While few may have expected it, it is not so surprising to learn that the biggest movie star to debut in the Harry Potter films is, statistically, not the Boy Who Lived, but the girl who saved his butt on a regular basis at Hogwarts. Indeed, there are quite a few Emma Watson movies available to stream right now that offer significant proof toward that claim.
The 30-year-old English actress, originally born in Paris, France, achieved instant fame in 2001 at only 11 years old with her first ever acting role in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stoneas precocious young wizard Hermione Granger, whom she would reprise in seven more films. More often than not, most child stars who spend years in such a long-running blockbuster franchise later succumb to a destiny as an obscure has-been. Yet, Emma Watson is one of the few (along with her Hogwarts buddy Daniel Radcliffe) to come out completely unscarred, maintaining a reputation as one of the most talented, respected, and charming actresses of her generation.
More impressively, her fanbase surpasses just the “Potterheads,” thanks to surprising turns in films like This Is The End (in which she plays a fictionalized version of herself hardened by the Apocalypse), Noah (Darren Aronofsky’s retelling of the Biblical account of the first Apocalypse), and more that we have compiled below for you to stream. Hopefully you get the ultimate Emma Watson binge you have been looking for with the following 9 films, beginning with the star’s other most successful adaptation of a classic literary fantasy.
Beauty And The Beast (Disney+)
In exchange for her elderly father’s (Kevin Kline) freedom, a young female villager (Emma Watson) makes herself a prisoner to a conceited prince cursed with a monstrous form (Dan Stevens in a motion capture performance) unless he can find true love before it is too late.
Why Emma Watson Fans Will Like It: Casting Emma Watson as Belle, the titular “Beauty” of Beauty and the Beast, may have been key to the overwhelming box office success of Disney’s 2017 live action update of their heartwarming Best Picture Golden Globe-winning animated musical inspired by the famous French tale.
Stream Beauty And The Beast on Disney+ here.
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (Netflix)
A grieving, introverted high school freshman is befriended by an openly gay senior and his stepsister of the same age who introduce the lonely teen to the bewildering and exhilarating aspects of the social world previously unknown to him.
Why Emma Watson Fans Will Like It: Based on the novel by Stephen Chbosky (who also wrote the screenplay and directs), The Perks of Being a Wallflower is another one of the more acclaimed (albeit heartbreaking) book adaptations starring Emma Watson, who co-stars with fellow YA fantasy novel movie vet Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) and Ezra Miller, who would go on to play Credence Barebone in the Harry Potter prequel franchise beginning with 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Stream The Perks Of Being A Wallflower on Netflix here.
Little Women (Starz)
A young writer living in New York (Saoirse Ronan) reflects on the romances, poverty struggles, tragedies, and other life-changing moments that she and her three sisters (Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen) have shared in the post-Civil War American landscape.
Why Emma Watson Fans Will Like It: This Academy Award-winning (for Jacquelin Durran’s costume design) 2019 reimagining of Louis May Alcott’s groundbreaking novel Little Women is just about the most acclaimed (and, indeed, heartbreaking as well) book adaptation starring Emma Watson to date, brought to new, refreshing life by writer and director Greta Gerwig in her sophomore directorial effort and the rest of its stellar cast, which also includes Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, and Meryl Streep.
Stream Little Women on Starz here.
The Circle (Amazon Prime)
A young woman (Emma Watson) lands the opportunity of a lifetime when she lands a job working for a world-renowned tech industrialist (Tom Hanks), but her dream come true becomes an ethical nightmare after suspicions arise that that company is hiding more sinister intentions.
Why Emma Watson Fans Will Like It: While it is based on a best-selling technophobic novel by Dave Eggers (who also co-wrote the screenplay with director James Ponsoldt), The Circle is actually one of the lesser acclaimed and financially successful book adaptations starring Emma Watson, but her lead performance (as well as that of Tom Hanks as the dubious social media guru, Karen Gillan as Watson’s friend, and John Boyega as another co-worker) make this dystopian social commentary worth a watch.
