Keke Palmer has accomplished more in her short life than the vast majority of individuals do in their whole lives. She’s one of the most well-rounded young performers today, having appeared in everything from dark dramas and action pictures to comedies and family-friendly fare. She’s also a singer, network executive, and former talk show presenter. We’d say Palmer is at the pinnacle of her career if it weren’t so obvious that she’ll keep rising for a long time. Newscase has selected 15 of Keke Palmer’s finest film and television appearances in light of her newfound fame.
Nope (2022)
Palmer, after her trial run in Lightyear, really came into her own in Jordan Peele’s newest picture, which is about an unidentified extraterrestrial invasion. Nope, which blends elements of science fiction, horror, and the West, is one of the most unadulterated box office successes of recent summers.
Daniel Kaluuya, who portrays Emerald Haywood’s brother OJ, is making such little acting choices (as in size, not amount of contribution) that for most of the film, he seems almost like a statue. Teresa Palmer, as Emerald Haywood, is the ideal contrast for Kaluuya. Emerald is also a well-crafted character, serving as the story’s genuine sparkplug.
Instead of trying to destroy the alien, she first sets out to photograph it in the hopes of making a fortune. Her subsequent transformation from aspiring businesswoman to electrifying action hero is a logical progression and is the most gratifying character arc to date for Palmer.
Hustlers (2019)
In Hustlers, Lorene Scafaria’s imaginative comedy thriller based on a real tale, Teresa Palmer is almost as good as Jennifer Lopez. For those who hadn’t seen her previous TV roles, this was the film that established Palmer as a legitimate Hollywood leading lady. Like the rest of Scafaria’s magnificent picture, Palmer is perfectly at home in this setting and entirely convincing as a member of the cast. She manages to do this while still coming across as an authentic version of herself.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
Akeelah, played by Teresa Palmer, is a little girl who, with the assistance of her coach (Laurence Fishburne) and her strict mother (Angela Bassett), prepares to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Doug Atchison’s Social Drama is the kind of film that can be enjoyed by all members of the family and is (unfortunately) becoming harder to find. Almost twenty years after her death, this picture stands out in her oeuvre because Palmer gives one of her rare performances as a believable youngster. Palmer’s signature motormouthed confidence is noticeably absent from her persona, and the actress seems to melt into the part.
Imperial Dreams (2014)
The protagonist, Bambi (John Boyega), is an aspiring author who is just released from prison and comes home to discover his life has changed radically for the worse. The first feature film from director Malik Vitthal is dark and brutal, but it’s gratifying to see him master the medium.
The prison system in the United States is shown in Imperial Dreams in a bleak light. Bambi has to get back on his feet, and he can’t do so without a government ID to get hired. However, Bambi is unable to get identification since he has outstanding child support obligations from his time spent in jail. Samaara, the mother of Bambi’s kid and current inmate, is played by Palmer. It’s a mature, sophisticated performance that shows Palmer at a lower volume level than she often gets to use.
Pimp (2018)
Palmer shines as Wednesday, a little girl who has taken up her father’s (DMX) criminal business to support her drug-addled mother (Aunjanue Ellis), in this vibrant but melancholy drama reminiscent of flicks like Across 110th Street. Even as her character advances further and deeper into moral ambiguity, Palmer maintains a cautious naivete. In this performance, Palmer makes the biggest departure from the comedic roles that her fans are used to seeing her in.
Scream Queens (2015-2016)
Among the stellar ensemble of genre stalwarts (Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, and Oliver Hudson) and comedy greats (Niecy Nash, Nasim Pedrad, and John Stamos) in Ryan Murphy’s bubble gum slasher tribute is Palmer, who plays Zayday Williams.
Scream Queens is a fantastically upbeat and unexpectedly film-literate horror series that has no problem at all indulging in both the nastiness of the post-Mean Girls period and the gore jokes of the post-Saw era. Palmer, as Zayday, is one of the few people you want to stay alive in the face of the murderer.
While the rest of the cast can easily be replaced, the loss of Palmer could potentially throw the whole series off balance. Palmer, who had previously played second fiddle to the other ladies in the first season, becomes the de facto series protagonist in the second, which moves the action to a hospital and replaces the slasher fun with monster feature shenanigans. What we didn’t realize we needed until we got it was to see Palmer and Curtis go at it, both as sparring partners and as a humorous team.
