Lynskey made her professional acting debut at age 17, starring in Heavenly Creatures, a psychological drama based on the Parker–Hulme murder case.
Lynskey played Pauline Parker, a teenager who carries out a brutal crime, aided by her best friend (played by Kate Winslet).
She auditioned for the role when a casting director visited her high school; prior to this, 500 girls had been considered for the part of Pauline, but "none were right".
Fran Walsh—the film's co-writer—admired Lynskey's "quiet intensity", and said, "we knew immediately that she was right for the role".
The film, which was directed by Peter Jackson, was met with critical acclaim  upon its release in 1994.
Roger Ebert praised Jackson for casting "the right two actresses", noting that "there is a way Lynskey has of looking up from beneath glowering eyebrows that lets you know her insides are churning".
Owen Gleiberman described Lynskey as "extraordinary", while Richard Corliss wrote in his review for Time, "The film's serendipitous stroke was to find Winslet and, especially, Lynskey, a first-time actress.
They are perfect, fearless in embodying teenage hysteria".

Heavenly Creatures is recognized as a landmark in New Zealand cinema.
It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 67th Academy Awards, while Lynskey was named Best Actress at the 1995 New Zealand Film and Television Awards.
She regards working with Jackson and Winslet as an important learning experience.
During the making of the film she grew particularly close to Winslet, who later said, "Mel is like the left side of my body. [
We] had the exact relationship in terms of communication and love that Pauline and Juliet had.
From the minute we saw each other".

Following a two-year gap—during which she attended university and auditioned for a part in The Crucible (1996)—Lynskey secured a leading role in the independent drama Foreign Correspondents, which was filmed in Los Angeles in 1997 and gained attention for its use of crowdfunding, a strategy that was considered a "genuine breakthrough" at the time.
That same year, she was cast as Drew Barrymore's "charming and funny" stepsister in Ever After, an epic re-imagining of the Cinderella story.
The film was a commercial and critical success upon its release in 1998.

In 1999, Lynskey appeared in four features: teen comedy Detroit Rock City, an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, British gangster drama Shooters, and cult hit romantic comedy But I'm a Cheerleader, which is often referred to as one of the best LGBT films ever made.
Next, she adopted a New Jersey accent for a key role in Coyote Ugly (2000) and starred as an adventurous drifter in the award-winning Snakeskin (2001), which screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
For the latter, she received strong reviews and a nomination for Best Actress at the Nokia New Zealand Film Awards.

In 2002, Lynskey re-teamed with director Andy Tennant—whom she previously worked with on Ever After—to play a childhood acquaintance of Reese Witherspoon in the romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama, which had a record-breaking opening weekend in North America.
In recent years, the scene in which Lynskey's character (Lurlynn) nurses her baby in a crowded bar has been noted for its cultural relevance.
Next, she appeared alongside Katie Holmes in psychological thriller Abandon, the directorial debut of Stephen Gaghan.
The film received negative reviews from critics, but Lynskey's performance was considered to be one of its strong points, with Todd McCarthy of Variety pointing out that she "does some self-conscious scene stealing".
That same year, she made her television debut in Rose Red, a miniseries written by Stephen King.
The series was a ratings hit with an average of 18.5 million viewers over three consecutive nights.
Lynskey made her professional acting debut at age 17, starring in Heavenly Creatures, a psychological drama based on the Parker–Hulme murder case. Lynskey played Pauline Parker, a teenager who carries out a brutal crime, aided by her best friend (played by Kate Winslet). She auditioned for the role when a casting director visited her high school; prior to this, 500 girls had been considered for the part of Pauline, but "none were right". Fran Walsh—the film's co-writer—admired Lynskey's "quiet intensity", and said, "we knew immediately that she was right for the role". The film, which was directed by Peter Jackson, was met with critical acclaim  upon its release in 1994. Roger Ebert praised Jackson for casting "the right two actresses", noting that "there is a way Lynskey has of looking up from beneath glowering eyebrows that lets you know her insides are churning". Owen Gleiberman described Lynskey as "extraordinary", while Richard Corliss wrote in his review for Time, "The film's serendipitous stroke was to find Winslet and, especially, Lynskey, a first-time actress. They are perfect, fearless in embodying teenage hysteria".
Heavenly Creatures is recognized as a landmark in New Zealand cinema. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 67th Academy Awards, while Lynskey was named Best Actress at the 1995 New Zealand Film and Television Awards. She regards working with Jackson and Winslet as an important learning experience. During the making of the film she grew particularly close to Winslet, who later said, "Mel is like the left side of my body. [We] had the exact relationship in terms of communication and love that Pauline and Juliet had. From the minute we saw each other".
Following a two-year gap—during which she attended university and auditioned for a part in The Crucible (1996)—Lynskey secured a leading role in the independent drama Foreign Correspondents, which was filmed in Los Angeles in 1997 and gained attention for its use of crowdfunding, a strategy that was considered a "genuine breakthrough" at the time. That same year, she was cast as Drew Barrymore's "charming and funny" stepsister in Ever After, an epic re-imagining of the Cinderella story. The film was a commercial and critical success upon its release in 1998.
In 1999, Lynskey appeared in four features: teen comedy Detroit Rock City, an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, British gangster drama Shooters, and cult hit romantic comedy But I'm a Cheerleader, which is often referred to as one of the best LGBT films ever made. Next, she adopted a New Jersey accent for a key role in Coyote Ugly (2000) and starred as an adventurous drifter in the award-winning Snakeskin (2001), which screened at the Cannes Film Festival. For the latter, she received strong reviews and a nomination for Best Actress at the Nokia New Zealand Film Awards.
In 2002, Lynskey re-teamed with director Andy Tennant—whom she previously worked with on Ever After—to play a childhood acquaintance of Reese Witherspoon in the romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama, which had a record-breaking opening weekend in North America. In recent years, the scene in which Lynskey's character (Lurlynn) nurses her baby in a crowded bar has been noted for its cultural relevance. Next, she appeared alongside Katie Holmes in psychological thriller Abandon, the directorial debut of Stephen Gaghan. The film received negative reviews from critics, but Lynskey's performance was considered to be one of its strong points, with Todd McCarthy of Variety pointing out that she "does some self-conscious scene stealing". That same year, she made her television debut in Rose Red, a miniseries written by Stephen King. The series was a ratings hit with an average of 18.5 million viewers over three consecutive nights.
Melanie Lynskey