If you’ve heard of the name Anya Taylor-Joy over the last few years, I wouldn’t be surprised. From starring in big television hits such as The Queen’s Gambit to appearing in critically-acclaimed films like The Northman, this young actress has truly taken the world by storm and shown just how capable she is.
If you’ve been looking for the best Anya Taylor-Joy movies and TV shows, here are some of the best picks that you are streaming right now, or are available to rent at the moment.
Split (2016)
From the horror mind of M. Night Shyamalan is Split, a thriller starring James McAvoy that tells the story of a man that has 23 different personalities - and one day, he captures three teenage girls and keeps them in his basement for an unknown reason. Now, it’s up to these girls to find a way to escape.
This was one of the first places I ever saw Anya Taylor-Joy before she truly blew up a couple of years later, and she was amazing in Split. Her character, Casey, was badass and surprisingly complex, and I loved that she appeared in the sequel film, Glass, several years later. And, if you love a good twist, this film is the one to watch.
The Witch (2015)
Another film where Anya Taylor-Joy truly showed her acting talent. This brilliant A24 horror film, The Witch, tells the story of a family that was casted out by their village. Now living in the woods, they must find a way to survive as an evil force starts to terrorize them.
Not only is The Witch one of A24’s best horror movies and a great slow-burn horror, Anya Taylor-Joy is just stupendously amazing in it. I swear, it wasn’t until Toni Collette in Hereditary that I saw a better performance, and from the moment she steps on the screen, Taylor-Joy captures your attention and you don’t stray for a single second. I could go on for hours about her performance in this film. Check it out if you haven’t already.
Stream The Witch on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The Witch on Amazon.
Peaky Blinders (2019 - 2022)
If you wanted a great gang series, Peaky Blinders is the way to go. This show tells the story of the titular gang, which is run by Thomas Shelby. They are the most feared gang in Britain, but because of this, they gain enemies more often than most.
In 2019, Anya Taylor-Joy began playing Gina Gray, wife of Michael Gray, who is also a schemer and will do whatever she can to succeed. If you think Anya Taylor-Joy is great as a protagonist, just wait until you see her as an antagonist. Her performance as Gina is second to none and I genuinely wish she had been in the show for far longer than just Season 5 and 6. At least now, I can look back and admire her performance on my many re-watches.
Stream Peaky Blinders on Netflix.
Here Are The Young Men (2020)
Next up, we have another movie, called Here Are The Young Men. In this drama from 2020, we follow three teenagers, all with different personalities, who go on a crazy trip filled with drinking, drugs and more - but their fun times soon turn ominous.
While Anya Taylor-Joy isn’t the main star of Here Are The Young Men, she absolutely steals the show and gives a great performance as Jen. Her scenes are truly what push this drama forward, and again shows her ability as an actress. It’s an intense drama that will shake you to your core from the very beginning and offer insightful takes on modern society and its culture around drugs.
Stream Here Are The Young Men on FreeVee (via Amazon Prime).
Rent/Buy Here Are The Young Men on Apple TV.
Emma (2020)
Another great film from 2020, Emma is a romantic drama starring the lovely Anya Taylor-Joy as the titular character. A queen bee in all the right places, Emma follows her through matches made by her family, her failures in romance and everything else as she grows up, making you laugh along the way.
You know, it makes me so sad that this movie came out literally at the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic, because I have a feeling this would have been huge at the box office. Anya Taylor-Joy is perfect in this leading lady role, and I’m not surprised that she ended up doing more period pieces after this because she shined as Emma, making her character fun to root for and love even with all her miscalculations with affections from men.
Stream Emma on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy Emma on Apple TV.
The Northman (2022)
2022 was a great year for Anya Taylor-Joy, because she was one of the stars of The Northman cast. In this revenge story taking place in the beautiful country of Iceland, the main story usually follows Amleth, a legendary Viking, who makes it his mission to seek vengeance for the death of his father.
If you’re looking for a film that will knock your socks off, The Northman is most certainly that movie. It features a raw story that is unforgiving in the best ways, and stellar performances from everyone, including Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga, a sorceress. This is one of those films I really want you to go into blind, so I’ll just say be prepared for epic fight scenes and skillful acting – specifically Alexander Skarsgard and Taylor-Joy.
Stream The Northman on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy The Northman on Amazon.
