Anya Taylor-Joy Reveals Her Four All-Time Favorite Films
Anya Taylor-Joy has revealed the movies that mean the most to her, and her list shows just how wide her taste in cinema really is.
While attending the Toronto International Film Festival to promote her new film Sacrifice, the actress sat down with Letterboxd to talk about her all-time favorite films.
Her choices were The Handmaiden, Arrival, Almost Famous, and In the Mood for Love. When asked about making the list, Taylor-Joy admitted it wasn’t easy.
“The last time I did this I panicked so hard, like I nearly cried,” she said with a laugh. “The Handmaiden, Arrival, still Almost Famous, In the Mood for Love.”
Four Favorites with Sacrifice stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Jade Croot, Yung Lean, Sam Richardson, Miriam Silverman, and director Romain Gavras at @TIFF_NET ✨ #TIFF50 pic.twitter.com/QkpaoeEeBy
— Letterboxd (@letterboxd) September 8, 2025
The selections highlight just how versatile her inspirations are. The Handmaiden, directed by Park Chan-wook, is a dark and stylish South Korean thriller praised by critics worldwide for its layered storytelling.
Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival is a modern science fiction classic that explores communication, loss, and human connection in ways that moved both audiences and critics. Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous is beloved for its heartfelt take on music, youth, and identity, and Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love remains one of the most visually stunning love stories in cinema history.
Each of these films has been celebrated for its artistry, which makes it clear why Taylor-Joy connected to them.
Fans of the actress may not be surprised by her picks. Her career has often leaned toward bold, visually distinct, and emotionally charged projects, from The Witch to The Queen’s Gambit. Choosing films like these shows how much she values strong storytelling and powerful emotion on screen.
Taylor-Joy was at TIFF to premiere Sacrifice, a new action-adventure comedy directed by Romain Gavras.
The film follows a radical believer, played by Taylor-Joy, who kidnaps three people in the belief that sacrificing them will save humanity. She stars alongside Chris Evans, Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, Ambika Mod, Sam Richardson, John Malkovich, and Charli XCX. The movie had its world premiere on September 6 as part of the festival’s Special Presentations lineup.
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