The bestSuki Waterhousemovies and TV shows reveal why the British model and singer-songwriter is also highly regarded as an actor, especially since her appearances in shows likeDaisy Jones & the Sixand movies likeAssassination Nation.Born in 1992, Waterhouse’s career initially started in modeling when she was aged 16. However, she eventually transitioned into acting, making her big-screen debut in the 2012 British thrillerPusher.
This proved to be a great start for Suki Waterhouse, as within the next few years she’d appeared in the likes ofLove, Rosie,blockbuster YA adapationThe Divergent Series: Insurgent,and the quirky actionhorror-comedyPride and Prejudice and Zombies.All three still count among the best Suki Waterhouse movies and TV shows, although her career has definitely seen an upward trajectory, with her strongest performances coming toward the end of the 2010s.
The Divergent Series: Insurgent
Cast
Insurgent is the second film in the young adult Divergent series that sees Tris and Four on the run in the aftermath of the uprising. Being hunted by Jeanine Matthews, the leader of the Erudite faction, Tris and Four will race against time as they attempt to figure out what Abnegation sacrificed their lives to protect and why the Erudite leaders will do anything to stop them
2015’sThe Divergent Series: Insurgentmay have helped put Suki Waterhouse on the map when she played Marlene, but it’s come to be known as one of the weaker movies in her wider filmography.TheDivergentmovieswere intended to rival powerhouse YA adaptation franchises likeThe Hunger Gamesand theTwilightsaga. Sadly, theDivergentfilms were cancelled before the story was finished, butstill remains an important milestone for Suki Waterhouse.
Suki Waterhouse appeared in the second movie in the trilogy,The Divergent Series: Insurgent,and while the franchise itself didn’t take off, playing Marlene did significantly boost the actor’s career. Marlene was a relatively minor character in theDivergentmovies (though did play a greater role in Veronica Roth’s books).Marlene’s crucial scene inInsurgentwas the moment she took her own life — a highly emotive sequence that allowed Suki Waterhouse to show her abilities as an actor.
The Bad Batch
The Bad Batch is a dystopian thriller directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. The movie follows Arlen, a young woman, as she navigates a desolate American landscape designated as a wasteland for society’s unwanted members. Marked by its vibrant visual style and unique narrative, the film explores themes of survival, societal segregation, and human nature. As Arlen encounters a variety of eccentric and dangerous characters, including cannibals and a mysterious hermit, she is forced to confront the harsh realities of this brutal new world.
Following appearing as Marlene inThe Divergent Series: Insurgentin 2015, the following year went on to be an important one for Suki Waterhouse. The actor appeared in two movies in the same year, with both having their own merits (though neither are currently considered the best Suki Waterhouse movies, though they’re also far from the worst).Not to be confused with theStar Warsseries of the same name, Ana Lily Amipour’sThe Bad Batchis a dystopian thriller that stars Waterhouse in the lead role as Arlen.
Arlen is a young woman living in a hellish near-future, and has to fend for herself after being exiled to Texas where the government sends their “undesirables” to effectively die in the desert wilderness. While it received middling reviews from critics,The Bad Batchis certainly worth a watch for any Suki Waterhouse fan, especially given her position as the cast lead (alongside the lieks of Jason Momoa, Keanu Reeves,and Jim Carrey, no less).
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Directed by Burr Steers, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies follows five sisters who face the pressure of marriage in 19th Century England, while zombies run the streets. The film is based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel, which itself parodies Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Lily James leads the film alongside Sam Riley, Jack Huston, and Bella Heathcote.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombieswas the second notable Suki Waterhouse movie released in 2016, and was adapted from Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel of the same name. The title isn’t in any way cryptic or a metaphor —Pride and Prejudice and Zombiesis literally just Jane Austen’sPride and Prejudiceif it had zombies in it. It’s an incredibly weird premise that perhaps worked better as a novel rather than a film (as evidenced by its middling reviews), though, much likeThe Bad Batch,it’s a significant Suki Waterhouse movie.
