Julia Garner is quickly becoming one of the best young actresses of her generation. After making her big-screen debut in the indie drama Ozark, for which she earned a Primetime Emmy in 2019.
After a two-year respite from moviemaking, Garner earned plaudits for her newest film, The Assistant, which was released in January. As she currently films the new TV series, Inventing Anna, here are Julia Garner's 10 Best Movies According to Rotten Tomatoes.
Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (2014) 42%
Garner ed the star-studded ensemble of Robert Rodriguez's sequel to the Frank Miller comic-crime story.
Among a sordid cast of characters, Garner plays a waitress named Marcie in the film. She plays a token good luck charm for gangster Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who wins a slew of cash at a high-stakes poker game that Marcie also attends. When a powerful Senator's goons come to collect Johnny's winnings, they go after Marcie to teach him a lesson.
Tomato Red (2017) 67%
Adapted from the Daniel Woodrell novel by writer/director Juanita Wilson, Tomato Red follows a wayward drifter named Sammy Barlach (Jake Weary) looking for companionship in the southeastern part of the U.S.
Arriving in a small town, Sammy meets Jamalee (Garner) and Jason Meridew (Nick Roux), a pair of siblings who offer the stranger food, beer, and shelter. Sammy accepts but soon finds himself subjected to a slew of prejudicial practices and provincial attitudes as he realizes he's stuck in life with nowhere to turn.
Not Fade Away (2012) 71%
Although she only appears in the film as "Girl in Car," Garner still got to work with The Sopranos creator David Chase in his one and only feature film to date. Not Fade Way follows a budding rock band in 60s New Jersey desperate to hit the big time.
Starring James Gandolfini, John Magaro, Bella Heathcote, and Jack Huston, the movie traces the machinations of a local Jersey garage band going through the motions to become discovered by the mainstream. Meanwhile, each band member struggles with their own personal family dynamic.
We Are What We Are (2013) 86%
In Jim Mickle's remake of the 2010 Mexican horror film of the same name, Garner stars opposite Ambyr Childers as a pair of sinister siblings willing to stop at nothing to preserve their bizarre family's ancient traditions.
The Parkers are a quiet family who keeps to themselves. But when a stormy deluge hits their property, a tragedy forces the young daughters, Iris (Childers) and Rose (Garner), to step up and lead the family. As the storm continues and authorities approach, the two sisters do everything in their power to protect their deep-seated family secrets.
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012) 86%
Based on his own bestselling novel, Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age tale in which a high-school freshman has his worldview expanded with the help of two seniors.
Charlie (Logan Lerman) is an awkward 15-year-old student reeling over the suicide of his best friend. When Charlie is befriended by two cool seniors, Sam (Ezra Miller) he begins consorting with the popular crowd at school and attending parties with older kids. However, things get tricky when Charlie begins to fall for Sam. Garner plays Susan, one of Charlie's close friends in junior high that has grown distant over time.
Eletrick Children (2013) 88%
Garner earned critical attention for her starring role in Electrick Children, Rebecca Thomas' indie drama about a young Mormon girl suffering from serious delusions of grandeur.
Rachel (Garner) lives among a strict Mormon community in Utah. Beholden to the belief in the Immaculate Conception, Rachel gets the notion that she has become pregnant by listening to a piece of music. As a result, she sets out on a pilgrimage to Las Vegas, Nevada to find the musician she believes is the father of her unborn child.
I Believe In Unicorns (2014) 89%
In Leah Meyerhoff's indie dramatic thriller I Believe In Unicorns, a young girl's budding first love proves to be an inescapable nightmare of increasing violence.
Davina (Natalie Dyer) is an awkward and fatherless high-school freshman caring for her MS-ridden mother in San Francisco. When she meets a cool punk named Sterling (Peter Vack), she becomes swept up in his world and falls in love with him. When they hit the road to escape their dreary lives, the two fall out of favor and become abusive toward one another. Garner plays Cassidy, Davina's close friend who has her interests at heart.
Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) 89%
In Sean Durkin's tale of how an abusive cult grooms and brainwashes its victims, Elizabeth Olsen plays Marcy, a young woman who loses her identity and mental acuity after spending two years at a hippie commune.
Finding the courage to escape the cult, Martha is taken in by her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and brother-in-law Ted (Hugh Dancy). However, Martha can't separate reality from her waking nightmares as she is haunted by years of abuse at the discretion of cult-leader Patrick (John Hawkes). Garner plays Sarah, one of the cult .
Grandma (2015) 91%
In Paul Weitz's acclaimed indie dramedy Grandma, the broke lesbian poet Elle (Judy Greer).
Further complicating Elle's life is the arrival of her teenage granddaughter Sage (Garner), who needs $630 for an abortion. Without money to give her, Elle and Sage hit the road to collect as much cash as they can. As they visit old haunts and former flames, Elle confronts her ex-husband Karl (Sam Elliot) and opens old wounds in the process.
The Assistant (2020) 91%
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Garner's most recent movie is also her highest-rated to date. Written and directed by Kitty Green, The Assistant stars Garner as Jane, a conscious-stricken assistant to a powerful business executive who undergoes a major reckoning in the face of sexual harassment.
Taking place over the course of a single day, Jane's daily duties seem innocuous until she begins to witness the subtle and systematic abuse of her boss, an entertainment magnate (Tony Torn). Subjected to a series of demeaning and inappropriate behavior, Jane finds the strength to stand up and challenge her boss' odious behavior.
