Summary
After bursting onto the scene with her starring role in theStar Warssequel series,Daisy Ridleyhas established herself as one of the most recognizable performers working today. Despite only making her feature film debut 10 years ago, Ridley has gone on to appear in 18 major movies and documentaries, including some of the most commercially-successful releases of all time. However, while many of her projects have made a major impact at the box office, not everyDaisy Ridley moviehas been a triumph.
Before appearing in her first full-length movie in 2014, Ridley established her cinematic reputation through a series of short films. Projects likeUnder,Blue Season, and her debutLifesaverall proved her potential and led to more high-profile projects later down the line. She also had a series of television appearances throughout 2013 and 2014, includingToast of LondonandMr. Selfridge. However, it was only after she began regularly appearing in movies that Ridley’s star really began to rise.
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Young Woman and the Sea (2024)
Gertrude Ederle
Disney’s Upcoming Daisy Ridley Movie Proves The Actress Can’t Catch A Break
Daisy Ridley’s career after Star Wars has had more downs than ups, and her next movie, Young Woman and the Sea, has several challenges to overcome.
The Quiet Ones
Cast
The Quiet Ones is a horror film directed by John Pogue, inspired by true events. Set in 1974, it follows a university professor and his students as they conduct an experiment to create a poltergeist. Starring Jared Harris as the professor, the film explores the boundaries between the scientific method and the supernatural.
By some metrics,The Quiet Onesshouldn’t really count as a Daisy Ridley movie. Only seen briefly as the movie ends, she plays one of the supposedly real people upon which the ghost story is based. Nevertheless, while her tiny role is almost impossible to identify unless viewers know what to look for,the movie nonetheless constitutes Daisy Ridley’s first major film appearance– marking her graduation from shorts to feature-length productions.
Unfortunately, despite being a major marker in her career,The Quiet Onesmarks a fairly underwhelming debut. The movie was a financial success, making over $17 million against a microscopic $200,000 budget. However,it failed to impress critics, scoring just 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. This, combined with Ridley’s incredibly limited involvement, puts it last on her list.
Another movie that barely uses Daisy Ridley, despite her dramatically higher profile,The Bubbleis a high-concept action comedy that wastes what could have been an interesting premise. Set during the COVID-19 pandemic,the movie’s meta-narrative follows a film crew as they attempt to make an action blockbuster, despite the limitations of lockdown. WhileRidley is limited to a cameo appearance, the film boasts a talented ensemble, including Karen Gillan, David Duchovny, and Maria Bakalova.
Directed by Judd Apatow,The Bubblehad the potential to be a timely and cutting social commentary. However, critics generally agreed that the film fell flat thanks to a muddled story and unfunny gags,resulting in a 21% Rotten Tomatoes score. Just as withThe Quiet Ones, this poor performance and Ridley’s fleeting appearance meansThe Bubblecannot rank highly.
Her tiny role inThe Quiet Onesaside,Scrawlis Daisy Ridley’s true movie debut. Although it’s an understandably significant moment in the 32-year-old’s career, it is also a slightly ignominious first appearance. A horror-thriller that centers around a comic book writer whose creations come to life, the film blends fantasy with supernatural elements. Yet despite the promise of its plot,Scrawlfails to come together as a compelling story.
Intriguingly, given her rise to prominence as the heroic Rey just afterScrawl’s release,Ridley plays a somewhat villainous figure in the movie. As the mysterious Hannah, it is unclear whether or not her character is the manifestation of the comic creator’s darkest impulses – an interesting setup thatScrawlnever fully manages to pay off. Ridley’s role is arguably emblematic of a movie that explores compelling concepts without successfully bringing together its biggest ideas.
Daisy Ridley’s first foray into sci-fi after the conclusion of theStar Warssequels,Chaos Walkingis widely regarded as a missed opportunity.Based on the first novel in Patrick Ness' eponymous trilogy, the story is set in a dystopian world without women where creatures can hear each other’s thoughts. The uneasy balance between organisms is shattered whenDaisy Ridley’s Violaarrives, joining forces with Tom Holland’s Todd.
Its head-spinning concept, complex production history, and failure to adequately translate some of Ness' core ideas to the big screen (despite the writer’s involvement) madeChaos Walkinga commercial and critical failure. The movie made just $27.1 million against an estimated $100-125 million budget and received a poor 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, despite the lukewarm response, viewers who did see it often enjoyed the movie more than its reputation would suggest – withChaos Walking’s 75% audience Rotten Tomatoes score highlighting that the picture is more complex than it seems.
After the nostalgic rush ofThe Force Awakensand the controversially bold approach ofThe Last Jedi,Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalkerwas a damp squib on which to end the sequel trilogy. Following the conclusion of Rey’s story as she reconciles her identity as a Palpatine, the movie was intended to be an epic swansong for a series that had struggled to tell a single cohesive narrative. The result sputtered and ultimately stalled on arrival.