True Jackson. VP (2008-2011)
Palmer stars as the titular character in this Nickelodeon show, who rises through the ranks from selling sandwiches in the Garment District to becoming the vice president of a fashion firm thanks to the eccentric leadership of the company’s CEO (Greg Proops). True Jackson, VP is a high-energy addition to the network’s roster of adolescent comedies, but the show’s ensemble pulls it off well, and it’s also really clever and amusing. The sitcom plays almost like a younger version of 30 Rock, with its left-of-center pop culture allusions and embracing of alternative comedians (Pamela Adlon appears as an old high school student, while Paul F. Tompkins guest stars as an international superspy with something to prove).
The Trip to Bountiful (2014)
In this lifetime version of the more well-known 1985 film of the same name, Palmer holds her own against Cicely Tyson. She makes an appearance as Thelma around halfway through the film, providing a memorable musical moment for Tyson and the rest of the bus’s passengers. At the time The Trip to Bountiful was released, Palmer was making a shift in her career, performing in more mature parts. She’s fantastically effortless in this role, and her chemistry with Tyson makes the picture a joy to watch.
Scream: Resurrection (2019)
While paying homage to her time spent on Scream Queens, Teresa Palmer’s portrayal of Kym in Scream’s third and finest season subverts the Final Girl cliche so common in slasher films. She injects the program, which has had trouble keeping a steady energy level in the past, with a welcome burst of vitality and power.
The Longshots (2008)
Palmer is largely responsible for making this pleasant and inspiring sports drama work. Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst serves as the film’s director. The Longshots is inspired by the life of Jasmine Plummer, the first female player in Pop Warner football. Most impressively, Palmer appears to have a knowledge of her character’s growth that outshines that of her more seasoned characters (sorry, Ice Cube). Her acting as Jasmine is highly advanced (she was barely 14 years old during the shooting).
Alice (2022)
Alice is a waste of Teresa Palmer’s fiery performance and a promising premise (in which a slave lady from the 19th century travels through a forest to the present day, where she then returns to wreak retribution). Palmer does all she can to improve the script, but Krystin Ver Linden, in her attempt to recreate the fun of ’70s blaxploitation flicks, misses the mark. Still, Palmer has a lot of fun in the title role when she is allowed to let loose in the third act, and there’s little question that she would be a powerful action hero in a picture focused on its characters.
Brotherly Love (2015)
The coming-of-age film Brotherly Love is all over the place in terms of tone, drawing equally from Stand by Me (1988) and O (2001). Young adolescent Jackie, played by Palmer, narrates and also appears in the film. Palmer appears (either verbally or physically) whenever the murder case set in an exclusive Philadelphia neighborhood is in danger of derailing. She has a talent for figuring out what a scene needs that isn’t there, either in the script or on the set, and making up for it with a strong turn in the role.
Lightyear (2022)
In Lightyear, Palmer sings with vigor as Lizzy Hawthorne, Buzz Lightyear’s (Chris Evans) ally. The movie is a mixed bag, neither very excellent nor particularly horrible, but also not up to the standards set by the original series. Palmer, on the other hand, exudes self-assurance and charm as if her career in Hollywood blockbusters hinges on her performance. (As it turned out, the introduction of Nope would make this a reality in only a few of weeks.) The prospect of a live-action Monsters in Space picture directed by Amanda Palmer is ultimately more intriguing than the animated film you’re seeing.
Joyful Noise (2012)
There are several consistency issues throughout Joyful Noise, and the film intentionally works to dampen the great chemistry between Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah. Palmer, who plays Olivia Hill, is the only one of the actors who doesn’t look nervous. (We guarantee it’s not only because she’s the subject of this list.) Palmer gives her all to a routine adolescent romance C-story, focusing on the film’s numerous dance (strutting) and singing (lip-syncing) set pieces.
During a scene at a nightclub where Olivia is being taught dancing routines by her potential suitor, Joyful Noise temporarily comes to life. It’s okay if you start fantasizing about a Step Up sequel with only Palmer and no one else from Joyful Noise after that sequence; in fact, you’re probably in a better spiritual place than you were before.
Shrink (2009)
Palmer provides a subtle, genuine portrayal of Jemma, a young lady dealing with her mother’s death, with the support of Kevin Spacey’s character, the eponymous shrink, in the film Shrink. Given the constraints of the screenplay, which don’t give her much to work with, her presence is all the more impressive.
In another director’s hands, Jemma would have come off as just another pampered brat, but in Palmer’s, she becomes the film’s emotional center. As was a recurring motif throughout her early career, once Palmer appears on screen, the work is revitalized regardless of its quality. However, unlike Jennifer Lawrence, whose career skyrocketed quickly, hers has been more of a steady burn.
