Young Adult (2011)

Young Adult is Jason Reitman's darkly comic 2011 drama about a jaded ghostwriter returning to her small hometown. She sets her sights on reclaiming her now-married high school boyfriend, unraveling with every step. Charlize Theron anchors the film as its bitter, self-destructive lead. She plays the role with an unfiltered rawness that carries into her most exposed scenes on screen. Four scenes collected here catch Theron mixing candid undressing with unglamorous nudity that suits the character's messiness. There's nothing polished or performative about it, which is exactly the point. It's a compact collection, but it's essential viewing for anyone tracking Theron's boldest screen work.