Uma Thurman is one of the most talented and decorated actresses to have graced the silver screen. The actress has showcased her skills as a gifted actress not only through the brilliant execution of her roles but also her versatility, as she’s starred in various movie genres ranging from romantic comedies, to dramas, and even sci-fi projects. She gained the attention of many in 1994 when she delivered a compelling performance as Mia Wallace in Quentin Tarantino’s Award-winning Pulp Fiction.
Starting out as a sought-after model, she transitioned into acting in the 1980s, making her on-screen debut in Kiss Daddy Goodnight, a neo-noir psychological thriller directed by Peter Ily Huemer. She went on to appear in other films like the Oscar-winning Dangerous Liaisons and Henry & June before landing the famous role of Mia Wallace. Now, Thurman stands as one of the most successful and talented actresses out there with an incredibly robust filmography. Here’s a list of her movies and shows, ranked from least to best.
10. Beautiful Girls
This 1996 romantic comedy follows Willie Conway, a New York jazz pianist who returns to his hometown to reconnect with old friends from high school. He manages to reconnect with three of his old friends: Mo, and Paul and Tommy who both own a snow plowing business. In reconnecting, Willie is also introduced to his friends’ different, tumultuous relationships.
This film was directed by Ted Demme and written by Scott Rosenberg. It features other names like Matt Dillon, Noah Emmerich, Lauren Holly, Timothy Hutton, Rosie O’Donnell, and Martha Plimpton.
9. The House That Jack Built
While Thurman has starred in numerous movies across multiple genres, The House That Jack Built stands out in her filmography because it’s one of the few psychological horror movies she’s starred in. Written and directed by Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier, the unsettling horror slasher sees Jack, played by Matt Dillion, a failed architect turned serial killer, commit gruesome murders over a 12-year-old period. Thurman here was one of Jack’s unfortunate victims. It’s dark, chilling, and graphic.
8. Les Miserables
In this 1998 film adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name, Thurman is Fantine, a working-class single mother who turns to prostitution to support herself and her child after she was unfairly laid off from her work because her manager discovered she had a child out of wedlock. Directed by Bille August and filmed mainly in Prague, the film features other stars like Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Claire Danes, Hans Matheson, Jon Kenny, Kelly Hunter, Gillian Hanna, and Peter Vaughan.
7. Burnt
In the comedy-drama Burnt, Thurman joins an ensemble cast featuring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Omar Sy, Daniel Brühl, Matthew Rhys, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Alicia Vikander. She stars as Simone Forth, a keen food critic who helps in reviving the career of Adam Jones — a has-been super chef at a high-class Parisian restaurant whose career was derailed by excessive drug use and his temperamental behavior.
6. Vatel
Vatel is a 2000 historical drama written by French screenwriter Jeanne Labrune and directed by British director Roland Joffé. The movie centers on François Vatel, a master of festivities and pleasures in Louis, Grand Condé’s empire, who finds himself in a hidden, illicit love affair with Anne de Montausier, King Louis XIV’s wife.
The love is passionate and fiery, but it’s severely threatened by their different social classes. Other stars in this drama include Tim Roth, Timothy Spall, Julian Glover, Julian Sands, Hywel Bennett, Arielle Dombasle, and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu.
5. Gattaca
Andrew Niccol’s filmmaking debut Gattaca is a 1997 science fiction thriller that follows Vincent Freeman, a genetically inferior man that assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel. Here, Thurman plays Irene Cassidi, an investigative officer and Freeman’s coworker who he slowly falls in love with.
Their simmering love affair, along with the technology on display makes Gattaca a compelling watch. Thurman is joined here by Ethan Hawke who plays Freeman, and other names like Jude Law, Loren Dean, and Ernest Borgnine.
4. Kill Bill Vol. 2
The second installment of this classic is one of the most famous movies Uma Thurman has starred in. After a masterful performance in the first part, Thurman delivers again in this 2004 Quentin Tarantino offering. She expertly plays The Bride, a skilled, vengeful character who rains hell on the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, a 6-man group of assassins led by Bill. It’s just as gruesome and exciting as its predecessor and filled with action-packed fight sequences, martial arts and stunts.
3. Dangerous Liaisons
This period piece directed by British director Stephen Frears is based on Les liaisons dangereuses, a screenplay by accomplished British playwright Christopher Hampton. Dangerous Liaisons showcases the pettiness, politics and the general culture of the French royal court in the 18th century.
It has been widely lauded as one of the best movies in the era that it was released and it bagged six nominations at the 61st Academy Awards, winning three.
2. Kill Bill Vol. 1
While Pulp Fiction might have gained Uma Thurman notoriety and immense clout, the first installment of this Quentin Tarantino classic furthered and stamped her presence in Hollywood. Here, she’s looking to take down an assassin group who attempted to take her life and that of her unborn child. It’s frantic, edge-of-your-seat stuff; containing some of the best action sequences you’ll find around. Kill Bill is widely considered a cinematic masterpiece, and one of Tarantino’s most enjoyable films of all time.
1. Pulp Fiction
Uma Thurman’s breakthrough movie, Pulp Fiction is undoubtedly one of the most iconic films of modern cinema. The Quentin Tarantino-directed 1994 classic stars Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace, wife of the crime boss Marsellus Wallace. She executes the role to perfection, making the character become a source of inspiration and a cultural icon who has been referenced several times in media.
For her performance in this crime thriller, Thurman was nominated for the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, among other nominations and wins. The movie itself was also nominated for a handful of awards, most notably winning Best Original Screenplay at the 67th Academy Awards.