Suki Waterhouse’s role is relatively minor, as she plays the young Catherine “Kitty” Bennett. However, in this version of the Jane Austen story, Kitty and the other Bennett sisters have been trained in martial arts at the insistence of their father to ensure they remain alive in a 19th century England ravaged by the undead.Pride and Prejudice and Zombiesmay not have won over every critic, but it’s a great Suki Waterhouse movie for those who want to see the action-movie skills she displayed in the likes ofInsurgentbut in a gorier, more adult setting.
Love, Rosie
In a tale of missed chances and enduring friendship, Alex and Rosie navigate the complexities of love and life’s unexpected turns. From an unforgettable kiss during a drunken night to the challenges of parenthood and failed relationships, their bond remains unbreakable. As they grapple with their own desires and ambitions, fate brings them together time and again.
The Divergent Series: Insurgentmay have been the big-budget blockbuster that introduced many to the actor, but it’s not the best Suki Waterhouse movie from the early years of her career. The year before playing Marlene, Waterhouse also appeared in Christian Ditter’s 2014 rom-comLove, Rosie,an adaptation of Cecelia Ahern’s 2004 novelWhere Rainbows End.
Love, Rosiewas received far more warmly by audiences than by critics, and it’s an important movie in Suki Waterhouse’s filmography because of her character, Bethany Williams. Bethany is the antagonist of the romantic comedy-drama, causing no end of problems for the movie’s hero, Rosie (Lily Collins).Suki Waterhouse plays the role of a cold popular-girl-turned-model perfectly, and despite her character being incredibly unlikable, the actor herself shines through compared to the rest of the cast.
6Charlie Says (2018)
Suki Waterhouse Played Mary Brunner
The 2018 biographical dramaCharlie Saysis not only among the best Suki Waterhouse movies, but it’s one of the most controversial she’s appeared in too. This is of little surprise, however, since director Mary Harron’s film focuses on the followers of thenotorious cult leader Charles Manson. The cult, known as “The Manson Family” were mostly women, and killed as many as 24 people including Sharon Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski. Suki Waterhouse plays Mary Brunner inCharlie Says, a real Manson Family member who was there for another of the cult’s famous murders, that of music teacher Gary Hinman.
The cast ofCharlie Saysincludes Matt Smit as Charles Manson, as well asGame of ThronesandSkinsalumni Hannah Murrayas Lulu Van Houten, among others. Every member of the ensemble gives a chilling performance, and Suki Waterhouse is no exception.Charlie Saysstands as one of the best films Suki Waterhouse is in, and is important to her wider filmography as it shows her suitability for more serious, grounded roles.
5The Girl Who Invented Kissing (2017)
Suki Waterhouse Played The Girl
2017’sThe Girl Who Invented Kissingwas Suki Waterhouse’s next movie after leading the cast ofThe Bad Batchas Arlen the year before. Directed by Tom Sierchio,The Girl Who Invented Kissingwas something of an indie movie, and the romantic drama is perhaps one of the lesser-known Suki Waterhouse films. This is a shame in a way, since it’s also one of the strongest, both in terms of the film itself and because of how Suki Waterhouse’s performance as the titular Girl compares to some of her other roles.
The Girl Who Invented Kissingcurrently only has two critical reviews onRotten Tomatoes,but has a 92% audience rating based on dozens of reviews. It landed four awards at the Golden Door Film Festival when it premiered, including Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actor (for Dash Mihok), and Best Supporting Actor (for Vincent Piazza).It’s highly recommended that fans of Suki Waterhouse giveThe Girl Who Invented Kissinga watch, as it’s easily the most underrated gem in the actor’s filmography.
4Jonathan (2018)
Suki Waterhouse Played Elena
The Divergent Series: Insurgentmay be the most well-known sci-fi movie featuring Suki Waterhouse, but it’s not her best dip into the genre. This accolade goes to 2018’sJonathan,the sci-fi film withaSeverance-like premisefrom director Bill Oliver.Jonathan(also marketed asDuplicatein some territories) focuses on two personalities who share the same body in 12-hour shifts, communicating with one-another through prerecorded video messages.