All theStar Warsmovies are available to watch on Disney+
In essentially undoing all of the story set-up in Rian Johnson’sThe Last Jedi,The Rise of Skywalkercompletely undid any sense of continuity present within theStar Warssequels. Details, such as Rey’s anonymous parentage, were completely abandoned in favor of a new story that replayed the greatest hits fromStar Warsglory days. The consequence was a movie that both alienated fans ofThe Last Jediand disappointed anyone hoping for a palate-cleanser post-Episode VIII.
Daisy Ridley’s Rey Is The Best Thing In The Star Wars Sequels
The Star Wars sequel trilogy had high points and low points, but Daisy Ridley’s character Rey managed to shine throughout three turbulent films.
A blend of abduction horror and familial drama,The Marsh King’s Daughteris both a mildly entertaining thriller and a major missed opportunity. Ridley plays Helena – a woman who is forced to confront her notorious father when he escapes from prison on a mission to reclaim his family.Mixing survivalist thrills with psychological trauma, the film promises a gripping story. The end result, however, sadly underwhelms.
Despitestrong performances from Ridley and Ben Mendelsohn,The Marsh King’s Daughterfalls in the nether zone between the white-knuckle tension of Martin Scorsese’sCape Fearand the harrowing pathos ofRoom.Although the movie is by no means a disaster, scoring 43% on Rotten Tomatoes, strange pacing and narrative choices limit its effectiveness. However, in a continuation of a theme established inChaos Walking, audiences tended to feel much more favorably towards the film than critics – highlighting its positive attributes.
12Asteroid Hunters (2020)
A Perfect Daisy Ridley Role Post-Star Wars
AlthoughAsteroid Huntersis a relatively short IMAX documentary (coming in at just 38 minutes),the movie is both a great showcase for Ridleyand a fitting testament to an incredible story. The movie offers a glimpse behind the complex study of asteroids, as well as the dedicated teams working behind the scenes to prevent and predict a strike on Earth. As a result, the movie is both illuminating and slightly terrifying.
Her involvement with theStar Warsseries makes Ridleythe perfect narrator for the subject. Plus,Asteroid Hunters' impressive visualsgive the movie a grand sense of scale that really reinforces the stakes involved. However, the movie’s limited runtime makes it difficult to declare it one of Ridley’s best projects, since its purpose is so comparatively niche.
Replacing the traditionally gentle humor of Beatrix Potter’s creation with something altogether more brash and slapstick,Peter Rabbitwas an understandably divisive movie on release. However, while it attracted the ire of purists, there’s no denying that the movie found an audience. As a result, its success is impossible to deny.
Although James Corden gets star billing as the titular troublesome rabbit, Ridley plays an important role as Peter’s sister, Cottontail. Alongside an impressive supporting cast featuring herStar Warscostar Domnhall Gleeson,she gives a charismatic vocal performance that enhances the on-screen action. Making $350 million against a $50 million budget and securing 63% positive reviews,Peter Rabbitranks as a successful and bold reimagining.
10Ophelia (2018)
Shakespeare’s Original Story Receives Revisionist Treatment
Simultaneously extremely flawed and intriguing,Opheliais a daring alternative to one of the most celebrated narratives of all time. Acting as a counterweight toHamlet,the movie tells the story of the titular Ophelia from her perspective, shining a light on one of the most overlooked characters in literary history. While this approach is fascinating, however, it doesn’t excuse allOphelia’s shortcomings.
Opheliacaused controversy on release with accusations of review-tampering.
The movie features many ofHamlet’s most notorious moments, including the appearance of a ghost, a play-within-a-play, and many characters' descent into madness.The screenplay distorts many set pieces almost beyond the point of recognition– losing much of what makes Shakespeare’s writing so remarkable in the process. However, seeing the story from Ophelia’s point of view before her own tragic end is an intriguing twist that rejuvenates the nearly 500-year-old source material.
A largely-successful update of one of the great murder mystery stories,Murder on the Orient Expressitself falls short of classic status. However, in introducing audiences to Kenneth Branagh’s version of Hercule Poirot and making full use of an extensive and varied ensemble,the movie is an entertaining – if formulaic – adaptation. The fact that two further Poirot films have followed is a testament to its legacy.
As the demuregoverness Mary Debenham, Ridleyis one of many murder suspects crammed aboard the legendary locomotive. However, as with every passenger on board, it soon becomes clear that there’s more to her character than meets the eye. The movie itself was a major financial hit,generating $352 million against a $55 million budget. Critical reviews were more middling, butMurder on the Orient Expresswas more than worthy of Agatha Christie’s iconic whodunnit.
