James GordonFor an actress who seems to be shooting from the get-go with The Queen’s Gambit, Anya Taylor-Joy is actually a very accomplished actress who is only 24 years old. As Beth Harmon, she captivated audiences with her critical thinking skills while making people crack up…. Look at this. Yes, you read it correctly. Any actress who can make a career on the chessboard can save the ailing film industry.
Anya Taylor-Joy, however, has built an impressive body of work long before Beth Harmon’s story made her (literally) famous. In fact, her performances were so chameleon-like that many viewers didn’t know she was in the movie until they saw it or had it out. For a Spaniard looking to build his brand, this actress has certainly taken an interesting path. Well, let’s see.
Witch
This 2015 gothic tale is set in New England in the 17th century. She follows a family from her community who settle on a farm, far from everyone else. Once they get there, strange things start happening, people start disappearing, and this film quickly becomes a test of faith for the farmers, and perhaps the root of the family’s problem is that they are members. This member is Thomasin (Taylor-Joy) in a role that seems to suit her. With those haunting and endearing eyes, she literally owns every frame of the movie she plays in. The Witch is a horror mystery that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats and also challenges the way we view the excluded and the ties that bind (and stifle) the family unit.
Morgan
Taylor-Joy excels in the title role of this grim sci-fi horror thriller produced by the legendary Ridley Scott. Basically, this movie is Frankenstein with a technological and sexual twist. The story follows Lee Weathers (Kate Mara) as a corporate klutz who ventures into a remote location to investigate something called Project L-9. She must decide whether the SynSect Corporation, for which she works, should continue funding a human synthesis project called Morgan. What follows is a creation story gone wrong, in which Weathers quickly realizes she has no control over anything, and in which Morgan (a 5-year-old girl in a teenage body) can interrupt Weathers (and anyone else) whenever she wants. Full of suspense, jump scares, and the kind of ethical questions these films usually ask, Morgan is one of the most interesting films released in 2016, and much of that is due to the way Taylor-Joy plays this rich character.
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The casting for this film about a man with 23 personalities is so strong that it’s easy to miss how talented Anya Taylor-Joy is. In fact, James McAvoy is so strong as Kevin Wendell Crumb that the power of nuance in Taylor-Joy’s portrayal becomes all the stronger. If Casey, the man who was kidnapped to avoid Kevin’s 24th birthday… Taylor-Joy uses all the screen time she has to try and match one of Kevin’s identities, which is no mean feat. Thus begins a dangerous game of manipulation in which the clock is ticking on Kevin’s ability to keep his mind and personality together. What follows is a deadly cat-and-mouse game, with Taylor-Joy shining in the face of ultra-strong performances from many of McAvoy’s characters. Split, sold as a horror thriller, is one of the few films that is as artistic as it is scary. As part of M. Night Shyamalan’s comeback, Taylor-Joyce’s performance is as brilliant as McAvoy’s.
New mutants
One wonders what’s so special about a film that has had 5 (yes, 5) release dates. Originally, this saga about 5 mutants from the X-Men universe who are not yet adults was meant to be more of a shooter than our current situation. After all, it came out in the fall of 2020 and was twisted by almost everyone. However, there is always a positive in these films, and one of them is the portrayal of Anja Taylor-Joy by Ilyana Rasputin, aka Magik. With the power of witchcraft and teleportation, Taylor-Joy delivers a multi-layered performance in a film that can be considered more than just a superhero movie. With her shiny blonde locks, the actress crosses the thin line between the representation of evil and a strong core of good. There are other notable performers in this cast (Charlie Heaton from Stranger Things is one of them), but the New Mutants will probably end up being recognized for Taylor-Joy’s remarkable performance before anyone knows her from this Netflix show.
Radioactive
Taylor-Joy plays a more modest role in Rosamund Pike’s story about the famous scientist Marie Curie (she was a pioneering physicist who explored the field of radioactivity). In the role of Irene Curie, Taylor-Joy once again shines as the daughter of Marie Curie. Through the character of Irene, we see what it is like to live in the great shadow of her mother. This role certainly adds to the diversity, but clearly showed that Taylor-Joy can compete with the likes of Pike, Sam Riley and Aneurin Barnard. Radioactive, directed by Maryanne Satrapi (Persepolis), is a film that proves once again that to be truly great, you have to attack the forces that maintain certain institutions. Anya Taylor-Joy is an excellent surrogate for us as we watch Rosamund Pike work her way through the various obstacles of the convention.
