu-ray on Amazon
To be honest, we have barely scratched the surface of all that Kaitlyn Dever is known for or what she is capable of as an actor. It’s great to know that there is more where these came from as she could also be heard in the 2023 movie, Next Goal Wins, and has joined the cast of The Last of Us Season 2 as Abby.
