With Thor: Ragnarok, giving fans more of the combustible chemistry between stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson that partially made the movie so enjoyable.
Also currently starring in Westworld season 4, Tessa Thompson has been one of the busiest and most in-demand actors of the past five years, appearing in small indie darlings and Earth-shattering blockbusters alike. To get a pulse on her best work on the big screen, Letterboxd s have weighed in and spoken loudly.
Thor: Love And Thunder (2022) - 3.5/5
In Thor: Love And Thunder, Tessa Thompson reprises the role of Valkyrie, who now presides over New Asgard as the King. When Gorr The God Butcher (Christian Bale) besieges the kingdom, Thor calls on Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster to fight back and restore order.
While many Letterboxd s are quick to note the joke-heavy tone and cartoonish CGI, others resoundingly praise the film, such as David Chen, who calls the film "a fun trifle, A Marvel film imagined as a fairytale. An unwieldy mix of goofy comedy and extremely serious elements."
Creed II (2018) - 3.5/5
Michael B. Jordan, in one of his most heroic roles) as he avenges his father's death by taking on Ivan Drago's son, Viktor. Thompson reprises her role as Creed's girlfriend turned fiancee Bianca, who raises their child while pursuing a music career and dealing with hearing loss.
Several Letterboxd s applaud the vengeful storyline that pits Creed against the son of the man who killed his father in Rocky IV, while others lament the absence of Creed's visionary director Ryan Coogler. Houston Coley makes a salient point, stating "Tessa Thompson's character's struggle with hearing loss comes to mind as one of the very-specific human concepts...and plays very authentic because of that."
ing (2021) - 3.5/5
Directed with comionate aplomb by Rebecca Hall, ing, Netflix's black-and-white period piece is about two old childhood friends whose divergent paths cross years later. Thompson plays Irene, a light-skinned Black woman who reunites with Clare (Ruth Negga), a mixed-race woman who "es" for a white woman. As the two confront their past and explore their perceived identities and the social ramifications of such, a harrowing series of events unfolds.
One of the most poignant statements made about the film on Letterboxd comes from Anna Kendrick Lamar, who rightly notes that "guided and undeniably elevated by Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, the film handles its landmine of a premise with insight and sensitivity."
Annihilation (2018) - 3.6/5
Alex Garland's mild-altering bio-cosmic horror movie Annihilation stars a quintet of badass women, with Tessa co-starring alongside her Thor: Love and Thunder lead Natalie Portman. The story follows Lena (Portman), who helms a diverse group of scientists sojourning into The Shimmer, a bizarre biome where the laws of physics seem to bend, to find her missing husband. Thompson stands out as physicist Josie Radek.
Although #1 gizmo fan earned over 3,800 likes for accurately stating "the last 15 minutes of this movie is scarier than anything I've ever seen in my entire life," few Letterboxd fans were as moved as Eli Hayes, who says "very close to, if not perfect cinema. Entirely encapsulates our grief, our dejection, our self-loathing, our distrust, our vulnerability to the natural, the artificial: our fears, our desires."
Mississippi Damned (2009) - 3.7/5
Tessa Thomspon steals the shows with the crushing heartfelt pathos portrayed in Mississippi Damned, Tina Mabry's unflinching look at a dysfunctional family caught in a perpetual cycle of self-destruction. Thompson plays Kari, the eldest of three impoverished Black siblings doing all they can to survive a dead-end existence.
As difficult as the subject matter is, Letterboxd Vance Woods calls the movie "beautifully devastating," adding "the standout performance comes from Tessa Thompson, who portrays the older Kari; the emotion that flows out of her is genuine, and you can feel it through the screen when you watch."
Sorry To Bother You (2018) - 3.8/5
Featuring a Sorry to Bother You traces Cassius Green (Stanfield), a telemarketer in an alternate-reality Oakland who finds success after being urged to use his "white voice" on the telephone with customers. Thompson plays Cash's colorfully eccentric artist girlfriend, Detroit, who gives one of the most memorable turns in the film.
A scathing indictment of capitalism and systemic power structures benefiting the privileged few, no shortage of effusive praise for the film's daring ingenuity can be found on Letterboxd. Even fellow filmmaker Sean Baker (Red Rocket, The Florida Project) hopped onto the fansite and said of Sorry to Bother You: "Loved it. So inventive and refreshing. Great cutting, cinematography, music, and performances. I'm sure a second viewing will be rewarding."
Selma (2014) - 3.8/5
Ava Duvernay's great must-see movie Selma offers a moving historical portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's (David Oyelowo) organized march across Alabama in the name of civil voting rights for all Americans in 1965. A biographical must-see, Thompson plays civil rights activist Diane Nash, who successfully mounted several campaigns that led to the United States Congress ing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
In their four-star review, Silent Dawn keenly observes "Simultaneously quietly reverberating and viscerally horrific, Selma is a fiery and subdued look at racial tensions in the mid-1960s. The direction is quite good, with some bravura set-pieces and moments, and the cinematography is elegant in all the best ways. Ryne Walley does one better, describing Selma as "a picture of unmistakable pertinency awakened through Ava DuVernay's utterly imioned and textured artistry."
Creed (2015) - 3.8/5
Directed with deep character comion and gritty realism by Ryan Coogler, Thompson played the role of Bianca for the first time in the 2015 hit film Rocky franchise. The story follows Apollo Creed's son Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) as he trains with Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) to climb the ranks from amateur to professional boxing.
Praised for its scintillating fight sequences, Letterboxd fan Evan says "the fights in the film are filmed to absolute perfection. They're intense, brutal, and downright raw," but adds "the performances are what really make the movie." Yet, for as celebrated as Coogler's fresh take on the franchise is, many on Letterboxd feel like Gonzo does, who says "the romantic subplot between Jordan and Tessa Thompson is the weakest point."
Thor: Ragnarok (2017) - 3.9/5
It's been five years since Thompson first portrayed Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, with her performance at the time being extolled as a flawed (alcoholic), fully-rounded character people could actually relate to and root for. Her arc in Love and Thunder is sure to expand her role in some capacity.
While Lucy on Letterboxd drew massive for stating the obvious: "Tessa Thompson is the most beautiful person on this Earth," more substantive adulation for the film includes DirkH, who describes the film as an "Eighties-laced, Technicolor-induced, Jeff Goldblum-spiced, deadpan bonkers reverse origin story." Rudy succinctly sums up their review of the film, saying "Valkyrie. That's it. That's the review," indicating Thompson is the sole reason to watch Thor: Ragnarok.
Avengers: Endgame (2019) - 3.9/5
Despite appearing onscreen for roughly 8 minutes, Letterboxd still lists Avengers: Endgame as Tessa Thompson's finest film to date. As one of the few who survived Thanos' attack, Valkyrie led a fleet of Asgardians to a safe haven before the Mad Titan dashed her plans.
Since her role is so minor, comments about Valkyrie on Letterboxd have largely been supplanted by heaping praise for the emotional impact of bringing all of the storylines together in a satisfying manner. To wit, Michelle articulates the overwhelming sentiment by adding "I laughed, I cried, and I cheered. The end of an era and the MCU will never be the same for me. I'm satisfied but emotionally drained."
