10 Underrated Films by Elizabeth Debicki You Must See

Elizabeth Debicki is an Australian actor whose screen work spans international blockbusters and intimate dramas. After training at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, she drew wide attention with ‘The Great Gatsby’ and went on to appear in projects that range from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ to ‘Widows’ and ‘Tenet’.

The ten titles below focus on films that many viewers may have missed and they include who she plays, who directed the project, and key production facts. Use this as a guide to explore different sides of her work across period pieces, thrillers, science fiction, and family friendly animation.

‘Vita & Virginia’ (2018)

Debicki portrays Virginia Woolf opposite Gemma Arterton as Vita Sackville West. The film is directed by Chanya Button with a screenplay by Eileen Atkins and Button based on Atkins play of the same name. It dramatizes the literary and personal relationship that shaped the writing of ‘Orlando’ and draws on letters that the two writers exchanged. Scenes present settings associated with the Bloomsbury circle and recreate salons and domestic spaces tied to the authors.

The film traces publishing timelines, travel, and family pressures that influenced major works by both writers. Production design and costumes reconstruct London society and country estates while dialogue quotes and paraphrases material from correspondence and journals to anchor the narrative.

‘The Burnt Orange Heresy’ (2019)

Debicki plays Berenice Hollis opposite Claes Bang as an art critic who is hired to obtain a work by the reclusive painter Jerome Debney. Giuseppe Capotondi directs and the cast includes Donald Sutherland as Debney and Mick Jagger as the wealthy patron who sets the events in motion. The screenplay adapts the novel by Charles Willeford and relocates the plot to the Italian Lake District.

Location work around Lake Como places characters in galleries and villas that reflect the art world setting. The film premiered at a major European festival as the closing title and later opened in North American theaters through Sony Pictures Classics, bringing together literary adaptation and contemporary art crime elements.

‘Breath’ (2017)

In the Australian drama ‘Breath’, Debicki plays Eva who lives with surfing mentor Sando and becomes part of the lives of two teenage boys in a small coastal town. Simon Baker directs and also appears as Sando in an adaptation of the Tim Winton novel that examines risk, mentorship, and the pull of the ocean on young athletes.

Filming took place in Western Australia with extensive water photography that captures local breaks and shoreline communities. Craft work emphasizes period details from boards and wetsuits to cars and homes while the narrative follows training routines, injuries, and family dynamics that shape the choices of the main characters.

‘Everest’ (2015)

Debicki appears as a physician at base camp during a dramatization of a Mount Everest disaster. Baltasar Kormakur directs a large ensemble that includes Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson, and Sam Worthington, with scenes that follow multiple expedition teams and support staff.

The production staged mountain sequences in Nepal and the Italian Alps along with soundstage builds that simulate severe weather and technical climbing procedures. The script draws on expedition memoirs and journalism while effects teams combine practical snow work with digital enhancements to depict altitude, storms, and rescue efforts.

‘The Cloverfield Paradox’ (2018)

Debicki plays Mina Jensen who appears aboard an international space station after a particle accelerator test alters the crew reality. Julius Onah directs and the cast features Gugu Mbatha Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Bruhl, Zhang Ziyi, and Chris O’Dowd, with storylines that link to the wider ‘Cloverfield’ universe.

The release debuted worldwide on streaming immediately after a championship football broadcast and expanded the franchise through a surprise rollout. Sets replicate spacecraft modules with functional consoles and tight corridors while visual effects depict orbital mechanics and experiments that drive the plot.

‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ (2015)

Debicki portrays Victoria Vinciguerra who finances a criminal operation that draws the attention of rival agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin. Guy Ritchie directs with Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, and Hugh Grant in key roles adapted from the original television property ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’.

Production emphasizes 1960s style using Italian locations including Rome and Naples together with studio sets that showcase period interiors. Wardrobe, hair, and vehicles reference European fashion houses and motors of the era, and the soundtrack blends orchestral cues with vintage pop to support the espionage tone.

‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ (2017)

Debicki provides a voice role as the emperor of the alien species known as the Pearls in Luc Besson space adventure adapted from the French comics series ‘Valerian and Laureline’. The cast includes Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, and Rihanna with extensive performance capture and visual effects work.

The production uses a digital pipeline that blends live action plates with computer generated environments to portray the space station Alpha and its markets and habitats. Sound and creature teams design multiple species with distinct languages and rituals while concept art guides costumes, props, and makeup across dozens of cultures.

‘Peter Rabbit’ (2018)

Debicki voices Mopsy Rabbit in this family feature that blends live action with animation drawn from Beatrix Potter stories. Will Gluck directs with James Corden as the voice of Peter alongside Rose Byrne and Domhnall Gleeson in the human cast and voice roles from Margot Robbie and Daisy Ridley as Peter sisters.

Animation and live action were integrated through performance reference and location photography across countryside and city settings in Australia and the United Kingdom. The production retains character names, traits, and relationships from the books and arranges them within a contemporary plot that centers on the McGregor garden.

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ (2017)

Debicki plays Ayesha who leads a genetically engineered people called the Sovereign in the second film of the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ series. James Gunn directs with returning cast members including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel.

Production design gives the Sovereign a uniform gold palette that extends from costumes to interiors and props and the character appears again in a later installment. Large scale sequences combine soundstage builds with digital environments, and prop and makeup teams developed materials that match the metallic finish of Sovereign skin and clothing.

‘The Great Gatsby’ (2013)

Debicki plays Jordan Baker, a professional golfer who introduces Nick Carraway to the world of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann adaptation of the F Scott Fitzgerald novel ‘The Great Gatsby’. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire and was produced with extensive studio work in Australia.

Costume and production design by Catherine Martin received major awards and the soundtrack features contemporary artists curated to parallel the Jazz Age setting. The film uses 3D presentation and digital backlot techniques to depict Manhattan avenues, Long Island mansions, and waterfront parties.

Share your picks for lesser known Elizabeth Debicki films in the comments so everyone can discover more.