In a career that spans over a decade, Olivia Cooke has built quite a resume of critically acclaimed movies and TV shows. Considered one of the fan-favorite rising stars in Hollywood, Cooke is known for her captivating performances across different genres. From shaving off her hair in her depiction of a sick girl in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl to playing the main protagonist in the horror flick Ouija, Cooke’s interpretation of complex characters solidifies her status as an actress to watch.
Born in Oldham, England, where she grew up, Cooke’s journey to fame began at a young age. In her formative years, she wanted to become a dancer and gymnast, which was reflected in her early performances in the theater. However, she shifted her priorities after her 2012 debut on the small screen, appearing in guest roles in Blackout and The Secret of Crickley Hall. Subsequently, Cooke landed a lead role in Bates Motel and has appeared in more prominent roles since then. With a string of Olivia Cooke’s best movies and TV shows to choose from, this list focuses on the standouts.
10 ‘Ouija’ (2014)
Directed by Stiles White
Image Via Universal Pictures
Horror fans are not excluded from this list of Cooke’s best performances. Taking the lead as the main protagonist (Laine Morris), Cooke took on a challenging role in this horror film, appearing in most of the scenes. Based on Hasbro’s board game of the same title, Ouija is a supernatural horror film about a group of teenage girls who unleash a dark presence into the world while trying to contact the spirit of a deceased friend. Mike Flanagan’s 2016 Ouija: Origin of Evil serves as a prequel to the film.
Admittedly, Ouija is Cooke’s lowest-rated movie, with a mere 24% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was critically panned for its character development, poorly explored storyline, and inconsistent tone. Regardless, Cooke delivered one of her best performances as the main protagonist. Additionally, Ouija grossed an impressive $103.6 million against a $5–8 million budget.
Ouija
Release Date October 24, 2014
Director Stiles White
Cast Olivia Cooke , Ana Coto , Daren Kagasoff , Bianca A. Santos , Douglas Smith , Matthew Settle
Runtime 100
9 ‘Vanity Fair’ (2018)
Directed by James Strong
Image via Mammoth Screen
This seven-part limited series highlights Cooke’s ability to pull off a multifaceted role. She portrays the lead character, Becky Sharp, as a social climber who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. To perfectly embody the complex character, Cooke channeled all her charm and aura of self-confidence. Her effortless display of talent sets Vanity Fair aside as one of Cooke’s best projects.
Based on William Makepeace Thackeray’s 1848 novel of the same title, Vanity Fair follows Becky as she manipulates her way through the elite society during and after the raging Napoleonic Wars. The show also stars Tom Bateman as Captain Rawdon Crawley, Claudia Jessie as Amelia Sedley, and Michael Palin as Thackeray, the author. Vanity Fair received favorable reviews mostly targeted at Cooke’s performance, with an impressive 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
WATCH ON Amazon
8 ‘Little Fish’ (2020)
Directed by Chad Hartigan
Image via IFC Films
Imagine a world where a virus that causes memory loss wages a war against human history. Little Fish chronicles a couple’s battle to preserve their love story amid a pandemic threatening to erase their past. Despite the sad premise and emotional wreckage it leaves viewers with, Little Fish’s intriguing storyline is a fresh concept, illustrating how the power of love and human connection thrive in trying times.
Cooke’s performance as Emma Ryerson received widespread acclaim from audiences and critics. The film also stars Jack O’Connell as Jude Williams, who contributed immensely to the overall success of the film. In his review of Rotten Tomatoes, Next Best Picture’s Josh Parham writes, “The performances are mostly captivating, particularly from Olivia Cooke.” To bolster its reputation among Cooke’s best movies, Little Fish has a 91% audience score on the review aggregator site.
Little Fish
Release Date February 5, 2021
Director Chad Hartigan
Runtime 101 minutes
WATCH ON Amazon
7 ‘Fireheart’ (2022)
Directed by Theodore Ty and Lauren Zeitoun
Fireheart is Cooke’s first animated film, where her voice skills take center stage. She voiced the leading role of Georgia Nolan in the adventure comedy film about a young, hopeful firefighter who disguises herself as a man to serve her community. Fireheart explores a heartwarming storyline, focusing on Georgia’s determination to become the first female firefighter, even when it’s against the law.
The voice cast includes Kenneth Branagh, who played Georgia’s father, Shawn Nolan; William Shatner as Jimmy Murray; Laurie Holden as Pauline; and Maya Misaljevic as Young Georgia Nolan. Fireheart was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $5 million at the global box office. The film also garnered positive reviews from audiences for its captivating plot and is highly recommended as a motivational piece for kids.
WATCH ON Amazon
6 ‘House of the Dragon’ (2022–present)
Created by Ryan Condal and George R. R. Martin
Image via HBO
With her engaging performance as Queen Alicent Hightower in the Game of Thrones spinoff series, House of the Dragon, Cooke has further reinforced her reputation as a charismatic performer. Set almost 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, exactly 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen was born, House of the Dragon is a prequel to the cult classic series.
