Honestly, this idea hit me while scrolling through movie clips late last night. Saw a younger Anya Taylor-Joy and realized I couldn’t name any of her actual teenage roles beyond a vague memory of that witch movie. Thought, “Well damn, I should actually watch these properly instead of just thinking about it.” Decided to make it today’s project.
First thing after coffee, I fired up the laptop. Needed a starting point. Typed “Anya Taylor-Joy first movies” into the search bar – felt pretty basic, but hey, gotta begin somewhere. Instantly, “The Witch” (2015) popped up everywhere. Knew of it, obviously, that creepy Puritan horror flick, but hadn’t actually sat down and watched the whole thing. Grabbed a notebook – the physical kind, feels more deliberate than typing notes – and pressed play.
Got sucked in fast. Focused hard on Anya. She was… what, 18 when filming? Playing Thomasin. Man, her eyes carried so much weight, this mix of innocence and something unsettling brewing underneath. Scratched down notes about her stillness, how she made the character feel genuinely young but also ancient somehow. The ending cemented it – that unsettling smile? Pure chills. Understood instantly why this was her breakout.
Next, jumped ahead a bit. Knew she was in “Split” (2016), but somehow forgot her character Casey was a teenager. Found it streaming. Different beast entirely! Thomasin was oppressed silence; Casey was bottled-up trauma and survival smarts. Wrote comparisons: less dialogue-heavy than I remembered, Anya using her face and body language to show fear flickering into calculation. Made a note: “Eyes wide = vulnerability. Eyes focused, narrow = strategizing.” Simple, but watching back-to-back made it clear.
Wanted one more. Searched “Anya Taylor-Joy 2017 young role”. Kept seeing “Thoroughbreds” (2017). Barely heard of this one. Dark comedy thriller? Sign me up. Found it, hit play. Whoa. Complete gear shift. Lily, this wealthy, detached, almost sociopathic teen. Sparse dialogue delivered like icy daggers. Mouth barely moving, monotone voice, but conveying so much menace through tiny micro-expressions. Jotted: “Masterclass in ‘less is more’ acting. Terrifying because she seems so coldly, casually bored.” Totally different from Thomasin’s primal fear or Casey’s layered tension. Blew me away.
Put the notebook down after “Thoroughbreds”. Leaned back. The progression just hit me:
- The Witch (2015): Ancient fear in a young girl’s body.
- Split (2016): Trapped trauma finding fierce survival instinct.
- Thoroughbreds (2017): Chilling, detached calculation.
Realized the through-line wasn’t the characters being typical teens; it was Anya playing these complex, often dark young women navigating intense, isolating situations with profound stillness and unbelievable expressiveness in her eyes and face. She avoided the clichés. Made each feel distinct and real.
Gotta be honest, the most surprising part for me? Honestly? How old she looked playing teens. Sounds silly, but especially in “Thoroughbreds”, filmed when she was 20 playing maybe 17-18? She had this very mature presence. Made me kinda mad, actually – Hollywood constantly casting older actors makes us forget what real teens often look like! But Anya’s skill made you buy it anyway. Weird realization, kinda genius actually? But damn, she started young and immediately owned these difficult roles.
Finished organizing the scribbled notes into something readable, added short thoughts on each film’s vibe and what Anya specifically nailed. Glanced back through the list. Yeah, no big explosions or costumes needed – she built them from the inside out. Pretty damn impressive for someone just starting out. Just… wow. Gonna post this ramble now!
