Is it just me, or is this woman in everything these days? She’s only 24, but she’s already massed a list of historical films that shows no sign of stopping any time soon. I figured if we don’t get on top of her repertoire now, we will be doing extra work in the coming years, because she shows no sign of stopping any time soon!
Endeavour (2014)
A preamble to the immensely popular and long-running British mystery show Inspector Morse, this show focuses on Morse’s early years in the 1960s, and marks Anya Taylor-Joy’s first documented historical film.
Viking Quest (2015)
I don’t know anything about this film, but I think it’s just shot to the top of my list of films to review for next month’s Snark Week. In this photo, her costume looks actually pretty good, historically speaking, but the rest of of the shots I’ve seen from the movie look highly sus.
The Witch (2015)
We reviewed this one a while back, but I still haven’t seen it. However, I will point out that it’s some of the most historically accurate early 17th-c. costumes of the non-elite class yet seen on film.
Atlantis (2015)
Ok, so this is quasi-historical, and definitely more fantasy than not.
Barry (2016)
Not the show called “Barry” I was thinking about when I saw this entry, and also not a character in a show that is pre-1969, but I wanted to include this role anyway. Anya plays Barack Obama’s college girlfriend, Charlotte, in this biopic about America’s 44th President. This character appears in the early 1980s.
Marrowbone (2017)
A ghost story set in the late 1960s. Anya plays the love interest of the main character, played by George McKay.
The Miniaturist (2017)
If The Witch was the most historically accurate 17th-century non-elite costuming I’ve seen on film, The Miniaturist is the most historically accurate elite costuming I’ve seen on film. Based on Jessie Burton’s acclaimed novel with exquisite costuming by Frock Flicks favorite, Joanna Eatwell.
Radioactive (2019)
Playing Marie Curie’s eldest daughter in this biopic, specifically when the pair work to bring radiology to battlefield hospitals in World War I.
Peaky Blinders (2019)
You have no idea how much I want to like this show, but I just find the ridiculous levels of gratuitous violence almost cringeworthy.
Emma (2020)
A total eye-candy flick. Everyone loves to hate Emma Wodehouse, and Anya Taylor-Joy does a great job making the objectively awful Emma relatable and endearing.
The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
I. Loved. This. Show. Seriously, I encourage anyone looking for a gripping, but not emotionally intensive binge-watch right now to sit down and try it. I don’t think you will regret it.
Anya Taylor-Joy has two more shows coming down the pike in the next year, Last Night in SoHo (2021) which is set in the late 1960s, and The Northman (no release date yet), which the IMDB entry says is “a Viking revenge saga set in Iceland at the turn of the 10th century.” We will obviously keep you posted as to when these flicks drop!
Are you a fan of Anya Taylor-Joy? Tell us in the comments!
I have to say I don’t like her. She only seems to have one expression, which is annoyance. She broke that in the first few seconds of Emma, but she never appears to be happy. I find it so annoying that I cannot watch anything she’s in. Peaky Blinders was a chore, and I ended up skipping around her scenes. I seem to be the lone person who doesn’t like her, so I will crawl off into my corner.
I hope it’s a corner big enough for two! AJ-T doesn’t ring bells for me either. I admit I haven’t done due diligence and watching all these films, but 2-3 min. trailers have convinced me she is another in the mold of Keira Knightley and Kristen Stewart (which I also avoid). Their only affect seems to be mad/annoyed or completely flat. These young actresses are seemingly used for EVERYthing… for a while. Until they’re no longer the baby, fresh-faced maiden, and then they sort of drift away. Bc they’re not very good actresses, imho. But they’re obvsly some older mens fantasy material: pretty, but not very experienced. As in, they don’t know how to say “no!” and mean it.
She has an interesting face. I really liked Emma! Haven’t seen any of the others.
My main thoughts when seeing her is “yay, wide spaced eyes!*” When I saw The Miniaturist, “dang, her skin’s translucent” was a close second.
It’s a small point but I do think the nursing veil she’s wearing in the Radioactive image is pushed too far back showing way too much hair. I think completely covering the hair is the whole point of that particular headdress.
She’s 24, she’s just baby-faced. Also about a month ago they had a WCW for Anastasia Romanov, who was murdered at the age of 17, which seems worse if we’re thinking about it that way.
But anyway I’ve always been under the impression that WCW and MCM entries aren’t necessarily about thirsting over people. Sometimes it’s just an excuse to write about an actor they admire or a historical figure they find interesting, and the ‘crush’ part isn’t meant literally.
I found emma dissapointing. I think I mainly watched for a the outfits. in paper the cast should have been fab but ended up jsut being a bit meh, the frocks were the only thing retaining my interest by the end
First saw her in The VVitch (which I loved) and I’m definitely a fan. I’ve been parceling out episodes of Queens Gambit because I want to make it last.
Yes. The Miniaturist and Emma are favourites.
The Miniaturist was excellent.
However, I must disagree on your provisional assessment of Viking Quest. Nothing in her costume in that image looks remotely historically accurate. Please snark it and shred it. :)
More Dung Ages than Viking Age by the look of it.
She is certainly everywhere,and in exquisitely costumed productions at that.I wonder how her hair is able to take so much dyeing for every role.
she’s gorgeous and i love her but that bald cap in atlantis does sad things to the shape of her head haha
I agree Sarah….I love Queen’s Gambit (and its reignited my love of Chess that I even paid a subscription to Chess.com). I really like Anya Taylor-Joy. She also seems the kind of thinking actress. In a recent interview she was saying her favourite thing is to curl up with a book – something I can heartily agree with.