Anya Taylor-Joy is quickly becoming a top rising star in Hollywood and Letterboxd users have picked which roles they think are her greatest.
Every few months, it seems like Anya Taylor-Joy has yet another new movie or television show to check out, cementing her status as a rising star in Hollywood. Even when something she works in gets less than stellar reviews, her performance is often met with widespread acclaim.
That makes it more interesting than ever to check out her many roles and see which ones are considered the best. The movie (and miniseries) lovers over at Letterboxd have watched, rated, and reviewed all of Anya Taylor-Joy's projects. The consistently high scores are a testament to her impressive talent, especially at such a young age.
10 Barry (2016) - 3.03
Stream On Netflix
Not to be confused with the HBO series of the same name, Barry is a film that tells a biographical tale about the early life of Barack Obama, future President of the United States. Specifically, this movie focuses on his time at Columbia University in New York.
Devin Terrell takes on the tall task of portraying the iconic figure on the big screen, while Anya Taylor-Joy has a supporting role as Charlotte Baughman, his girlfriend. Although not a widely-seen film, Barry was mostly met with positive reviews from critics.
9 The Miniaturist (2017) - 3.29
Stream On PBS Masterpiece
Most people really got to know who Anya Taylor-Joy is because of her role in a popular Netflix miniseries but it wasn't her first foray into that avenue of television. That actually came in 2017 when she nabbed the leading role in BBC's miniseries The Miniaturist.
She plays Petronella "Nella" Brandt, a woman in the 17th Century who hires a miniaturist to furnish her dollhouse, only for it to lead to a surreal mystery that changes her life. It provides an early look at just how powerful Taylor-Joy could be as a leading lady.
8 Marrowbone (2017) - 3.38
Stream On Amazon Prime, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, & Vudu
There's something about intense movies that seem to draw in Anya Taylor-Joy, especially when it comes to those made on a relatively small budget. In that category is Marrowbone, a Spanish psychological horror film from Sergio G. Sánchez.
The story centers around the titular Marrowbone siblings who move from England to Maine where they are haunted by a sinister presence. Although Taylor-Joy doesn't play one of the siblings, she is an important character connected to them named Allie, and she arguably steals the show.
7 Last Night In Soho (2021) - 3.49
Rent On Apple TV
One of the most recent films starring Anya Tayl0r-Joy is Last Night in Soho, which pairs her with one of the most acclaimed directors in the world, Edgar Wright. You can tell this is a Wright movie almost immediately because it has many of his signature tropes.
Last Night in Soho follows a fashion designer (Thomasin McKenzie) who mysteriously enters the world of the '60s in her dreams, where she uncovers a harrowing truth about an aspiring singer (Taylor-Joy). The film was praised for its design, cinematography, and performances, especially those of the two young female stars.
6 Split (2016) - 3.50
Rent On Vudu
Although Anya Taylor-Joy became a household name a few years later, a lot of people got their first real look at her in this 2016 movie. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Split marked a return to form of sorts for him following some poorly received films.
Split tells the story of a man with 24 different personalities (James McAvoy) as he kidnaps three teen girls and holds them captive. Taylor-Joy plays Casey, one of the girls and the one who is most important to the story. The film was a commercial and critical darling, which surprisingly connected to 2000's Unbreakable and led to a 2019 sequel, Glass.
5 Thoroughbreds (2017) - 3.56
Rent On Apple TV
For a true look at just how talented Anya Taylor-Joy is, you should look at Thoroughbreds. The indie film marks the directorial debut of Cory Finley and sees Taylor-Joy deliver a captivating performance as Lily, a teen girl who "feels too much."
Lily hates her stepfather and plots with her emotionless friend (Olivia Cooke) to kill him. The story takes some shocking turns that will leave you intrigued until the credits roll. Praise was given to the writing, score, direction, and most notably, the acting of both Taylor-Joy and Cooke.
4 Emma. (2020) - 3.69
Stream On Freevee
There have been dozens of adaptations of Jane Austen novels on both the big and small screen over the years. One of the best and most recent was Emma., which sees Anya Taylor-Joy take on the titular role, once again being lauded for her stellar performance.
Emma is an elegant woman who amuses herself by playing matchmaker amongst her friends, only for things to eventually turn around a bit on her. The well-written film ended up nominated for a slew of awards at the Oscars, Golden Globes, and more.
3 The Witch (2015) - 3.87
Stream On Showtime & Kanopy
Vampire Academy was technically the debut of Anya Taylor-Joy though her small appearance there was only part of a deleted scene. That worked out because her actual first film came a year later in The Witch, which remains one of the best debut performances in recent memory.
In it, she plays Thomasin, the daughter of a Puritan family in the 1600s who plays peekaboo with her baby sibling, only for the baby to disappear. That sets a chain of events in motion involving the forces of evil and the supernatural. It was met with widespread acclaim and marked the debut of Robert Eggers, who continues to make intriguing movies to date.
2 The Northman (2022) - 3.97
Rent On Vudu
Speaking of Robert Eggers, his most recent movie also features Anya Taylor-Joy. She wasn't part of his second film, The Lighthouse but is again a major character in The Northman, portraying a Slavic sorceress named Olga of the Birch Forest.
The Northman follows a Viking prince (Alexander Skarsgård) who goes on a mission to avenge the death of his mother. As usual with Eggers movies, everything from the acting to the direction to the production values were praised, though it struggled at the box office.
1 The Queen's Gambit (2020) - 4.27
Stream On Netflix
Of course, Anya Taylor-Joy is synonymous with The Queen's Gambit. The Netflix miniseries was a huge success critically but the real surprise was that it was such a commercial hit. A show about chess doesn't seem like it would work but millions watched and adored it.
Taylor-Joy stars as Beth Harmon, a young orphan who becomes a chess champion while dealing with personal demons. The series was nominated for major awards, with Taylor-Joy winning a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress.
NEXT: Anya Taylor-Joy’s 11 Best Film & TV Roles, According To Rotten Tomatoes
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