Whileit’s a sci-fi movie, it has the tone of a drama rather than getting bogged down in the science behind its more fantastical elements. Suki Waterhouse plays Elena inJonathan,starring alongside Ansel Elgort as Jonathan (and John, his other personality). Elena is the love interest for John, though her presence causes significant disruption in John and Jonathan’s relationship with one-another.It’s a complex role in an equally complex movie, and Waterhouse delivers an incredibly nuanced performance throughout.
Detective Pikachu
A loose adaptation of the video game of the same name, Detective Pikachu follows former Pokémon trainer Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) and Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) as they set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Tim’s father, Harry. Tim’s investigation takes him and Detective Pikachu into the heart of a conspiracy that threatens to shake their native Ryme City - and the entire Pokémon world - to its very foundation.
2019’sDetective Pikachuis inarguably one of the best Suki Waterhouse movies, though it ranks highly more because of the strength of the film as a whole rather than the actor’s performance specifically (although she does play a great character, and the role is incredibly different from many of her others).Detective Pikachuis thelong-awaited live-actionPokémonmovie, and stars Justice Smith, Bill Nighy, and Kathryn Newton, along with Ryan Reynolds voicing Pikachu.
Reynolds isn’t the only known actor playing a Pokémon, however. Suki Waterhouse has a silent role as Ms. Norman, the sunglasses-wearing bodyguard of Howard Clifford (the antagonist played by Bill Nighy who eventually attempts to take over the body of MewTwo). It soon emerges that “Ms. Norman” is a genetically modified Ditto, a shape-shifting Pokémon, which has been given the ability to mimic human beings.Detective Pikachuproved that Suki Waterhouse was surprsingly brilliant as a tough, no-nonsense character, with her presence on-screen drawing attention despite her saying more-or-less nothing.
Assassination Nation
Assassination Nation is a black comedy thriller directed by Sam Levinson. The film follows four high school girls in the town of Salem who become the target of mass hysteria and violence after a hacker leaks private information about the residents.
When it comes to the best Suki Waterhouse movie, the top spot is inarguably taken by 2018’sAssassination Nation.Directed by Sam Levinson, the genre-blurringAssassination Nationis part satirical comedy, and part horror thriller. Suki Waterhouse leads the cast alongside Odessa Young, Hari Nef, and the singer/songwriter Abra. The premise of the movie is intriguing enough in its own right — chaos eruptsin the fictional town of Salemafter a hacker makes the many dark secrets of all living there public knowledge.
By the timeAssassination Nationconcludes, the town of Salem has become a veritable bloodbath. It’s a slick, stylish film, and Suki Waterhouse delivers an incredibly solid performance as Sarah, one of the central group of teen girls who spend the movie trying to survive the onset of mob violence caused by the hacker.While it’s perhaps not as nuanced at times as its core themes and social commentary require, it’s a high-octane ride throughout, and no movie Suki Waterhouse has been in has yet topped it.
Daisy Jones & The Six
Based on the novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones & The Six is an Amazon Prime miniseries about a fictional band set in the 1970s. The original story followed Daisy Jones & The Six as they grew in this fictional timeline in Los Angeles while providing commentary on the 70s music scene. The series is loosely based on performances and events surrounding the band Fleetwood Mac.
While the actor may be known more for her movie appearances, Suki Waterhouse has also started appearing on the small screen in recent years.Assassination Nationmay be her best movie, but it’s not the best project she’s been involved in, andDaisy Jones & the Sixis easily the best Suki Waterhouse TV show or movie. Released in 2023,Daisy Jones & the Sixfollows the rise and fall of a fictional 1970s rock band loosely based on Fleetwood Mac.
Suki Waterhousestars inDaisyJones & the Sixas Karen Sirko, the keyboard player for the band. Released on Amazon Prime Video and based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s book of the same name,Daisy Jones & the Sixwas received incredibly well by critics and viewers alike. The 10 episodes gaveSuki Waterhouseplenty of moments in which she displayed her skills as an actor, and it will doubtless lead to even more noteworthy roles in the future.
