Siblings Rooney and Kate Mara have had notable acting careers for the past few years. The former has been associated with Oscar-nominated ensemble-driven dramas like Her, Lion, and The Social Network, along with lead roles in critical successes like Carol and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
Kate Mara, on the other hand, has had a more stellar run on TV with major roles in House of Cards, 24, and American Horror Story. Recently, she appeared as a recurring character in the FX series Pose and A Teacher. As for her filmography, she has been a part of blockbusters like The Martian and 127 Hours.
10 Side Effects (2013) – 7.1 (Rooney)
Steven Soderbergh’s medical thriller plays around a darkly comic storyline that has twists and turns till the very end. The film received acclaim for its lead performances and Scott Z Burns’ writing.
Rooney Mara stars as a woman who’s prescribed a new drug prescribed by her psychiatrist (Jude Law). When she murders her husband (Channing Tatum), doubt is cast on her culpability but not all is as it seems.
9 TIE: Carol (2015) – 7.2 (Rooney)
Carol was definitely a high point in Rooney Mara’s career as she got to share screen space with Cate Blanchett while harboring enough dramatic potential of her own.
To date, Carol is largely regarded as one of the best LGBT+ films in recent times. During its release, the drama swept at awards ceremonies with Rooney Mara earning several accolades like Best Actress at Cannes and a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars.
8 TIE: Trash (2014) – 7.2 (Rooney)
Even though it’s directed by Stephen Daldry (of The Hours and The Reader fame), Trash is a Brazilian language film with occasional English parts featuring cast members like Rooney Mara and Martin Sheen. Both actors appear as volunteers in a Christian NGO.
Otherwise, the film is largely centered upon three Brazilian children who spend their days picking through trash in a garbage dump. When they end up discovering a wallet one day, the boys unearth a larger conspiracy involving the local police turning them into accidental whistleblowers.
7 127 Hours (2010) – 7.5 (Kate)
127 Hours presents a career-best performance by James Franco who plays real-life adventurer Aron Ralston. The film attempts at documenting his survival while he was trapped by a boulder in Utah. While trying his best to make it out alive, Halston starts remembering his past. All of this makes for an intense survivor story.
Even though the Danny Boyle venture is a one-man affair, Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn make brief appearances in the film’s beginning as two hikers in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park.
6 TIE: Brokeback Mountain (2005) – 7.7 (Kate)
In Brokeback Mountain, Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal play two cowboys who engage in a passionate romance but face their fears in going ahead with this relationship. Feelings get repressed further as they both end up distancing themselves. Even after settling down with their respective vibes, the men keep on sharing a strained emotional bond.
Kate Mara’s character Alma Del Mar Jr. appears right before the heartbreaking final act. After she invites her father Ennis (Ledger) for her wedding, Ennis finds a shirt that belonged to his previous lover. He ends up in tears and makes a final declaration of love before saying goodbye.
5 TIE: The Social Network (2010) – 7.7 (Rooney)
Some viewers might consider The Social Network to be polarizing in terms of its approach towards the early life of Facebook head honcho Mark Zuckerberg. However, David Fincher’s film has become a modern masterpiece with aspects like Jesse Eisenberg’s lead performance, Aaron Sorkin’s fast-paced screenplay, and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s atmospheric score.
Rooney Mara joins the talented ensemble as Zuckerberg’s ex-girlfriend Erica Albright who dumps him right at the start of the film. Mara would collaborate with Fincher yet again in a larger role with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
4 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) – 7.8 (Rooney)
Rooney Mara received her first Oscar nomination with the psychological neo-noir The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Adapted from Stieg Larson’s novel of the same name, the film deals with the disappearance of a wealthy girl as a hacker (Mara) and journalist (Daniel Craig) investigate the mystery and darker truths are revealed as the story progresses.
Mara’s take on Lisbeth Salander generated positive reviews and was largely considered to be accurate with the film’s source material.
3 TIE: Lion (2016) – 8 (Rooney)
Lion is based on the inspiring true story of Saroo Brierly, an Australian man of Indian origin who set out to find his birth parents in his native country. The film starts off from the hardships he faced in his younger days while being estranged from his family while the second half builds upon his adulthood.
Both Dev Patel and Sunny Pawar steal the show playing the adult and younger versions of the protagonist respectively. Additionally, Nicole Kidman stars as Saroo’s adoptive mother while Rooney Mara plays Saroo’s romantic partner Lucy.
2 TIE: Her (2013) – 8 (Rooney)
Written and directed by Spike Jonze, Her is an unconventional romance detailing the love shared between a lonely man called Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), and Samantha, an Artificial Intelligence system (voiced by Scarlett Johanson). Together, they go through the many trials and tribulations of their heartwarming yet melancholic bond.
Rooney Mara also features in the film as Catherine, the lead character’s ex-wife. Given the fact that Theodore and Catherine were childhood sweethearts, their split takes a heavy toll on the former. It’s for this reason that Samantha offers him much-needed escapism.
1 TIE: The Martian (2015) – 8 (Kate)
As is evident from the title, a majority of The Martian‘s duration takes place on the ‘Red Planet’. Matt Damon stars as the lead, playing a botanist stranded on Mars who must survive on his own wits. While NASA tries its best to get him back home, the so-called ‘Martian’ gains a new outlook on life in his solitude.
The members of his Mars mission are introduced in the beginning and they continue to orchestrate his escape for the remainder of the film. Members of this space mission include popular stars like Jessica Chastain, Sebastian Stan, Michael Peña, and Kate Mara who plays the crew’s systems operator.
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