Anya Taylor-Joy has big, expressive eyes that appear to embody an entire world within them. The Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga actress uses those eyes and her otherwise delicate facial features to evoke vulnerability and pathos in her characters. She has been a professional actor for barely a decade and is still one of Hollywood’s finest young talents. Let’s take a look at some of the best Anya Taylor-Joy movies and TV shows.
Born on 16 April 1996 in Miami, Florida in the United States, she has a diverse heritage. Her father was Dennis Alan Taylor, a banker with Argentine with English and Scottish roots, and her mother was Jennifer Marina Joy, an English-Argentine psychologist. Her multicultural upbringing apparently helped Taylor-Joy grow into the versatile actress she is today with a rising net worth.
While her first-ever acting job was a one-episode appearance in ITV’s 2014 detective drama series Endeavour, it was not until she appeared in Robert Eggers’ landmark horror movie The Witch (2015) that she really made the world sit up and take notice. In the movie, she plays the role of Thomasin, a young girl from a small community of English Puritan settlers in New England who gets accused of witchcraft. Her performance in this movie is nothing short of spellbinding and mature way beyond her years — she was just 19 then.
Unmissable Anya Taylor-Joy movies and TV shows you should watch
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Thoroughbreds (2017)
IMDb rating: 6.6
Directed by: Cory Finley
Other cast members: Olivia Cooke, Anton Yelchin, Paul Sparks
Movie duration: 92 minutes
Synopsis: Lily (Taylor-Joy) and Amanda (Cooke) are two teenage girls who could not be more different. While Amanda is a psychopath who admits she cannot feel emotion, Lily is an excellent student who appears to have her life sorted. They were friends in the past but grew apart. They rekindle their friendship and hatch a dangerous plan to kill Lily’s abusive stepfather Mark (Sparks) and enlist a drug dealer Tim (Yelchin) to that end.
Why you should watch it: If you are bored with psychological thrillers that claim to be unpredictable and end up being exactly that, Thoroughbreds will more than satisfy you. It strikes the right balance between unsettling and hilarious. The performances, by both Cooke and Taylor-Joy, are just outstanding.
Emma. (2020)
IMDb rating: 6.7
Directed by: Autumn de Wilde
Other cast members: Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Josh O’Connor
Movie duration: 124 minutes
Synopsis: Based on Jane Austen’s classic novel of the same name, Emma. is set in Regency-era England. It tells the story of a charming and beautiful young woman, Emma Woodhouse (Taylor-Joy), who thinks of herself as an expert matchmaker, though her attempts to find suitable romantic partners for her friends and acquaintances often lead to unintended — though not unfunny — consequences.
Why you should watch it: If, like me, you like stories (whether literature, film, or TV) set in Regency-era England, do not miss Emma. It is not the best Austen adaptation, but it would easily make it to the top 10. You know how big a deal that is if you consider how many times Austen’s works have been adapted. Taylor-Joy in the titular role is a very good Austen heroine and is very watchable. Though her character is written with a modern sensibility in mind, she does a swell job of making the character true to the spirit of her literary counterpart.
The Witch (2015)
IMDb rating: 7
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Other cast members: Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie
Movie duration: 92 minutes
Synopsis: In the 1630s, English settlers arrive at the shores of the region that would later be called New England. A family, led by a man called William (Ineson), is banished from their settlement to the edge of the wilderness due to an unknown religious transgression. Their luck only worsens after that, as their livestock begins to die, crops fail, and the infant son of William and his wife Katherine (Dickie) disappear. Thomasin (Taylor-Joy), their eldest child, is then accused by her paranoid parents of witchcraft. Is she really a witch or an innocent victim of hysteria?
Why you should watch it: Not only is Taylor-Joy splendid here, but the movie itself is the perfect kind from the horror genre — in my opinion anyway. A period setting, an isolated house and a creeping sense of dread and unease that eventually leads to a brilliantly shocking payoff — everything I need in my horror cinema. Taylor-Joy is remarkably subtle in her performance here, infusing the role with both innocence and ambiguity that may (or may not) suggest evil on Thomasin’s part.
The Northman (2022)
IMDb rating: 7
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Other cast members: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke
Movie duration: 136 minutes
Synopsis: Another Eggers movie, The Northman is set during the Viking Age Scandinavia. The story follows a young prince Amleth (Skarsgård) who swears vengeance after his father King Aurvandill (Hawke) is murdered in a coup staged by Fjölnir (Bang), Amleth’s uncle and Aurvandill’s brother. In his quest to get even, he encounters Olga (Taylor-Joy), an enslaved Slavic woman who becomes his ally.
Why you should watch it: The Northman is a thrill ride that rarely gives you a moment of rest. The action is visceral, brutal and incessant. The visuals are quite awe-inspiring and the background score is haunting and atmospheric. Taylor-Joy, in an admittedly comparatively smaller role, is quite impactful and adds a lot of depth to the story as Olga. Though not as impressive as Egger’s debut, The Witch, The Northman is still a solidly entertaining movie.
