Elizabeth Olsen Reveals the Film She Wants to Erase from Her Career

Elizabeth Olsen has built a reputation for delivering nuanced performances across indie dramas and blockbuster franchises, but one film from her early career might not hold the same place in her heart as her more celebrated projects. While Olsen hasn’t explicitly named any movie she’d “delete from history,” the critically maligned 2013 drama Very Good Girls stands out as a likely contender.

A Rare Misstep in an Otherwise Acclaimed Career

Olsen, who broke through with the critically lauded Martha Marcy May Marlene in 2011, quickly established herself as an actor drawn to challenging, offbeat roles. That preference won her acclaim in films like Wind River and Ingrid Goes West. Even her leap into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Wanda Maximoff—the Scarlet Witch—maintained her reputation for portraying complex, emotionally resonant characters.

But Very Good Girls, directed by Naomi Foner and starring Olsen alongside Dakota Fanning, failed to live up to those high standards. The film, which follows two friends vying for the same romantic interest during a New York City summer, debuted at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival to underwhelming reviews. Critics called it “contrived” and “poorly drawn,” and it currently holds a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

What Olsen Has (and Hasn’t) Said

Over the years, Olsen has discussed her career with candor, reflecting on roles that challenged her or shaped her perspective as an actor. She frequently highlights her pride in projects like Martha Marcy May Marlene and Wind River. But her interviews rarely, if ever, mention Very Good Girls. That silence—coupled with the movie’s critical failure—suggests she may not look back on it fondly.

In a 2017 Vanity Fair interview, Olsen alluded to certain career choices she might have handled differently, though she didn’t name specific titles. The omission of Very Good Girls from many of her retrospectives speaks volumes, especially when juxtaposed with her continued praise for other films in her repertoire.

A Candidate for Erasure

While Very Good Girls remains in her filmography, it’s notable that Olsen often skips over it in interviews, opting instead to focus on the roles that defined her as an actor of depth and versatility. The film’s tepid reception and lack of significant impact on her career suggest that, if there were a movie she’d erase from history, this could be it.