The Spectacular Evolution of Bella Thorne

By now, most people have heard of or seen Bella Thorne. Whether it’s regarding her music, film, television, or modeling career, the 23 year old remains busy and relevant. One of the most notable aspects of Thorne’s career has been her recent metamorphosis with her acting. With each project, she continues to flourish into an actress that promises meaningful work, natural acting talent, and possible Oscar buzz in the near future. Here are only a few highlights of Thorne’s career that have helped her develop her maturing acting style.

2010: Shake It Up

It had been a humble beginning for Thorne as an actress. Prior to this hit show, Thorne had been featured in television shows for a few episodes or shorts, sometimes uncredited. Shake It Up put the spotlight directly on both Thorne and Zendaya, who are now both well known actresses and artists. The show encompassed teenage female friendships as well as dancing and ran for three successful seasons. Zendaya has since received an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Euphoria. Could this duo that met on a teenage show both become award-winning actresses? 

2014: Blended

Who can forget the hilarious and unfortunate haircut that Thorne sported in this Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore film? What makes Blended important in the actress’ timeline is that it seems to be a movie that kicked off her film career. Prior to being featured in this movie, Thorne had predominantly been spotted in television series (mainly Shake It Up) and one television movie entitled Frenemies. Working alongside larger than life actors helped elevate Thorne’s career to the next level and she began receiving more work in feature films soon after Blended’s release. Critically, the film was not received well, and was not Sandler or Barrymore’s best work. Laughs were scarce, but comedic elements that did land and were perceived well more often than not involved Thorne. Despite its lackluster response, in regards to the timeline of Bella Thorne, this movie has to be acknowledged and praised. 

2017: You Get Me

2017 was one hell of a year for Bella Thorne the movie actress. Not only was she featured in a horror movie entitled Keep Watching, she was also front and center in a Netflix original movie. In You Get Me, Thorne leads alongside talent including Before I Fall’s Halston Sage and Sharp Objects‘ Taylor John Smith, and she steals the show. The first half of the film is enticing and entertaining. During this chunk of the movie, Thorne shines as usual. The second half of the movie is more over-the-top and a bit dramatic, but is no fault of Thorne’s. She still gives her best possible performance given the circumstances and it shows. One of Thorne’s greatest talents is her ability to act in such a way that appears to be natural. When watching her in the first half of this film, viewers feel as though they’re simply watching a normal teenager lead a normal—yet fractured—life. Her emotions feel valid and true and they are evident in each and every scene in the first 30-40 minutes. It can be debated that this performance put more eyes on Thorne and lead to her striking rise to fame.

2018: Midnight Sun

2018 was a huge year for teenage romantic comedies. The Kissing Booth, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, and Blockers were all released to name a few. Bella Thorne was included in this group with the release of Midnight Sun, in which she was the lead. Thorne plays a teen with a condition that prevents her from being in sunlight, and she experiences a whirlwind romance with Patrick Schwarzenegger. Critically, the film did not do exceptionally well. Acting wise, leads Thorne and Schwarzenegger made do with what may be considered a weak script. Their chemistry was palpable, but the weak storyline and dramatic dialogue took away from the overall picture. Nonetheless, Midnight Sun is one of the highest grossing movies in her repertoire, earning $9.6 million at the box office in the US and $27.4 million worldwide. Fans of Thorne prove time and time again their loyalty and support of the young actress, even if others disagree. 

2020: Girl

In the midst of a bizarre, isolating and lonely year, viewers everywhere were treated with a performance from Thorne as we have never seen her before. Because of this stellar portrayal, Girl is easily Thorne’s best performance to date. The stars seemingly aligned when Thorne was cast as the lead for actor, writer and director Chad Faust’s touching and unique debut. She truly becomes the character, and it feels as though there is no better casting choice available. Thorne exudes so many emotions from viewers as she brilliantly portrays the many emotions of a confused young woman attempting to uncover her family’s secrets. This film proved that we have not yet seen all of what the young starlet has to offer, and she still has other tricks and talents up her sleeves. If there ever was a performance in Thorne’s career thus far that deserves award recognition, it is easily this one in Girl.

Regardless of the caliber of movie that Thorne stars in, she stands out and fully inserts herself into every production, which cannot be said for all young talent. One can only hope that more poignant, heartfelt films and television shows are offered to her in the near future, because with Girl, the actress proved that she thrives in that situation.

Bella Thorne has at least nine productions that are currently filming, pre or postproduction. That being said, entertainment lovers and fans of Thorne have a lot to look forward to. With each performance and each passing year, Thorne becomes a stronger actress that should be admired. She is one of the more captivating and promising young actresses of our time. To summarize using one of her movie titles: Keep Watching.