The 25 best Meryl Streep films

Streep’s first on-screen role was in the film “Julia.” Her next film was “The Deer Hunter,” and all she did was get a Best Supporting Actress nomination in the Best Picture winner. She co-starred with some huge powerhouse actors, including Robert De Niro, Oscar-winning Christopher Walken, and her then-romantic partner John Cazale.

Yes, it’s always awkward to talk about Woody Allen films. Irrespective of the man and his behavior in life, his filmography, especially early, is quite impressive. “Manhattan” is maybe even more sketchy than most given everything that’s happened, but it’s also considered Allen’s best movie by many.

This was the film that established Streep as a force to be reckoned with as an actor. Starring alongside Dustin Hoffman in a tumultuous family drama, both Streep and Hoffman took home Oscars. This was Streep’s first Oscar win, but certainly not the last. It’s also the second Best Picture winner that Streep was in.

There’s a lot of intrigue and romance on display in “The French Lieutenant’s Woman,” and Streep is asked to bring a lot of mystery to the table, and of course she’s up to the task. This film is very much an ‘80s British romantic drama, with all the tropes that entail. It got plenty of strong publicity at the time, though, and it’s on this list because it works in that genre with aplomb.

This is a brutal drama and one that has entered our lexicon. It’s also the first film that Streep won Best Actress for. She’s fantastic in the film playing the titular Sophie, bringing pathos while also rocking a Polish accent that feels lived in. Some people don’t want to stomach a Holocaust drama, but if you can, Streep’s performance alone is worth it.

Streep was making some extremely serious films in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. “Silkwood” may be a bit less bleak than “Sophie’s Choice,” but that doesn’t exactly make it a laugh riot. Streep stars as Karen Silkwood in a biographical drama. It also gave us the concept of the “Silkwood shower,” which is enough to make our skin crawl just thinking of it.

Oh hey, another Best Picture winner costarring Streep. Granted, “Out of Africa” isn’t considered an all-time classic, and has sort of fallen out of the zeitgeist among Oscar winners. Still, the movie won for a reason, and a big reason is the fact that Streep is co-starring with Robert Redford. Those are two iconic actors doing their thing. No wonder voters gave it the big Oscar win.

This is Streep’s second film on the list directed by the late, great Mike Nichols, with “Silkwood” being the first. “Heartburn” is a bit lighter than that, allowing Streep and Jack Nicholson some space to be charming and to even have a little fun. By the way, this was Nora Ephron’s first solo screenplay, though it was probably an easy one for her to write. After all, it’s based on an autobiographical novel she herself wrote.

Known as “Evil Angels” in Australia, “A Cry in the Dark” has become known primarily for one thing. It’s the film that spawned the “A dingo ate my baby!” line, usually uttered in a broad Australian accent. First, the actual line in the film, uttered by Streep, is “The dingo’s got my baby!” Also, this movie is based on a true story, one grimmer than you might think from a silly quotation used in “Seinfeld.”

We return to Nichols one more time, and also to a movie with a screenplay adapted from an autobiographical novel. “Postcards from the Edge” is based on a thinly-veiled novel written by the legendary Carrie Fisher. Streep is basically playing Fisher, and that’s something we can wholeheartedly get behind.

Streep’s first film was “Julia,” and here she plays a character named Julia. In Albert Brooks’ afterlife comedy, Streep has to play basically the embodiment of a perfect person. That’s not easy, but Streep does it while remaining charming and delightful. There’s a reason why Brooks cast an actor like Streep in this role.

After all these serious dramas, it’s nice to get a few comedies on this list. Streep can do it all! “Death Becomes Her” is a wacky dark comedy about Streep and Goldie Hawn as two women going to extreme lengths to undercut each other and to maintain their youth and beauty. This leads to some extreme slapstick violence, but “Death Becomes Her” has become a cult classic in the intervening years.