Dark Crystal: Age of resistance
This short-lived Netflix fantasy series featured the vocal talents of rising and upcoming stars like Taylor-Joy, Taron Egerton, and some older and visible talents like Mark Hamill and Helena Bonham Carter. Black crystal: The Age of Resistance follows the three Gelflings as they carry out a plan to stop the evil skexists from gaining more power and destroying their world. Anya Taylor-Joy plays the role of Brea. She is a princess who, along with Rian (Neil Sternenberg) and Deet (Bexy Henderson), leads the fight to stop the evil forces of Skexis. The series has had a very loyal audience and the reception when it aired in August 2019 was extremely positive. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled by Netflix before the start of the second season. It’s also a shame because Taylor-Joy and the rest of the troupe were doing really well. One has to wonder if the cost was too high for the banner to put on such a fantastic show.
Maximum value curtains
In the role of Gina Grey, Anya Taylor-Joy steals scenes in just about every moment she’s on screen. Peaky Blinders tells the story of a family of gangsters in 1920s England. The family in question is the Shelby family, led by the stoic (and power-hungry) Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy). Taylor-Joy’s character, Gina Gray, marries Michael Gray (Finn Cole), but her goal is to climb the ladder with Shelby. Gina only deepens her position, which ultimately puts her on a collision course with everyone in her path. The role turns out to be juicy, and Taylor-Joy seems to like the fact that her characters can ruin the set and nibble with whoever she’s playing.
Emma
That movie really made it clear that Anya Taylor-Joy is a star. The actress is once again starring in a period fiction based on a novel by the beloved Jane Austen, and is perfect for the role of Emma Woodhouse. She’s never been in a relationship whose consequences she didn’t want. Emma changed her life and her expectations when she was in a. This film is bold, tough, silly and brilliantly directed by Autumn de Wilde. In 19th century England. At the beginning of the 20th century, this comedy/drama could have been the kind of romance we would all want to touch in our lives. Starring Taylor-Joy, this is probably the most fun movie you’ll ever see in your living room.
Glass
The third film in an inseparable trilogy of two films. Anya Taylor-Joy may have a supporting role, but she is just as important as the other main characters. David Dunn (Bruce Willis) manages to track down Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy). But Dunn sees his plans for retribution abandoned by Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) when the three men soon find themselves in a mental institution. Taylor-Joy finally appears as the only person who can help (and stop) the evil Kevin Wendell Crumb and his 24 personalities. As previously mentioned, Glass is a highlight of the films in this trilogy of M. Night Shyamalan’s superheroes. The film itself may seem imperfect (and marred by an ending that doesn’t quite work), but the strengths of all the actors here cannot be denied. In fact, it shows that Anya Taylor-Joy is capable of standing out given the screen time she had compared to Willis, Jackson and McAvoy. Yes, Glass is no Anya Taylor Joy film, but it’s ultimately her presence in the film that has the most impact on what happens.
Tough Horses
This interesting film, directed by Corey Finley (Bad Education), stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cook as two former best friends who meet again after a period of separation. What follows is a Hitchcockian tale of two half-chimeras that unfolds as we do and don’t wait for it. The two actresses are great, and Taylor-Joy and Cook have incredible chemistry in this tightly woven tale of two characters trying to stay one step ahead of everyone around them. Taylor-Joy, as Lily’s student, works very well here. Your speech goes right to the point, because we don’t know who the biggest cheater is between the two stars. Thoroughbreds is one of those movies that didn’t make much of a splash when it landed. It was a $5 million Indy movie that might not even have made that much money at the box office. That in no way detracts from this film or the work Anya Taylor-Joy (and others) have done here. This film also seems to have once been considered one of the many films that shaped Taylor Joy’s career and helped her develop.
James Gordon
