10 Frightfully Good Anya Taylor-Joy Movies and TV Shows to Stream Now

Coming-of-age drama “The Queen’s Gambit” is based on Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel of the same name. Set in the 1950s, Taylor-Joy plays teenager Beth Harmon, a chess prodigy who is battling with drug and alcohol dependency at the top of her career. The Netflix miniseries also delves into Harmon’s past as an orphan before she’s adopted by Alma (Marielle Heller) and Allston Wheatley (Patrick Kennedy).

In 2017’s “Split,” Taylor-Joy takes on the role of Casey Cook, one of three teenage girls who is kidnapped and imprisoned by a man with 23 distinct personalities. Though emotionally withdrawn and a victim of child molestation, Casey still resonates strength and resistance, making her an easy character to root for. Taylor-Joy later reprised the role in 2019’s “Glass.”

In Taylor-Joy’s breakout role in “The Witch,” she plays Thomasin, a young woman who witnesses the disappearance of her youngest brother in 1630 New England and is consequently accused of witchcraft. Taylor-Joy plays Thomasin with such conviction that you actually believe she’s trapped in a 17th-century waking nightmare. Her frightfully good performance is only matched by Black Phillip, who just might be the scariest goat of all time.

Psychological horror film “Last Night in Soho” follows fashion student Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie) who is on a mission to avenge ’60s lounge singer Sandie, played by Taylor-Joy. Ellie’s character experiences visions of Sandie’s decades-earlier murder. The film bounces between Ellie in modern London and Sandie’s experience in the ’60s. The chilling thriller is filled with twists and turns as Ellie starts to uncover who murdered Taylor-Joy’s character.

In “Emma.,” Taylor-Joy stars as the titular Emma Woodhouse. The Jane Austen adaptation of the 1815 novel follows Emma, a rich socialite living in Regency-era England. Taylor-Joy’s character has a propensity for matchmaking and meddling in other people’s relationships. The actor does an impeccable job at balancing being comedic and stoic all at once.

In science-fiction horror film “Morgan,” Taylor-Joy plays the title character, Morgan, a bioengineered child who develops at a much quicker pace than her creators expected. It’s only after Morgan attacks one of her handlers and escapes from the top-secret facility in which she’s kept that her creators realize they’ve built an unpredictable and violent machine. Though not the most acclaimed movie she’s starred in, Taylor-Joy still terrifies in her role of child cyborg.

In the Netflix biopic “Barry,” Taylor-Joy plays Charlotte Baughman, Barack Obama’s girlfriend during his time at Columbia University. Though Baughman – a progressive classmate with silver-spoon parents – could potentially be portrayed as one-dimensional, Taylor-Joy has incredible chemistry with Devon Terrell, who plays young Obama. Her cunning and intelligence made her a formidable match for the future president, although he ultimately ended up with Michelle Obama.

Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke star in this black comedy thriller, “Thoroughbreds,” as Lily and Amanda, childhood friends brought back together years later, who hatch a plan to kill Taylor-Joy’s character’s stepfather. As the polished and bookish Lily, Taylor-Joy’s performance is both hilarious and incredibly dark. We don’t imagine playing a disaffected rich kid with homicidal tendencies is easy, but Taylor-Joy acts as though she was born to play that role.

In “Marrowbone” four siblings try to conceal the death of their mother in 1969 rural America while a sinister presence plagues their home. The oldest Marrowbone sibling, Jack – played by George MacKay – takes an interest in Taylor-Joy’s Allie, a neighbouring teen who befriends the family. Allie and George have incredible chemistry, and we’re convinced that if we lived next door to Taylor-Joy, we wouldn’t mind being stuck in a haunted house all that much either.