The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
The Queen’s Gambit ended up exploding on Netflix, and for good reason. Starting off in the 1960s, we follow Beth Harmon, an orphan who takes up a liking for chess and turns this into her life’s passion, showing just how far she is willing to go to be the absolute best.
Arguably, this is where many people discovered Anya Taylor-Joy, and I don’t blame people for thinking this is her best role. Her performance as Beth is second to none and she tells a beautiful story about never giving up while also learning to deal with your own personal trauma as you grow older. Also, she literally made me want to try chess, and I hate chess, all because of her great acting and the amazing story behind it. It set records for how many people saw the miniseries - and is certainly one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix.. If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check it out now, and see all the behind-the-scenes facts.
Stream The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix.
Thoroughbreds (2017)
If you’re looking for a great black comedy starring Anya Taylor-Joy, be sure to check out Thoroughbreds. This film tells the story of two estranged best friends, Lily and Amanda, who are brought together under certain circumstances. But, while they are at odds at first, they decide to come up with a plan that will change their lives forever - a plan involving murder.
The premise itself is really what made me watch this film originally, but I have to say, Taylor-Joy is truly awesome in this movie as well. I think what really wins it for me is her chemistry with House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke. You really feel from the moment they interact on screen that they’re former friends, and know that they can help each other out in some way or the other, and they carry this film from start to finish and make it a truly enjoyable experience.
Rent/Buy Thoroughbreds on Amazon.
Marrowbone (2017)
Ready for another horror film? Marrowbone is all about the Marrowbone siblings, four normal kids who move from England to their mother’s home in Maine, under strange circumstances. However, it’s soon discovered that this home is not what these siblings thought it would be, and it quickly starts to haunt them.
While I do agree that Anya Taylor-Joy is great in other genres, like black comedies and dramas, again, there is just something about her in horror. She was perfect in her role as Allie in this film, and her interactions with the siblings are so wonderfully done, even though she isn’t even a part of the Marrowbone family. She’s certainly the star of this film, and created an entertaining horror experience.
Stream Marrowbone on Hulu..
Rent Marrowbone on Amazon.
The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance (2019)
I will never forgive Netflix for cancelling The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance so soon. In this spinoff of the original 1980s film, The Dark Crystal, this Netflix series acts as a companion to the world of the movie, following Rian, Deet, and Brea, Gelflings who are on a magical quest to find a way to save their home.
Anya Taylor-Joy voiced Brea, one of the main characters of the series, alongside a stacked The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance cast. And damn it, I wish this series got so much more love because her voice-acting was so good. I know that puppets aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the story was masterfully done, the effects were so good, the fantasy aspects were astounding, and Taylor-Joy’s voice acting was perfectly off the charts. It’s honestly a sin that this ended almost as soon as it premiered. I’m still salty about it.
Stream The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance on Netflix.
Last Night In Soho (2021)
Next up, we have Last Night in Soho. This psychological thriller follows a young, aspiring fashion designer who is taken on the trip of a lifetime when she is able to enter the 1960s in her dreams, but later on, it turns out her dreams might not be so fake.
I feel like if Last Night in Soho had been released in 2022, it would have done better at the box office, because this thriller was honestly one of the best movies of 2021 and deserved so much more hype. From its set design to the costumes, to the acting from both Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie, this was a stellar film through and through - and that Last Night in Soho ending really pulls everything all together. You have to watch it if you haven’t yet.
Stream Last Night Night in Soho on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Last Night in Soho on Amazon.
Radioactive (2019)
Last but not least, we have Radioactive. This biographical drama is based on the life of Marie Curie, one of the pioneers of radioactivity and was the first woman ever to win a Nobel Prize, telling her story of how she began her research and how she changed the face of science to this day.
Anya Taylor-Joy portrayed Irene Curie, the eldest daughter of Marie Curie and her husband. While Rosamund Pike is certainly the star of Radioactive, I have to give praise to Taylor-Joy, because I absolutely loved her scenes with Pike. These two women were so smart and unbelievably talented and they show it off perfectly with these two stellar actresses. If you want to learn about an incredible woman and her family, please, check out Radioactive. You won’t regret it.
With so many films and TV shows, I can’t wait to see where Anya Taylor-Joy goes next in the world, and how she’ll further continue to impress with her acting skill. And, you just might have found a new movie or TV show to binge and love as much as I do.