Stream The Circle on Amazon Prime here.
Colonia (Hoopla)
A young woman’s (Emma Watson) desperate search for her kidnapped lover (Daniel Bruhl) leads her to join a charitable religious commune, which she soon learns is actually a fanatical cult known for being both dangerous and inescapable in 1973 Chile.
Why Emma Watson Fans Will Like It: Playing the girl who saves the guy is one of the essential aspects that attracted Emma Watson into playing the heroic lead role of Colonia, a pulse pounding escape thriller from 2016 that is especially disturbing for the mere fact that it is inspired by true events.
Stream Colonia on Hoopla here.
The Bling Ring (Netflix)
A group of fame-obsessed California teenagers (including Emma Watson, American Horror Story’s Taissa Farmiga, and Happy Death Day’s Israel Broussard, to name a few) figure out that they can live just like the celebrities they worship by tracking their whereabouts on the Internet in order to determine the perfect moment to break in and steal their valuables.
Why Emma Watson Fans Will Like It: Believe it or not, the crazy Hollywood heist by high schoolers plot of 2013’s The Bling Ring (which was one of the first post-Harry Potter films to see Emma Watson adopt a wildly un-Hermione persona for a role) is also based on true events, specifically a Vanity Fair article on the topic by Nancy Jo Sales which director Sofia Coppola adapted into the fourth film produced by A24.
Stream The Bling Ring on Netflix here.
My Week With Marilyn (Netflix)
A young aspiring filmmaker (Eddie Redmayne) lands a job working on the London, England, set of Sir Laurence Olivier’s (Kenneth Branagh) 1957 movie The Prince and the Showgirl, where he strikes up a friendship with the film’s star, Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams), and learns more about the beloved starlet than he could have ever imagined.
Why Emma Watson Fans Will Like It: Wearing a wig to hide her circa 2011 pixie cut, Emma Watson plays an on-set wardrobe assistant not so much obsessed by fame like her The Bling Ring character, but more threatened by it (particularly how the titular blonde bombshell of My Week with Marilyn seems to be affecting her relationship with Eddie Redmayne’s character) in this biographical drama that offers fascinating insight into the hidden life of one of Hollywood’s most prolific figures.
Stream My Week with Marilyn on Netflix here.
Regression (Amazon Prime)
Detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke) undergoes an investigation of a man (David Dencik) who claims to have no recollection of abusing his daughter (Emma Watson), eventually leading him to confront the possibility that a Satanic cult may be involved in early 1990s Minnesota.
Why Emma Watson Fans Will Like It: In addition to having a reunion with fellow Harry Potter vet David Thewlis (best known for playing Hogwarts professor and lycanthrope Remus Lupin), Emma Watson also gets to see what it is like to play a Muggle who falls prey to “witchcraft” for her role in Regression - a gloomy psychological crime drama/horror film supposedly based on true events from The Others director Alejandro Amenábar.
Stream Regression on Amazon Prime here.
The Harry Potter Movies (Peacock)
After learning that he is a wizard, an orphaned boy (Daniel Radcliffe) attends a boarding school that specializes in teaching young students magic, while also (with the help of his new friends) investigating the history of an evil being connected to his parents’ death who may be planning his revenge.
Why Emma Watson Fans Will Like It: As I said before, Harry Potter - the heroic title character of the blockbuster franchise inspired by J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novels - probably would not have survived all eight movies if not for the help of his friend Hermione Granger, played to immortal perfection by Emma Watson from age 11 to 21.
Stream all of the Harry Potter movies on Peacock here.
What do you think? Do you believe that even after the Harry Potter films have ended, Emma Watson still possess her own kind of onscreen magic that propels her beyond whatever Hogwarts could teach, or will she always be the same clever Hermione Granger in your eyes? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the former Harry Potter actress, as well as even more of our own recommendations of the best movies and TV shows to stream starring your favorite celebrities, here on CinemaBlend.
