Celebrated for her versatility and her striking screen presence,Vanessa Kirbyhas been a revelation throughout the past decade, rising to prominence through her stage work in England before breaking out as an international star with her role asPrincess Margaretin the hit Netflix seriesThe Crown. As her career has continuously evolved,Kirby has become a major big screen actress, as her impressive filmography can attest to.
To date, Kirby’s career has seen her earn dozens of accolades, including an Academy Award nomination for her starring role in 2020’s Netflix dramaPieces of a Woman. Having appeared in everything from delicate dramas to huge action blockbusters, period romances, and even sci-fi horrors, Vanessa Kirby’s best pictures in the eyes of Rotten Tomatoes cover a wide range of genres.
10’Napoleon' (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 62%
A historical epic documenting the military and political career of the renowned French commander and Emperor,NapoleonseesRidley Scottreturn to his ambitious, grandiose best. It starsJoaquin Phoenixas the notorious rulerNapoleon Bonaparte, covering his origins, his unquenchable thirst for power which inspired him to undertake many military campaigns, and his eventual downfall, all while depicting his volatile, obsessive romance withJoséphine de Beauharnais, better known asEmpress Joséphine(Vanessa Kirby).
The film has proven to be quite a polarizing picture off the back of Scott’s divisive remarks concerning its historical accuracy, but no one can deny it offersa captivating spectacle imbued with a dazzling sense of style, some awe-inspiring battle sequences, andpowerful performances from its two leads. While scatterbrained,Napoleonpaints a fascinating picture of one of history’s most noteworthy figures with gravitas, punishing violence, and no small amount of comic venom to boot.
An epic that details the checkered rise and fall of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his wife, Josephine.
Watch in Theaters
9’Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw' (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%
From humble, drag-racing beginnings, to being a major action franchise, theFast & Furiousfilms range from the delightfully, ridiculously extravagant to the uninspired and unwatchable. Something of an aside from the main thread of the series,Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shawfunctioned as a genuinely fun action flick which clicked with the surprisingly strong chemistry betweenDwayne Johnson,Jason Statham, and Vanessa Kirby.
WithJohn WickdirectorDavid Leitchat the helm, the film breezes by as a save-the-world epic comprised of gleefully absurd action sequences and a fun-loving self-awareness. Playing the part of Deckard Shaw’s (Statham) sister, Hattie,Kirby is able to lend plenty to the comedic punch of the film’s core character dynamic while never missing out on her time to shine in the action scenes as well.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
Watch on Fubo TV
8’The World to Come' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
A hidden gem amid Kirby’s filmography,The World to Comeexcelled as a forbidden romance period drama with a strong focus on female passion and the stoic men who would contain them. Set in 19th century America, neighboring wives Abigail (Katherine Waterston) and Tallie (Kirby) discover a powerful love for one another as they each struggle to overcome unique hardships with their husbands as their isolation and the punishing landscape takes its toll.
The film finds its central power in its spellbinding performances, with Kirby and Waterston both fantastic in the leading roleswhileCasey AffleckandChristopher Abbottare impactful in their supporting parts as well.The World to Comeis certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and boasts a healthy audience score on the website to boot.
The World To Come
Watch on Hulu
7’Kill Command' (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
As a low-budget movie with aspirations of offering a big spectacle,Kill Commandwas impressive if not perfect as asci-fi action horror moviewhich served as the directorial debut ofSteven Gomez. Set in a technologically advanced future, a military training exercise on a remote island leaves a squad of Marines in a hellish fight for their lives when the advanced A.I. systems they’re up against start using lethal force.
Starring as a cyborg programmer who teams up with the Marines as she investigates an anomaly in the A.I. system,Vanessa Kirby is able to give the film a grounding presence while still getting involved in the action. Critics praised the film as being a smartly directed picture elevated by a tight, clean sci-fi story and outstanding visual effects which make the hostile drones an ominous threat.
Watch on Peacock
6’Queen and Country' (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
A period drama which, interestingly, divided fans and critics,Queen and Countrysaw veteran directorJohn Boormanembarking on a deeply personal project. A distant sequel to the director’s 1987 filmHope and Glory, the 2014 drama follows an 18-year-old as he enlists for compulsory military service as the Korean War rages on, finding himself and his friend teaching typing in a local assignment where they clash with their authoritative superior officers.