Cooke is set to return as Queen Alicent in House of the Dragon season 2 alongside an ensemble cast that includes Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen and Emma D’Arcy as Princess / Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock plays the younger version of the princess). Paddy Considine’s King Viserys I Targaryen died in the first season. Praised for its interesting writing, visual effects, and character development, House of the Dragon earned several award nominations and won Best Television Series – Drama at the 80th Golden Globe Awards.
House of the Dragon
Release Date August 21, 2022
Creator Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin
Main Genre Drama
Seasons 3
5 ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ (2015)
Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Image via Searchlight Pictures
With an 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.7/10 rating on IMDb, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is one of Cooke’s highest-rated movies. Her tear-jerking performance as Rachel Kushner, a dying girl battling leukemia, portrays her versatility. The American coming-of-age film also stars Thomas Mann (Greg Gaines) and RJ Cyler (Earl Jackson).
Cooke pulled all the stops to embody the character, and shaving off her hair is just one of them. For her portrayal of Rachel, the English actress scooped two award nominations, including the Empire Awards for Best Female Newcomer. All in all, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl received positive reviews for its amazing screenplay and cast. It also stands out as one of Cooke’s earliest film projects.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Release Date June 12, 2015
Runtime 105 minutes
4 ‘Thoroughbreds’ (2017)
Directed by Cory Finley
Image via Focus Features
As Finley’s directorial debut, Thoroughbreds was the object of critical scrutiny upon its release, and it didn’t disappoint. The film revolves around Lily Reynolds (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Amanda (Cooke), two young upper-class teenage girls in suburban Connecticut as they rekindle their friendship after growing apart, forging a deadly alliance to eliminate Lily’s stepfather Mark (Paul Sparks).
Grossing $3.2 million against a $5 million budget, Thoroughbreds wasn’t a commercial success. However, the dark comedy thriller received mostly positive reviews, especially for the exciting performances of Cooke and Taylor-Joy. Finley’s directorial effort and screenplay also received critical acclaim.
Thoroughbreds
Release Date March 9, 2018
Director Cory Finley
Runtime 92 Minutes
WATCH ON HULU
Directed by Darius Marder
Image via Amazon Studios
Cooke’s emotional depiction of Lou in Sound of Metal is so intense that it comes across as real. The double Oscar-winning project follows Rhiz Ahmed’s Ruben Stone, a metal drummer whose hearing loss saga forms the film’s premise. While Sound of Metal flopped at the box office, earning $516,520 against a $5.4 million budget, it was a critical success. The film also counts as one of the most rewatchable Amazon original movies.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Sound of Metal has an approval rating of 97% and 7.7/10 on IMDb. The American drama film attracted critical acclaim for its cast performances, screenplay, and Marder’s direction. The film also made the film critics’ top-ten list for 2020 and scored several Academy Award nominations, winning Best Sound and Best Film Editing.
Sound of Metal
Release Date November 20, 2020
Director Darius Marder
Runtime 130
2 ‘Bates Motel’ (2013-2017)
Created by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano
Image via A&E
Cooke’s ability to nail a prominent role in the early stages of her career makes this project stand out. The English actress was the last star to join the main cast of Bates Motel during casting in 2012, landing her first American role as Emma Decody, Norman Bate’s (played by Freddie Highmore) best friend. A suspenseful dark thriller prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, Bates Motel chronicles the lives of Norman and his mother, Norma (Vera Farmiga), before the events of the 1960 film Psycho.
Bates Motel won three People’s Choice Awards, with Farmiga and Highmore receiving acclaim for their performances. Also, Cooke’s depiction of a young woman with health conditions highlights her skills at portraying strength and weakness in tandem. Emma is the first role that propelled Cooke to mainstream fame, and she followed it up with several major film appearances. In his review for Collider, Jeremy Urquhart listed Bates Motel as one of the best TV adaptations of movies.
1 ‘Ready Player One’ (2018)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Any collection of Cooke’s best movies and TV shows is incomplete without Ready Player One where she left a lasting impression playing Samantha Cooke and her avatar, Art3mis. Set in 2045, the film depicts a virtual reality simulation known as OASIS used by several people to escape the pressure of the real world. This futuristic virtual reality epic is a good piece to binge-watch for lovers of science fiction and action.
In addition to being released to rave reviews, Ready Player One was a commercial success. The film grossed over $607 million at the global box office against a $155-175 million budget. For her portrayal of Art3mis, Cooke was nominated for two Teen Choice Awards in 2018, including Choice Sci-Fi Movie Actress. ScreenRant’s Angel Shaw predicts a more prominent role for her in a sequel, stating “Out of the Ready Player One cast, Cooke is the only one contracted to return to a sequel.”
Ready Player One
Release Date March 28, 2018
Director Steven Spielberg
Runtime 140
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