Over the course of the past five years or so, Molly Gordon has become one of the most noticeable rising stars in film and TV. With roles in everything from tongue-in-cheek comedies like Theater Camp to Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, (which was given the axe), the actress, screenwriter and director has put together quite a resume for herself while building up her name.
If you’ve recently watched the versatile actress show off both her comedic and dramatic acting skills as of late, and want to see more of what she has to offer, stick around. Let’s break down the best Molly Gordon movies and TV shows and how to watch them, be it on a streaming service or with an Amazon subscription.
Theater Camp (2023)
Based on the 2020 short film of the same name, Theater Camp follows a group of counselors and attendees of an upstate New York acting program as they try to survive the summer after their co-founder falls into a coma and her ill-prepared son takes over. Molly Gordon leads the cast alongside Ben Platt as Rebecca-Diane and Amos Klobuchar, respectively, as they push through the chaos and crassness of the season.
Not only does Gordon star in the movie, which is available to stream with a Hulu subscription, she also co-wrote the script and made her directorial debut with the project. It’s funny, honest a brisk watch, clocking in at just over 90 minutes.
Rent/Buy Theater Camp on Amazon.
Shiva Baby (2021)
Before Emma Seligman punched through teen comedy tropes with the 2023 movie Bottoms, she made her feature film directorial debut with Shiva Baby, which was based on her 2018 short film of the same name. The comedy, which pulls no punches, follows college student Danielle (Rachel Sennot) as she has a series of awkward encounters while attending a funeral service with her parents.
One of those interactions is with Maya, Danielle’s ex-girlfriend, who’s played by Molly Gordon. Over the course of the movie, the two former lovers go through the whole gamut of emotions, which adds a whole other layer to this dramatic and strangely funny affair.
Rent/Buy Shiva Baby on Amazon.
The Bear (2023)
The Bear kicked off Season 2 in a beautiful and dramatic way, and never really let off the gas through the rest of the popular Hulu original series’ second course. Throughout the 2023 season, several new characters were introduced and helped flesh out the stories of Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richie, including Molly Gordon’s Claire.
Though the status of their relationship is one of the big questions we have after The Bear Season 2 finale, Gordon’s performance and the way her character brought out a new side of Carmy was nothing short of amazing.
Booksmart (2019)
One of the great Gen-Z coming-of-age comedies, Booksmart follows high school seniors Amy Antsler (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly Davidson (Beanie Feldstein) as they attempt to finally break out of their shells the night before their graduation. Over the course of the night, the two longtime friends learn more about their peers, each other and themselves than they could have ever imagined.
Though she’s not front and center in Olivia Wilde’s feature film directorial debut, Molly Gordon still has an impact on its story with her portrayal of Annabelle, a.k.a. “Triple A,” an incredibly popular and smart classmate with quite a reputation around school.
Rent/Buy Booksmart on Amazon.
Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty (2022 - 2023)
Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty is the latest in a long line of HBO shows canceled too soon, which is a shame considering its wonderful story, captivating performances and an unfortunate finale that will make longtime Lakers fans not too happy.
One of the standout characters from the sports drama series was Molly Gordon’s Linda Zafrani, a key member of the Los Angeles Lakers organization. As one of the more complex and ambitious characters on the show, the powerful figure was brought to life by Gordon’s performance.
Stream Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty on Max.
Buy Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty on Amazon.
The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020)
Natalie Krinsky’s 2020 romantic comedy The Broken Hearts Gallery centers on Lucy Gulliver (Geraldine Viswanathan), a New Yorker who turns her latest breakup into an art gallery containing items and artifacts collected by various people during their relationships over the years. What starts out as a way to get over her ex quickly turns into something unexpected and a lot more worthwhile.
Molly Gordon pops up as Amanda, one of Lucy’s best friends who assists her in her grieving process, and later helps on her journey back to the land of the living and supports her with her latest creative venture, for better or worse.
Rent/Buy The Broken Hearts Gallery on Amazon.
Good Boys (2019)
Gene Stupnitsky’s raucous 2019 coming-of-age comedy Good Boys follows best friends Max (Jacob Tremblay), Lucas (Keith L. Williams) and Thor (Brady Noon) as they find themselves in one difficult (and over-the-top) situation after another, culminating in a massive journey involving drugs, the police, and a drone.
Molly Gordon shows up in the picture as Hannah, Max’s neighbor who becomes somewhat of the movie’s villain after the boys come into possession of her ecstasy. A fun cat-and-mouse game with all kinds of stakes ensues, taking the boys, and pretty much everyone else in their orbit, on one wild journey.
Animal Kingdom (2016 - 2018)
Animal Kingdom, the TNT drama series inspired by the Australian crime film of the same name, spent six seasons telling the story of the Cody family, a California-based criminal enterprise involved in pretty much all aspects of life in the town of Oceanside before ending its run in 2022.
Far more dramatic than anything she’s done since, Animal Kingdom saw Molly Gordon take on the role of Nicky Belmont, a rather tragic character and former girlfriend of the show’s central character, Joshua “J” Cody (Finn Cole). A fixture for the first three seasons of the series, Nicky went through a lot, to say the least.
Stream Animal Kingdom on Prime Video.
Ramy (2019 - 2022)
Created by actor and comedian Ramy Youssef, the Hulu series Ramy follows a fictionalized version of Youssef, also named Ramy, as he attempts to navigate his deeply dividing neighborhood in New Jersey. Caught between two generations, the American Muslim attempts to make sense of the world around him as well as the internal struggles he faces day-in and day-out.
Molly Gordon only shows up in a few episodes throughout the show’s first three seasons, but this shouldn’t deter her fans from checking it out (if they haven’t already). The show takes a lot of chances, blends comedy and drama, and it has an incredibly unique voice, making it a must-watch.
Stream Ramy on Hulu.
Buy Ramy on Amazon.
Though we don’t yet know where Molly Gordon will take audiences (and TV viewers) in the years to come, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if we see the actress pop up in one or more of the highly-anticipated titles on the 2024 movie schedule.