Kirby makes an immediate impact in her supporting role, playing Bill’s (Callum Turner) renegade sister Dawn with an enchanting effervescenceas she charms Bill’s friend Percy (Caleb Landry Jones) amid the boys’ romantic pursuits. It’s a delightfully lively performance within a wonderful and graceful, yet somber movie, one which put Kirby on the map of a lot of filmmakers in Europe.
Watch on Hoopla
5’Pieces of a Woman' (2020)
A hard-hitting drama with anarresting, powerful, and harrowing opening act,Pieces of a Womanis one of the most underrated Netflix Original releases after the streaming service acquired it at the Toronto International Film Festival. It focuses on a young woman who loses her baby during a tragic home birth which leaves her in a state of mourning while her complex familial relationships are strained amid the emotional devastation.
Based on the deeply personal play byKornél MundruczóandKata Wéber(who directed and wrote the film respectively),Pieces of a Womanruns with a gripping and heartbreaking drama which enabled Kirby to display the full scope of her acting talents.It netted the actress her first Academy Award nomination, with her performance revered by critics as a highlighteven as the film struggled to live up to its compelling beginning.
Pieces Of A Woman
A harrowing journey through grief follows a young mother as she copes with the devastating loss of her child due to a tragic home birth complication. As she grapples with her profound sadness, her relationships with her partner and family begin to fray, leading to a dramatic legal battle that forces her to confront her deepest emotions and the complexities of accountability.
Watch on Netflix
4’Mr. Jones' (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
A supremely underrated entry in Kirby’s impressive filmography,Mr. Jonesfunctioned as a bleak historical/biographical thriller taking place in the Soviet Union during the 1930s. It starsJames NortonasGareth Jones, an ambitious Welsh journalist who uncovers the disturbing truth behind the Great Ukrainian Famine and attempts to bring it to light, meeting strong resistance in the process.
Kirby co-stars as British journalist Ada Brooks, a fictitious character amid the historical film who becomes an ally to Jonesand informs him his contact in Moscow was murdered and helps him get into Ukraine to carry out his investigation. While the film has some flaws and jumbles its narrative a touch, it ultimately honors its subject to tell a worthwhile story buoyed by effective cinematography and production design.
Watch on Starz
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
The seventh instalment of the franchise,Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part OnesawVanessa Kirby become a recurring figure in the saga as the shady saleswoman Alanna Mitsopolis. With a runtime of 163 minutes, the action epic followed Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF as they embark on a dangerous mission concerninga highly sought after A.I. devicewhich has compromising information on every government in the world.
With new heroes emerging and foes from Ethan’s past lurking in the shadows, the film offered an all-out action spectacle which proved Cruise’s appetite for absurd stunt sequences only grows as he gets older. It had some flaws in its storytelling, but with a score of 96% on the Tomatometer, it stands as the third-highest rated movie of Kirby’s career so far with critics and fans alike responding well to its elevated focus on women in action.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning
Rent on Apple TV
2’Mission: Impossible – Fallout' (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
One of themost exciting and magnificent action moviesto have ever been released,Mission: Impossible – FalloutsawTom Cruise’s action franchise soar to new heights. With a group of terrorists plotting to launch nuclear attacks on three different cities simultaneously, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and the IMF embark on a globetrotting mission to prevent the destruction, one which sees them work with multiple factions to achieve their goal.
Relentlessly heart pounding and featuring some of the greatest action sequences ever put to screen with a slick story and deft use of comedy to boot.One of the most memorable figures from the film was Vanessa Kirby’s Alanna Mitsopolis aka The White Widow, a black-market arms dealer with great influence who acts as a broker in the plutonium dealand tasks Hunt with extracting Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) from an armored convoy.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Watch on Apple TV
1’The Dresser' (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Based on the 1980 play which was adapted to the screen in a film starringAlbert Finneyin 1983, 2015’sThe Dressersaw cinematic iconsAnthony HopkinsandIan McKellenco-star as an old Shakespearian actor and his elderly assistant. Set amid WWII during the Blitz, the television film focused on the duo as the theater actor Sir (Hopkins) begins to show signs of dementia, while also exploring the figures in the play at large.
Kirby portrayed Irene, a young actress who appears in the play and becomes the object of Sir’s inappropriate advances, which are complicated by the actor’s ailing health. The film was heralded as a triumph of English cinema, with critics highlighting the acting of its two powerhouse stars and the immaculate supporting cast.
