7 Aubrey Plaza movies and shows to watch if you loved her in ‘Honey Don’t!’

Aubrey Plaza is one of the most well-known faces in the satire and dark comedy space. Case in point: her latest movie, Honey, Don't!, with Margaret Qualley and Chris Evans. The Ethan Coen directorial provides the best of both worlds, a shockingly hilarious whodunit thriller leading back to a cult-like church. Plaza plays Officer MG Falcone, Honey's alluring romantic interest, helping her with her case.

Fans of Aubrey Plaza in this dark comedy crime will enjoy her quick-witted roles over the past few decades, like April Ludgate in Parks and Recreation (2009-2015) and the titular character in Ingrid Goes West (2017). While she brings a unique mischief to her comedic dialogue delivery, her psychological thriller roles are intensely memorable. This makes her filmography a must-watch.

Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong to the writer.

Parks and Recreation, Ingrid Goes West, and other best Aubrey Plaza roles for Honey, Don't! fans

1) Parks and Recreation (2009-2015)

Plaza as April Ludgate (Image via YouTube/ Parks and Recreation)

Leslie Knope and her unenthusiastic crew at the Parks and Recreation department in Pawnee, Indiana, try their best to make the world a better place, one park at a time. In this Greg Daniels mockumentary, everyday humor is bound in governmental red tape and tons of earnestness.

It is hard to stand out in an ensemble sitcom led by Amy Poehler's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Leslie Knope, but Aubrey Plaza's April Ludgate has her moments of brilliance in the show's seven-season run. Her character is snarky, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, giving fans the most quotable moments.

Her journey from a young intern who cares little about the department to a driven adult with ideas to improve the community, all while never losing her sense of humor and aloofness, makes this one of her best roles to date.

Where to watch: Peacock

2) Ingrid Goes West (2017)

Ingrid's stalking reaches scary heights (Image via YouTube/ Universal Pictures All-Access)

Ingrid Thorburn has a history of mental illness and a manic obsession with social media influencers. When Los Angeles-based Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen) pops up on her phone screen, her psyche latches onto her next obsession. Moving across the country, changing her style, and putting herself in Taylor's orbit makes her grow more dauntless, but her parasitic mission sounds warning bells.

If Aubrey Plaza's duality in Honey, Don't! surprised fans, this is the next perfect watch. Her acting prowess shines when she uses her dry humor to hide a darker, more raw persona underneath the surface. While her micro-expressions hint at secrets, she lures the audience before revealing her true nature. The Matt Spicer black comedy drama will have fans on their toes the entire time.

Where to watch: Tubi/Apple TV/Prime Video

3) The White Lotus season 2 (2023)

Plaza in one of her strongest roles (Image via YouTube/ HBO)

After a murder and a million revelations in the resort at Hawaii, the tone-deaf and wealthy take on The White Lotus in Sicily, Italy. Guests from season 1 return and new arrivals shake things up as power dynamics are tested, jarring class differences are highlighted, and the drama bubbles up to an unexpected explosion. Aubrey Plaza plays an employment lawyer named Harper Spiller.

From the get-go, she is the black sheep of her vacation group that loves joking about sensitive issues. But that makes Plaza's poker-faced retorts the perfect fit in the show's uncomfortable premise? Her stoic expression gives nothing away, which makes her tense marital storyline the perfect contrast. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe for her convincing performance.

Where to watch: HBO Max

4) Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Plaza as the intern (Image via Prime Video)

Aubrey Plaza subtly moves through sub-genres in the comedy space. From a crime comedy role in Honey, Don't!, fans can see her as journalist intern Darius Britt in a science fiction setting. Her cynical outlook on life turns upside down when Kenneth's mysterious classifieds ad about time travel catches her team's eye.

Things get complicated when sparks fly between Kenneth and Darius, pushing things into awkward humor territory. In one of her more underrated roles, Plaza's quintessential quirkiness adds to the whimsical premise of the Colin Trevorrow directorial. This movie is right up the alley for fans of silly fun, with great rewatch value.

Where to watch: The Roku Channel/Prime Video

5) Black Bear (2020)

Plaza as the tortured artist (Image via YouTube/ ONE Media Coverage)

Aubrey Plaza plays a mentally unstable filmmaker named Allison seeking inspiration in a remote cabin in the woods in a career-defining performance. With a multi-layered, meta storyline that blurs the line between reality and fiction, she embodies a struggling artist's psyche to perfection. Fans famously leave the viewing experience confused, leading to a million theories floating around online.

The venn diagram of Honey, Don't! and Black Bear fans will meet at Plaza's capacity to portray intensity underneath a seemingly unbothered facial expression. She is in the center of the mind-bending premise, holding the complex themes like manipulation together with her screen presence.

Where to watch: Apple TV

6) Legion (2017-2019)

Aubrey Plaza as Lenny (Image via YouTube/ FX Networks)

David Haller's more-than-human superpowers gets chalked down to schizophrenia at a young age, and he spends his life in a psychiatric hospital. But when mysterious events put him in a government agency's radar, he is saved by Syd and a group of like-minded mutants at Summerland, where he grows into his own. This Noah Hawley psychological superhero drama is based off of Marvel Comics

Aubrey Plaza plays Haller's best friend Lenore "Lenny" Busker, who, spoiler alert: dies in episode 1 and comes back as a male-female persona named Amahl Farouk/Shadow King within Haller's mind. Her villainous charms and unexpected superpowers add to her complex role, and is one of her best performances to date.

Where to watch: FX/Hulu

7) The Little Hours (2017)

Plaza and Brie as nuns in the 14th century (Image via Prime Video)

Sister Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), Sister Generva (Kate Micucci), and Sister Alessandra (Alisson Brie) are nuns at a convent in 14th Century Garfagnana. Their fragile ecosystem within the religious space is threatened with the arrival of a supposedly deaf-and-mute help named Massetto (Dave Franco), and scandalous hell breaks loose within the holy walls.

Honey, Don't! fans who want an outrageous entertainer and hilarious female friendships must watch this Jeff Baena directorial. Plaza plays the larger-than-life villain to perfection, evoking surprised laughter at every turn. Her play on modern-day improv in a centuries-ago setting creates a memorable performance.

Where to watch: Prime Video/Apple TV

Fans of Aubrey Plaza in Honey, Don't! can also check out Scott Pilgrim Vs the World (2010) and Agatha All Along (2024).

About the author

Pooja Kumar is an entertainment writer at Sportskeeda. She holds a bachelor's degree in Electronic Media, which deepened her understanding of the entertainment industry.

With over six years of experience, Pooja has worked as a copywriter at Social Panga and as a part-time editor and social media manager at Revolutionaries. She has won five awards for best digital marketing campaigns during her tenure at Social Panga.

Pooja is passionate about crafting engaging and relatable content. She believes in thorough research and ethical reporting, ensuring accuracy by cross-referencing multiple reputable sources. She also avoids reliance on AI-generated material, preferring an authentic and personal writing style.

A devoted fan of the K-pop group Seventeen, Pooja admires their amazing performances, kindness, and humor. One of her most cherished memories is traveling to Bangkok in December 2023 to experience their live concert with thousands of fans, a moment she would relive if given the chance to travel back in time. Beyond writing, Pooja enjoys weightlifting, boxing, yoga, and reading. She also finds joy in watching K-dramas, listening to music, and the occasional nap.

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Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay