Anya Taylor-Joy is one of the fastest-rising young actors in Hollywood. At just 27 years old, she has headlined her own limited Netflix series and appeared in multiple critically acclaimed films. While she has only been active in the industry for less than a decade, she hasn’t wasted a second of her career since her breakthrough role in The Witch (2015).
In 2022 she appeared in the highly praised The Northman and The Menu, and currently provides the voice of Princess Peach in the box office hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Her career shows no signs of slowing down: Taylor-Joy will play young Imperator Furiosa in the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa, and will star in the Apple TV+ film The Gorge. Her projects are already difficult to rank as the vast majority of them are critical and commercial successes. However, before her resume gets entirely too unwieldy, here are the 10 best movies and TV shows she has appeared in so far.
10. Last Night in Soho
Last Night in Soho (2021) is a psychological thriller by director/co-writer Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World). The film follows young fashion designer Ellie Turner (Thomasin McKenzie), who begins having dreams of the 1960s. These dreams feature a captivating young woman named Sandie (Taylor-Joy), who dreams of being a singer but is taken advantage of by her manager/boyfriend, Jack (Matt Smith). These dreams soon turn into nightmares, as the visions of the past form startling connections to the present. Last Night in Soho is a complex film with twists and turns. It still manages to be an intriguing portrait of the 1960s, celebrating the style of the era without ignoring the seedy underbelly of the time. The creepy undertones and elements of horror and superstition make Last Night in Soho more interesting, even if it does suffer a bit from being overly ambitious.
9. Barry
Barry is a Netflix original film that premiered on the platform in 2016. The film follows 20-year-old Barack “Barry” Obama (Devon Terrell) and the future president’s formative years at Columbia University, including his relationship with Charlotte Baughman (Taylor-Joy). Baughman isn’t a real individual but was inspired by several of Obama’s relationships in college. Aside from a few modifications, such as making Baughman a composite character, Barry is a fairly accurate depiction of Obama’s undergraduate career that captures the environment of Columbia in 1981 and young Obama’s early uncertainty about his place in the world. It’s an educational film that offers an intriguing glimpse into one chapter of Obama’s life and a powerful and relatable message about the journey to finding oneself.
8. Thoroughbreds
Thoroughbreds premiered in 2017 and stars Taylor-Joy, Olivia Cooke, and the late Anton Yelchin. The psychological thriller follows two upper-class best friends, Lily (Taylor-Joy) and Amanda (Cooke), who plot to kill Lily’s stepfather. Thoroughbreds is darkly humorous, as well as absurd and unpredictable. It is also a thought-provoking commentary on the superficial nature of status and wealth, as well as the impact of friendship and the complexities of the human psyche. Taylor-Joy and Cooke play off each other brilliantly and keep viewers puzzling over their odd dynamic, while Yelchin spurs sympathy from the audience as a criminal whose threat level pales in comparison to the two teenage girls.
7. The Witch
The Witch, Taylor-Joy’s breakthrough role and Robert Eggers’ directorial debut, premiered in 2015. In The Witch, Taylor-Joy plays a young girl named Thomasin whose family of English settlers in New England struggles against the oppression of Puritan culture. Additionally, dark forces of witchcraft are at play that slowly and agonizingly torment the family. Taylor-Joy is enthralling as a young woman repressed by religion and accused of witchcraft. The film as a whole is delightfully creepy, using psychological horror and a slow build-up to chill viewers while also offering an intriguing commentary on religious extremism and early life in the New World.
6. Peaky Blinders
Taylor-Joy appears in the BBC period crime series Peaky Blinders as Gina Gray, one of the antagonists of seasons 5 and 6. The greedy and scheming wife of Michael Gray (Finn Cole), Gina tries to manipulate him into taking down crime boss Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and taking over the Peaky Blinders gang. Taylor-Joy doesn’t often play villains, but she captures Gina’s arrogance and entitlement perfectly, making her an intriguing though wholly unlikeable villain. Meanwhile, Peaky Blinders has gained high critical acclaim during its six-season run, serving as an enjoyable exploration of post-war England and a fast-paced and thrilling crime drama with powerful performances.
5. Split
Split is a psychological horror film starring Taylor-Joy and James McAvoy. The M. Night Shyamalan film follows Kevin Wendell Crumb (McAvoy), a man suffering from dissociative identity disorder (DID) who kidnaps three teenage girls, including Casey Cooke (Taylor-Joy). Crumb has 23 distinct personalities but loses control over them, resulting in several personalities working to bring a 24th sadistic personality—the Beast—to the surface. McAvoy is brilliant as he switches between multiple personalities with ease, while Taylor-Joy offers an emotional performance as a young girl who connects with Crumb over their traumatic pasts. It’s a very thrilling horror film that goes surprisingly deep in its dive into mental health.
4. Emma
Emma is a period rom-com that premiered in 2020 and was inspired by Jane Austen’s novel of the same name. The film follows Emma Woodhouse (Taylor-Joy), a woman living in the Georgian-Regency era of England who fancies herself a matchmaker and begins wreaking havoc on the love lives of her friends and family. The film captures the period excellently, including its style, charm, and downsides—such as stringent gender roles and ideals on marriage. Taylor-Joy is phenomenal as Emma, perfectly capturing what Austen meant when she wrote that Woodhouse was a heroine who wouldn’t be liked much by readers. However, the spoiled, meddlesome, and oblivious Woodhouse still manages to be widely entertaining in a film that is romantic, humorous, and provides an intriguing commentary on the era.
3. The Northman
The Northman premiered in 2022 and is a historical action film that reunites Taylor-Joy with The Witch director Robert Eggers. The film follows Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), a former prince who joined a band of Vikings after fleeing his village from his uncle, who murdered his father. However, the Seeress (Björk) and the sorceress Olga (Taylor-Joy) remind him of his childhood vow to save his mother, kill his uncle, and avenge his father, so he sets off to fulfill his mission. The Northman is a familiar tale, but it is wrapped in a visually stunning depiction of Norse mythology and history alongside powerful performances and bloody action. With impeccable pacing, direction, and homage to Norse mythology, The Northman is elevated far above the typical revenge tale.
2. The Menu
The Menu premiered in 2022 and is a dark comedy starring Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, and Nicholas Hoult. The film follows Margot (Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Hoult), a young couple who travel to an isolated island for an exclusive meal prepared by famed Chef Slowik (Fiennes). However, Chef Slowik has some dark surprises for his guests that aren’t on the menu. The Menu is a dark yet humorous and thought-provoking film that borders on psychological horror. It is particularly interesting because it takes aim at foodie culture and the difficult work environments in the food service industry that make many high-end restaurant and chef jobs unsustainable. The film also provides commentary on class divisions, nuanced depictions of sex workers, and an enjoyable blend of culinary art, horror, and humor that makes it a unique and enjoyable tale.
1. The Queen’s Gambit
The Queen’s Gambit premiered in 2020 and is based on the book of the same name by Walter Tevis. The Netflix miniseries follows Beth Harmon (Taylor-Joy)’s journey to becoming one of the greatest chess players in the world while overcoming her tragic childhood as an orphan and an adult life plagued by substance abuse. The Queen’s Gambit sees Taylor-Joy at her very best, making Harmon a relatable and sympathetic figure, while also capturing her genius. She truly makes watching the game of chess mesmerizing. The show also poignantly explores themes of substance abuse, childhood trauma, mental health, gender discrimination, and the mental toll of perfectionism and competition. It’s a powerful and touching series that is further elevated by outstanding performances and its depiction of the 1960s, as well as the lesser-known world of competitive chess. The series ended up winning 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, with Taylor-Joy earning a Golden Globe and a SAG award for her performance.
(featured image: Netflix / Focus Features / Universal Pictures)