IMDb rating: 7
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Other cast members: Thomasin McKenzie, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg
Movie duration: 116 minutes
Synopsis: A teenage English girl Eloise (McKenzie) is a new Londoner and wishes to fulfil her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. After she is bullied in the college and her dorm room, she decides to move to a bedsit owned by Ms. Collins (Rigg). But on her first night, she has a vivid dream wherein she looks through the eyes of a stunningly beautiful woman called Alexandra (Taylor-Joy) who really existed and lived in the 1960s. In the following nights, she begins to live a double life, Eloise by day and Alexandra by night. Initially, she loves the glamour of the Swinging Sixties, but things get darker after she learns about the horrifying realities of the ’60s beneath that shiny façade.
Why you should watch it: Superbly shot by cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung and directed by Wright, Last Night in Soho juxtaposes the beauty (and ugliness) of mid-20th century London with uncommonly impressive visual flair. Taylor-Joy is suitably enigmatic and alluring as Alexandra but does not also fail to instil the character with complexity.
The Menu (2022)
IMDb rating: 7.2
Directed by: Mark Mylod
Other cast members: Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer
Movie duration: 107 minutes
Synopsis: A dark comedy (with great emphasis on “dark” and less on comedy) with thriller elements, The Menu is about a group of mostly rich people who gather on a private island in anticipation of a sumptuous meal at an exclusive restaurant managed by well-known chef Julian Slowik (Fiennes). Among the guests are a foodie, Tyler (Hoult) and his date Margot Mills (Taylor-Joy). The sumptuous meal begins, but courses are served with increasingly unnerving monologues by Slowik. Even the food items appear to carry hidden messages and guests’ secrets. Suddenly, the guests find themselves trapped on the island and at the mercy of Slowik and his staff.
Why you should watch it: The Menu is just incredibly weird and just when you believe you have it all figured out, it pulls the rug right from under your feet. But it is also endlessly fun despite all the progressively horrifying things that happen in the movie. Fiennes is, like always, an absolute beast of a performer. As Margot, Taylor-Joy plays the only “normal” person in the movie, and she is our perspective on whatever crazy stuff is happening on the screen. But there is nothing normal about the actress’ performance, which is quite extraordinary for a character that demands quite a lot from her.
IMDb rating: 8.5
Created by: Scott Frank, Allan Scott
Other major cast members: Chloe Pirrie, Bill Camp, Marcin Dorocinski
No. of episodes: 7
Approx. duration of each episode: 60 minutes
Synopsis: In this miniseries, Taylor-Joy essays Beth Harmon, an orphaned girl. At her orphanage, she gets introduced to the game of chess and quickly becomes obsessed. Possessing an innate ability to capably visualise complex things in her mind, she proves to be an absolute natural at the game. Riding on her obsession and talent, she rises through the ranks while tackling challenges related to her drug addiction, relationships and sudden fame.
Why you should watch it: Taylor-Joy brings Beth Harmon to life with vulnerability and determination in this miniseries. It is a complex role, and the actress gives a full-bodied portrayal that does not solely rely on dialogue. She was deservedly awarded a Golden Globe for her performance.
IMDb rating: 8.8
Created by: Steven Knight
Other major cast members: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle
No. of episodes: 36
Approx. duration of each episode: 60 minutes
Synopsis: In post-World War I Birmingham, the Shelby family gang rises in status. It is led by the intelligent and devious Tommy Shelby (Murphy), who is assisted by his volatile elder brother Arthur Shelby Jr (Anderson). As the gang expands its influence, the Shelbys face more formidable enemies even as Tommy deals with his own haunted past in the Great War. Taylor-Joy joined the show’s cast in season 5. She played the role of Gina Gray, a crafty woman and wife of Michael Gray (Finn Cole), Shelbys’ cousin.
Why you should watch it: Well-written and performed, this show offers historical drama and crime in a handsome package. It is so gritty and raw that it often feels like a play, and I mean it as a compliment. Murphy gives an amazingly understated performance across six seasons. There is a movie in development as well. Taylor-Joy was also impressive in the show as Gina, which was a nice change of pace for her. There is a Peaky Blinders movie officially in development.
(Hero and featured image: Courtesy of IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-Which is the best Anya Taylor-Joy movie?
Arguably the best Anya Taylor-Joy movie, particularly in which she gives her best performance, is Robert Eggers’ period horror movie, The Witch (2015). It was also her movie debut.
-Which is the highest-rated Anya Taylor-Joy movie according to IMDb?
According to IMDb, the highest-rated Anya Taylor-Joy movie is Dune: Part Two (2024), though she appeared in only a guest role in the movie.
-Which is the best Anya Taylor-Joy TV show?
The best Anya Taylor-Joy TV show is the Netflix miniseries, The Queen’s Gambit (2020), in which she played the role of a young chess prodigy called Beth Harmon.
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Kshitij is a journalism graduate who did not initially intend to become a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. Now, Kshitij is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild, bringing expertise and experience in evaluating entertainment content with him. Additionally, he serves as a jury member on the Critics' Choice Awards in India. When he's not busy wielding words, catch him nose-deep in books or joyfully lost in the realms of gaming and photography.
