Lignin as the most abundant aromatic polymer in nature,can endow composites with good mechanical strength,oxidation resis-tance,UV resistance and other functions.This paper introduced lignin properties and modification methods,and focused on the research progress of application of lignin and its derivatives in polymer composite films,including enhancing the mechanical properties and improving the barrier property and thermal stability of composite films.Finally,the research direction and application potential of lignin and its deriva-tives applied in high-performance composite films was proposed.