Yes, Streep can indeed do it all. This is an action film that stars Streep, something you may have not imagined happening. A movie about a whitewater rafting trip gone horribly awry, Streep is able to maintain the gravitas to keep “The River Wild” from being a trifle of an action flick.

When Clint Eastwood costars and directs a movie, you probably expect something violent and dark. “The Bridges of Madison County,” though, is a quiet romantic drama. And yet, somehow, it works? Eastwood and Streep romance each other in a lush countryside and Eastwood is able to come across reasonably well as a romantic lead. Of course, Streep is really doing the heavy lifting from an acting perspective, toting another flawless accent.

“Adaptation” was written by Charlie Kaufman after trying to adapt “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean. It’s…a movie about Nicolas Cage as screenwriter Charlie Kaufman trying to adapt “The Orchid Thief.” Somehow, it’s even twistier than that. Streep plays Orlean herself in the film. It’s a real mind-bender, but it really pays off in the end.

The remake of “The Manchurian Candidate” isn’t as well-received as the original, but it’s got its fans. It also has a great cast, led by Denzel Washington and Streep. Streep steps into the role made famous by Angela Lansbury in the original, while allowed her to stretch her villainous chops.

Speaking of villains, “The Devil Wears Prada” doesn’t feature Streep in as overtly of a villainous role, but she definitely stomps on some hearts in the film. It’s a favorite of many, and Streep seems to be having a ton of fun as Miranda Priestly, the titular devil wearing Prada in this film about the fashion world.

Look, you are either into a jukebox musical featuring the music of ABBA or you aren’t. If “Mamma Mia!” is up your alley, you’re probably going to enjoy the heck out of it. If it isn’t, well, you can steer clear of this one. Streep gets to sing ABBA. So does Pierce Brosnan. That goes less well, but it’s still fun.

“Julie and Julia” is half a good film. The stuff with Amy Adams as a woman teaching herself to cook from a Julia Child cookbook? That’s pretty middling. However, Streep as Child beginning her career as a culinary legend? That stuff is really good, mostly because Streep is so excellent as Child, and because Child is such a fun character to see on screen.

Even in an animated film, Streep can bring gravitas as a performer. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animation adaptation of the book, and it’s incredibly intricate in its detailing. The movie looks distinct, but it also has some wonderful voiceover performances, including George Clooney and Streep as Mr. and Mrs. Fox.

Wow, 2009 was quite the year for Streep, even though she was over 30 years into her career. Rounding out a fine trio of films from that year is “It’s Complicated,” a romantic comedy from Nancy Myers. Myers is something of an auteur of that genre, and this is considered by some to be her best offering. Streep, naturally, is a big reason for that.

“August: Osage County” began life as an acclaimed play about a dysfunctional family. Turning plays into movies doesn’t always work, but the folks behind this film stacked the deck in their favor by stacking the cast. At the top of the cast are Streep and Julia Roberts, who both got Oscar nominations.

Streep and director Jonathan Demme seem like they are having fun in “Ricki and the Flash.” She gets to play an aging rock star, which is something we’d never seen from her before. Demme knows how to weave music into film, as he directed “Stop Making Sense,” after all. It was the acclaimed director’s final film before passing, and it’s a good note to go out on.

Tom Hanks. Meryl Streep. Steven Spielberg. Maybe “The Post” was a little too dry to get a ton of love from people. It’s not flashy, and it also retreads some of the ground covered in “All the President’s Men.” That being said, those three legends can’t get together and make a film that isn’t at least good. Not everything movie has to be bells and whistles to be worthwhile.

“Little Women” is very much an ensemble piece, and Streep is only part of that puzzle. However, she’s a vital part of Greta Gerwig’s adaptation. Lending gravitas to a film centered on a young cast, Streep plays Aunt March, and she is, naturally, a delight. Saoirse Ronan is an Oscar darling at a young age, but she has a long way to go before she can even dream of catching up with Streep.